Cellular Posts

An announcement on the AlarmNet360 page shows that they will send a remote reset command to some LTEM-PA, LTEM-PV, LTEM-PIA, and LTEM-PIV radios. This will occur today, Friday 04/15/22 between 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET. This may cause a trouble condition, and queued alarm reports could be sent.

It's unclear why this is being done. After a successful reset occurs, the radio will send an "E339-EXP. Module Power ON / Reset" message to the monitoring station. If the radio was in comm failure prior to the reset and any unsent alarm signals were queued, this reset may cause those alarm messages to be sent. These signals would show up immediately following the E339 signal at the central station. We assume this would also cause the same alarm messages to show up in Total Connect 2.0, and to be sent as notifications.

In addition, depending on how the panel is programmed, this event may cause the panel to display a bF or Check 103 message, and could also cause trouble beeping from the keypad. Disarming the system twice should clear the message and return the system to its normal state.

Resideo has been investigating an issue with a very small number of communicators. The LTE-CFV, HWF2V-COM, LTE-IV, LTE-L3V, and VISTA-21IPLTE with LTE-21V. In a few cases, starting on March 19, 2022, the Verizon LTE SIM has become locked, causing a comm failure, or secondary path failure.

A device with this issue will show the following symptoms: Locally at the device, the LEDs will flash regularly at a rate of two times per second (see video above). Through AlarmNet360, the affected devices will have checked in normally for the period leading up to March 19, 2022. Then beginning on that date, or on a subsequent date through March 28, 2022, a comm failure will be indicated. Once the comm fail indication appears, it will not clear, so if you've had a comm failure during this time that has restored, then your communication failure is not being caused by this issue.

In addition to the above evidence of an issue, the alarm panel that the communicator is connected to will have a trouble indication displayed. This may come in the form of a Check 103, or a bF on VISTA-20P and similar panels, and also the L3000 panel. For the L3000 panel, the bF will only show on an RF keypad, such as the 5828 or 5828V, the panel itself will show Check or Fault 103. To silence any trouble beeping, enter a disarm command at any panel keypad. These trouble messages can be caused by other things, not just this issue, so if you see one of these error messages and think you may be affected, be sure to contact your alarm dealer for further assistance.

Bear in mind that only the communicators listed above are affected, and that these are all Verizon SIM Cards. If you have an AT&T Communicator, you needn't worry about this issue. Also, for those who have a dual-path communicator with Ethernet connected, you will not necessarily see a Communication Failure message. Instead you will be notified of a Secondary Path Failure. Again, if you are affected by this issue, once the failure occurs, it will not restore. So if you've received a Secondary Path Failure that has since restored, then you experienced a separate issue.

Again, if you feel that you have been affected by this issue, contact your alarm dealer. They can confirm if you are affected and will be able to assist you in receiving a replacement SIM. Alarm Grid customers who are affected have already been contacted and replacement SIMs are on the way. If any further information becomes available, we'll update this post with further details.

I was able to speak with an industry insider familiar with the events at Resideo's data center on Sunday night into Monday evening. This person related to me that there was an HVAC failure at the primary data center. It was initially thought to be an easy fix, but that turned out to be false.

Things started to go wrong in Resideo's primary data center on Sunday night at around 7:00 PM Eastern Time. An HVAC failure allowed the temperature in the data center to climb to a dangerous level for the servers located there. The normal temperature is around 70℉ (21℃) but on Sunday it rose into the neighborhood of 130℉ (54.4℃). The servers are set to failsafe, so rather than continue running, and risk catastrophic damage, they began to shut down.

An automated system is in place which notifies engineering and other stakeholders when a serious event like this occurs. An HVAC technician responded. Initially, the technician believed this would be a quick and easy fix, so the decision was made not to switch to the secondary data center, which is located in the Chicago area. The switch takes a bit of time, somewhere around 20 minutes, and the thought was that it wouldn't be worthwhile at that point to make the switch.

However, the HVAC tech discovered that in order to implement a fix, he or she was going to require a part, which they didn't have and couldn't get at that time. So, at around 1:00 AM Eastern Time, the decision was made to switch things over to the secondary data center. By about 1:30 AM Eastern Time, the backup data center was in control.

