Link Interactive Review 2023

Who Is Link Interactive Most Ideal For?

Most alarm companies offer pre-built equipment packages and require professional installation. Link Interactive lets you build your custom security system using the equipment they offer and their wireless security systems are designed for self-installation. This is what makes Link Interactive an ideal choice for DIYers.

Link Interactive is also ideal for renters because they let you choose how long you want to be tied down to their monitoring service. Link Interactive offers 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year monitoring contracts. Of course, if you're a homeowner who doesn't want to commit to a long-term monitoring contract, Link Interactive also works for you.

Unfortunately, Link Interactive doesn't offer medical monitoring services, so they are not a good option for independent living seniors. What they do offer is a panic button attached to a watch strap. It works kind of like a Personal Emergency Response System but it doesn't offer fall detection and it's not a dedicated for medical emergencies. If pressed, it only prompts the monitoring center to call you, not send medical emergency responders.

Getting Started With Link Interactive

One of the things Link Interactive prides themselves in is their straightforward sales process. You can get started with a Link Interactive security system using one of two ways.

First, you can request a quote by leaving your name, email, and contact number on Link Interactive's website or calling the company's sales hotline. If you do, a sales rep will help you build your security system and choose a monitoring plan. Using this sales process, you can get recommendations from Link Interactive on what equipment is best for your home.

Second, you can purchase your equipment on Link Interactive's website. This sales process allows you to choose your equipment and freely work within your budget. Going through with the online sales process involves six steps.

• Step 1: Choosing Your Equipment – You start by choosing a control panel, then security sensors, environment sensors, cameras, home automation devices, and add-ons.
• Step 2: Installation Location – The next step is providing information about your installation address. You will be asked whether it's residential or commercial, owned or rented, and what cellular provider has the strongest signal coverage in your area. You will also be asked to provide the exact installation address.
• Step 3: Emergency Contacts – Next, you'll be asked to provide emergency contacts. This contact list will be recorded under your account and will be called up by the monitoring center in case an emergency occurs and they can't contact you.
• Step 4: Additional Services – You will also be asked whether you want to add additional services, such as camera integration and cloud recording.
• Step 5: Monitoring – In this step, you'll be asked to choose a monitoring plan that works best for you and the contract term length you want to sign. Link Interactive offers three monitoring plans, but adding cameras or home automation equipment to your system will require you to go with the higher tier plans.
• Step 6: Finishing Up – Finally, you'll be asked to review your order and read the contract. Once you confirm that you agree with the contract terms, Link Interactive will finalize your order and take you to the payment page.

After going through the online sales process, Link Interactive will ship the system to you. It will be up to you to install and activate the system.

To learn more about Link Interactive's pricing, check out our full Link Interactive deals and plan pricing here.

Link Interactive Equipment Review

2GIG Go!Control Vs. Qolsys IQ Panel 2

Link Interactive offers a variety of security equipment, but it all starts with a control panel. Link Interactive offers two types of control panel. The 2GIG Go!Control touchscreen control panel is included for free. However, you can upgrade it by choosing the Qolsys IQ Panel 2, which will set you back $200. Let's compare the two control panels.

First, going with 2GIG Go!Control doesn't give you any free sensor. Paying $200 for the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 will land you a free motion sensor and three door/window sensors with a total retail value of $125.

Second, at 7 inches, IQ Panel 2's touchscreen interface is larger. It's a tablet-like device that you can either set on a table or any flat surface or mount on the wall. Go!Control is an older technology with a smaller touchscreen display. The display only measures 4.2 inches.

Fourth, IQ Panel 2 can support more security devices and user codes, while Go!Control supports more Z-Wave devices. Of course, there's a good chance that you won't be able to use up all the devices slot of either control panels, but it's still helpful to know each panel's limit.

• IQ Panel 2 supports 240 user codes; Go!Control only supports 63.
• IQ Panel 2 supports up to 128 security/environment sensors; Go!Control only supports 60.
• IQ Panel 2 supports up to 5 image sensors; Go!Control only supports up to 3.
• Go!Control can connect with up to 232 Z-Wave devices; IQ Panel 2 only supports up to 128.

