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When you're shopping for home security, one brand often springs to mind: ADT. After all, nationwide TV advertising, lots of blue yard signs, and over a hundred years in the business should count for something. Most people don’t know that ADT stands for “American District Telegraph” – which is actually the way alarm signals were transmitted way back when. It’s ironic that today ADT is still struggling to catch up with current home security technology. They may not be using telegraph lines, but the huge majority of their systems (even most of the ADT systems being installed today) continue to rely on a vulnerable phone line. That's scary, considering the rate at which traditional phones lines are going away – and the frequency with which burglars are cutting those phone lines to take out your home alarm. Today’s blog post highlights the key differences between FrontPoint and ADT – and will provide plenty of food for thought if you’re still searching for the peace of mind that comes from knowing your home and family are truly protected.
Top 7 Reasons Why FrontPoint is Better than ADT

By:
Peter M. Rogers
|July 12, 2011
- Cellular Monitoring. It’s a known fact that cellular monitoring is safer, and only one alarm company in the US has built digital cellular monitoring into every system they’ve ever sold – FrontPoint. Not only that, FrontPoint also charges less: on average, at least $10 per month less for comparable services. If you look on ADT’s web site, you don’t see much about cellular monitoring, which is understandable. How do you explain to millions of subscribers depending on a traditional phone line connection that their systems are outdated and susceptible to a $5 pair of wire cutters?
- Interactive Features. Alarm systems are a lot smarter today. You can get remote arm/disarm, text and email notifications, video services, free apps, and even control you’re your lights, locks, and thermostats from an web connection. These interactive services are FrontPoint’s specialty, and they don’t have to cost a lot. While ADT is trying to catch up with a new product called “Pulse,” they are still behind – and they left out a key element of safety and reliability in their new offering (more on Crash and Smash later).
- Easy Setup. FrontPoint has added the word “simpler” to home security with wireless sensors and wireless monitoring. Imagine a system that has no wires, no phone line, and requires no tools. Now there’s no inconvenient scheduling,no stranger in your home, and no inconvenient repeat visits. What’s more, with FrontPoint you can add sensors at any time, on your schedule - or even move the entire system with you. This is an option ADT just does not offer.
- Affordable Peace of Mind. Price is another area where FrontPoint shines. Their initial equipment cost is the best of any nationwide alarm provider, ADT included. Of course, it’s always better when you compare apples to apples (like making sure the initial equipment purchase includes the cellular radio) – and then see what happens as you add additional sensors to the basic system. With FrontPoint, the more protection you add, the more you save. And when it comes to monthly services, nobody beats FrontPoint: even ADT. FrontPoint charges less and provides more of the interactive services that people want, providing one more example that bigger does not mean better – or less expensive.
- Crash & Smash Protection. Only one nationwide DIY home security company in the US provides Crash & Smash peace of mind - and it’s not ADT. The technology, developed by FrontPoint’s technology partner, is incredibly smart and it’s patented. When a burglar invades your home and disable or rips the control unit off the wall, most systems are waiting for the “entry delay” to end before they communicate an alarm to the monitoring center. With FrontPoint, we know when the door first opened: if the system is not disarmed, or doesn’t send the alarm, we’ll make sure the police are on the way. This is a great example of how interactive monitoring has changed the game to increase your protection. Unfortunately it’s not part of any ADT offering.
- Reviews and Reputation. This is one area where the contrast could hardly be bigger. Yes, ADT is a big company, so it’s only fair to expect that they’ll have more complaints than FrontPoint. The real point, though, is what kind of service do they provide? Read the complaints for both companies, and see what people say about the quality of response, the helpfulness of the employees, and if the systems even work. Any by the way – it’s tough to find a review on FrontPoint that’s not five stars.