AlarmNet Posts

"That's Brilliant!" You will soon be hearing that a lot in automation circles. Brilliant Smart Home System has managed to gain a lot of ground in a short time. This is due to their many company relationships. Alarm Grid is pleased to offer the complete line of Brilliant Smart Home System products.

Brilliant Smart Home has designed an in-wall Smart Home Controller or Hub, an in-wall Smart Dimmer, and a Smart Plug. The smart home controller incorporates voice control with Alexa built-in. It can also be used with Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit, which offers voice control using Siri. At least one (1) Brilliant Smart Home Controller must be installed in a location in order to use their services.

The convenient thing about Brilliant's Smart Home Hubs is that they replace an existing in-wall switch. A Brilliant hub or dimmer can replace a toggle, paddle, Decora, rocker, or an existing dimmer. These modules are eye-catching and go with just about any decor. Since the Brilliant Control is installed in the wall it eliminates messy, exposed wires, which you usually have with traditional smart hub setups.

Brilliant's line of smart Home Controllers or Hubs includes four (4) options. Each adds a different level of switch control. There is the 1-switch panel, 2-switch panel, 3-switch panel, and 4-switch panel. The hubs each contain a 5" LCD Touchscreen. The 1-switch panel has on/off and dimming for a single light via the touchscreen. The 2-switch panel has on/off and dimming for 2 separate lights. The 3-switch for 3 lights and the 4-switch for 4 lights. These 2, 3, and 4 switch panels, all have separate touch sliders for on/off and dimming capabilities. Each Smart Hub will install in a standard electrical switch box. This should already be in place for retrofit installs.

These smart hubs can do so much more than just operate the lights or outlets they are wired to. They have a built-in camera, a motion detector, and ambient light sensors. They can also integrate with a compatible video doorbell, and allow viewing of the doorbell, and interaction with your visitor, right on the Brilliant 5" touchscreen display. They can connect and control your smart locks, compatible garage door openers, and smart shades. You can utilize the video and audio intercom feature to communicate between rooms. As long as each room has a Brilliant Smart Hub installed.

You can use these smart hubs to control a compatible smart thermostat, a Sonos speaker system, and many other options. They also integrate with Resideo's Total Connect 2.0 remote control platform for alarm systems. This allows for system arming and disarming, notifications, and Z-Wave device control. With this integration, the user can also view TC2 video cameras via the smart hub.

A monitoring plan with Automation enabled is required, and for camera viewing, a plan that includes video. However, the Brilliant integration is included with those plans at no extra cost. For Alarm Grid customers Automation is included with Self Silver, Silver, Self Gold, and Gold plans. Video surveillance is included in our Self Platinum and Platinum plans.

When you are away from home, even if you haven't yet set up scenes to automate your devices, you will still be able to remotely control them using the Brilliant Smart App. It is available as a free download from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Automation scenes can be created based on events, schedules, or a combination of both.

Brilliant expands its range of smart home devices with the Smart Dimmer Switch that can turn on/off, dim, or run a scene based on the user tapping the capacitive touch plate. It has built-in motion detection, allowing the system to automatically turn lights on or off. Alarm Grid offers these smart dimmer switches in White, Black, Light Almond, or Gray. At least one (1) Smart Controller Hub must be installed in order to use the Brilliant Smart Dimmers.

To round out its family of Brilliant Smart Home Products, they offer a Smart Plug. It adds the ability to control nearly any plug-in device along with the option to integrate that device into scenes. Use it for lamps, coffee makers, fans, heaters, and more. At least one (1) Smart Controller Hub must be installed before you can use a Brilliant Smart Plug.

The Brilliant Smart Controller Hubs, and the in-wall smart dimmer switch, both require 120VAC, with a neutral, and a ground, and line and load wires for multi-way switches. They can be set up in a single pole or 3 or 4, multiway configuration. The smart hub can share control with a standard switch as long as there is no dimming capability on it. For the Smart Dimmer, all switches would need to be replaced with Brilliant Switches in a 3 or 4, multiway configuration.