Finally, IQ Panel 2 offers a bunch of extra features. For one, it has a built-in camera which it uses to capture Disarm Photos. Whenever someone disarms the control panel, it will snap a photo and send it to you. IQ Panel 2 also supports Bluetooth Touchless Disarming, has sensor encryption, can be used as a digital photo frame when in standby, and has a microSD card slot.

Overall, IQ Panel 2 is better than Go!Control, but the main question to ask yourself is this: are you willing to spend another $200 for it?

Security Sensors

Unlike other companies that only offer three or so security sensors, Link Interactive offers a wide variety of sensors. The equipment list of options may seem confusing, but you can break it down into just a few sensor types.

Door/window sensors are sensors designed to monitor the entryways to your home. They're designed to notify you if a door or window is opened while your security system is armed. We recommend installing one in every exterior door, first floor windows, and easily accessible second floor windows.

If a room has multiple windows, using a motion sensor is a more sensible choice. A single motion sensor can monitor any movement that occurs in one room if placed correctly. Link Interactive offers several motion sensors, but the most interesting is the Smart Motion Sensor. It's a sensor equipped with a camera that captures low-resolution still images when motion is detected.

Another option is to use glass break sensor. It's best used in rooms with large sliding doors or windows. It's a sensor that detects the sound of breaking glass. Some glass break sensors are ceiling mounted and can monitor for the sound of breaking glass from any direction. However, what link interactive offers is a single-directional glass break sensor best installed on a wall opposite the glass door or window it's monitoring.

Moving out of the house, Link Interactive offers a tilt sensor. It's a sensor used to monitor garage doors and can tell if and when your garage door is opened while your system is armed. Unlike door/window sensors, the tilt sensor is a one-piece device that simply sticks on your garage door.

Environment Sensor

Link Interactive also offers environment sensors, which it also calls life safety sensors. These are sensors that detect environmental risks that might threaten your life or your home.

The first two on this list are smoke sensors and carbon monoxide sensors. These sensors are vital because they detect potentially lethal risks. Both sensors are included in Link Interactive's professional monitoring, so if they are triggered, the monitoring center will be notified immediately.

If you already have smoke sensors and carbon monoxide detectors in place and want them to be monitored by Link Interactive, we recommend the FireFighter Module. It's a sound sensor that recognizes the sound of smoke alarm and carbon monoxide siren and notifies the monitoring center. If you have an interconnected smoke alarm system, where all smoke sensors sound even if only one of them detected smoke, only one module is needed. It must be placed near one of your smoke alarms. If you have regular smoke alarms, a FireFighter Module must be placed within a few feet from each of them.

Link Interactive also offers flood and disaster sensors that can detect water leaks, freezing pipes, and malfunctioning HVAC systems. These risks may not be lethal, but they can cost you your life savings if left unchecked. These disaster sensors are not linked to the monitoring center, but they are designed to notify you the moment they detect a potential risk.

Cameras

The Link Interactive system also supports security cameras. It offers three cameras options, two video doorbell options, and a 24/7 continuous video recorder. Take note that these cameras and the video recorder all require an active internet connection. Also, unless you're on the highest monitoring plan tier, expect a $5 increase on your monthly bill if you add security cameras. The increase covers for the cloud recording service.

The three security cameras offered by Link Interactive are all from Alarm.com. Two of them are regular security cameras that offer regular security camera features. V522IR is an indoor camera, while V722W is an outdoor camera. The third option is a hybrid between an indoor camera and a Bluetooth speaker. It has regular security camera features plus the ability to play music from your phone. It may seem like a weird combination of features, but its speaker actually has another function. It allows anyone around the camera to initiate a two-way voice call between them and you. One possible use case is for elderly loved ones. It's a convenient way to call you if they need assistance.