At around daylight Monday morning the HVAC system in the primary data center had been fixed. Once it was fixed, there was a period of time where the temperature was coming down to an acceptable level. By approximately 11:00 AM Eastern Time, Resideo was ready to switch back to the primary data center. At this point, alarm signaling was back up and had been for some time. By around 2:00 PM AlarmNet360 was back up, and by about 6:00 PM Total Connect 2.0 was back online, though customers and our own testing show that it was somewhat sluggish at first.

This outage affected three (3) things. The most serious was alarm signaling. During the early hours of the outage, customer's systems were unable to send signals to the monitoring station, or to send notifications to the customers themselves. Total Connect 2.0, the customer-facing app and website for end-user remote control was also down. Lastly, AlarmNet360, the alarm dealer facing service used to create or cancel accounts and remotely troubleshoot issues was also affected. When things went wrong, the initial focus was on getting alarm signaling backup as quickly as possible. This was the focus when they initially switched to the Chicago area data center.

This is a fully redundant system, and it is tested regularly. According to my source, there were hourly notifications being sent to alarm dealers, but the database of email addresses for these notifications seems to be outdated. This is something they will address going forward. A root cause analysis will be completed in the coming days, and any processes or procedures that need to be updated will be dealt with at that time. The site at status.resideo.com doesn't have a section showing either AlarmNet360 or Total Connect 2.0 status. Hopefully, this is something that will change in the very near future as well. Finally, those dealers who did receive notification noted that the emails weren't flagged as containing particularly important information. This is also something that will be addressed in the future.

Today, February 22, 2022 is the official date for the AT&T 3G Sunset. As we've mentioned before, there isn't a big switch that gets turned off and then, "Poof!" no more 3G. If you still have an AT&T 3G communicator, it may continue to work for a while, but there is no way to know how long.

If you're just becoming aware of the AT&T 3G Sunset because you have a security panel that you haven't been paying much attention to for a while, then you probably are seeing some type of error, and possibly hearing some annoying beeping. Some of the more common error messages are shown further down in this post. The thing to keep in mind is that your alarm panel wants to be sure that you know there's a problem. So, if you just press the touchscreen, or press any button on the keypad, that should stop the beeping, at least temporarily.

If you know the arming/disarming code for the system, enter it if prompted on a touchscreen panel, or if you're on a VISTA panel, just enter your 4-digit code and then press the OFF or 1 Key. This will acknowledge the trouble condition and stop the beeping on a more permanent basis, though in some cases, it may come back after a period of time. If you don't know a valid code for the system, then you will likely need to shut down your system by unplugging the transformer and the battery. If you're interested in putting your system into service keep reading to see how Alarm Grid is helping out in this situation.

If you find yourself in the unenviable position of needing to replace an AT&T 3G communicator, but you haven't done so yet, don't panic. The AT&T 3G network is vast and complex. It's not something that you can simply turn off. The process of sunsetting 3G equipment will take a bit of time. So, if after today your 3G communicator still works, you're one of the lucky ones. You've been given a slight reprieve. However, there is no way for us to know how long that reprieve will last, so decide what you're going to do, and do it now.

One ongoing problem that we've seen recently is supply chain issues. Maybe you've been trying to upgrade for the past six (6) months, but the communicator or system you need hasn't been available. Communicator manufacturers have been rolling out LTE Cat-M1 communicators in the absence of available components for standard LTE.

LTE Cat-M1 is the cellular network that was created for Internet-of-Things (IoT) use. It has lower power consumption, better range, and the modems used for it have a smaller form factor. The trade-off is lower bandwidth. However, the amount of data being transmitted by alarm communicators is very low compared to voice and data used for a traditional phone, so the difference in bandwidth isn't noticeable. Happily, the components to make LTE Cat-M1 communicators appears to be readily available, so those communicators have been coming into stock in the past months and continue to become available.