Brilliant is compatible with the following manufacturers, and the list is growing all the time:

• Voice Assistants:
  • Alexa built-in
  • Apple HomeKit
  • Google Assistant
• Lighting & Switches:
  • Leviton (via SmartThings)
  • Lutron(via SmartThings)
  • LIFX
  • Philips Hue
  • tp-link
  • WEMO
• Climate:
  • Ecobee
  • Google Nest
  • Honeywell Home
• Video Doorbell:
  • Google Nest
  • Ring
  • SkyBell (DBCAM-TRIM2 via Total Connect 2.0)
• Cameras:
  • Google Nest
  • Ring
  • TC2 Cameras via TC2 Integration (IPCAM-WIC1, IPCAM-WIC2, IPCAM-WOC2)
• Security (Including Locks & Garage Doors):
  • August Smart Lock
  • ButterflyMX
  • EMTEK
  • Genie
  • Kwikset
  • Overhead Door
  • Resideo (Total Connect 2.0)
    • Vista Panels that support TC2
    • ProSeries Panels
    • Lyric Panels
    • Lynx Panels
  • Schlage
  • Yale
• Music:
  • Sonos
• Hubs:
  • SmartThings
• Property Management:
  • Entrata
• Motorized Shades:
  • Somfy
  • Hunter Douglas

According to Resideo Technical Support, their integration with Accuweather is partially down. This may cause products that receive weather information some issues. Any touchscreen product that can display weather may show incorrect information. Any automation configured for sunrise/sunset may not operate.

We received this information based on a support request we sent to Resideo. In that specific case, automation schedules based on sunrise and sunset that had been programmed through Total Connect 2.0 were not working correctly. So far, there's been no official report of this outage in AlarmNet360. We are hopeful that additional details will be forthcoming.

Do products or TC2 show incorrect weather in addition to the sunrise and sunset timers being off? We don't know for sure. Is this a nationwide issue, or a regional one? We don't know that for sure either. If you have more details or would like to share your experience, leave a comment below. It could be helpful.

Resideo has not had great success with its products and displaying the weather. In the past, we've reported on issues with the older style Tuxedo keypads not updating the weather properly. Hopefully, this is something that will be resolved in due time. In the meantime, if you have automation schedules for your devices that are set to run at sunrise and/or sunset, be aware that they may not function as intended.

10/6/2022: As of now, Resideo has not posted an update showing that this issue has been resolved. They do report that some customers have had success in deleting the SkyBell from Total Connect 2.0, and then re-enrolling it.

Resideo announced today that users of their Total Connect 2.0 service may currently be experiencing impairment in service. This is as of 1:15 PM Eastern Time today. The services affected are TC2 SkyBell Live Streaming, TC2 SkyBell Clip Replay, and TC2 Video Event Capture.

These services are basically the full range of things you might use a video doorbell for. Bear in mind that TC2 and SkyBell use a server-to-server integration. That means that all the heavy lifting with regard to the SkyBell integration is happening on the SkyBell servers. The TC2 servers are just sending requests back and forth to those SkyBell servers. We don't know if this issue is completely on the SkyBell side of things, or if there is a breakdown in communication between the TC2 servers and the SkyBell servers. If any more information comes to light, we'll share it here.

In the meantime, what we do know is that all other aspects of Total Connect 2.0 service are working as they should. Also, and most importantly, the delivery of alarm signals is not in any way impaired by this temporary situation. We know that the issues began at 1:15 PM ET, and as of now, the outage is still ongoing. If we receive information on an end to this situation, we'll post it here, so stay tuned.

Verizon plans to shut down its CDMA (3G) network by December 31, 2022. If you have a Verizon CDMA communicator on your system, you need to upgrade by then, or your system may be unable to communicate in the event of an emergency. Alarm Grid is making the upgrade as painless as possible.

We've posted about the AT&T 3G and Verizon CDMA sunsets a lot! Verizon CDMA users have been fortunate in that they've had nearly a year longer to update than AT&T 3G users. However, the sunset is drawing near, so those who still have a system with a CDMA communicator should be giving serious consideration to upgrading. If you're not sure how to upgrade, this post provides great information.

If you're concerned about the cost of upgrading, we offer financing through Affirm. From this link, choose "Shop Now" and follow the prompts to apply at check out. If you have any questions, contact us at support@alarmgrid.com if we can be of assistance, we're more than happy to help.

You might wonder why we continue to talk about upgrading your system. It's because we know that cellular alarm communication is the most reliable method of communication available today. Internet, be it Ethernet or WIFI is great. It's fast, and when it's available it makes using services like Alarm.com or Total Connect 2.0 much more fluid. It's also very fast for reporting alarm signals when central station monitoring is in use.

