January 2023 Archives

Nice has released a fairly large update for the 2GIG Edge security panel. It includes an increase in the volume of the siren, an option to remove the entry delay, and makes the WIFI more stable. This firmware was released in January 2023 and you can find it on our 2GIG Edge Firmware page.

The 2GIG Edge Alarm System has a 7-inch LCD touchscreen. There are 100 wireless zones available on the 2GIG Edge and four (4) Smart Area Partitions. The 2GIG Edge System has an integrated WIFI card and a built-in LTE cellular communicator for connectivity with Alarm.com. The panel is available in either an AT&T or a Verizon version.

Alarm.com requires any system connecting with its servers to have an active cellular communication path enabled. This means that you will need a monitoring plan that includes cellular connectivity if you want to get the 2GIG Edge monitored. For Alarm Grid customers, this is a Gold or Platinum plan (Self or Full). Some plans to consider include the Gold and Platinum Level Plans from Alarm Grid. For those who may not want the ability to remotely interact with their system using an app or webpage, we also offer our Cellular Alarm Monitoring plan.

The EDGE is provided by a company called NICE, North America. Nice is the parent company for 2GIG. They used to go by the name Nortek Controls, but since Nice, North America's purchase of Nortek Controls they have stopped using that name. Nice refers to this update as firmware version 1.2, but B.3.1.2.007 is what it will show on the panel's System Info Screen.

This latest update covers quite a few improvements. One voice-of-the-customer comment has been, "Wow, this thing isn't very loud." The 1.2 revision update addresses that complaint. Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts on how the siren behaves after performing this update. Also added in this update is the ability to remove the entry delay when arming. This is beneficial when you know at the time of arming that no one else will be entering the home, and you want to remove the entry delay for immediate activation of an alarm when an entry/exit zone is opened.

This 1.2 update also includes improvements with text descriptions, Alarm.com panel backups, WIFI stability, image management, added shortcuts for Z-Wave devices, and improvements with the 2GIG Edge Remote Keypad. Please see the release notes for a full list of all new features and improvements.

If you have a 2GIG Edge, then there are a couple of ways that you can get your panel updated. One is remote over-the-air (OTA) updates. You'll need to request the update from your alarm dealer. If your panel has a WIFI connection, the update will be completely free. If your panel connects to Alarm.com via cellular only, then a small fee will be incurred when updating OTA. Alarm Grid passes this fee on to our customers with no markup.

If you're an Alarm Grid monitoring customer, you can request the upgrade by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. We'll verify the cost, if any, and get your consent. Then we will push the update to your panel. Any associated costs will be passed along to you on your next monthly monitoring bill. Remember, there will only be a fee if your panel connects to Alarm.com via cellular only. The cost for this type of update varies, depending on the size of the file to be downloaded. It could be as little as fifty cents, or as much as a few dollars.

The other way that your panel can be updated is via USB. There is a USB port on the top of the 2GIG Edge. You can download the firmware update files from Alarm Grid's firmware update page which is linked above. This is a free download. Use a standard USB drive with at least 1 GB capacity, and not more than 16 GB capacity. Be sure the drive is formatted using FAT32, and that it has only one (1) partition. The file you download should be saved to the root directory of the USB drive. Full instructions for updating via USB can be found here.