In-Home Alert Systems with Landline Connection | 101 Guide
The base unit is a device that allows a connection between the user of medical service and the call center in charge of taking the calls.
This device is the heart of any medical alert system. There are two types of base units when it comes to the type of the connection used - landline and cellular (wireless) based.
A base unit that uses a traditional landline, needs to be connected to a wall jack in order to dial the call center once the users presses a help button on his pendant (or on the base unit itself). This means that having a landline is necessary in order to sign up for the plan that provides this type of base unit device. Not all base units support all types of landline (VoIP and others) connections, but most of them do. To stay on the safe side, check with the sales stuff if your home landline is compatible.
The process of setting up the device is quite simple. Once you get your equipment from the medical service company, use the supplied cable that connects the base unit with the landline wall jack. Connect the base unit to the wall jack by following the instructions that came with the package.
Landline base unit (sometimes called base station) in most cases looks like a phone without a handset. In case a user wants to have his phone connected to the same wall jack, the connection goes like this: the base unit is connected directly to the wall, and the phone is connected to a separate jack located on the back of the base unit.
The major benefit of a landline connection is the fact that landline phone infrastructure can often be more resilient to different external factors, in comparison to cellular networks which can experience outage. On the other hand, one of the drawbacks is the fact that traditional landlines are getting outdated, and more and more people are moving on to digital and cellular phone line providers. Also, it is difficult to move a landline from one address to another. This lack of flexibility is a common reason why some people choose to sign up for a base unit that uses a cellular connection instead, but those systems often come with additional activation costs.
Base units that use a traditional landline can be considered a bit more reliable. This is because if there is a power outage in the area, there is a good chance the system will keep working since the base unit itself usually has a backup battery and a traditional landline uses an alternative power source. In case of major power outages, cellular network grid often suffers due to cellular radio towers losing power and in those case the user will not be able to receive medical assistance when pressing the help button since the base unit will lose connection.
Another benefit of using a landline based system is that these systems are really easy to setup, they have been around for more than a decade now and they are the most affordable medical alert systems user can get.
Different Types of Landline Connection Base Units
So if you are interested in a medical alert system with landline connection, you should be familiar with the types of units you might find on the market. Note that the same base station hardware is sold by different companies, so the only difference is in the logo stamped on it - meaning the technical specifications are exactly the same (the only difference is actually the quality of the medical alert service the company provides. Check our Top 10 Medical Alert Companies here.
Here is the list of all types of medical alert base units with landline connection, starting from the most popular hardware:
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #1
1
Specs - This is a base station hardware offered by Medical Guardian company. The unit is white with a big button located centrally. The button is used for placing an emergency call. There is Braille labeling on for vision impaired accessibility. There is a speakerphone on the face of the unit, with a built in microphone for two-way voice communication with the call center agents.
Optimal Range - The range of this base station is up to 1300 in any direction. This presents a long range rating and a help button should work anywhere inside the home and in the area surrounding it (a garden, neighbors' home if it is close, etc.).
Backup Battery - The hardware comes with a 32-hour backup battery that ensures functionality even in a case of a complete power failure.
Installation - This is a landline based system, so it does require a landline for connection. The user needs to install the device and connect it to the wall jack and power it using the supplied power adapter. This base unit has a built in temperature monitor that can detect fire.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Best Picks
Best Picks
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #2
2
Specs - This type of base unit hardware is very common among medical alert companies. The unit is white and features a large colored help button that the user can press to call for help. The color and labels of the help button might differ between companies but the hardware is the same. There is a two-way voice speakerphone on the face of the unit used for communication. Base station uses a landline for connection with the call center.
Backup Battery - The backup battery life varies between companies, depending on the capacity of the batteries installed. It ranges from 12 to 60 hours of backup battery time. This hardware does not supporttwo-way communication pendants.
Optimal Range - The supported range for the help button pendant is between 600 to 1000 feet from the base station, this is a rather good range rating.