But we all know that an internet connection can be unreliable. Sometimes WIFI just stops working and requires a reboot or other end-user intervention. For most folks, when the power goes out, internet equipment also goes down. This means that even a wired Ethernet connection to the internet can be vulnerable to downtime.

With cellular, those types of issues are much less likely to occur. Cellular providers have all sorts of redundancy built into their networks. So, a loss of power is countered by backup power sources for cellular towers. The spacing of the towers themselves means that in most cases, a cellular device will have a primary tower and at least one backup tower to keep it connected and communicating. Cellular alarm communicators either have their own backup battery or use the battery of the alarm panel they are connected to. So the loss of primary power won't take the communicator offline.

Finally, we'll wrap this up by reminding Alarm Grid customers that waiting until the last minute to upgrade your communicator is a bad idea. We have a finite number of activators, and the holiday season is coming up soon, which will further limit the time we have to get new communicators activated. Upgrading from an older communicator to a new one usually doesn't take quite as long as a new activation, but it does require manual input from one of our activators, so please be mindful of this and schedule your upgrade using our communicator replacement portal as soon as possible.

Alarm panel manufacturers routinely offer panel firmware updates. This allows them to add features and correct issues. However, most DIY users don't have access to the restricted portion of the company's site where these files are housed. Alarm Grid offers the latest firmware file downloads.

Most alarm panels can be updated Over-the-Air (OTA) using either Alarm.com or AlarmNet360. AlarmNet never charges anything for these updates, and Alarm.com also offers them for free, unless they have to be sent to the panel using cellular data. In that case, the update will incur a small fee, depending on the size and number of updates that need to be sent.

Qolsys panels will not perform an OTA update unless the panel is connected to WIFI. If you have one of these panels installed in a location where WIFI is not available, then the only option is to either update using a cell phone as a WIFI Hotspot, or download the firmware files, and then install them via either Micro SD Card (IQ2/IQ2+) or Access Point (IQ4).

Honeywell L5200, L5210, and L7000

Honeywell used to offer free firmware updates for the LynxTouch panels that they pushed remotely using AlarmNet360. It was a messy process, AlarmNet tech support was required to request these updates individually, per account. So, sometime after the introduction of the Lyric panel, they stopped this practice. The Lyric can only be firmware updated using AlarmNet360, but the update can be requested by the dealer, and now, the customer can also request the firmware update via the panel. When Honeywell, now Resideo, ceased offering OTA updates for the LynxTouch panels, they released the Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Update Tool. This tool can be used to update the L5200, L5210, or L7000 panels.

When an L5200 is updated to the latest version, it becomes an L5210 internally, though there are certain physical traits of the L5200 that won't change, like the screen size. Depending on when you purchased the LYNXTOUCH-MSD tool, it may come with the latest firmware version already on the SD Card (it comes with both L5210 and L7000 firmware already loaded). However, if you purchased your update tool when they were first released, it will have an older firmware version on it, and you will need to download the newest firmware to the SD Card and update the panel again to get the most current version. The update files are housed on the Resideo website in the password-protected portion of MyWebTech, so we offer the files for download from our site:

• L5200 or L5210 LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Update Page
• L7000 LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Update Page

2GIG Go!Control 2 (GC2) or 2GIG GC2e

The 2GIG GC2 and 2GIG GC2e have a couple of different methods for updating the firmware. There is the 2GIG UPDV Easy Updater Tool and the 2GIG UPCBL2 Firmware Update Cable. The updater tool is geared more toward a professional installer who will be updating multiple different panels over the course of years. It comes with a version of either the 2GIG GC2 or GC2e firmware loaded but the tool itself will then have to be updated when newer firmware is released. The files to load are available from our site and are linked below.

The updater cable is the method of update most DIY users choose to use. It requires that the user have a windows computer available. The cable is a fixed length, so the computer that will be used needs to be near the alarm panel in order to perform the update. Ideally, a laptop is used. Instructions for using the updater cable to load the latest firmware onto a 2GIG GC2 or 2GIG GC2e can be found here. Instructions for loading new firmware onto the 2GIG UPDV Easy Updater Tool can be found here. Instructions for using the updater tool to update a 2GIG GC2 or GC2e panel once it has the latest file loaded can be found here.

