OK /v/Conspiracy, this is really weird - anyone having problems with SMS or cell service? ( conspiracy )

submitted by Drenki

I just came home today (Oct. 8th, 2015) and my alarm system (Simplisafe) says it's unable to contact the monitoring center. It uses the cell service so a land line is not involved.

I logged in to my online account, which logs all activity (every entry sensor, arming, disarming, power loss, etc.) to check things out and make sure my account was still active, bill paid, etc.

Everything was ok with my billing and my account is active.

But here's where it gets weird, it has logged no activity since Oct. 4th! To repeat, prior to today, it has not reported a connection problem. That's 3 days without reporting a problem, only today has it complained (and it will complain as positioning is important). I activate my alarm twice a day, once when I leave for work in the morning and once when I go to bed at night.

I've rebooted it (unplugged from wall and removed batteries), but it's still not connecting. Their support line is not open at the moment so I can't get in touch with them to find out what's going on.

But here's where it gets weird. Back on Aug. 13th there is a "Power Restored" event. But there is no corresponding "Error: Power Outage" event in the log. These always occur in pairs. And again, there is battery backup to the system - Eneloops which won't drain like normal rechargeable batteries. Last time I had to charge them was in Feb. of this year after going for around 2 years without any trouble.

For that day, there is a "System Armed" event in the morning when I left for work. When I got back in the evening, my alarm wasn't set. I thought I had just forgotten as I do every once in a while. But now that something else is going on and I'm checking the logs, I have evidence I didn't forget to set it.

I'm really spooked. I don't own any guns or anything dangerous, but I post a lot of stuff on here that I know TBTB wouldn't like discussed. I don't know what to do to stay safe other than what I've done, which is to contact friends and family to let them know the weird situation.

Can you guys screenshot this or give advice? I am in the Southeastern US.

Also, my SMS has been weird. I keep getting repeats of MMS messages that can't be accessed like they should (I have to download an attachment or something). I shouldn't be getting this many copies. Also also, there was an Amber Alert here a few hours ago.

I am praying to @Atko that he can provide you guys evidence should something happen to me tonight.

I will post here tomorrow once I can get in contact with the tech support.

Drenki

@rightsnowcow @clocks52 @arrggg @Avidmtnrunner

Well, I replaced the cell module that communicates with the dispatch center and it's working again. I contacted them back on Oct. 11th to troubleshoot.

Amazingly, on the 12th, before the module arrived, my activity started getting logged to my online account again. I had tested things over the phone with the tech and we both verified that nothing was making it to their system.

Super weird.

As for the cell phone thing, I turned off my $3/month "static IP" service and the duplicate SMSes stopped.

Now I have a new "problem". All of a sudden the updates for my Linux box are saying that their integrity is "NOT AUTHENTICATED".

Gonna post in /v/Linux to see what they recommend I do.

Avidmtnrunner

I have noticed that my home wifi has gotten much slower and buggier since... well, since I joined voat. youtube and video streaming commonly crashes now. I have at&t fyi

Drenki

Ah, yes, I am well reconciled with the idea that my life will end, very well reconciled. Maybe that's why I don't own a gun. I don't fear for my own death. But permanent disability and inconvenience to family are real.

arrggg

Best case, you are paying for a faulty alarm system and shitty phone service.

Worse case. Someone can turn off your alarm and get in your house, and your phone is hacked with one of the SMS virus variants they just patched this month.

Both cases have the same steps to fix. Cancel the alarm service and find one you control, with no outside monitoring\access. Factory reset that phone and put some antivirus software on it.

Drenki

I own all of the components of the alarm system, but it uses the cell network to report back to base. I am 1,000% unaware of one I would be able to have report to an independent server or which would be able to auto-dial a list of numbers until a human answered. It can be set to operate without the monitoring center, but it just makes loud noises in the neighborhood and everyone would likely ignore them in the same way they ignore car alarms.

As for the cell phone, there are vulnerabilities in the drivers of every phone that allow complete remote control. I would have to build my own hadware + write my own OS + drivers + implement encyption + build cellular infrastructe to be sure communications weren't tampered with. Obviously, effectively impossible.

I recently requested a static IP address for my phone and that may be the issue I'm having with SMS.

arrggg

You asked. Fine, don't do anything to improve your situation then.

Just sit there in your unalarmed house with a hacked phone and wait for something bad to happen.

Drenki

I am working with my phone provider and alarm service tomorrow. Today I am busy shitposting at work.

Drenki

I have a pretty mean-looking machete I used to keep vegetation at bay. I'm not completely defenseless. Also, I have basic training in knife fighting. But all I remember is the first lesson "In a knife fight, you will most likely end up getting cut."

Drenki

I survived. Now to call the monitoring company and find out wtf is going on.

@rightsnowcow @clocks52

Drenki

Because I have never been in a situation where I would need one. Of course of course better to have one and not need one than to need one and not have one.