Honeywell LYRICLTE-A Posts

Resideo has announced that the Lyric Gateway System has been discontinued, effective immediately. You can no longer purchase the Gateway from the Alarm Grid website. Fortunately, the vastly superior Lyric Controller is still available for purchase if you decide to go with a Resideo System.

The Lyric Gateway was a unique system. It offered no option for end user programming. Instead, all programming had to be done remotely by an alarm monitoring company. This did not fit the DIY model of Alarm Grid. As a DIY monitoring company, we try to empower our customers by encouraging them to complete their own programming and learn how their systems work. Because of this, the Lyric Gateway was never a good product for us. We carried it to offer as many options for our customers as possible.

There are a few Alarm Grid customers with active Lyric Gateway Security Systems. We want them to rest assured that we will continue to support their panels for as long as we can. The Gateway System even has an AT&T LTE Communicator available, the Honeywell LYRICLTE-A. Installing and activating this communicator will ensure that a Gateway System can remain monitored for many years to come. Please note that the upcoming Verizon LTE Communicator for the Lyric will not work with the Gateway.

If you are looking for a new Resideo Security System, the Lyric Controller is still the recommended option. This panel is actively being supported with new add-on releases and new firmware updates. This is evidenced by the upcoming Verizon LTE Communicator and the MR9 Firmware Update to support this new module. Even with the new Resideo ProSeries System eventually coming to the market, we expect Resideo to maintain active support for the Lyric and their existing LYNX Touch Systems for a long time. For more information on the MR9 Firmware update, please click here.

If you have any questions about the discontinuation of the Lyric Gateway, please reach out to us at support@alarmgrid.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Hi DIYers! We are very happy to announce that software revision 1.09 is now available for the Resideo Lyric Security System. This software revision is more commonly known as firmware update MR9, and it can be downloaded for free by any end user with active alarm monitoring service.

The biggest addition that comes from firmware update MR9 is support for the upcoming Verizon LTE Communicator. We expect this communicator to be released sometime later this summer. Support for the existing AT&T LTE Communicator is also carried over to MR9. The update can be pushed down from the Resideo AlarmNet Servers and is completely free of charge. In order for the update to take effect, the system must be disarmed, with no trouble conditions present.

If you want to apply the update yourself when the system is disarmed, you can do so by entering the following commands from the main Lyric screen: Security > Tools > Installer Code (default 4112) > Update Firmware. The button will grey out to confirm that it was selected. Then return to the home screen using the return arrow in the upper-right corner. The update process should begin automatically.

Depending on the speed of the communication path, the update process can take anywhere from a few minutes to up to an hour. The system will then reboot to apply the update. If you want to confirm the update, go to Security > Tools > Master Code (default 1234) > Advanced > System Information. The listed Revision on the top line should start with 1.09.

If you want more information about the MR9 update, please check the associated release notes. If you have any further questions about the MR9 update, please reach out to us. The best way to reach us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Resideo will be pushing down an over-the-air (OTA) firmware update for all AlarmNet LTE Communicators later this month. This update will go through automatically, and it should not affect your monitoring service in any fashion. The update will be applied sometime later this month.

This update only affects the communicator, not the panel itself. The updates will be applied automatically in batches until it has been applied to every Resideo LTE Communicator. First the Verizon LTE Radios will be updated, followed by the AT&T LTE Radios. Resideo will start each update cycle with batches of units that were registered first. The company will follow a sequential order, finishing with batches of units that were registered last. Any new unit that is activated will be placed at the end of the cycle.

It is possible that your system may reboot as part of this update process. However, it should resume normal operation after the update is complete. Additionally, you may notice the following contact ID codes in your Event Log on Total Connect 2.0:

Resideo says that this update will allow their LTE communicators to interact more effectively with the cellular network. Users should expect this update to go through sometime later this month. We do not have an exact date as to when the update process will begin. If you have any questions about this update, please contact us at support@alarmgrid.com for more information.

When one thinks of upgrading their security system, they would typically think of adding a new sensor to their setup. After all, it's sensors that a system uses to detect any important system events, such as burglary or fire. But often upgrading a communicator is even more important.

Simply put, the communicator is what an alarm system uses to send outbound signals to the user and/or a central monitoring station. If the communicator fails, then the alarm system is nothing more than a local sounder. It will have no way of alerting off-site users or requesting emergency dispatch from a central monitoring station. Therefore, it's extremely important that the communication path used by an alarm system is dependable, reliable and gives the user peace of mind. For most users, an alarm system that uses cellular communication is the ideal solution.

The Honeywell Lyric Controller is the flagship wireless security system from Honeywell. This system provides support for up to 128 wireless zones, and it can even work with the encrypted Honeywell SiX Series Sensors. The touchscreen controller is extremely easy to use, and the build-quality lives up to the Honeywell name. Additionally, the system comes with a Z-Wave controller built-in for controlling Z-Wave home automation devices. Overall, the Lyric is one of the top security systems available on the market today.