The 2GIG GC2 and 2GIG GC2e firmware pages are linked below. Each page has both Updater Tool and Updater Cable files:

• 2GIG GC2 Firmware Update Page
• 2GIG GC2e Firmware Update Page

2GIG GC3 and 2GIG GC3e

The 2GIG GC3 and 2GIG GC3e technically use the same firmware. The 2GIG GC3e was released at firmware version 3.2.1, so any GC3e panel will have at least this version of firmware already installed. Alarm Grid offers firmware versions 3.0.1 up through 3.2.4.6725 on our 2GIG GC3 Firmware Update Page. On our 2GIG GC3e Firmware Update Page, we offer 3.2.3.6713 up through the current version which, at the time of this writing, is 3.2.6.6770.

The 2GIG GC3 and 2GIG GC3e are both much easier to update than the 2GIG GC2 or GC2e. Both 2GIG GC3 versions offer WIFI, which makes OTA updates simple, as well as free. For systems that need it, an OTA update can be pushed from Alarm.com via cellular for a nominal fee. Again, Alarm Grid offers this type of upgrade to our customers at our cost, with no markup. If WIFI is not available at the panel, and a user doesn't want to pay for an OTA update, we offer the upgrade files from our site. This FAQ provides a walkthrough on how to perform the update using the files from our site. Instructions for performing the update are also listed on the page along with the firmware files.

• 2GIG GC3 Firmware Update Page
• 2GIG GC3e Firmware Update Page

2GIG Edge

The 2GIG Edge updates in the same way as the 2GIG GC3 and GC3e. It has a USB port located on the top of the panel. Once the firmware update file has been loaded onto the root directory of a USB drive, the drive is inserted into the port on the panel's top and the panel prompts the user to update. For full instructions on updating a 2GIG Edge, check out this FAQ.

• 2GIG Edge Firmware Update Page

Qolsys IQ Panel 2 and IQ Panel 2 Plus

The IQ Panel 2 and IQ Panel 2 Plus also use the same firmware version. The difference between the two panels is hardware. The IQ Panel 2 does not support PowerG, and the IQ Panel 2 Plus does. As noted above, Qolsys panels will not download firmware updates via cellular data, so the options are to connect the panel to WIFI, temporarily connect the panel to a Hotspot on a cellular phone, or update locally using a Micro SD Card. The step-by-step instructions for loading the firmware from an SD Card are shown on the firmware update page.

• Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Firmware Update Page (Version 2.3.1-ADCS 5.18-ADCL)
• Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus Firmware Update Page

Qolsys IQ Panel 4

The Qolsys IQ Panel 4, like the previous IQ Panels, will not download firmware updates via cellular data. However, unlike the IQ Panel 2 or IQ Panel 2 Plus, the IQ Panel 4 does not have a Micro SD Card slot. Instead, if WIFI is not accessible by the panel, either directly or via a cell phone Hotspot, then the firmware update files have to be downloaded to a phone or tablet, then the phone or tablet must be connected to the IQ Panel 4 Access Point, and the files then loaded to the panel from the phone or tablet. Instructions for updating using the Access Point are available on the firmware download page.

• Qolsys IQ Panel 4 Firmware Update Page

Above are links to all the different panel firmware pages we offer here on the Alarm Grid site. In addition to alarm panel firmware, we also offer some firmware pages for the Honeywell Home TUXEDOW or Resideo TUXEDOWC touchscreen keypads as well as the older Tuxedo Touch firmware. We don't have a page for the older 6280 touchscreen keypads, but if you need access to that firmware, send an email to support@alarmgrid.com letting us know what you need and we can get you access to it.

As mentioned above, the Lyric panel can only be updated via AlarmNet360 and in order to update the firmware, the panel has to be actively monitored. The same is true of the newer Honeywell Home and Resideo ProSeries panels (PROA7, PROA7PLUS, PROA7C, and PROA7PLUSC). These panels must be actively monitored and registered with AlarmNet360 before an update can be applied to them.

On July 5, 2022 Resideo announced that all LTEM-PA, LTEM-PV, LTEM-PIA, and LTEM-PIV communicators will undergo a slightly revised activation process. Upon registration, if the communicator is not using the latest firmware version, it will automatically receive an Over-the-Air (OTA) update.

