Pyronix Enforcer sending thousands of text messages

M

Mogster4/4

Joined
10 Mar 2022
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Please help if you can.

Has anyone else encountered a Pyronix Enforcer panel modem failing and sending thousands of 7 second text messages (over 700mins in 2 days) following the alarm being triggered ?

This wiped out my BT landline 700 min call cap, and blocking my landline.

I accidently set it off, but if this had been triggered by a real intruder entry, I would not have been able to make a 999 call on my landline. Not what you want from a security system!!.

The system was professionally installed in 2015, and is maintained annually by the installation company. The failed modem is apparently (and understandably) no longer available!

My security system installer/maintenance company advises that these text sending modem panels are no longer manufactured, and have been replaced by Notification sending Cloud based systems. Was this driven by unreliability of the modems used ?.

If I changed to such clod based system, would it have a modem that could fail sending thousands of Notifications to my designated list of smartphones ?

Many thanks,
 
Thanks Tiger111. It took me a couple of hours to isolate the problem to the phone line to the panel, ant to disconnect the phone line from it. At that stage I had not realised that it had been sending thousands of 7 sec messages. I phoned my security contractor strait away and he came first thing the following morning. He reconnected the phone line to check what was happening, not realising that it would restart the 7 sec text message sending again. He identified the failed part and left me with the phone line disconnected from the panel.
It was only the next day when i discovered exactly what the fault was doing to my phone bill.
Is this a common fault or am I the only one to have had it happen.
My contractor is saying nothing other than that the failed part is no longer available and that the panel needs replacing.
It just does not seem right to me that a security system can fail in such a way that it would stop someone from phoning for help because the failure has taken out the phone line!!.
 
For a start it’s probably a pstn unit inside …..it is still made in fact I’ve got about 30 of them as nobody wants them anymore ….I’ve never heard of that fault happening I can only guess it’s dialing an SMS service that’s either not working anymore or it’s connected to a phone line with broadband on , with no filter or a noisy line …as most of these require a kiss off signal ( in other words a tone that says OK I’ve received the signal ) if the unit does not hear that tone it try’s again ! But most systems have a dial attempt setting so after X amounts of times it gives up and gives a fail,to communicate message
 
I cant comment on the fault itself as don't have a full documented history and the service you were using on the line.

However I have heard of similar cases of landline issues and multiple messages being sent without stopping on various systems.

PSTN is being phased out (many manufacturers are finally dropping pstn options as a result)
IP notifications (This has been introduced due to the popularity of smart phones).

It sounds like the system wasn't acknowledging completed status and redialling indefinitely, hence so many text messages.
I don't claim to be an expert on Pyronix and don't have any pstn versions out there so would have to check the manuals.

However here goes an explanation.

The pstn service is a chargeable service, the panel dials a number, data is sent to that number, a text is created and sent from that service to your phone.
Normally on the systems I have used there is an acknowledgment that the message has gone through and the system stops dialling.
Over the years these have been considered less reliable and indeed noise on some phone lines made them experience issues connecting or hearing the acknowledgement resulting in bills from retrying.

According to the manual for Pyronix the redial mode can be set between 0-15, so you would expect it to redial the number a maximum of 15 times.
But what I would number expect is if you got the text message delivered the redials should stop.
 
possibly set to 0 and zero means it keeps trying until it see kiss off/acknowledgment. But couldn't find that clarified in the manual, I know others have options that affect how and when it stops.
 
Thanks for your comments Secure I Am. I will have to decide whether it was an unforeseeable failure (and just bad luck for me), or whether I need to change installer. I had the same system installed by the same company for my 95 year old mother and the prospect of her system failing in the same way, stopping her from using her landline (she does not have a mobile) during a break-in doesn't bear thinking about.
Does anyone know whether the more modern digital Push Notification Router have the same potential to send continuous (flooding) notifications during a system failure, which could cause any kind of communication blockage ?
Thanks
 
Thanks for your comments too Sparkymark. I understand from my installer that the pstn unit has failed, so would that mean that the likely 15 max repeats (thanks for that Secureiam) becomes irrelevant if the pstn fails completely ?
 
