Agility 3 - SIM card difficulties

[dunga]

Hi all,

Trying to get some advice here as have spent a long time now searching online, plus 3 engineer's visits trying to get this sorted and no luck!!

I am also adding some things I hope people in the same situation find useful.

I have an agility 3 installed. No cameras, just sensors and the capability to send a text message if the alarm goes off.

The alarm stopped sending text messages some time ago. We had the GSM module replaced recently and it has been a pain to get a SIM that works. This has prompted the following learnings:

1. Three network sim cards DO NOT WORK with this system. The company we have the service contract with didn't know this and I wasted £10 credit on the 3 network.

2. I was told in the last engineer's visit that any SIM - except from Three would work.

3. I've shopped around and most mobile phone companies have a 30-day expiry date on their PAYG (pay as you go) sims.

4. Found Delight mobile, who have assured me their credit will last for 12 months and they will keep the number active for up to 6 months of inactivity.

So here are some questions:

1. Can someone share what sims they use with these systems?

2. Can you also point me in the right direction as how to top up the sim when needed? I am assuming it needs to be taken out of the alarm, popped into a phone, load the credit and back in the alarm?

3. If this is the case, how can I access the sim without having to get an engineer to come all the way here, just to get the sim in and out?

Thanks in advance, hope someone answers, all other threads I've found are a few years old and the info is out of date.

 

[sparkymarka]

Most alarms use 2G for the text message, so you need a sim that works on 2G , two options set up a online account , you will need a phone as it texts a code to the sim, once this is set up you can check online for the credit balance, this then can be topped up online or a visit to the cash machine, I know this works as I've got half a dozen out there !
Or google low cost security sim, this sim takes off 50p per month to keep the sim going , the call costs are cheaper and it will text you when the balance is low

 

[dunga]

Most alarms use 2G for the text message, so you need a sim that works on 2G , two options set up a online account , you will need a phone as it texts a code to the sim, once this is set up you can check online for the credit balance, this then can be topped up online or a visit to the cash machine, I know this works as I've got half a dozen out there !
Or google low cost security sim, this sim takes off 50p per month to keep the sim going , the call costs are cheaper and it will text you when the balance is low

Thanks a lot for the info sparkmarka. Can you top up a sim while it is in the alarm, or do you need to get it out and insert it into a phone to get the credit in it? I understand for activation you have to use the phone, but wondering if you need to take it out for further top ups? It seem the sim is difficult to get to in the Agility 3.

Also - a security sim seems like a great idea, however, the one I found takes about £2 per month to keep it going, is there a brand in particular you know of, that has the 50p monthly fee?

 

[secureiam]

Hi,

as I install these, dualcom have a monthly contract which is a bit silly if your only using it for texts. If using it for the app then a contract may work out cheaper.

I have never known it just stop working, which seems a little odd.
I have known work on a gsm tower stop it working during the period that the tower was switched off only.

replacing the sim card should be down powered down, doing it powered up could cause problems.

I even have a few setup where the giffgaff pay as you go is setup for gprs backup for the app should the internet fail, giffgaff charge about 20p a day on payasyougo for gprs connection, the primary path is ip, it switches fairly quickly.

As for topping up the mobile, you can do this using yourmobile account, you don't need to need to whip the sim out and put in a phone to do anything with it.

If your still stuck give us a bell and see if we can sort you out. see pm