American Alarm & Communications: Company Overview American Alarm is New England’s largest independent alarm company — a genuine rarity in an industry dominated by national chains and private equity rollups. Founded in 1971 by three MIT engineers in Arlington, Massachusetts, they’ve stayed independent for over 50 years while competitors got acquired, rebranded, or went bankrupt. […]
Landline vs Cellular Alarm Monitoring 2026: Why Landlines Are Dead, Cellular vs Wi-Fi & Which Connection Type Is Safest
Landline vs Cellular Security Systems: Which Monitoring Type Is Safer? (2026) Your security system is only as reliable as its communication link to the monitoring center. If that link fails — whether cut, jammed, or knocked out by a storm — your alarm becomes a noisy box that nobody hears. In 2026, this decision is […]
NorthStar Security Review 2026: Acquired by Brinks Home — Are You Stuck in a Contract? How to Cancel, Transfer & Find a Better Alternative
Searching for NorthStar Home Security? The company no longer exists. Brinks Home (formerly Monitronics/MONI) acquired NorthStar’s customer accounts in 2019, making it yet another name swallowed by the largest alarm dealer consolidation in history. If you’re a former NorthStar customer now stuck with Brinks, or just researching what happened, this guide covers the full story […]
The Monitoring Center (TMC) Review 2026: Who Actually Answers When Your Alarm Goes Off — Wholesale Stations Explained
The Monitoring Center (TMC) is a wholesale central station — they do not sell to homeowners. They provide 24/7 alarm dispatch infrastructure for security dealers and alarm companies across North America. When your alarm triggers and a monitoring agent picks up, that agent likely works for a station like TMC, not your security brand. This matters because monitoring quality depends on the station, not the logo on your panel. We explain how wholesale monitoring works, what response times look like (15-45 seconds average), and why DIY brands like Abode use Alarm.com stations that match or beat dealer-branded operations.
Cox Homelife Review 2026: Discontinued & Dead — What Happened, Data Migration Issues & 5 Better Alternatives (No Contract Required)
Cox Homelife Is Dead: What Happened & Where to Go Now Cox Homelife, the home security service from cable giant Cox Communications, was officially discontinued in 2023. If you’re still on a Cox Homelife plan, your system may still work for now — but Cox is no longer selling new systems, providing upgrades, or actively […]
