Apartment Building Entry Systems:
Auto-Dialer vs. Hardwired System

 

For building entry intercom applications, three types of systems are available for most projects: the old-fashion stand-alone system, the telephone auto-dialer system and the telephone hardwired system. Old-fashion stand-alone systems require dedicated wiring inside the premise and special indoor stations. They generally offer no more than one indoor station (in kitchen) for resident's use. Audio quality in these systems is knowingly poor and restricting in the form of intercom. (For an exact replacement with a better quality system see the Flexus System here.) Auto-dialer systems require a dedicated phone line from the local phone company. When visitors call an apartment from the outside panel, they are in fact reaching that unit thru a regular phone call to that resident's phone number. If a resident gets his/her phone service discontinued or if he/she simply does not have any phone service, the unit is also left without entry access service. The possibility of only one resident with no permanent phone service at any point in time makes the whole system unusable for the application. With an auto-dialer system, availability of entry access services in a private building becomes totally dependent on the quality and continued availability of phone services by the public local phone company. The use of a dedicated phone line by auto-dial systems brings additional charges to condo monthly fees since the condominium is billed by the local phone company for the use of the dedicated phone line. Phone companies consider these lines as business lines and bill them accordingly on a per call basis, a bill that can be fairly high if the condominium community has frequent visitors. If entry access control is required for a second or third door, these extra panels might additionally need individual phone lines, increasing the line usage bill. In any of these cases the use of a dedicated phone line makes auto-dial systems directly vulnerable to all manners of call frauds (long distance and 900).  Further, with auto-dial systems residents must order call waiting service from the local phone company. Their phone line must have call waiting service so they can be alerted on a door entry call while they are on a phone call. At the same time, call waiting may cause disruption to internet use of the phone line since call waiting tones will disconnect their computer modems from the internet when they are online. Or else they will need to disable call waiting every time they go online, at the risk of forgetting to restore it when they go offline! That also means they won't get a door entry call while they are online. These are serious issues due to the generalized use of internet today. Moreover, auto-dial systems are subject to the numbering plan of local phone companies putting at risk owners investment in an entry system. Many owners  every day bitterly find themselves constrained to make the change. With most phone companies gradually updating their public offices from 7-digit phone numbers to 10 digits, the generation of entry systems designed to handle 7-digit phone numbers have become obsolete. Increasing auto-dial capability in newer versions of these systems to more than 7 digits still leave them completely vulnerable to future changes in the numbering system by local phone companies. Last but not least, auto-dial systems need to be reprogrammed when tenants move out and as others move in. Phone numbers and access codes must be erased from the system when tenants move out for security reasons. When new tenants move in, their phone number and access code information must be entered into the system. This makes programming features in these systems a great deal more of a must than a plus while it makes maintenance services an absolute must! Hardwired telephone entry systems are immune to most of these problems. By tying directly into the existing telephone wirelines inside the building at the lobby level (as opposed to a dedicated subscriber phone line) they allow relatively inexpensive install as auto-dialers otherwise do. They do so without incurring all the issues known to auto-dialers. While auto-dialers might still be in the balance a valid solution for condominiums with over 100 suites (despite the many weakness) and for remote call forwarding for all suites as well, hard-wired telephone entry systems are a better solution in many respects for condominiums with less than 100 suites. More cost-effective, more secure, less obstrusive to phone line services (less headaches with residents), immune to costly continual maintenance, immune to obsolescence, protects better your investment... The OmniCom system picks it from there and additionally brings an extended, true and unique array of entry access intercom services to apartment residents. Install and forget. The choice is clear! Features of OmniCom System... >>   Call Toll Free 800-766-0266  for friendly price Quote.