This announcement came in the form of MyWebTech Technical Notification #83. For those communicators with a WIFI or Ethernet connection, the OTA update will be performed using this communication path. If WIFI or Etehrnet is not available, then cellular data will be used. The update process typically takes about five (5) minutes, but when cellular is the only communication path available, it may take longer. The length of time a cellular upgrade takes also depends on the cellular signal strength.

During the update, the communicator's LED's will light according to where the communicator is in the two-stage process:

• Firmware Downloading: REG, Status, and Fault LEDs will fast-blink in unison.
• Upon Firmware Completion: The device will reset, then all five (5) LEDs, REG, Status, Fault, Cell, and WIFI/Ethernet will fast blink in sequence.

The OTA software update will cause the communicator to generate a few different messages to the central station. These messages indicate the beginning and end of the software update process. The messages sent are as follows:

• E903 - Application Code Update (Remote Download begins)
• R903 - Application Code Update Restore (Remote Download Completed)
• E904 - Application Code Update Failure (Remote Download/Update Failed)

For Alarm Grid customers, this notice means that if you are using one of the LTEM-P Series communicators listed above, it is more important than ever that you have your equipment installed and ready when your activation appointment time rolls around. In particular, anyone who will be using cellular communication only, as any OTA update required may take some time to complete, and we currently have no way of knowing how long.

If you have any questions about this notice, reach out to your alarm dealer for details. If you are an Alarm Grid customer, you can send us an email at support@alarmgrid.com. We're here Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern time to answer your questions.

The Resideo LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV are dual-path capable communicators that use the LTE Cat-M1 network. During the global chip shortage, these radios have come to prominence because of their availability in the absence of other LTE communicators. They provide nearly the same speed as LTE comms.

Another feature that differentiates the LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV from other communicators is their modular design. These radios are considered a part of the ProSeries lineup, which includes the Honeywell Home PROA7 and PROA7PLUS and the Resideo PROA7C and PROA7PLUSC. The reason for this is that many of the add-on modules that can be used with the ProSeries panels can also be used with the LTEM-P communicators. Including the PROWIFI or PROWIFIZW, the PROLTE-A or PROLTE-V, and the PRODCM.

The LTEM-P Series communicators support an ethernet connection, but if you find yourself in a situation where a wired connection is not possible, then you can install the PROWIFI or PROWFIZW, which will give you WIFI, or WIFI and Z-Wave Plus capabilities. The ability to add a modular cellular unit is exciting as it allows you to install a separate LTE communicator to use instead of the built-in LTE Cat-M1 communicator. This will come in handy if you purchase an AT&T LTEM-PA, but find out later that Verizon would provide a better signal in this particular installation. Also, far in the future, when LTE is eventually phased out, whatever takes its place can easily be installed in the unit, rather than having to replace the entire communicator.

The PRODCM is a dialer-capture module. It allows the LTEM-P Series communicator to work with an alarm panel that has a built-in dialer and can report using Contact ID Format. The PRODCM installs inside a slot in the LTEM-P Series communicator, then two wires are connected between it and the Tip and Ring terminals on the alarm panel. The panel believe's it is dialing out over a phone line, but the module captures the signal, and transmits it via IP, or Cellular. Many of these add-on modules are also compatible with the ProSeries panels, which is why the LTEM-P Series are considered a part of the ProSeries lineup.

Tip 1: Power Wiring

The LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV come with a 9VDC power supply. Depending on the communicator you may be replacing there could be an existing AC Transformer in place. Do not make the mistake of trying to use the existing transformer. You have two (2) options when it comes to powering the LTEM-PA or LTEM-PV. You can use the included power supply, making sure to observe proper polarity with the power wires, or you can wire it so that the communicator receives all its power from the alarm panel. If you choose the latter option, be sure to calculate the current draw for the communicator correctly, and if you decide to leave the battery out of the LTEM-P Series device, turn off the radio's Low Battery Reporting.

Tip 2: Installing A WIFI Module

If you want to add support for WIFI to your LTEM-P module, you can add the PROWIFI module. When the PROWIFI module is installed, the ethernet connection becomes unavailable, so you can only use one or the other of these, but not both. If you want to add both WIFI and Z-Wave Plus capabilities to your system, then you can choose to install the PROWIFIZW.