Some of the available AlarmNet LTE Cat-M1 communicators are listed below. These communicators are all compatible with the VISTA panels. The LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV are also compatible with the DSC PC1616, DSC PC1832, and DSC PC1864 and the Interlogix NX Series panels. For the Interlogix NX Series, the PRODCM is also required:

• LTEM-PA - Dual-path IP and AT&T LTE Cat-M1 communicator with the ability to add a traditional LTE communicator if needed. First communicator to allow non-Honeywell panels to use Total Connect 2.0.
• LTEM-PV - Dual-path IP and Verizon LTE Cat-M1 communicator with the ability to add a traditional LTE communicator if needed. Along with the LTEM-PA can allow non-Honeywell panels to use Total Connect 2.0.
• LTEM-XA - AT&T LTE Cat-M1 Communicator for VISTA Panels.
• LTEMXA-TC2 - AT&T LTE Cat-M1 Communicator for VISTA Panels. Includes upgrade chips for VISTA-15P and VISTA-20P panels, allowing them to support Total Connect 2.0.
• LTEM-XV - Verizon LTE Cat-M1 Communicator for VISTA Panels.
LTEMXV-TC2 - Verizon LTE Cat-M1 Communicator for VISTA Panels. Includes upgrade chips for VISTA-15P and VISTA-20P panels, allowing them to support Total Connect 2.0.
• LTEM-IA -COMING SOON - AT&T LTE Cat-M1 Communicator with RJ45 Port for Ethernet. Currently in Beta.
• LTEM-PIA - AT&T LTE Cat-M1 Communicator with RJ45 Ethernet port. Listed for UL-985 Household Fire.
• LTEM-PIV - Verizon LTE Cat-M1 Communicator with RJ45 Ethernet port. Listed for UL-985 Household Fire.

Some of the available Alarm.com LTE Cat-M1 communicators are listed below. Compatibility is listed with each communicator:

• Alarm.com ADC-SEM210-PS-AT-M - COMING SOON - Dual-path AT&T LTE Cat-M1 and ethernet capable communicator for use with legacy DSC Power Series panels (PC1616, PC1832, PC1864).
• Alarm.com ADC-SEM210-PS-VZ-M - COMING SOON. - Dual-path Verizon LTE Cat-M1 and ethernet capable communicator for use with legacy DSC Power Series panels (PC1616, PC1832, PC1864).
• Alarm.com ADC-SEM300-VT-AT-M - COMING SOON. - Dual-path AT&T LTE Cat-M1 and ethernet capable communicator for use with Honeywell VISTA (non-polling loop) panels (VISTA-10P, VISTA-15P, VISTA-20P, VISTA-21iP manufactured in 2005 or later).
• Alarm.com ADC-SEM300-VT-VZ-M - Dual-path Verizon LTE Cat-M1 and ethernet capable communicator for use with Honeywell VISTA (non-polling loop) panels (VISTA-10P, VISTA-15P, VISTA-20P, VISTA-21iP manufactured in 2005 or later).

Panel Cellular Communicator Trouble Condition Messages

If you are affected immediately by the AT&T 3G shutdown, you may see one of these error messages on your system:

• Check 103 ####: - You may see this on a non-polling VISTA panel, such as the VISTA-20P, but only if you have an Alpha Keypad like a 6160. The #### will be a 4-digit number. It may be 4005, which indicates that the communicator has lost connection with AlarmNet. The exact 4-digit code will depend on whether there are any other trouble conditions existing on the communicator at the time the message is displayed.
  *If you have a VISTA panel, choose from any of the communicators listed above for VISTA panels. The VISTA-21IPLTE can use the LTE-21V. The only way to update an original VISTA-21iP is to add an external communicator and disable the internal one. The prior link is an FAQ on how to do just that. The same rule about possibly downgrading to an IP only plan mentioned under the bF message applies here too.
• bF, or it may look like 6F: - This is supposed to be a bF, which stands for Backup Failure, as in backup communicator. This message means the same thing as Check 103, but will be displayed on a non-alpha keypad like a 6150. If this is the only type of keypad you have, then this is all the information the panel and the communicator can give you. If you get this message after 02/22/22 and your AT&T 3G Communicator has been fine until then, you're not one of the lucky ones. You should look to upgrade your communicator ASAP. *Or, if you have a dual-path communicator and an IP connection is available near it, you could downgrade to an IP only plan for now, and upgrade to LTE at a later time. Just bear in mind, if you go IP only, when the internet is out, your panel's ability to communicate is out. This is usually the case during power outages. The above rule about upgrading the communicator under the Check 103 message also applies here.
• Fault 103: - This may also show as a Check 103, then display as a Fault 103 after you silence the panel. This is what you see on the Honeywell L3000 panels when there is a problem with the communicator. Losing connection due to the 3G Sunset would cause this error code. There is not a good IP only option for the L3000 currently available. You can use a 7847-I, but it is a messy installation. You can also use the 7847I-L, if you can find one, they are discontinued.
  • Honeywell LTE-L3V - Verizon LTE Communicator for the Honeywell L3000 panel.
  • Honeywell LTE-L3A - AT&T LTE Communicator for the Honeywell L3000 panel.
• 103 Comm. Trouble: - The Lynx Touch Panels will display something along these lines. The icon and message may differ slightly, but the gist is the same. This is what you'll see on these panels if you're affected by the AT&T 3G shut down.
  • Honeywell LTE-L57A: - AT&T LTE Communicator for Lynx Touch panels. Important! There may be panel firmware revision restrictions with your panel and either of these communicators. Read the product description very carefully to be sure your panel is on the correct version for the communicator you choose. If you need to update the panel, you can do so with the Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Update Tool. It is compatible with the L5200, L5210, and L7000.
  • Honeywell LTE-L57V: - Verizon LTE communicator for the Lynx Touch panels. See the Important note above about panel firmware version limitations.
• ⚠ 950 Comm. Trouble: This is the message displayed on a Lyric Controller if it has a cellular communication path, and it loses contact with AlarmNet on that path. This is what you will see if the AT&T 3G shutdown has caused your communicator to go down. There may be other messages in the status bar at the top of the screen as well, having to do with Comm Failure and potentially other conditions, depending on what's happening with your panel at the time.
  • Honeywell LYRICLTE-A - AT&T LTE Communicator for Lyric. Firmware Revision v01.03.06548.482 or higher required!
  • Honeywell LYRICLTE-V - Verizon LTE Communicator for Lyric. Firmware Revision 1.09 (aka MR9) or higher required!
    
    
• Check 8##, ####: - You may see this message on a VISTA-128 or VISTA-250 panel. Devices connected to the keypad bus can be supervised for a connection to the panel, and for a tamper condition where applicable. The AT&T 3G Communicator can also be supervised for communicator troubles, such as a loss of connection to AlarmNet. If supervision is enabled (and it is not enabled by default) then when the 3G Sunset affects the communicator, the panel will display a Check or Trouble (based on programming) 8 + the 2-digit number of the address. So, if the communicator is assigned to address 03, and supervision is enabled, it will display as a Check or Trouble on Zone 803 plus the 4-digit communicator status code associated with the condition when you have the proper keypad to display it. If the only problem is a loss of network connection, then the 4-digit code should be 4005. Supervision is enabled by enabling the associated 800-zone with a trouble zone type, such as 05, Trouble by Day/Alarm by Night.
• 2GIG GC2 and GC2e Displays Trouble Icon and beeps 6 Times per minute until the trouble condition is acknowledged: This is the behavior of the 2GIG GC2e and presumable the 2GIG GC2 as well. The Security Screen will show a Yellow button with an exclamation mark and a number. When you press the button, it will take you to the Trouble Display screen where you can scroll through the trouble conditions, and you may click on the communicator trouble then press OK. This will stop any beeping, but the display will continue to show trouble until the condition is cleared. In the case of the AT&T 3G Sunset, this means upgrading the communicator.
  
