Home Security Blog

We have learned that there are some temporary server issues affecting the Total Connect 2.0 service. These issues may lead to "latched" alarms and/or trouble conditions. Users may also experience delays using the TC2 platform and have trouble logging into their accounts during this time.

As a result of these issues, users may find that system alarms and trouble conditions are becoming "latched" on their Total Connect 2.0 account. This means that these events are still appearing on TC2, even though the issue has been cleared locally. You should be able to clear these events by using the "Refresh Status" button on TC2. If you find that you cannot clear these events, then you should email us at support@alarmgrid.com so that we can clear them for you. Please note that other TC2 functions, such as remote access and system alerts, should still be operating as normal.

Alarm Grid has reported these issues to Resideo's AlarmNet360 division, and the problem is being addressed at this time. We expect the matter to be resolved as soon as possible. We will provide an update when the matter is fixed. Stay tuned to our blog for updates.

Update: Resideo has reported that the issue has been resolved as of about 5:30pm ET.

Hi DIYers! We know by now you are probably aware of the Alarm.com integration for Amazon Alexa. Today, we just wanted to remind you of the superb features and functions this integration offers and how it can make your life more convenient. Prepare to learn about the Alarm.com Alexa Skill!

It goes without saying that Amazon Alexa is one of the most popular smart home automation platforms available today. This is due in large part to its accessibility. An Alexa Hub is extremely easy to set up and use. And since so many people use Amazon Prime for ordering products online, they realize that adding a simple Alexa Hub in their homes makes sense.

There are many functions you can perform through Amazon Alexa voice commands if you have an Alarm.com Security System. You can have Alexa arm your system, check the current system status, perform entire smart scenes, and control individual Z-Wave smart home devices. Truly, the automation features offered from Alexa voice commands for Alarm.com are particularly exciting.

Alexa even allows you to set up special "Secure Commands" for Alarm.com, which include disarming your system, opening your garage door, and unlocking your Z-Wave door locks. These Secure Commands require you to provide a valid PIN code when speaking with Alexa. This way, you can be sure that it is you or someone you trust controlling your system through the hub!

To get started using Amazon Alexa with Alarm.com, you must first have access to the Alarm.com Platform. This will require having a system with a compatible Alarm.com Cellular Communicator. You will also need to get an alarm monitoring plan that includes access to Alarm.com. Two of the best plans to choose from are the Alarm Grid Gold Plan and the Alarm Grid Platinum Plan. You can learn more about these plans, plus all our other monitoring plans, on our alarm monitoring page.

Once your system is activated for monitoring service, and you have successfully created your Alarm.com account, you can then enable the Alarm.com Alexa Skill. Simply search for Alarm.com in the Skills & Games section of the Alexa App, and locate the Alarm.com Skill. You will need to provide your Alarm.com account information when you go to enable the skill. This will allow Alexa to communicate with your Alarm.com account.

You can then try controlling your system and paired smart home devices through Alexa voice commands! Remember that commands for use with your system will lead in with "Alexa, tell Alarm.com to..." As long as you remember that, you will have no shortage of exciting and convenient voice commands that you can use with Amazon Alexa and Alarm.com!

If you have any questions, then remember that the Alarm Grid Support Team is happy to help! We will answer any questions you have about the Alarm.com Alexa Integration or about the Alarm.com platform or our monitoring services in general. The best way to contact us if you have questions is to email support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET. We look forward to hearing from you!

Hi DIYers! We have great news for anyone clinging on to an old Honeywell LYNX Touch L5200 System. The panel now supports the use of a new Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Updater Tool and can be upgrade to the latest firmware. This means the L5200 can now use one of the LYNX Touch LTE Communicators!

This news was brought to our attention thanks to Resideo Technical Notification #43, which you can view here. According to this document, the L5200 can now receive a firmware upgrade from a newly released LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool. These newly released updater tools will have the following sticker on the box:

It is our understanding that any existing LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tools WILL NOT work with the L5200. However, we are still awaiting word from Resideo regarding confirmation. We also believe that it will no longer be possible to have firmware updates pushed down to the L5200 over-the-air (OTA). Instead, all future updates for the L5200 must now occur using the updater tool. Please note that by upgrading the L5200 System to run the latest firmware, AlarmNet360 will view the system as an L5210 running the latest firmware. As far as AlarmNet is concerned, the L5200 and L5210 are the same system once the panel is on the latest firmware.