Installation - The unit comes with a phone cable and a power adapter. Connect the phone cable to the wall jack and plug in the power adapter to power the unit. If everything is fine, you will hear the "system ready" notification from the unit. There is an additional phone jack on the back of the unit where you can plug in your home phone.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Best Picks
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #3
3
Specs - This is another traditional, landline based base unit hardware that is shared among several companies. The base unit has a speakerphone on the front, used for two-way voice communication with the call center. There are two buttons, red one is labeled "help" and the other one is labeled "reset" (for canceling a call in case of accidental activation).
The hardware comes in white and the only difference among different companies is in the logo stamped on it as well as the backup battery life (depends on the installed batteries capacity).
Backup Battery - The backup battery life ranges between 32 to 72 hours. This is the time in which the device will remain operational in case of a power failure.
Optimal Range - The optimal range for the help button operation is between 300-600 feet. This is the medium range that should be good enough for in-home usage.
Installation - There is a power adapter and a phone cable that comes with the system. When installing the base unit, make sure that you have turned on the backup battery on, via switch located at the back of the unit. Plug in the power adapter to the wall outlet and connect it to the base unit. On the back of the unit there are "tel" and "line" jacks that allow users to connect a regular phone to the unit, once it is plugged into the wall phone jack.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Best Picks
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #4
4
Specs - This base station hardware comes in white and there are two distinguishable buttons on the face of the unit. One is labeled "emergency" and users can press it in case the help is needed. The other one is the green "reset" button.
This base station hardware supports both regular and fall detection pendants. There are also other add-ons such as voice extender and smoke detectors that are supported by this system.
Backup Battery - Installed backup batteries provide approximately 24 hours of operational time in case of a power failure.
Optimal Range - The range varies between 400 to 600 feet from the base station. This is a medium range coverage and should cover all areas in a standard home, when the base station is placed in a central location in the home.
Installation - This system uses a landline connection and a user needs to plug in the base station to the wall jack. There is also a power adapter that comes in the package. The installation is straightforward and there are instructions included.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Best Picks
Best Picks
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #5
5
Specs - This base unit hardware comes in white, with a central emergency button that a user can press in case help is needed. The unit features two more buttons, one labeled "clear" and other one "home". All buttons have Braille lettering to make the device accessible to vision impaired persons.
There is a built in two-way voice speakerphone on the face of the unit and this exact same hardware is shared among several companies. It is known that medical alert companies often get the hardware from the same manufacturer with their own logo stamped on it.
Backup Battery - Base station has a backup battery built in, and it is used to power the unit in case of power failures. The battery life is approximately between 32 to 36 hours.
Optimal Range - The optimum help button range supported by this hardware is between 350-500 feet, and presents a medium range among systems on the market.
Installation - There is a power adapter and a phone cable in the package that comes with this system. The base unit plugs into the phone line and also into the power supply. It uses a landline for connection and supports regular help button pendants (no support for two-way talking pendants).
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #6
6
Specs - This is a base unit hardware that supports two-way talking pendants. It is a very neat feature as it allows for a pendant to be used for a two-way voice communication with the call center. This guarantees that the call center agent will be able to hear the person in need in case of an emergency as there is a built in speaker and microphone right on the wearable pendant unit itself.
This base station hardware comes in black or white, there is a speakerphone on the face of the unit as well as a slot for charging the help button pendants. The two-way talking pendant can be used to answer regular, incoming calls too and up to 4 pendants can be added to one system.
Backup Battery - The backup battery life for this hardware unit varies among companies and it ranges from 24 up to 60 hours of battery life in case of a power failure.
Optimal Range - The range of the system is approximately 600 feet which should cover space inside the home and in close proximity of it.
Installation - There is a power adapter, phone cable and other accessories in the package for installing the system. Installation is not complicated.Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #7
7
Specs - This is a stylish looking black base unit featuring three buttons on the front. There is a red help button used for summoning help in case of any emergency, and a green reset button as well as a power on button.
Backup Battery - This is a landline based base unit hardware and the unit has a 30-hour backup battery that supplies power in case of a power failure.
Optimal Range - This base station hardware supports up to 390 feet of range but the range also depends on the help buttons used with this base station. This is a medium range that should be enough for covering medium sized homes, and it is recommended to test the signal coverage when installing the unit in the home.
