A network system and method use a distributed network and a network processor connected to the network. System data storage is provided connected to the processor. Administrator data packets including contact telephone data and voice packets are sent by the processor when the network processor receives alert data including one or more of status data, fault data and error data. The administrator data packets include voice data sent as voice packets. The system is advantageously used with a telephone line network interface connected to a public telephone line and connected to the network. The voice packets may be converted to analogue voice signals at the telephone line network interface for the call or the data may be sent to a remote device and converted to analogue at the remote device (or a device connected to the remote device). The system may also be used with network telephones. Each network telephone is connected to the network and sends packets to and receives packets from the network. The network processor sends packets to the network including address data, as the contact telephone data, for one or more of the network telephones for initiating a call based on the address data and for converting the voice packets to analogue voice signals at the one or more of the network telephones for the call.