Update: Resideo confirmed that only LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tools manufactured after October 2019 will work with the L5200.

The new updater tool will also continue to support the L5210 and L7000 Systems like normal. For more information on using the Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool, please review this helpful FAQ. We offer step-by-step instructions and a video that will help you use the device to upgrade any Honeywell LYNX Touch System.

By upgrading to the latest firmware, you can use the LTE cellular communicators with the L5200 System. These include the Honeywell LTE-L57A (AT&T LTE) and the Honeywell LTE-L57V (Verizon LTE). Upgrading to LTE is crucial for extending the life of your security system. Please note that Firmware Revision 9.00.209 or higher is needed to use the LTE-L57A, and Firmware Revision 9.00.201 or higher is needed to use the LTE-L57V.

Remember that older cellular networks like AT&T 3G and 4G and Verizon CDMA are set to be shut down in the coming years. Meanwhile, support for LTE Networks will be maintained well into the very distant future! Remember that Alarm Grid customers will need a Gold Plan or higher to use cellular communication with any system.

Additionally, you might also need to update the firmware for your L5200 to use a newer Honeywell L5100-WIFI Module. Any L5100-WIFI module with any updated MAC prefix can only be used with a LYNX Touch System running Firmware Revision 8.00.183 or higher. If your L5200 is running an old firmware version, you can upgrade to the latest version using the newly enhanced LYNXTOUCH-MSD Updater Tool. This will allow you to use any L5100-WIFI Module with the system. More information on the L5100 MAC prefix update can be found in this blog post.

This is certainly great news for any L5200 owner, as the system has essentially been "resurrected", and can now be set up to use fast and reliable dual-path connectivity (LTE & WIFI) just like any top-of-the-line security system! If you have any questions about the Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool or any of the products on our site, please reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Hi DIYers! We have learned that Alarm.com has been pushing out automatic firmware updates for their security cameras. These updates are designed to make the cameras compatible with future enhancements that may be released at a later date. Alarm.com SVR Devices are also being updated.

According to Alarm.com, any non-doorbell camera or SVR device that is online with a strong connection will have the update pushed down automatically. Alarm.com states that 95% of all compatible cameras and accessories have already received the updates. Cameras that are offline or set up with a weak connection will not be able to receive the automatic update. Alarm.com says that they are still trying to get all compatible devices set up with the update.

In the near future, users may notice problems for any camera that has not yet received the update. Specifically, these cameras may stop showing the device name and timestamp on their on-screen displays. Additionally, any SVR devices that have not received the update may stop supporting video recording and video playback. These issues will persist until the device receives the update.

Users may also find that their cameras and/or accessories are displaying a trouble condition for out-of-date firmware. This trouble condition is to let any end users know that they should update the firmware for their cameras and/or accessories as soon as possible. Fortunately, these issues can be properly addressed by simply updating these devices to their latest firmware versions.

If you notice this trouble condition you can manually push down an update yourself by accessing your Alarm.com account through the website and choosing Video > Settings > Select Device > Video Device Info > Update Firmware. You may also contact us to have us push down the update for you. Remember that your camera will need to be online with adequate signal strength in order to receive the update. There is no charge for us to push down this update to your ADC devices.

If you have any questions about the new Alarm.com Firmware Update, or if you need us to push down an update for you, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you and making sure that your Alarm.com devices are properly updated!

Hi DIYers! Today, we're taking a look at two (2) in-wall Z-Wave dimmers that we just recently started offering. These are the GE 14299 Z-Wave Plus Dimmer and the GE 45717 Z-Wave Classic Dimmer Switch. What's great about these in-wall dimmers is that neither one requires a neutral wire!

Installing smart lights in an older home can present some challenges. Most homes built pre-1980 do not use neutral wires with their light switches. The purpose of a neutral wire is to ensure a more balanced AC load to prevent any voltage spikes from occurring. Although most standard lights can work just fine without a neutral wire, you will find that most in-wall light switches require one. We actually wrote a helpful FAQ on the subject recently, which you can view here.

In more recent times, we have started to see smart in-wall lighting devices that can be used without needing to run a neutral wire. The first notable examples were the Lutron Lighting Devices, which are great for use with Alarm.com. But now with the GE 14299 and GE 45717, we now have an effective no-neutral wire option for users wanting to get their lights on a Z-Wave network. You can even pair these new in-wall switches with a GE 12723 Add-On Switch for a 3-way configuration!

