Honeywell 7847i Posts

We're here with another video recap! There are eight (8) new videos for you to check out this week. Once again, I took the role of appearing in all the videos. We hope to have some familiar faces returning soon! But for now, let's take a look at what our video team has been up to.

Deleting a Wireless Zone from a Simon XT

I show you how to delete a wireless zone from a Simon XT Security System. The Simon XT uses 319.5 MHz wireless sensors, and it has forty (40) zone slots available. By accessing the Sensors Menu of Programming, you can delete any wireless zone that has been set up with the system. You can then enroll a new sensor in that open zone slot if needed. Keep in mind that the zone must be rebuilt from scratch if you decide to re-add the sensor back to the system.

Deleting a Wireless Zone from a Simon XTi or Simon XTi-5

I show you how to delete a wireless zone from a Simon XTi or Simon XTi-5. The Simon XTi and Simon XTi-5 are essentially the same as the Simon XT, except for the fact that these two panels have built-in touchscreen keypad. Both the Simon XTi and Simon XTi-5 have forty (40) available wireless zones, and they both use 319.5 MHz wireless sensors. If you delete a zone from the Simon XTi or Simon XTi-5, then you can reuse the zone with a new sensor.

Disabling Exit Sounds on a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 or IQ Panel 2 Plus

I show you how to disable Exit Delay sounds on the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus. The IQ2 makes Exit Delay sounds for false alarm prevention. The idea is that if you accidentally Arm Away the system, then the Exit Delay sounds will alert you to the situation so that you know to either leave the building or cancel the arming session. But if you find Exit Delay sounds to be bothersome or annoying, there are a couple of different options for muting these sounds.

Cover Tamper Causes the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 to Make Strange Noises

I explain why the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 will make an usual noise every thirty (30) minutes. The reason why this happens is because the panel is not positioned on its back mounting plate properly. It can be a bit tricky to get the panel on the back plate properly, but once you do, the sound should stop occurring. If you absolutely cannot get the panel positioned on the back plate, then you do have the option of disabling tamper cover notifications in programming.

Manually Extending the Exit Delay Time On IQ2

I show you how to manually extend the Exit Delay countdown time on the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 for a single arming session. When you Arm Away on the IQ2, the Exit Delay timer will go into effect. You must then leave the building or cancel the arming session within the exit delay time limit. If you press the green +60 button, then the Exit Delay will be extended by sixty (60) seconds. You can only do this once per arming session. Pressing the button again will do nothing.

Permanently Extending the Exit Delay Time On IQ2

I show you how to permanently extend the Exit Delay countdown time on the Qolsys IQ Panel 2. By permanently extending the Exit Delay, you will have a longer amount of time to vacate the building every time you Arm. The system will use either the Normal Exit Delay setting or the Long Exit Delay setting depending on what zones you have programmed with the system. If you have at least one zone with Sensor Group 12 - Entry/Exit Long Delay, then the system will use the Long Exit Delay setting.

Installing a Honeywell 7847i on a VISTA P-Series Alarm Panel

I show you how to install a Honeywell 7847i on a VISTA P-Series Security System. The Honeywell 7847i is an IP communicator that allows a compatible panel to connect with the Resideo AlarmNet Servers for monitoring service. If you want to use Total Connect 2.0 with your system, then you must be running Firmware Version 9.12 or higher on a VISTA-15P or VISTA-20P. You can determine the firmware by checking the PROM Chip. No version of the VISTA-10P will work with Total Connect 2.0.

Installing a Honeywell 7847i On a VISTA TURBO Panel

I show you how to install a Honeywell 7847i on a Honeywell VISTA TURBO Panel, such as a Honeywell VISTA-128BPT or a Honeywell VISTA-250BPT. The most common reason why someone will choose to use an IP-only communicator is because they want monitoring costs to be as low as possible. IP monitoring is less expensive than cellular monitoring because no cellular service fees are incurred. But keep in mind that an internet outage will take your panel offline if you rely strictly on IP communication for your system.

If you are just beginning the process of looking for an alarm system, answer these really simple questions, and you'll be well on your way to finding what works for you.

1) Do you want a wired or wireless alarm system?

We highly recommend going wireless. Our two biggest selling wireless systems are the L5100 and the L3000. Both of these systems are great. The only differences between them really, is that the L5100 has a beautiful touchscreen that the L3000 does not and the L5100 can be used as a home automation controller as well as a security system.

On the wired side, our best selling units are the VISTA 21iP and the VISTA 20P. The difference between these two systems is that the 21iP has a built-in IP module, and the 20P requires that you purchase one (the 7847i) separately. After you've done your research, if you are excited about the VISTA panels, but like the benefits that a wireless system can offer you, you can add a 6160RF keypad with integrated wireless receiver to your VISTA panel and turn it into a wireless system.

2) How many doors and windows do you want to protect?

If you need three or more door and window sensors, and you have decided that a wireless system is for you, check out our L5100PK and L3000PK. They are the most cost-efficient way to get the sensors and system you want. If you need additional sensors, you can add more 5816s or 5811s. The 5816s are thick and boxy, the 5811s are thin like a wafer. Both are good, but we a lot of users prefer the look of the 5811s.