  
  
  • 2GIG LTEA-A-GC2: - Alarm.com compatible AT&T LTE Communicator for 2GIG GC2 and 2GIG GC2e. Important! Be sure to check for any panel firmware version requirements associated with either of these LTE communicators for the 2GIG GC2 and GC2e panels.
  • 2GIG LTEV1-A-GC2: - Alarm.com compatible Verizon LTE Communicator for 2GIG GC2 and 2GIG GC2e.
2GIG GC3 and GC3e Message LED is lit and the panel chimes at ten-second intervals until the condition is acknowledged: The behavior for the cellular communicator losing connection to the AT&T 3G network on a 2GIG GC3 or GC3e depends somewhat on panel programming. In Q30, you set the amount of time that is allowed to elapse with no communication to the server before a trouble condition is indicated. The default is 30 minutes. A 0 in this field disables the supervision feature. The maximum entry is 255 minutes. Q31 also determines whether the radio network failure causes a trouble condition on the panel. This is enabled by default, but if disabled, you will have no visible indication if you are affected by the AT&T 3G sunset. Q32 is radio network failure reports. This is enabled by default and determines whether the panel reports the radio failure to the monitoring station (assuming it is able to do so with the radio down, the panel would need to be utilizing the WIFI communication path for this to be possible.)
• 2GIG LTEA-A-GC3: AT&T LTE Communicator for the 2GIG GC3 and GC3e panels. The panel must have Firmware Version 3.2.3 or higher to support this communicator.
• 2GIG LTEV1-A-GC3: Verizon LTE Communicator for the 2GIG GC3 and GC3e panels. The GC3 or GC3e must have Firmware Version 3.1.3 or higher to support this communicator.

Alarm Grid Is Here To Help!

If you're a current Alarm Grid customer and you have purchased an LTE communicator, but haven't switched over to it yet, please send an email to support@alarmgrid.com. In the subject line, be sure to put "I Need an LTE Upgrade". We'll reach out with further instructions and either a link to schedule your upgrade, or information as to what we need to begin your upgrade. Lyric and Lynx Touch users may be able to get upgraded with no appointment, where a VISTA user may require an appointment as those communicator swaps are a little more intricate.

If you purchase an LTE communicator or an upgrade kit from Alarm Grid, we will credit your monitoring account in the amount of the communicator or upgrade kit. If you purchase more than $150 in product, we'll also offer you free ground shipping, so if you've been thinking of adding a doorbell camera, or other products to your system, now may be a good time. The cost of products not associated with the communicator or system and communicator upgrade will not count toward free monitoring though.

If you have the ability to switch to an ethernet or WIFI connection only, you can choose to do that and your monthly monitoring fee will go down. You can purchase an IP or WIFI communicator strictly for that purpose. You may have that option with your existing panel and you just aren't using it, or maybe you were using dual-path monitoring, but now the cellular portion of your 3G communicator has stopped working. Whatever the case, if your communicator or panel supports the option for an IP-only connection, we will be glad to downgrade your service plan permanently, or until you can get the LTE upgrade. But be aware, Alarm.com customers do not have an option for IP-only monitoring.

If you're not a current Alarm Grid customer, never fear, you can get exactly the same deal as existing customers. If you purchase an LTE communicator from us or a kit with a panel and LTE communicator and you then sign up for monitoring with us, we'll give you credit toward free monitoring in the amount of the purchase for the communicator or communicator and panel. Once again, purchases over $150 will have free ground shipping, but any sensors or other devices that you purchase will not count toward free monitoring.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at support@alarmgrid.com. Our support hours are Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern. We will help in any way that we can to get you through this transition. Your safety and peace of mind is our top priority.

A convenient option when using a 3G or CDMA radio on a VISTA panel was the ability to share a single transformer for both devices. This was possible because both units used AC power. The new LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV communicators use a DC transformer, so attempting to share will cause issues.

The Resideo LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV dual-path communicators are a part of the new ProSeries lineup. In addition to these communicators, the Honeywell Home PROA7 and Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS and the Resideo PROA7C and Resideo PROA7PLUSC help to make up the ProSeries. These products may seem to make strange bedfellows, but the modular design shared by the All-in-One (AiO) panels and the stand-alone communicators is no accident. With some modules, such as the LTE communicators being shared between the two product lines. This is one reason why the LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV use DC power, rather than AC.

It's a natural assumption to make, thinking that since the older communicator from a particular manufacturer was an AC step-down transformer, the new communicator would employ a similar design. But in this case, that assumption can get you into a lot of trouble. Attempting to keep the original transformer from the 3G or CDMA communicator in place, and just connecting the LTEM-PA or LTEM-PV in place of the older one, can damage the VISTA panel, the transformer, or both.