As you know by now, adding your lights to your Z-Wave network offers several advantages. These devices are perfect for pairing with compatible security systems. You will need a system with a Z-Wave controller and a monitoring plan that includes home automation to take full advantage of these devices. By pairing your lights with your monitored system, you can control your lights from anywhere using an interactive platform like Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com. You can even create smart scenes to have your lights respond automatically based on a schedule or with system events.

We are sure that being able to install in-wall dimmer switches without a neutral wire will be beneficial to many users. Now you can achieve a top-of-the-line smart lighting setup even if your home doesn't feature neutral wires! If you have any questions about the GE 14299, the GE 45717, or any of our products, please reach out to us by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to helping you!

Hi DIYers! We're here to cover our video recap. Our video production team released four (4) new videos. Alarm Grid Team Members Jorge and Jarrett each had two (2) videos apiece. We are sure that these new videos will assist you with using your security system. Let's check them out!

Finding the Revision Number on the Honeywell L5210

Jarrett shows you how to find the Revision Number for a Honeywell L5210 System. This same process also applies to other Honeywell LYNX Touch Systems, including the Honeywell L7000. You might need to find the Revision Number for one of these systems to determine if a certain communicator will work with it or not. Newer version of the Honeywell L5100-WIFI Card, the Honeywell LTE-L57A (AT&T LTE) and theHoneywell LTE-L57V (Verizon LTE) all have minimum firmware revision requirements.

Adding a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 to My Local WIFI

Jorge explains the process for adding a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus to a local WIFI network. The IQ Panel 2 System has a built-in WIFI card for this purpose. The panel uses this WIFI card for communicating with Alarm.com. However, Alarm.com requires that the system's built-in cellular communicator is activated for monitoring service. As a result, Alarm Grid customers need a Gold or Platinum Level Plan if they want to use this panel for monitoring service. Since the IQ Panel 2 has both built-in WIFI and cellular, it is dual-path ready right out of the box.

The Qolsys IQ Panel 2 and Partitioning

Jorge discusses partitioning for the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus. This system can support up to four (4) partitions. The partitioning feature must be enabled from Installer Settings before it can be used. Once partitioning is enabled, each system zone can be assigned to one of the four partitions. Each partition can be Armed and Disarmed individually and assigned a different set of user codes. This is perfect for restricting access to only a certain portion of the security system for each user code.

DSC Wireless Sensors and the Lyric Panel?

Jarrett smiles as he tells you the unfortunate news that the Honeywell Lyric Controller cannot support DSC Wireless Sensors. The DSC Wireless Sensors come in two (2) different varieties. There are the 433 MHz non-encrypted DSC Sensors and the 915 MHz DSC PowerG Sensors, which utilize 128-bit AES encryption. The Lyric System does not have a wireless receiver capable of supporting either of these sensor types. But there is still some good news, as the Lyric can support 345 MHz Sensors from Honeywell and 2GIG and Honeywell SiX Series Sensors.

Hi DIYers! Today, we plan to talk about some of the specifications of Z-Wave Plus and how the protocol has been improved over classic Z-Wave communication. Setting up some Z-Wave Plus devices with your system is a great way to get started in the exciting world of home automation!

You probably see us talking about Z-Wave Plus all of the time, but you might not know why we get so excited about it. If you didn't know, Z-Wave Plus is a wireless communication protocol that is frequently used with smart home devices. This includes peripherals like smart lights, door locks, programmable thermostats, and more. Many of the systems we sell and support include built-in Z-Wave controllers so you can start pairing these convenient devices. Today, a collective group called the Z-Wave Alliance is working to further improve upon this robust and convenient form of local wireless communication.

By nature, Z-Wave offers many important advantages. Wireless communication makes installation and set up super easy, which is great for DIYers who don't want to hire a professional installer. And by using them with your monitored security system, you can operate these devices remotely through an automation platform like Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com. Both platforms offer their own mobile app so that you can control these devices from virtually anywhere! And you can even establish smart scenes so that your Z-Wave devices operate automatically based on a schedule or with certain events on your system. How cool!