If you want wired door and window sensors, we have tons of those. Look through our selection, and pick the ones that you like best. They all work well, and each of them perform a slightly different function.

3) How many motion sensors do you need?

A lot of people do not install motion sensors. They are a good way to add an extra layer of protection, but oftentimes, the door and window sensors are good enough. If you just need one motion sensor, the kits I wrote about earlier are great. If you need more, the kit is still good, but you'll need to grab some more 5800PIR-RES motion detectors individually.

4) What kind of communication do you want your panel to use?

If you add alarm monitoring to your system, when a sensor is tripped, your security panel will send a signal somewhere. Now, if you have Total Connect service, it will go to AlarmNet and send you an email and / or a text. If you are connected to a central station, it will also go there.

How does the signal get from your panel to the central station or AlarmNet?

Good question. The signal can be delivered in three basic ways. First, you can have your system use your land line to report the alarm signals to the central station. All Honeywell systems, wireless and wired, have a built-in phone dialer so nothing additional is needed. That said, no one has a traditional phone line anymore. Also, you can't get Total Connect using a phone line. Therefore, other communication pathways are more popular. If you don't want to use the phone line, the most popular communication pathway is over the internet. While the L5100 can be hooked up through ethernet with the iLP5 module, the more common way to hook up an L5100 to the internet is by using the L5100-WIFI module. The L3000 needs the 7847i-L for internet monitoring and the VISTA panels use the similarly named, but very different 7847i. The L3000 and VISTA panels do not have a WIFI option and require an Ethernet cord to be strung to the router. The final communication pathway is over cell towers. Basically, when you purchase one of Alarm Grid's monitoring plans that include Cellular Communications, you are buying an AT&T cell phone plan for your system. We handle the SIM card activation and billing so you don't have to worry about a separate cell phone bill. Your system will then send out a signal using the wireless GSM network (which is often regarded as the most reliable pathway). The L5100 requires a GSMVLP5-4G to accomplish this, the L3000 needs a GSMVLP4G installed, and the VISTA panels need either the GSMV4G or the GSMX4G (see our FAQ on these communicators if you want to understand the difference between the two), unless it is a VISTA 21iP which requires the VISTA-GSM4G.

It may come as a surprise for anyone who is just starting their search, but those are really the four basic questions you need to ask yourself. Once you have taken inventory of your door and window sensors, motion sensor needs, whether you want your system to be wired or wireless, and what sort of communication pathway you think sounds most attractive give us a call or chat with us. We'd love to help you.

Honeywell's Total Connect 2.0 service is the best upgrade to your Resideo or Honeywell security system that you can make. With Total Connect 2.0 you can arm and disarm your system with the touch of a button from any internet-connected computer or smartphone using an app. You can also have the system send you instant emails and text messages whenever a new security system event occurs. You can get a text message with the actual zone description of the device that went into alarm, the actual name of the user that armed or disarmed, even a message when your teenagers open the liquor cabinet in the middle of the night. Once you try Total Connect 2.0 you will never look at your security system the same way again.

Of course, don't just take our word for it, try it out yourself. You can now take Total Connect 2.0 for a Test Drive. Follow this link and then click the Test Drive button located beneath the login screen.

Don't forget that none of our alarm monitoring plans require a contract, so if you are still on the fence about whether or not Total Connect 2.0 would work for you, try it risk-free today! We even have a standalone Total Connect plan for people that don't want central station monitoring but would like the interactive features that Total Connect provides. If you decide it's not worth the cost, simply let us know and we would be happy to cancel your plan.

Call us today to find out how easy it is to get fully connected to your security system with Total Connect 2.0!

UPDATE: The information from this post is now outdated. For information on how you can test drive Total Connect 2.0 now, please check this more recent post.

Honeywell has an excellent interactive service called Total Connect. With a compatible AlarmNet alarm communicator and the Total Connect service, you are able to remotely control your Honeywell security system from a computer or from a free app on an iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ or Blackberry® device. It's great when you leave and can't remember if you armed the system or if you have to let someone in and don't want to give them your alarm code. 

Of course, the value of the service lies in the ability to control the system from anywhere at anytime. Unfortunately, ever since Apple released their new iOS 6.0, some Total Connect users have experienced problems using the Total Connect 2.0 app from their iPhone. With the release of iOS 6.0, Total Connect 2.0 wasn't the only app that has had problems. Apple has publicly acknowledged that the new software has caused some issues and they rolled out a very quick update with iOS 6.0.1 to try and fix most of the problems. Even with that fix, some Total Connect 2.0 users are still experiencing problems.

It's unfortunate because an otherwise great application with overwhelmingly positive reviews, is now down to only 2.5 stars on the iTunes store. If you look at the reviews, you can see all of the negative reviews are in the past couple of months since iOS 6.0 was released. Everyone seems to be experiencing the same issue. The app will work once properly, but then if you log out, the app crashes and closes upon any subsequent log-ins. While Honeywell recommends upgrading to the newest version of the Apple iPhone software (iOS 6.0.1) and if that doesn't work, doing a backup and restore of the phone, there are people that are still experience the same issues after doing those fixes. AlarmNet's app developers are working on a fix and hopefully will have an app update out soon. 

