Can I Install a DSC Impassa Myself and Still Get Monitoring?

Yes, you can install a DSC Impassa yourself and still get monitoring. For a DIY monitoring company, it does not matter who installed the system. As long as the system is working properly and can send outbound signals, it can receive monitoring. This is true for any self-installations.

In order to receive monitoring service, a panel must be able to send outbound communication signals. This is necessary for alerting the end user and/or a central monitoring station during an alarm event. Additionally, most modern alarm systems are also able to to receive signals. Receiving signals is needed for applying firmware updates and accepting incoming commands from an interactive service platform, like Alarm.com.

There are two main ways that a DSC Impassa can send outbound signals. The panel comes with a dialer for using a POTS (plain old telephone service) connection. However, this communication method is not recommended. Using a POTS connection is extremely unreliable, very slow, and it can be easily tampered with by a potential intruder. Additionally, a POTS connection will not allow connectivity with an interactive service platform like Alarm.com. Overall, phone lines represent a very outdated and archaic technology, and they should not be used with modern alarm systems.

Fortunately, it is possible to use cellular communication with a DSC Impassa. This is possible by adding a cellular module to the panel. Cellular connectivity is extremely reliable, and it is widely seen as the optimal communication path. Cellular service is almost always readily available, and it is not affected by typical power outages. A cellular communicator will also allow the panel to connect with Alarm.com. This is an interactive service that can be used to arm and disarm the system, check the current status of sensors, control Z-Wave devices and more. For these reasons, upgrading to cellular on a DSC Impassa System is very important. It is also important to mention that the DSC Impassa must be running at least firmware version 1.3 or higher in order to support a cellular communicator.