Mogster4/4 said:
Thanks for your comments Secure I Am. I will have to decide whether it was an unforeseeable failure (and just bad luck for me), or whether I need to change installer. I had the same system installed by the same company for my 95 year old mother and the prospect of her system failing in the same way, stopping her from using her landline (she does not have a mobile) during a break-in doesn't bear thinking about.
Does anyone know whether the more modern digital Push Notification Router have the same potential to send continuous (flooding) notifications during a system failure, which could cause any kind of communication blockage ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
No as it is sent via the broadband and won’t affect a telephone call…
 
You got the text messages
So it should have stopped when when you got the message
In the event the message didn't go out it should redial based on what number of redials it was set to, I cant comment on this as I don't have the information required to make an informed decision.

sounds like the failure is two fold in:-
1. didn't see the success and didn't stop.
2. the redials went on for ever (that could be a setting but cant confirm this.)

As for flooding messages, I have seen this on a cloud based system, the only issue would be data allowance if using GPRS, if using wifi you don't tend to have a limit on out going data.

On that system it didn't get to thousands it did get to the hundred mark twice.
The first time it looked like it may have been due to control 4 and the panel having a clash or wifi connection, the second time we could rule out the control 4 interreference and we are hoping that using a different connection point for the wifi may have resolved it permanently, customer advised if it happens again only option is to hardwire it and he wants to avoid that if possible. Not a Pyronix system might I add.

Unfortunately I don't know what the settings were so cant confirm if it behaved correctly with the redial attempts.

I can say that if the redials were set to 0 (it could mean it doesn't redial or it could mean redial until successful).

Now it does appear the kissoff /successful hasn't been seen (ie you got the text and it didn't stop) and that is the pstn failing either line noise(most common cause) or a fault with the unit.
 
Many thanks Sparkymarka, I am happy that the Push Notification system will not block the phoneline.

Apologies if my lack of knowledge in this field, But could the Push Notification router fail as my PSTN apparently has and send a flood of notifications. If so then would this use my data allowance ?. If so, this could wipe out my data allowance in the same way that the PSTN failure wiped out my phone line cap ?

From everyone's excellent contributions to this thread so far, I understand that: -

1. The PSTN SMS system is being phased out and is less reliable due to phone line noise, and people experiencing similar flood texts (thanks Secureiam). I understand that PSTN systems will be no more in 3 years time.
2. The Push notification system is more reliable providing internet connection is always available, and does not affect phone lines.
3. That PSTN modems are still available (thanks Sparkymarka), and that as my existing PSTN modem has worked ok for 7 years, I could replace my faulty PSTN modem and then plan change over in a few years time. Which is the cheaper immediate option, but considering my experience it represents a higher risk of the same happening again.
4. Changing to a Push Notification system is expensive, but is it less risky ? Could the new system send out an uncontrolled flood of notifications eating up my data allowance ??


Thanks again to everyone contributing to this Thread. I'm finding it very helpful.
 
Data would only likely be an issue using gprs (sim card) rather than a wifi or ip module.

I have only seen one case of a wifi module (ip based system) behaving like this ever and there are factors which can be mitigated relatively cheaply. Ie ensuring the wifi is good where the panel/ modem is or hardwiring, ensuring that the panel isn't cross talked with other modules. Don't think you can fit an ip and a wifi card in the new enforcer, just one or the other

I have seen numerous pstn problems on multipul manufacturers devices, due to line noise and setup issues with how they stop dialling, probably a few threads on here over the years. The only people now usually with pstn based diallers and using them are the older end and those that inherited them with property.

Taken from a communication in September 2020 from Pyronix:-

"When a premises communication lines are upgraded, it has the potential to cause problems on PSTN communication modems installed in control panels. These were designed to operate on the current copper cabled grids. We cannot guarantee their current operations on the new digital networks and subsequently cannot be held responsible for any issues encountered."
 
Hi All, I have just re-read Securiam's last message and am happy that all my queries have been answered.

Many thanks to you all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top