But not all Z-Wave devices are created equal. More recently, we have seen the rise of "Z-Wave Plus" devices, also known as 500-Series devices. This is as opposed to what we sometimes refer to as "classic Z-Wave" devices, or 300-Series devices. When given the option, you will definitely want to go with the newer and more advanced Z-Wave Plus 500-Series devices. This will provide you with the best possible end user experience.

Before we get into Z-Wave Plus specifications, we want to quickly mention what you will need to achieve a Z-Wave Plus setup. To unlock the full potential of Z-Wave Plus, you will need a Z-Wave Plus controller and certified Z-Wave Plus devices. You can use classic Z-Wave devices with a Z-Wave Plus controller, but you will only get the functionality of classic Z-Wave.

Likewise, you can use Z-Wave Plus devices with a classic Z-Wave controller, but again, you will only have the same 300-series functionality. If you want true Z-Wave Plus, you must have a Z-Wave Plus controller and certified Z-Wave Plus devices. Check for the label shown at the top of this post to determine if a device is Z-Wave Plus. That label should be found somewhere on the product box.

Now that we have that out of the way, you might be wondering what's the big deal about Z-Wave Plus. After all, you can technically do anything with classic Z-Wave that you can do with Z-Wave Plus. The thing is though, Z-Wave Plus can do it better. This comes down to a few different considerations. Namely, Z-Wave Plus offers further range, extended battery life, and better reliability overall.

When it comes to Z-Wave range, signal hopping is key. Z-Wave signals actually have the ability to "hop" through other Z-Wave devices. Each time a "hop" occurs, the signal is repeated to extend the range. A Z-Wave signal can make up to four (4) of these hops on its way to the intended destination. By adding more Z-Wave devices, you are establishing a stronger mesh network.

Z-Wave Plus devices allow for about 50 to 60 feet between hops. So you can expect a roughly 200 foot range for a Z-Wave Plus device if you have a strong mesh network for signal hopping. Conversely, a classic Z-Wave device will only offer a range of about 30 to 40 feet between hops. That's only a range of about 120 feet with a strong mesh network. By using exclusively Z-Wave Plus devices, you are getting a roughly 66% increase in range!

Battery life is also something to consider for Z-Wave devices that do not plug in or connect with electrical wiring. This is common for most Z-Wave locks and even some thermostats like the Honeywell T6 Pro Z-Wave. The Z-Wave Alliance designed Z-Wave Plus devices to consume less power, which has improved their expected battery life by about 50%. This will save you money with fewer required battery changes!

Lastly, you should consider the fact that Z-Wave Plus offers better reliability than classic Z-Wave. This is important for ensuring that any Z-Wave commands and signals ultimately reach their intended destinations. Certified Z-Wave Plus devices are also required to support Security S2, which includes complete Diffe-Hellman Symmetric Encryption for enhanced security. And perhaps most importantly, Z-Wave Plus devices can receive firmware updates over-the-air (OTA), allowing developers to streamline any needed improvements.

The future certainly looks bright for Z-Wave, as the Z-Wave Alliance is currently working on 700-Series Z-Wave Communication. This represents the future over the current Z-Wave Plus 500-Series. We do not have the details on 700-Series, including when it will be made widely available, but it is expected to communicate up to 150% further, while using even less power for improved battery life! These devices will also offer enhanced processing for signal transmissions that are up to 18% faster.

At this time, no security systems support 700-Series technology. But there are still fantastic systems like the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus which support Z-Wave Plus 500-Series communication. With Z-Wave on your side, you can truly make your alarm system stronger than ever and achieve a more convenient life! If you have any questions about Z-Wave technology, you are welcome to email us at support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Hi DIYers! Today, we're giving a quick lesson on Response Types, also known as Sensor Groups. Every sensor used with your security system will have one. It is important that you get these settings correct so that your alarm system responds appropriately when a sensor is activated!

Starting with the basics, the Response Type is the setting that tells the system how to respond when the sensor is activated or faulted. Most Honeywell and 2GIG Systems refer to this as a Response Type. Other systems like the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus refer to this setting as the Sensor Group. For the purpose of this post, we will generally use the terms interchangeably. Just know that when we are talking about Response Types, we also mean Sensor Groups.

