Honeywell L5200PK-WIFI-3G Posts

Alarm Grid wants all of its customers to be aware that AT&T is now taking steps to formally discontinue their 3G and 4G networks. This is very important for anyone looking to activate an AT&T 3G or 4G communicator, as well as those who currently use either network with their alarm system.

Starting Wednesday June 26th, 2019, it will no longer be possible to activate a new AT&T 3G or 4G Communicator with AlarmNet. If you want to activate an AT&T 3G or 4G Communicator on a Honeywell System for use with Total Connect 2.0, you must do so before this date. Additionally, if you deactivate an AT&T 3G or 4G Communicator for a Honeywell System on or after this date, then you will not be able to reactivate it. Trying to reactivate a deactivated communicator is considered the same as an activation.

Please note that this only applies to AT&T 3G and 4G Communicators on Honeywell Systems that are used with Total Connect 2.0. Alarm.com has not announced any deadline for activating an AT&T 3G or 4G Communicator. Alarm Grid will post any new information as it becomes available. For now, the deadline only affects communicators being used with AlarmNet.

A sole exception applies to any AT&T 3G or 4G Communicator that was manufactured within the past 180 days. These communicators come with SIM cards that are pre-activated by AT&T, and they can continue to be activated for the next 180 days, even after the June 26th, 2019 date has passed. You will not be able to activate the communicator after the 180 day period has elapsed. You will also not be able to deactivate the communicator and then have it reactivated. You can check the manufacture date both on the box and on the radio label sticker on the communicator.

Additionally, the AT&T 3G/4G Network is set to be shutdown in February 2022. After that, all AT&T 3G and 4G Communicators will stop working entirely. This applies to any AT&T 3G or AT&T 4G Communicator, including those used with Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com. End users will need to upgrade to a new communicator or alarm system to maintain cellular communication. This does not apply to AT&T 4G LTE Communicators.

In order to maintain an active cellular communication path, it is crucial that you upgrade to an LTE communicator. LTE stands for "Long-Term Evolution", and AT&T is expected to support their LTE network for many years to come. Most alarm systems that we support currently have an LTE communicator available, while others should be releasing one in the coming months. We recommend checking through our selection of cellular communicators to see if an LTE communicator is available for your system.

If you are affected by the AT&T 3G/4G Sunset, now is the time to take action. You still have an opportunity to keep your system monitored or upgrade to a new system if necessary. The best thing you can do is contact Alarm Grid immediately. We can verify which communicator your system is using if you aren't sure. If you do need an upgrade, we can make a recommendation of which communicator to go with.

Some systems may have an LTE communicator readily available, while others may have one set to be released in the coming weeks. Unfortunately, some users may need to upgrade to a new system entirely. The experts at Alarm Grid know exactly what you need to stay monitored, and we can present you with all the possible options. Remember, by upgrading to a newer LTE communicator, you are guaranteeing that you equipment can stay monitored for many years to come. We fully expect that LTE networks will remain active and in-service even as 5G technology begins to emerge.

Alarm Grid is on your side. We want you to stay monitored and protected. That is our absolute top priority as a company. If you are affected by the AT&T 3G/4G Sunset, we urge you to reach out to us. Likewise, we also urge you to reach out to us if you are not sure. We can check your equipment and confirm whether or not an upgrade is needed.

The best way to reach us is to send an email to support@alarmgrid.com. Our team will reply to it as soon as possible so that you receive the support you need. You may also call us at (888) 818-7728 during our normal business hours of 9am to 8pm EST M-F. We look forward to helping you determine the best solution for your home or business.

Note: For information on the Verizon CDMA Sunset that went into effect last year, please click here.

If you love Honeywell's wireless security systems as much as we do, then you will likely be very excited by all the new kits that we've posted. All of these systems are easily installed, for any DIYer. While most of the time, these units are installed on the wall as we showed how to do in our L7000 installation video as well as our older L5100 installation video (the L5100 is the same size as the L5200 and their to-the-wall installations would be exactly the same), for those still worried about the ease of installation there are ways to make it very very simple. For the L5200, there is a desk mount, and the L7000, we are told, will have one out very soon.

It's also worth noting that because the traditional Honeywell model has always been to distribute these systems through an installer, they have generally assumed that the installer would have a giant spool of wire when performing the installation. As a result, there is no cable between the transformer and the system itself. This can be easily fixed with the addition of the LT-Cable to any system. That said, let's take a little tour through the numerous kits that are available for the new LYNX Touch wireless security alarm systems.