However, in the meantime, we seem to have figured out a way to stop the app from crashing. When you first log into the app, the security screen is displayed that allows you to arm or disarm your system. Along the bottom of the app, there is a button that says 'Security' with an open lock icon, an 'Events' button with an icon of a triangle with an exclamation point in it and a 'More' button with three dots. When you press the 'More' button, there are some options for changing settings. The 'Message Center' allows your AlarmNet dealer to send you new updates. The 'View Preferences' option allows you to change the default Total Connect 2.0 screen when you first log-in. The 'Navigation Order' option allows you to change the available buttons along the bottom of the app. It seems that by changing the navigation order is what is causing the issue. Our Total Connect 2.0 app works perfectly every time we do a fresh download of the app. As soon as we edit the navigation order and then log out, the app crashes every time we try to log back in.

Therefore, for anyone having issues with a crashing Total Connect 2.0 app, please don't edit the navigation order if you want to avoid problems. We are sure Honeywell and AlarmNet will have an update soon that will restore the app to full working condition, but hopefully this fix can alleviate some headaches in the meantime.

In conjunction with our AlarmNet partnership, we are proud to announce that we are now accepting new monitoring clients! 

We are offering three unique alarm monitoring plans which you can customize with add-on features to build the perfect monitoring plan for you and your family. Starting at only $10 per month, you will be amazed to find that you can get the same services other alarm monitoring companies are offering but at a fraction of their price. The best part of all is that here at Alarm Grid, we never make you sign an alarm monitoring contract! Enjoy the cost savings and enhanced security features that come with our alarm monitoring plans while enjoying the freedom of knowing that you are not locked into a contract. We are so confident in our central station and our customer service that we know, once you sign up with us, you will never have any reason to shop your alarm monitoring service again. 

Choose from our Self Monitoring, Basic Monitoring and Monitoring Plus plans.

The Self Monitoring plan includes an interactive service that allows you to remotely arm and disarm your security system from any web enabled computer or even from an app on your iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ or Blackberry® device. The Self Monitoring plan also includes instant emails and text message notifications that are sent direct to you from your security system so that you will know right away when an alarm occurs.

The Basic Monitoring plan includes traditional central station alarm monitoring services and is backed by our award winning network of UL-listed central stations. Our three central station facilities are spread out across the country but are also virtually connected at all times so that we can spread out our alarm traffic to ensure that no operator will ever be too busy to give your alarm signal the immediate response it requires. 

The Monitoring Plus plan is our best offering as it includes central station service and interactive control of your security system. With the Monitoring Plus plan, you can rest easy knowing that when an alarm occurs, the proper authorities will be notified. In addition, you will be able to control your security system no matter where you are. Starting at only $20 per month, the Monitoring Plus plan is the best alarm monitoring value in the industry!

As the Basic Monitoring and Monitoring Plus plans include UL-listed central station monitoring, you get the added bonus of a homeowner's insurance discount as insurance companies across the country recognize Alarm Grid as a provider of the highest quality alarm monitoring service available.

Once you choose the plan that works for you, you are able to include extra features like secure cellular communications, remote home automation control and even live video access. In fact, the Video Monitoring plan can even be ordered as a standalone service for someone that may not have a security system. Here at Alarm Grid, we give you the flexibility to design your ideal alarm monitoring plan. Don't forget, with Alarm Grid, you can always try out new features without the risk of signing up for a contract.

Give us a call at 888-818-7728 to speak with a security expert that can get your security system activated today!

We are very excited to announce the exciting partnership between Alarm Grid and AlarmNet.

AlarmNet is Honeywell's communications division which has been providing alternative alarm communications to the security industry since 1986. As a security leader that continually revolutionizes the industry, even back in the 80s Honeywell had the foresight to see that phone line communications would not be around forever. They developed numerous different communication networks that are all backed by their powerful Network Control Center so that alarm dealers across the country would have a way to provide alarm monitoring services to their customers even when phone lines eventually become extinct. 

Now, internet and cellular are the preferred technologies for sending alarm signals to a central station and AlarmNet has many different internet and cellular alarm communicators that are designed to work with Honeywell security systems. Whether it's the L5100-WIFI for the L5100 LYNX Touch or the GSMV4G for the VISTA Series alarm control panels, security system owners now have secure and reliable options for making sure that when their alarm goes off, an operator will receive their signal and be able to dispatch the proper authorities.

As an AlarmNet dealer, Alarm Grid is also able to support AlarmNet's next generation interactive service, Total Connect. Total Connect allows a user to remotely arm and disarm their security system from a computer or a smartphone as long as their security system is equipped with an AlarmNet alarm monitoring communicator. Also, Total Connect allows a user to get instant emails and/or text message notifications whenever a new security system event occurs. Not only does AlarmNet provide alarm communications that do not require a traditional phone line, but now with Total Connect, a security system can do things that were never possible with a phone line. 

Stay tuned to learn about the great alarm monitoring plans that are available through Alarm Grid, now that we are connected to AlarmNet's advanced alarm communications network.