However, there is one issue with a fresh, brand-new, out-of-the-box Lyric. This problem is that the system does not have an integrated cellular communicator. Although there are Lyric Controller System Kits that come with a cellular communicator, the base version of the system does not have such a module. If no cellular module is added, the system will be forced to rely on a WIFI connection. This might not seem so bad at first. WIFI is extremely fast, and most people think of modern internet services as being extremely reliable. For that reason, many users make the decision to go with a WIFI-only setup for their Honeywell Lyric Controller.

But going with a WIFI-only communication path can prove to be a major mistake. WIFI signals regularly go down, often for seemingly no reason. Additionally, a power outage of any kind will cause the WIFI service to go down, and a panel that uses a WIFI-only connectivity will be unable to send any outbound signals. This means that the property will be unprotected. But with a cellular communicator, this is occurrence is nearly impossible. Modern cellular communication is extremely reliable. It is not affected by power outages, and it offers users great peace of mind.

For those reasons, adding a cellular communicator to a Lyric Controller is extremely important. Honeywell offers various cellular communicators for the Lyric System. Adding one of these communicators can be the single most important upgrade for a Lyric Controller, due to the fantastic reliability and consistency that it will provide for the system. And for users looking for a new communicator, we recommend choosing the Honeywell LYRICLTE-A.

The LYRICLTE-A is currently the only communicator for the Lyric Controller that can connect with an LTE cellular network. Specifically, the LYRICLTE-A connects with the LTE network for AT&T. LTE networks represent the latest and most advanced cellular technology available, and they provide lightning-fast speeds and superb reliability. Plus, cellular service providers have promised that they will continue to support for their LTE networks for many years, even decades into the future. And with trusted service from AT&T, the LYRICLTE-A will ensure that the Lyric Controller is always connected and always protecting your property. It should be mentioned that Verizon also plans to release an LTE communicator for the Lyric sometime in the near future. But for now, the LYRICLTE-A and AT&T is nearly always the best option for Lyric users.

With that in mind, we believe that the LYRICLTE-A is the single most important upgrade a user can make for their Honeywell Lyric Controller System. The level of reliability and consistency of cellular communication cannot be compared with by any other communication path. And with connectivity to an LTE network, users can be sure that their Lyric System will communicate as it should far into the distant future.

An alarm system is only good if it can alert others in an emergency situation. A system that cannot communicate properly is a sitting duck. Even if a system has every sensor imaginable, it won't matter if the system cannot send a signal to the end user or a central monitoring station when it counts. With the LYRICLTE-A and cellular communication, a Lyric System will be able to communicate successfully every time. This makes the LYRICLTE-A the single most important upgrade for the Honeywell Lyric Controller. Don't leave your Lyric System unprotected. Upgrade your Lyric with the very best in cellular communication with the AT&T LYRICLTE-A.

As the sunset for 3G cellular networks is quickly approaching, Alarm Grid has some important news regarding support for Verizon's 3G CDMA network. This news affects both the Alarm.com service and Honeywell's AlarmNet server.

As of today, June 1st, 2018, Verizon will no longer activate Alarm.com CDMA cellular communicator SIM cards as they prepare for their CDMA network sunset. If the Verizon SIM card is already activated, which is done during manufacturing, Alarm.com will still allow the account activation to go through.

However, if a communicator is manufactured and never activated with Alarm.com, or if it's activated with Alarm.com but then cancelled, the Verizon SIM will eventually become deactivated. Therefore, it's possible that a CDMA module you already have won't be able to be used if it's not currently active with Alarm.com.

If you have an existing Alarm.com CDMA communicator with a different monitoring company, it can still be "recycled" and brought over to a new alarm company, as long as the communicator is re-activated with the new monitoring company soon after it's cancelled by the existing monitoring company.

Any existing Alarm.com CDMA communicator that is already active with Alarm.com will continue to work for the time being, but will be sunsetting soon.

If you need to purchase a new cellular communicator for an Alarm.com panel, we recommend one of the following Verizon LTE options:

For 2GIG GC3:

• 2GIG LTEV-A-GC3 (requires GC3 Firmware 3.0.2 or higher) (discontinued)
• 2GIG LTEV1-A-GC3 (requires GC3 Firmware 3.1.3 or higher)

For more information on GC3 Firmware Updates, please click here. Also see this guide to upgrade the GC3 communicator.