Using the PROWIFIZW can add Z-Wave support in a situation where it would otherwise be unavailable, such as when using the LTEM-P with a non-VISTA panel. The PROWIFIZW cannot be used as a secondary controller, so it can't be used to extend the range of another controller such as the Tuxedo or VAM. Using the PROWIFIZW also doesn't give you an option to create scenes through Total Connect 2.0, only manual control of Z-Wave devices is available.

Tip 3: Always Default the Communicator

We've found, through painful experience, that it is a good idea to always default the LTEM-PA or LTEM-PV once all the wiring is completed, prior to account creation and activation. To default, hold down the red button on the upper right side of the main communicator board for at least 20 Seconds. The LEDs on the communicator should begin going through their initial power-on sequence. This is how you can tell the default has completed.

Once the communicator has booted completely up, then do one last power cycle. Do this by unplugging the transformer and disconnecting the red battery lead. If the communicator is being powered completely by the panel, simply power the panel down and back up by unplugging its transformer and backup battery. If the communicator battery is still connected though, be sure to disconnect this battery as well to completely power the communicator off. Wait about 30 seconds, then power back on as you normally would. For VISTA panels, plug in the transformer, then the battery. If the communicator has its own DC Power Supply, plug in the communicator battery, then plug in the power supply. Now you can proceed with programming and activation.

Resideo has reported that Verizon cellular communicators may experience issues connecting to Total Connect 2.0, issues with commands taking longer than usual to process, or failing completely. This is due to an SMS issue with the carrier which began at 11:00 pm Monday night.

As of this writing, the issue is ongoing and could last for some time. Only Verizon cellular communicators are affected, AT&T communicators and dual-path communicators where the IP path is present are not affected. This issue does not affect the Verizon cellular communicator's ability to send alarm signals!

If you have a Verizon communicator and are experiencing issues with Total Connect 2.0, please be patient. Verizon is aware of the issue, and they are working to correct it. At this time, only Resideo has reported an issue with Verizon communicators. If that changes, we will let you know.

Effective in August of 2022, Alarm.com is ending sales of Alarm.Com Image Sensors (ADC-IS-220-GC and ADC-IS-300-LP). Alarm Grid has already discontinued these sensors due to the fact that they are in short supply, and no more of them will be produced. Only the Honeywell Home PROINDMV remains.

The 2GIG IMAGE3:

There was some overlap between the Alarm.com Image Sensor models, and the 2GIG and Qolsys Image Sensor models. I have confirmed with Alarm.com that the 2GIG and Qolsys models are also discontinued as of August, 2022. Currently, the only Image Sensors being offered by Alarm Grid are the DSC PowerG and Honeywell Home PROINDMV models which are discussed in more detail below.

Image sensors were a great idea that never really took off. The original image sensors, first offered by 2GIG and Alarm.com, did not have particularly good resolution or picture quality, which is probably one reason they weren't widely adopted by the DIY crowd. By the time the 2nd generation of these sensors came around, people were prepared to simply go with full-on video monitoring or to avoid capturing images altogether.

Both the second and third-generation image sensors that were offered by 2GIG, Qolsys, and Alarm.com had very good image quality. Combine that with Alarm Grid's policy of offering monitoring for image sensors without an additional price markup, and the image sensor was a viable alternative to the use of video cameras. An Alarm.com user could log into their account and perform a "peek-in", meaning they could request that a particular image sensor grab a picture of whatever it was able to see at that moment, and the image (actually two (2) images) would then be uploaded to the customer's alarm.com account for viewing. The sensor could also take images upon sensing motion after a particular period of inactivity, or upon an alarm. For full details on image sensor features and operation, check out this prior post.

DSC offers a couple of PowerG PIR Cameras that will work with the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 and IQ Panel 4 in addition to the DSC PowerSeries Neo panels with a PowerG Transceiver added. These are the DSC PG9934P, Indoor PIR Camera, and the DSC PG9944, Outdoor PIR Camera. These sensors work like any other PowerG Sensor with the Qolsys Panels. They can only capture images when the system is armed and the image sensor is active (not bypassed). They send their images to the panel, and then the first image is uploaded to Alarm.com. A total of ten (10) images are taken, and these images are stitched together by the panel into a sort of stop-motion video where each image can also be viewed individually. This is done via the panel screen itself. When used with the PowerSeries Neo panels, the DSC PIR Cameras can be used for Visual Verification only, they do NOT work like a regular image sensor with Alarm.com.

