If you are the type of person who has to have the latest technology, then your choice of a home security company should be clear – FrontPoint Security. FrontPoint bills itself as “the only nationwide security company to deploy 100% wireless and cellular technology.”
Unlike other security systems that require a traditional landline or an Internet connection, FrontPoint works directly through a secure cellular network. FrontPoint apparently has a thing against wires because the entire protection system is wireless, so no one will come to your house and drill holes in your walls or run wires around your baseboards or ceiling. The sensors that detect a break-in, smoke or fire are all wireless.
Without wires, criminals cannot disable your system by cutting the cables, which is the lifeline of so many older systems with outdated technology. FrontPoint has a simple pricing system – three different options depending on how large your house is and what type of protection you want. For example, if you want video surveillance, you will bump up to the most expensive package.
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FrontPoint Security is on the cutting edge of home security technology and would be a fine choice to keep your home, family and possessions safe.
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According to FBI statistics, roughly two million homes are broken into each year in the United States, resulting in an average property loss of $2,000. You do not have to be added to these troubling statistics; you can install a comprehensive home security system to help protect your house and family from intruders.
In years past, to do this would require a team of workmen to descend on your house, knocking holes in your beautiful walls as they wired-up the place. It was an expensive and often damaging proposition. But now, FrontPoint security offers a system that certainly is not your father’s burglar alarm – it is totally wireless, uses cellular technology and you install it yourself. The process beings with a phone call to FrontPoint in which you describe your home security needs. Right there on the phone you and a FrontPoint security specialist will design a system to for you and your specific home. You will probably have plenty of questions, which the representative will be happy to answer. But here are some common concerns:
Most people ask about costs first. FrontPoint offers three different levels of monthly monitoring: Protection, Interactive and Ultimate. Each tier steps-up the protection on your home, and the cost goes up accordingly. You pick the level of protection that you need.
- No installation fees
- No equipment charges
- 30-day free trial
- Pricing is simple to figure out
- No phone line or Internet connection needed.
- Email and Text alerts
- 24/7 Emergency and Non-Emergency Monitoring
Contracts and Fees
FrontPoint does charge for equipment, anywhere from $100-$300 for a 1500-3000 square foot home. That does not include optional surveillance cameras. The representative told us to beware of companies which claim to offer free equipment – the price is really just rolled into your monthly monitoring charges. You have to sign either a one or three-year contract with FrontPoint. But there is a benefit – a one-year contract will get you a $25 discount on your equipment. Sign for three years and have a credit score of at least 600 and you will get a $300 equipment discount, which could eliminate your equipment costs.
FrontPoint assured us that we would be able to install the system on our own. The security specialist told us that if we encounter a problem during installation, we should call and someone would stay on the phone and talk us through it. However, if you really do not think you can install it, a technician will do it for $150. For “privacy purposes,” a technician will not install surveillance cameras. FrontPoint is on the edge of technology. In addition to the system being wireless, if you choose the option you can control it from anywhere using a computer or a cell phone app.
Perhaps even more exciting is the optional “Crash & Smash” technology. The only way to defeat a cellular system is to destroy the control panel (that’s the “smash”). With FrontPoint’s system, once there is a break-in (“crash”), a signal is sent to the central monitoring station. If the call is not canceled within 30 seconds, the police are called. This means even if a burglar manages to destroy your control panel, help will come. With other companies systems, there is a 30 second wait for the signal to be sent, so if the unit is destroyed in that time, no signal is ever sent and police will never respond to your house.
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Following the instructions, the first thing we did was plug in the control panel. It beeped and the lights came on. Since the system is wireless, that is all you have to do. No need for a traditional phone line, either -- the cellular technology inside the unit will communicate with the monitoring center.
You will want to place the control panel near the front door so you have time to arm and disarm the system when you leave or come home. However, you may not want to keep it in an obvious place so it is the first thing a burglar sees. Even though the Crash & Smash technology will defeat the burglar every time, you still do not want to give him (or her!) the chance to destroy the panel. Best to keep it sort of hidden, but with easy access for you.
The next thing we did was to install a sensor on the front door. The sensor is two parts – a transmitter and a magnet. The transmitter is the thicker one. The instructions say to place the transmitter on the door frame and the magnet as close as possible on the door itself. No drilling holes and driving screws – the pieces have self-adhesive tape already on them. Just put it in place and press. Make sure you line up the arrows that are on the sides of each piece. We followed the same procedure for a window.
Next was the motion detector. That can either be placed on a wall four to five feet high or placed on a shelf. We chose the shelf option. The remote light plug was just as easy – just plug it into the wall and plug a lamp into the unit. When we pressed a button on the keychain, the light came on. No more entering a dark house for us!
And that was all we had to do. It was as simple as it sounds and it took less than a half an hour. Depending on the size of your house and if you choose the surveillance camera option, it might take longer, but it is still very easy to do.
Then it was time to activate our system. We were instructed to call FrontPoint and speak to a representative. The person we spoke with was very thorough, not only activating it but taking us through the steps on how the system works. She was very patient and answered all of our questions. She basically gave us a tutorial on how to arm and disarm the system and making sure everything was working correctly. The system remains in test mode for a period of time that you choose so you can test it out. We armed the system and opened the front door. When contact was lost between the transmitter and magnet, an ear-piercing siren sounded from the control panel – loud enough to scare away a burglar (and annoy your neighbors!). If we were not in test mode, FrontPoint would have called us to see if help was needed. If it was indeed a break-in and no one answered, police would be called.
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The Verdict
FrontPoint’s security system worked as advertised – the door opened, an alarm sounded. We were very impressed with that, but more so with the ease in which we were able to install the system. Anyone can do this, even those technophobes who still use a manual typewriter.
We liked the versatility of the control panel. They system can be armed with or without the motion detector, depending on whether you are home. While at home and walking about the house, you would not want the motion detector armed because you would constantly be setting it off. With FrontPoint, you can still arm the doors and windows so you can feel protected inside your house. We also liked that the system can be armed or disarmed with the keychain, as well as the optional phone app or website.
Overall FrontPoint is one of the best alarm systems that we have tested. If you want to protect your home and family from intruders, you cannot go wrong by choosing a FrontPoint system.