Installation - When installing the system, the base unit needs to be connected to a landline and a power socket using supplied cable and power adapter.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #8
8
Specs - This is a traditional looking base station hardware. The unit is square shaped and there are three buttons on the face of it. It comes in white color and the hardware is made by Bosch company which guarantees quality. The buttons are designed in such a way that they prevent accidental activation and there is a two-way speakerphone for communication.
Backup Battery - This base station unit comes with a 72-hour backup battery, this is a long battery life in comparison to other units on the market.
Optimal Range - The supported range is up 1000 feet. This is again a long range in comparison to other base stations on the market. Such a long range should easily cover all areas inside a home as well as close proximity of it (garden, nearby neighbors, etc).
Installation - The package comes with all the cables, power adapter and a DSL filter and the installation is easy. The user needs to connect the base station to the phone wall jack and plug in the power.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #9
9
Specs - Here we have a hardware used by American Medical Alarms. The base unit is slightly rounded with two big buttons on the front side, one used for emergency calls and other one for a reset function. There is also a speaker and microphone on the front, used for two-way communication with the call center agents.
Backup Battery - The backup battery life is 18 hours and presents a low battery life in comparison to competition, even though power failures rarely last that long.
Optimal Range - The base unit is rated at the range of 250 feet. This is a relatively low range, so it is recommended to test the system to make sure it covers all the rooms in a home.
Installation - This base unit requires a landline for connection, it needs to be connected to a wall phone jack and power to function.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #10
10
Specs - This is a bit of retro looking base station unit in white, with a bit help button and two-way speakerphone on the front.
Backup Battery - It is interesting to note that this unit comes with a 90-hour rated backup battery that should withstand the longest of power failures.
Optimal Range - The base station works over a traditional landline and the help buttonrange is at 600 feet, which is rather good and should cover most of the homes. In reality, the range needs to be tested by each user to find out the actual coverage as it depends on the home building materials and terrain configuration.
Installation - The unit is easy to install and comes with all the cables and accessories in the box.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #11
11
Specs - The base station hardware used by Galaxy Medical Alert Systems uses a traditional landline for connection and comes in white with two distinctive buttons on the front side. The big red button in the center is used for placing an emergency call. There is also a reset button in green color. The base station features a speakerphone, used for two-way voice communication.
Backup Battery - There is a built-in 32-hour backup battery, that runs the unit in case of a power failure.
Optimal Range - The operating range of this base station hardware is 600 feet in any direction, which presents a medium range rating.The system should cover most of the homes, but it important to place the base unit in a central location for best coverage in all the rooms.
The base unit supports fall detection pendants.
Installation - There are all the cables and accessories such as power adapter in the package that comes with the system.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #12
12
Specs - This base station hardware looks very similar to other, landline based systems out there. There is a big help button for placing emergency calls as well as a reset button and a built-in speakerphone for two-way communication. Base station has a built in temperature monitoring feature which can trigger an alarm in case of a fire.
Backup Battery - The backup battery in this base station unit is rated at 12 to 20 hours of operation, depending on the usage. Backup battery keeps the device running in case of power failures. This is a landline based unit, so it needs to be connected to a phone landline for operation with cables supplied.
Optimal Range - The range of the help button depends on the receiver on the base station unit, and for this hardware it is rated at approximately 300 feet. This is a relatively low range in comparison to competition, and it is recommended to test the help button range when first installing the unit, to make sure the system works from every room in the home.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #13
13
Specs - This base station hardware supports a talking pendant. This means that the communication with the call center is conducted via two-way talking pendant itself. This is great as a user will be able to communicate clearly with the emergency call center, as long as he is in the range of the base station.
Backup Battery - There is a 30-hour backup battery built in for operation in case of power failures. This base station requires a landline for operation, so the unit needs to be connected to a wall line in order to establish a connection with the call center.
Optimal Range - The range of the system is rated at 600 feet from the base station. This is a rather good rating and should cover all the areas of a typical home and most likely close area around it (garden, driveway, etc).
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #14
14
Specs - This is a modern looking base unit hardware. There are three buttons on the front and the unit is styled in black and silver. This base station uses a traditional landline for connection with the monitoring center. There is a two-way voice speaker and microphone on the front of the base station, used for communication with the call center agents.
Backup Battery - The backup battery life is rated at 30 hours, this is a rather standard rating that should outlast most of the power failures out there.
