Quick Answer: A Trikdis communicator connects to your existing alarm panel’s terminals and sends alerts over GSM (mobile network) or IP, replacing an old landline monitoring connection. Most installs take a couple of hours, use the panel’s existing zones and wiring, and pair with the Protegus app so you get real-time push notifications instead of waiting on a monitoring station callback.
Had a call last month from a homeowner whose alarm hadn’t “spoken” to a monitoring centre in who knows how long. Panel worked fine. Sensors worked fine. Problem was the landline it used to dial out on — gone, switched to NBN two years earlier, and nobody had thought to check whether the alarm still had a way to call for help. That’s a more common story than you’d think.
Here’s the thing though: none of that means you need a whole new alarm system.
Why Older Systems Stop Keeping Up
The truth is, very seldom the panel itself the main cause of failure. We actually see Bosch and DSC panels still functioning without any issues after fifteen-plus years. What is generally damaged, or just simply not functioning anymore, is the method by which the panel communicates with the outside world.
Here are a few things that happened to us quite often:
Landline monitoring silently stops working once a house gets connected to NBN or VoIP, those connections don’t always transmit the old dial-up signal properly, and nobody finds out until something goes wrong.
No mobile alert at all. If there is no monitoring company connected, the homeowner has absolutely no clue that an alarm went off even if they were nearby.
Old dialer modules fail completely, and finding panel parts that have been discontinued for over a decade is quite unlikely.
If a system doesn’t have remote arming or disarming capability, then you will be stuck at the keypad and will have to rely on your memory as to whether or not you set it before leaving for work.
None of that is a reason to gut the system. It’s a reason to fix how it communicates.
So What Does a Trikdis Communicator Actually Do
It’s just a tiny module, the wires are connected directly to your current panel, most of the time, the same terminals where the old dialer or landline connection was used. Instead of a phone line, it sends alarm signals through GSM (the mobile network) or IP, and very often both, so that if one connection fails you still have the other one to cover you.
As far as the panel is concerned, no changes at all. Still the same zones, same sensors, same wiring doing what it has always done. The only real difference is at the moment when an alarm is triggered, instead of calling a landline that might not still be working, it sends the signal directly to your phone via the Protegus app.
The Bit That Surprises People: No Rewiring
Such a question is almost always the very first thing brought up on site, “So we’re not tearing up the floors again, right?” No. You definitely wouldn’t be.
In a nutshell, here’s how it goes: first, we make sure that the panel is capable of producing a suitable output, most DSC and Bosch panels have this ability, in fact, a large number of brands manufactured in the last couple of decades will be okay. After that, the communicator is installed just near the panel. It is connected through the panel’s existing terminals which only requires a few wires, not a complete rewiring of the property. Insert a SIM card if it is a GSM unit, or connect it to the network if it is an IP-based one, then pair everything with the Protegus app and go through the zones to make sure everything is communicating correctly.
For most homes that’s an afternoon’s work. The cabling running out to your door sensors, PIRs, the siren — none of that gets touched.
What Changes Once Protegus Is Running the Show
After pairing your phone, it essentially turns into the central command unit. Whenever an incident activates a sensor, you are promptly notified, not a call 20 minutes later from a call center reciting a script.
You can arm or disarm from anywhere, which is pretty much a lifesaver on those mornings when you are already on your way to work convincing yourself that you forgot to arm the back door sensor. Besides, it will tell you exactly which zone has triggered providing you with whether it was the front door or the cat setting off the motion sensor again. Also, there is a record of everything, arm times, disarm times, alerts, so if something happened during your absence, you should not be relying only on memory.
For anyone who’s been stuck with a landline connection that might not even be working anymore, this is usually the upgrade that actually makes a difference day to day.
What This Usually Costs (And Why It’s Worth It)
People always ask this before anything else, and quite rightly too. A communicator upgrade is nothing even close to the cost of replacing the whole alarm system, you don’t pay for new sensors, new running cables, or a new panel, just the module itself and the labour to fit and configure it. Most of the time the work can be completed and tested in one visit.
Compare that to what a full system replacement runs, plus the disruption of having someone in the house pulling cable through walls and ceilings for a day or two, and it’s not really a close call for most homeowners. If the panel’s solid and the sensors are doing their job, there’s no reason to throw all of that out just because the way it phones home is outdated.
The other aspect is what you are really going to pay for down the road. A landline connection that half-works, or is not working at all is giving you nothing. You would be better off investing that money in a connection that genuinely alerts you when something is going on.
Not Sure If Your Panel Qualifies?
Trikdis units aren’t locked to one brand — they’re built to work across a broad range of existing panels. If you’re unsure whether yours is one of them, it’s usually a quick conversation. Give us the model and roughly how old it is, and we can tell you before anyone even books a time to come out.
FAQ
Do I need a new alarm panel to use a Trikdis communicator?
No. It connects to your existing panel and works with the hardware you’ve already got.
Will this touch my existing sensors or wiring?
No. Sensors, zones, cabling — all of it stays as is. Only the communication module changes.
How long does the upgrade actually take?
A few hours in most cases, depending on the panel and where it’s mounted.
What happens if my home internet drops out?
If it’s a GSM/4G unit, alerts still go out over the mobile network, so a home internet outage doesn’t cut you off from notifications.
Can I keep a monitoring station going as well as using the app?
Yeah, plenty of people run both — professional monitoring plus the Protegus app for their own real-time visibility.
Considering an upgrade for your alarm system? Get in touch to check whether your current panel is compatible with a Trikdis communicator and the Protegus app.