For 2GIG GC2:

• 2GIG LTEV-A-GC2 (requires GC2 Firmware 1.17 or higher) (discontinued)
• 2GIG LTEV1-A-GC2 (requires GC2 Firmware 1.19 or higher)

For more information on GC2 Firmware Updates, please click here. Also see this guide to upgrade the GC2 communicator. You can also review the FAQs 2GIG GC2 Firmware Update Instructions Using UPCBL2 and How to Upgrade GC2 Firmware Using a Cable for more information.

Starting June 30th, 2018, Honeywell AlarmNet CDMA cellular communicators that were manufactured before March 1st, 2018 can no longer be activated. If you have an AlarmNet CDMA communicator that was manufactured before this date, you must activate it by June 30th.

At that time, it will also be impossible to bring a Honeywell CDMA radio from one monitoring company to another. AlarmNet CDMA communicators that were manufactured after March 1st, 2018 can be activated until December 22nd, 2018. Any AlarmNet CDMA communicator that has already been activated will continue to work until the CDMA network is shutdown.

If you need to purchase a new cellular communicator for a Honeywell Alarm System, we suggest buying an LTE module. Alarm Grid recommends the following options based on system type:

Honeywell Lyric Controller: LYRICLTE-V supports Verizon LTE

Honeywell L5210 and L7000 (Firmware 9+): LTE-L57V supports Verizon LTE

Honeywell VISTA Systems: LTE-XV supports Verizon LTE or LTE-IV supports Verizon LTE & IP

Additionally, if you have a CDMA communicator that has not been activated, you will no longer be able to return it to Alarm Grid for a refund. We will not be taking any CDMA returns as of today. Our company stopped selling CDMA communicators roughly three months ago, and we have been preparing for the 3G sunset for quite some time.

Cellular service providers have already discontinued support for their 2G networks, and they are currently preparing to do the same for their 3G networks. This includes the Verizon 3G CDMA network. Instead, cellular service providers are shifting their focus to their newer and more advanced 4G and LTE networks. If you need to upgrade an alarm system to cellular, you should purchase an LTE module if possible.

Remember, existing CDMA communicators that have already been activated can still be used for the time being. These modules will continue to work until the CDMA network is discontinued. At that point, any CDMA cellular module will need to be replaced and upgraded to a newer communicator.

If you have any questions about this news, please send an email to support@alarmgrid.com. You may also call us at 888-818-7728 from 9am to 8pm EST M-F.

Edit (6/8/18): This blog post previously stated that as of June 1st, no Alarm.com CDMA module that wasn't currently active with Alarm.com service could be activated on a new Alarm.com account, which has changed since it was written. It has been edited to reflect the correct information.

With the recent release of the LTE-L57V for the L5210 and L7000 Systems, there is now a viable LTE cellular communication module available for all of the most popular Honeywell Alarm Control Panels. Whether you own a Lyric, LYNX Touch or VISTA panel, there is an LTE communicator for you!

The current LTE options are as follows:

• Honeywell Lyric Controller: LyricLTE-A supports AT&T LTE
• Honeywell L5210 and L7000 (Firmware 9+): LTE-L57V supports Verizon LTE
• Honeywell VISTA Systems: LTE-XV supports Verizon LTE

Please note that for the Honeywell VISTA 21iP, there is currently no "snap-on" LTE module like that of the AT&T 3G/4G based VISTA-GSM4G. In order to use the Honeywell LTE-XV communicator with the VISTA 21iP, the "internal communications" jumper on the board must be set to the bottom two pins. Make sure to power the system completely down before making this adjustment. The communicator must then be installed as an external radio-like wiring on a VISTA-20P. By adjusting the jumper in this way, the integrated ethernet port for the VISTA 21iP will be disabled. However, this is not a huge concern. LTE cellular connectivity is extremely reliable, and it provides communication speeds that are comparable to that of IP. So even though IP connectivity will no longer be accessible, it is a worthwhile sacrifice to obtain LTE service over older cellular technologies like 3G and CDMA. Remember, LTE service is widely recognized as being the single best communication path available for modern alarm systems.

By releasing these new communicators, Honeywell has made it very clear that LTE cellular communication is the way of the future. This news is also important for users of the Verizon CDMA Network. AlarmNet (Honeywell's cloud server) has stated that new CDMA activations will no longer be permitted after June 1, 2018. This includes cancelling an existing CDMA account and then trying to reactivate it later. Anyone hoping to use CDMA with their Honeywell System must get the communicator active before it's too late. Verizon has promised that CDMA support for existing equipment will remain active until their CDMA network is shutdown. After that, the communicator will need to be upgraded.

All of the current LTE communicators for Honeywell Systems are available for purchase on the Alarm Grid website. We'll be sure to keep you updated with any news regarding additional Honeywell LTE communicators that are released in the future. We do not have any exact timelines for the release of a Verizon LTE module for the Lyric, nor AT&T LTE for the Lynx Touch and VISTA panels. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@alarmgrid.com.