If you purchase Alarm.com cameras, you get the option to buy an Alarm.com Stream Video Recorder. It's a recording device, kind of like a DVR or NVR, that can record continuous videos from your Alarm.com cameras. However, unlike regular DVRs, the SVR can stream recorded videos to your phone on demand.

If you want to add a little more protection to your front door, you can also purchase a video doorbell. Link Interactive offers two video doorbells, both are from SkyBell. The first option is the SkyBell HD, which is a round-shaped video doorbell. It offers motion detection and two-way talk. The second option is the slimmer and newer SkyBell Slimline.

Home Automation

Finally, Link Interactive offers a bunch of Z-Wave devices for home automation. Link Interactive can help you automate your door, lights, thermostat, small appliances, and garage door.

You have a variety of options to choose from. For example, you can choose between the Alarm.com Smarter Thermostat or the Go!Control Z-Wave Thermostat. If you choose the Alarm.com Smarter Thermostat, you have the option to add temperature sensors, which will help your thermostat optimize the temperature in every room.

Link Interactive Monitoring Review

Having a security system set up is just the first step of making your home more secure. The second step is having your system professionally monitored. For that, Link Interactive offers professional monitoring services.

Professional monitoring is offered in a three-tiered monitoring plan. Standard starts at $30.99/month and includes professional monitoring using cellular signal and two-way voice via the control panel. The next tier is Gold, offered for $39.99/month and includes smartphone access and basic smart home features on top of what's already included in Standard. The highest tier is Elite. It has a $44.99 monitoring fee and includes video monitoring solutions with on-demand, schedules, or motion activated recording.

24/7 Intrusion & Fire Monitoring

One advantage of getting professional monitoring is having a team of trained professionals keep an eye on your home for intrusion and other risks. Link Interactive's professional monitoring service offers monitoring for intrusion and fire.

If your security system detects either fire or a potential break-in, it will send an alert to the monitoring center. In turn, the monitoring center will contact you to check on you. If it's a false alarm, you can cancel the alert. If it's a real emergency, they can dispatch the authorities to your house on your behalf.

Cellular Monitoring

One of the features included in every Link Interactive monitoring plan is cellular monitoring. This refers to the communication method used by your security system to ping the monitoring center during an emergency. Cellular monitoring is considered the most reliable monitoring method because it performs consistently and it's wireless unlike landline and broadband monitoring that are prone to disruptions and can easily be disabled by cutting the phone line or internet cable.

Crash & Smash Protection

Another feature included in all Link Interactive monitoring plans is Crash & Smash Protection. Basically, it protects your system from professional burglars who use the "crash & smash" method to disable security systems where they destroy the control panel before it sends out an alert to the monitoring center. With Crash & Smash Protection, by the time they destroy the control panel, it's already too late. The moment they are detected by your sensors, the control panel quickly sends a soft alert to the monitoring center which turns into an active alarm if the correct PIN isn't entered into the control panel.

Third-Party Monitoring Center

Link Interactive doesn't have its own monitoring center. Instead, it outsources the job to a third-party monitoring service provider called AvantGuard. AvantGuard is a monitoring company that has two fully-redundant monitoring centers in Utah and Idaho. Both monitoring centers are networked together and are capable of taking over each other's operations should one of them fails to operate. Each monitoring center is also equipped with industrial generators and uninterrupted power supplies so they can continue to operate during power outages.

AvantGuard's monitoring centers are both UL listed and CSAA Five Diamond certified.

Link Interactive Customer Service Overview

Link Interactive has been in the industry for over 60 years. During that time, it has made customer service a priority. It holds an A+ rating with the BBB, multiple Angie’s List Super Service Awards, five stars with Alarm.com, and highly-rated customer reviews on the web.

Another reason to love Link is its lengthy return period. Link is so confident that you will enjoy its service that it allows you a full 30 days to try out the equipment. On top of that, the equipment is backed by a 3-year warranty.

Another good thing about Link is that it makes moving easy. As the equipment is wireless and Link is a nationwide provider, you can move and take your service and equipment with you without penalty.

Finally, Link will price lock your rate during your three-year contract.