When it comes to sensors for alarm systems, there are many types. Some common examples include door and window contacts, motion sensors, glass break sensors, shock sensors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide sensors, panic buttons, medical alert buttons, temperature sensors, and flood sensors, just to name a few. As a result, there are many Response Types as well. What you use for one sensor type is likely very different from what you would use for another, though there is some overlap from time to time.

Now, we're not going to cover each and every Response Type and Sensor Group here today. But what we will do is cover some general rules for Response Types so that you know a little bit more about them. If you do want some more extensive knowledge on Response Types or Sensor Groups, check the programming manual for your panel. We also have the following FAQs that you may want to check out:

• Response Types for the Lyric
• Response Types for the L5210 or L7000
• Sensor Groups for the IQ Panel 2

With that out of the way, let's take a look at some of the most basic and general Response Types you will encounter.

Entry/Exit: An Entry/Exit Zone is used for coming and going. This is almost always going to be a door that you use to enter and/or exit your home or business. When this zone is faulted while the system is Armed Away or Armed Stay, you will need to Disarm your system within a preset Entry Delay period, or else an alarm will occur. Additionally, if your system has Auto-Stay Arming enabled, then you will need to fault an Entry/Exit Zone during the Exit Delay countdown when Arming Away, or else the system will revert to Armed Stay instead.

• Common Sensor Types: Door and Window Sensors for Entering/Exiting the Building

Interior: An Interior Zone refers to a sensor that can trigger an alarm while the system is Armed Away, but not while the system is Armed Stay. The idea here is that when your system is Armed Away, there should be nobody inside the building, and faulting an Interior Zone would mean there is a security breach. But when the system is Armed Stay, there is still someone inside the building, and you want them to be able to move around freely. A very common sub-type of an Interior Zone is an Interior Follower Zone. The "follower" portion of the name refers to the fact that the zone will not cause an alarm if the sensor is after (e.g. it follows) an Entry/Exit Zone. The reasoning is that you may need to fault an Interior Zone to get to your system and Disarm after faulting an Entry/Exit Zone.

• Common Sensor Types: Interior Motion Sensors, Interior Door and Window Sensors

Perimeter: A Perimeter Zone is a very secure sensor. If a Perimeter Zone is faulted while the system is Armed Away or Armed Stay, then an alarm will occur immediately. You should only assign a Perimeter Zone to a sensor that should absolutely never be faulted while the system is Armed. Perimeter Zones are commonly used for Window Sensors (unless you like to climb in through the window!), as well as Glass Break Sensors and Shock Sensors that indicate forced entry into the building. Some panels also have a similar Response Type called Day/Night. This Response Type is the same as Perimeter, except that a Day/Night Zone will also trigger a Trouble condition if the sensor is faulted while the system is Disarmed.

• Common Sensor Types: Window Sensors, Glass Break Sensors, Shock Sensors

24-Hour: A 24-Hour Zone is the most secure Zone Type available. This is a sensor that should never be activated, unless there is an emergency or something seriously wrong. There are many sub-categories of 24-Hour Zones, including 24-Hour Burglary, 24-Hour Fire, 24-Hour Carbon Monoxide, and 24-Hour Auxiliary. Since these are very secure zones, you will likely want to provide special instructions regarding these zones for the central monitoring station. This way, the operator will know how to respond when they see the alarm come through. For example, if you give your Flood Sensor a 24-Hour Auxiliary Response Type, you will want the operator to know that it isn't an emergency medical alarm! The 24-Hour Auxiliary Response Type is often used for both environmental sensors and medical sensors, so you will want to provide specification.

• Common Sensor Types: Smoke & Heat Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Sensors, Panic Buttons, Medical Alert Buttons, Flood Sensors, Temperature Sensors

Of course, this is just a small list of the available Response Types and Sensor Groups. But you will usually find Zone Types just like these no matter which panel you use. If you want to learn more about Response Types, you are welcome to send us an email at support@alarmgrid.com. We will check your email when we have an opportunity and reply back as soon as possible. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Resideo is currently in the process of pushing automatic OTA firmware updates to all active AT&T LTE Communicators. The updating process is ongoing, and we are not sure how long it will last. You should not notice any changes to your monitoring service or your Total Connect 2.0 account.

If you recall a few months ago, we announced that Resideo was pushing down automatic over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates to LTE communicators. Resideo started with the Verizon LTE Communicators, and now they are updating the AT&T LTE Communicators. This is a very similar update with no major differences.