The symptoms seen by Resideo Tech Support, when this mistake has been made are as follows:

• The transformer is damaged. Once this occurs, the VISTA panel will show an AC loss condition. Naturally, the next step is to replace the bad transformer with a good one. This can lead to the second symptom that has been seen.
• The VISTA board is damaged. Once the damaged transformer is replaced with a new one, feedback on the panel's power circuit causes one or more of the diodes on the VISTA board (above terminals 1 and 2) to become damaged. This can cause a burning smell and may even cause the panel to catch fire in a worst-case scenario.

In the image below, you can see a damaged diode. This area of the printed circuit board is just above Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 on a VISTA panel.

It is possible for the LTEM-PA or LTEM-PV to receive power from the panel so that only one transformer is required in the setup. However, the power comes from the 12 Volt DC auxiliary power output, not the transformer. You can see how to properly configure that setup in this helpful FAQ.

Alarm Grid announced in December that some Qolsys Panels, namely older IQ 2 and 2 Plus panels with AT&T LTE communicators, require a firmware update before the AT&T 3G Sunset this month. Alarm.com has been pushing those updates, but some panels still need the update, and time is running out.

As noted in December, Alarm.com has been automatically pushing the firmware update to those panels that need it. However, in order to get an update Over-the-Air (OTA) a Qolsys panel MUST have a connection to WIFI. That means if you have an older Qolsys IQ Panel 2 or IQ Panel 2 Plus with an AT&T LTE communicator built in, and your panel doesn't have a connection to WIFI, you may need to get a WIFI connection. At least long enough for the firmware update to come through. If you don't, and if your panel is one of the ones that requires this update, it will stop communicating via AT&T LTE Cellular soon after February 22, 2022.

AT&T doesn't have one big switch that they can turn off and then, "Voila, 3G is no more!" So, just because your system is still able to communicate on February 23, that doesn't necessarily mean that your panel doesn't require the firmware update. In addition, some panels will only need an update to the cellular firmware while other panels will need a panel firmware update first, followed by the cellular update. For this reason, it is best to connect your panel to WIFI and allow the Alarm.com server to connect and determine which updates, if any, need to be applied.

In order to make it as easy as possible to get a panel connected to WIFI, Alarm.com has made it possible to connect the panel to WIFI remotely using the Alarm.com customer app. To use the app to connect the panel to WIFI, follow these steps:

1. Log into the app, completing any 2-factor authentication that may be necessary.
2. Go to the 'Security System' card.
   
   
   
3. Tap the Gear icon in the upper right.
   
   
   
4. Select 'Panel WIFI'.
   
   
5. From this point, there are two options:
   • If the network to be used is already connected to another device on the account, such as a video camera, it will display under a prompt for 'Access Ready Networks'. Since that device already has the network credentials, the panel can use those same credentials to connect to the same network.
   • If the WIFI network is not already connected to another device, then you should see a prompt that says 'Additional networks available to your panel'. Select the network, and then enter the proper password where indicated.
     
     
     
     
6. Once the WIFI network is selected, and the password has been entered, if applicable, press 'Connect'.
   
   
7. If you don't see your network, press 'Rescan' or tap, 'Don't see your network?', then follow the provided steps to add the device to the network manually.

If your panel simply doesn't have an option to connect to traditional WIFI, then you may need to briefly use your cell phone as a wireless hotspot, and contact your alarm dealer to ask them to manually push the update to your panel while you're onsite. Alternatively, you can visit our Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus Firmware Update Page and download the update files to an SD Card, then follow the instructions listed on the page for updating via SD Card.

A recent blog post about the looming AT&T 3G Sunset contained an error. We mentioned in that blog that the ingenious Resideo Cellbounce, a 3G to LTE converter, does not support Total Connect 2.0. That is incorrect. As long as the original 3G device supports TC2, the Cellbounce also supports it.