DSC PG9934P, Indoor Image Sensor:

DSC PG9944, Outdoor Image Sensor:

The Honeywell Home PROINDMV is a wireless PIR motion sensor with a camera built-in, just like the 2GIG, Qolsys, and Alarm.com image sensors were. The PROINDMV is currently only supported on the Resideo PROA7PLUSC, and Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS panels. There is no "peek-in" option for these image sensors. They can only capture images when they sense motion while the system is armed in Away mode. Images or videos are captured and uploaded to Total Connect 2.0 for viewing. The user can choose to receive either a still image or a 10-second video clip. You can read their full details of operation in our previous post.

Honeywell Home PROINDMV:

It seems like the era of the image sensor may be coming to a close, at least for now. Who knows, once we're through the global chip shortage, and the availability of components is back to normal, perhaps the humble image sensor will experience a revival. If so, DIYers may want to consider giving these sensors a try. They really are an excellent idea. They can be used for alarm verification in this age of increasing police resistance to alarm response, and they are cheaper, both initially and on an ongoing month-to-month basis, than video cameras.

The ever-evolving WIFI industry can sometimes present challenges to alarm equipment. The steps manufacturers take to protect privacy, and streamline connections, can sometimes interfere with an alarm system's ability to get connected. Here, we'll discuss ways to keep your WIFI system online.

Resideo and Honeywell Home have not embraced the 5 GHz WIFI band as some of the other alarm manufacturers have. Both 2GIG and Qolsys have panels that can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WIFI. While 5 GHz WIFI offers slightly greater speed, it also offers a shorter range. Its main advantage is that it offers more channels and less congestion than its 2.4 GHz counterpart. The 2.4 GHz band is slightly slower, mostly because it's more crowded, but with a greater range and better solid object penetration.

Many customers may be afraid to purchase Resideo or Honeywell Home equipment because they believe that soon WIFI routers may stop supporting the 2.4 GHz frequency. However, most IoT (Internet of Things) devices that use WIFI currently only support the 2.4 GHz band, so you can expect network equipment manufacturers to continue producing equipment that supports 2.4 GHz for some time. Also, many older devices, such as older smartphones or tablets, don't support 5 GHz WIFI.

Users with dual-band routers that support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WIFI, and who also have Resideo or Honeywell Home WIFI products, may have experienced issues with their security device losing its WIFI connection. If that is the case, disabling a feature in the router called Band Steering may help the system to stay connected. Routers that support dual-band WIFI often use Band Steering in an effort to make switching from one band to the other seamless.

In theory, with Band Steering enabled, and the SSID, Password, and encryption settings for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands set to the exact same parameters, any device capable of using both bands can switch between them on the fly as the device moves through the location. Consider using a tablet or a smartphone as you walk through your home. When you're close to the router, 5GHz is likely the best band for the device to use. But as you walk away from the router, the 2.4 GHz band may become a better option. Band Steering will take care of switching from one to the other with no further input from the user and without the user even knowing that the switch has occurred.

If Band Steering worked as well in practice as it does in theory this would be an excellent solution. However, for some routers that support this feature, in certain cases, if a client WIFI device can only support 2.4 GHz, and the router supports both bands with both having matching SSIDs and Passwords and Band Steering is enabled, often the client device can't connect to the network because it is blocked by the router.

The router does this because it believes the client device is capable of connecting using the 5 GHz band, and in most cases, the router is trying to steer as many devices as it can to 5GHz. By disabling Band Steering, the Resideo or Honeywell Home WIFI capable panel will be able to see and connect to the 2.4 GHz network. In fact, it's the only network that it will be able to see. All other devices that support both bands will still be able to connect to whichever SSID the user chooses.

You can disable Band Steering on your dual-band router without having to change either SSID or password. The drawback to doing this is that you won't immediately be able to tell which WIFI band a device that supports both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands is connected to. If you need to be able to determine this, then you will want to disable Band Steering and then change the SSID and Password for one or the other WIFI Band so that you can easily determine which WIFI band a device is using. This will assist you, particularly on mobile devices, where you may need to manually switch between bands to achieve the best WIFI outcome.