Just like before, Resideo is expected to perform this update cycle in batches. Units that were registered first will have the update performed first. This will continue in sequential order until all active Resideo AT&T LTE Communicators have been updated. Any new AT&T LTE Communicator activated during this time will be placed at the end of the queue. If an update fails, that communicator will be pushed to the next batch to try again.

Remember, the communicator must be active and connected with the AlarmNet360 Servers in order for the update to go through. Any communicator that is not active will not be able to receive the update. This includes any communicator installed inside a panel that is currently powered off. Try and keep your panel powered on at all times to ensure that the update can go through successfully.

The following Resideo Communicators are affected by this update:

• Honeywell LYRICLTE-A for Lyric Controller
• Honeywell LTE-L57A for L5210 and L7000
• Honeywell LTE-IA for VISTA Panels
• Honeywell LTE-XA for VISTA Panels
• Honeywell LTE-L3A for L3000

It is possible that your panel may reboot as part of the updating process. However, you should not notice any other changes. Additionally, the following Contact ID messages may be generated during the process:

If you have any questions regarding this update, please do not hesitate to email us at support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions!

We have heard some recent buzz in the industry that other alarm monitoring companies may begin stopping all support for older 3G, 4G and CDMA Cellular Communicators. While the push to get everyone onto LTE is important, Alarm Grid plans to support these existing modules as long as possible.

If you have been keeping up with the latest events in the security industry, then you will know that both Total Connect 2.0 and Alarm.com will no longer allow activations for older cellular modules. The CDMA activation sunset occurred last year in 2018. Then this year in late June, Total Connect 2.0 stopped allowing AT&T 3G & 4G activations. From there, Alarm.com followed suit and also announced they would no longer allow new activations for 3G & 4G Communicators.

It is important to understand that these "sunset" events only affect new activations. If you have an existing 3G, 4G, or CDMA Communicator that is currently activated for use with Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com, then you can continue to use it, at least for now. As long as you keep it activated and your monitoring company continues to support it, then there will be no problem until the associated cellular network is permanently shut down.

For the record, the AT&T 3G Network is going to be shut down in February of 2022. We do not have an official date for the shutdown of the Verizon CDMA Network, but it is also expected to occur around this time. In preparation for this event, both Total Connect 2.0 and Alarm.com will only allow for new activations of LTE cellular communicators. In other words, if you want cellular alarm monitoring for your system, you should definitely go LTE.

Recently, we have heard that some other alarm monitoring companies are dropping support for these communicators sooner. Some will drop support as early as the end of 2019. This means that if you have monitoring service with that company and you have an older communicator, your monitoring service will be automatically terminated unless you upgrade to LTE before their self-imposed cut-off date.

Alarm Grid would like to state publicly that we plan to support existing 3G, 4G, and CDMA Communicators for as long as possible. We understand that not everyone can feasibly make the upgrade right away. We are doing everything we can to let our customers make the transition at their own pace. If you are still using a 3G, 4G, or CDMA Communicator with Alarm Grid, then rest assured that your communicator will still work for the next couple of years.

Now, just because we are still supporting these modules does not mean you shouldn't upgrade. LTE communication is faster, more reliable, and it will provide you with a better end user experience overall. Additionally, installing an LTE communicator will essentially "future-proof" your system against further advances in cellular technology. Cellular service providers have stated repeatedly that LTE networks will remain supported and in-service well into the very distant future.

Also remember that if you currently use a 3G, 4G, or CDMA Communicator, and you deactivate the module for ANY reason, you will NOT be able to reactivate it. This can be particularly important if you are trying to bring an older cellular module to Alarm Grid. If your communicator is still active with a different monitoring company, and you keep it active in your transition to Alarm Grid, we can help you reprogram it for use with our monitoring service.

At Alarm Grid, we are working to make sure all of our customers who use cellular monitoring will make a smooth and seamless transition over to LTE. We know that everyone moves at a different pace, and we are not going to rush you into doing something that you may not be ready for. While we certainly encourage you to make the jump to LTE as soon as possible, we will continue to work with you as long as we can.

If you have any questions about the 3G and CDMA sunset, or if you are trying to determine your best option for getting your panel on LTE, then by all mean, please reach out to us as soon as you can. Our team will be happy to work with you and assist you in any way possible. The best way to contact us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. Remember that our support hours are 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!