Finally, don't forget that these systes can all be turned into home automation controllers using the L5100-ZWAVE module which can be installed on the left-most edge connctor.

Dual Path Kits

Dual path security systems are generally considered the most secure system you can buy. An often cited problem of the older security systems is that they were connected to phone lines which were susceptible to being cut by the most resourceful thieves. Nowadays the systems can be connected by much safer means, such as over IP or the wireless cellular networks. The problem with IP, however, is that the pathway is susceptible to the same problems that the old phone lines had - WIFI can be cut if a thief is determined enough. Cellular security systems, on the other hand, are nearly impossible to disrupt. Generally it takes an emergency of epic proportions to make security systems go down. A dual path security system allows a system owner to take advantage of the up-time of a cellular network, but in the rare case that that network went down, the WIFI pathway is there to back it up. Likewise, while WIFI is generally very reliable, the cellular system will ensure that uptime is something close to 99.9%. The only disadvantage is that monitoring a system with the cellular security pathway is going to cost a little bit more each month.

Generally, for those concerned with the added security who want to take advantage of 4G communication, we recommend also using the IP pathway since it costs no more to add save for the fixed cost of the communicator itself.

There are two L5200 kits that are now available with both the L5100-WIFI communicator and the new 4GL communicator. They are named L5200PK-WIFI-4G and L5200PK10-WIFI-4G. The only difference is that one comes with three 5811 wireless door and window sensors, and the other comes with 10.

Likewise, the L7000 has the L7000PK-WIFI-4G and the L7000PK10-WIFI-4G. Like the L5200's kits, the only difference between these two kits is the number of sensors. Then again, I'll stop mentioning that since in every kit set, there is a 3-sensor version and a 10-sensor version. And since this is a blog about security systems, I'll do my best to make it less boring than it already is. :)

Kits with ONLY the 4G Communicators

As with the dual path kits, these kits can take advantage of the security available to users of the 4G, cellular networks. 

These kits are the L5200PK-4G and the L5200PK10-4G. With only one communicator, they are a bit cheaper than the dual path kits. Their use of cellular makes them incredibly secure, though they lack the redundancy of kits that contain the IP communicator. If you are trying to save a little money but also want the most security you can get out of your system, consider these systems. Because the LYNX Touch series is modular, you can easily upgrade the system to be dual path later.

The L7000PK-4G and the L7000PK10-4G are wonderful systems that take advantage of the L7000's capacity for numerous zones and larger screen interface. For anyone who needs a great system that can be expanded with numerous Total Connect cameras, or tons of sensors, these L7000 security system kits are the perfect place to start.

Kits with ONLY the WIFI Communicators

While not quite as secure as the GSM pathway, monitoring a system by IP communicator is adequate for most homeowners. With the L5200 and the L7000 security systems, the iLP5 is available for those interested in hardwiring the system to a router. But with wireless where it is today, the L5100-WIFI allows a system to reliably connect to a local WIFI network.

The L5200PK-WIFI and the L5200PK10-WIFI use the WIFI pathway for communicating with a central station. This Total Connect 2.0 capable system's monitoring is included as the base package for all of our available systems.

These L7000 kits are the L7000PK-WIFI and the L7000PK10-WIFI. Using the IP connectivity for the L7000 will give it the ability to use Total Connect 2.0, which will allow an user to arm and disarm from anywhere in the world. While all the communicators will allow this, the L5100-WIFI is the most economical way to build a system capable of using the interactive options.

Kits With No Communicators

If you're looking for a kit with no communicators, just to use as a local sounder, or because you are replacing an old L5100 and are just planning on using the communicators you already have (since the GSMVLP5-4G works with the L5200). Alarm Grid has three kits with the L5200 security system available. these kits are named the L5200PK, the L5200PK-5811, and the L5200PK10. Each comes with a Honeywell L5200 security system and the various sensors depicted in the units' picture.

For those who want a little bit more system, Alarm Grid's L7000 kits can also be purchased without a communicator. If you are looking to upgrade from an older system, it's important to note that the GSMVLP5-4G does not work with the L7000. In order to take advantage of cellular communication with the L7000, you must install a 4GL communicator, in which case one of the cellular security systems listed above is probably the better option.