Optimal Range - Help button works 390 feet from the base station according to specifications, but the user needs to test the actual range coverage in his home when the unit is installed as the range is highly dependent on the building materials and environment.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #15
15
Specs - Philips Lifelinebase station looks unlike anything from the competition. The design by Philips is really clean and modern looking. There is a big help button, comfortably positioned at the top of the unit. The front facing side is wrapped in a speaker grill and there is a two-way voice speakerphone behind it.
Backup Battery - The backup battery lasts for up to 30 hours in case of a power failure.
Optimal Range - The range is specified at 400 feet, but the base station has been tested, and help buttons work up to 800 feet in open space. Of course, every system needs to be tested for precise range and coverage inside a home, once it has been installed.
Installation - This base station needs to be plugged into a wall landline for connection with the call center.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #16
16
Specs - Guardian Medical Monitoring uses this base station hardware for their landline based medical alert system. The hardware is black and it is not shaped the standard way. There are buttons on top and the two-way speakerphone is on the front side of the unit.
Optimal Range - The range of this base station hardware is not specified, but the system is intended for in-home usage, which suggests low to medium range. It is highly recommended to test the operating range of this system when first installing it.
Installation - There is a power adapter and a phone cable that are shipped with the system. Connect the unit to a wall jack and plug in power. There is an on/off switch located at the back of the unit. This base station should have a backup battery built-in, but the actual battery life is not specified and this should be double checked with the company when ordering.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
Landline Connection Base Unit | Type #17
17
Specs - This is another neat looking, modern base station console. It comes in white and there is an accessible help button on the angled front side which is also a two-way voice speakerphone. The connectors are located on the back of the unit.
Backup Battery - Backup battery life appears to be really low, with only 8 hours of backup power. This might be enough for some power failures, but in comparison to competition this is a rather low rating.
Optimal Range - On the other side, the operating range is at 800-1000 feet which presents a long range rating. The extended antenna is noticeable on the base station so this range is most likely realistic. It means that the help button will work in any home and area around it. With this long range rating, the help button will probably function at nearby neighbors too (testing needed).
Installation - This base station uses a landline for connection with the call center and the hardware supports smart features such as wellness tracking.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
This device is the heart of any medical alert system. There are two types of base units when it comes to the type of the connection used - landline and cellular (wireless) based.
A base unit that uses a traditional landline, needs to be connected to a wall jack in order to dial the call center once the users presses a help button on his pendant (or on the base unit itself). This means that having a landline is necessary in order to sign up for the plan that provides this type of base unit device. Not all base units support all types of landline (VoIP and others) connections, but most of them do. To stay on the safe side, check with the sales stuff if your home landline is compatible.
The process of setting up the device is quite simple. Once you get your equipment from the medical service company, use the supplied cable that connects the base unit with the landline wall jack. Connect the base unit to the wall jack by following the instructions that came with the package.
Landline base unit (sometimes called base station) in most cases looks like a phone without a handset. In case a user wants to have his phone connected to the same wall jack, the connection goes like this: the base unit is connected directly to the wall, and the phone is connected to a separate jack located on the back of the base unit.
The major benefit of a landline connection is the fact that landline phone infrastructure can often be more resilient to different external factors, in comparison to cellular networks which can experience outage. On the other hand, one of the drawbacks is the fact that traditional landlines are getting outdated, and more and more people are moving on to digital and cellular phone line providers. Also, it is difficult to move a landline from one address to another. This lack of flexibility is a common reason why some people choose to sign up for a base unit that uses a cellular connection instead, but those systems often come with additional activation costs.
Base units that use a traditional landline can be considered a bit more reliable. This is because if there is a power outage in the area, there is a good chance the system will keep working since the base unit itself usually has a backup battery and a traditional landline uses an alternative power source. In case of major power outages, cellular network grid often suffers due to cellular radio towers losing power and in those case the user will not be able to receive medical assistance when pressing the help button since the base unit will lose connection.
Another benefit of using a landline based system is that these systems are really easy to setup, they have been around for more than a decade now and they are the most affordable medical alert systems user can get.
Companies which use the same type of base unit (Click on each image for details) -