This misinformation has been updated in the original post, but for those who may have already read it, we wanted to also briefly touch on it here. In brief, the Resideo Cellbounce is a plug-and-play device. It plugs into a standard 110 Volt AC outlet and should be mounted within 25' (7.6m) of the working AT&T 3G Communicator. The Cellbounce connects to the 3G communicator, and to an AT&T LTE network. Once those connections have been made, it acts as a bridge, receiving the 3G information and transmitting it through the LTE network.

AT&T has committed to supporting the Resideo Cellbounce unit until at least the end of April, 2025. It is possible that support may go beyond that date, but the contractual obligation ends on May 1. Since the Cellbounce is plug-and-play, anyone can install it. An Installation Professional is not required. Though, it is important to note that the Cellbounce should not be powered on until after the information has been added to the customer account by the alarm dealer.

The Cellbounce will arrive in a box with a Serial Number and an IMEI number printed on it. This information must be provided to the alarm dealer so that they can attach the unit to the proper customer account. This step must be performed BEFORE the Cellbounce is powered on. Once power is applied, within a few minutes the Cellbounce will connect to the existing communicator and to the LTE network. LEDs on the unit will signal when these connections take place. From there it's just a matter of testing to be sure signals are going through successfully. Just be sure to put your system on test with the monitoring station prior to beginning this process.

The Resideo Cellbounce is only compatible with AlarmNet AT&T 3G communicators. The existing communicator must be registered and working. This means it can't be in a comm failure condition. Adding a Cellbounce to a communicator that is in comm failure will not correct that issue.

We are in the midst of a strange confluence of events. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on both manufacturing and supply chains, with both sub-assembly parts and product delivery being affected. Add to that the AT&T 3G/4G GSM sunset and you'll have a good picture of where we are today.

We've known about the AT&T sunset for some time. We've written about it in this blog on numerous occasions. Alarm Grid implemented an email campaign to proactively remind our customers who needed an upgrade not to wait until the last minute. But there will always be people who want to wring every last bit of usefulness out of their current product, before upgrading to a new one. I don't blame them, really. But the strange confluence of events I mentioned earlier may find those folks scrambling to upgrade at the last minute.

Security communicator manufacturers, including Resideo, and Alarm.com are doing everything they can to bridge the gap between supply and demand. They are introducing new product lines, with alternatives to standard LTE such as those that use the LTE Cat-M1 network. Resideo has introduced the LTEM-PA and LTEM-PV and they are beta testing the LTEM-IA for future release. The benefit of these products is that they provide nearly the same experience as the previously released LTE products, but either due to happenstance or good planning, components for these products are readily available, so while other LTE products are on backorder, these units are plentiful.

Alarm.com also has a series of LTE Cat-M1 System Enhancement Modules (SEM), including the Alarm.com ADC-SEM300-VT-AT-M (coming soon) and the ADC-SEM300-VT-VZ-M which is available for purchase now. Both of these SEMs are compatible with the Honeywell VISTA product line (with the exception of the VISTA-128 and VISTA-250 panels). They allow compatible VISTA panels to communicate using Alarm.com, and to work with the Alarm.com remote control features. These are dual-path communicators that also have a Z-Wave plus controller built in. Alarm.com will soon have the ADC-SEM210-PS-AT-M and the ADC-SEM210-PS-VZ-M. These dual-path communicators with Z-Wave Plus controllers will support the older DSC Power Series panels (PC1616, PC1832, PC1864 all version 4.20+).

Perhaps the most intriguing "Bridge the Gap" product available currently is the Resideo Cellbounce. This product has some limitations, it only works with AT&T 3G communicators, it only works in states within the contiguous US (sorry Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico), and it can only be installed with a communicator that is currently still registered and active on the AT&T 3G network. If the communicator is in comm failure, this condition has to be resolved before a Cellbounce can be added. There are some other limitations too, such as it can't support Total Connect 2.0, (CORRECTION: It CAN support TC2 as long as the original AT&T 3G communicator supports it.) But be sure to read the full product description linked above before deciding to purchase.

The Cellbounce is a plug-and-play device. Anyone can install it, so no installer visit is required. It can work with any Honeywell or Resideo AT&T 3G communicator. The Cellbounce is installed within range, which is 25' (7.6m), of an existing, registered AT&T 3G communicator. The Alarm Dealer will need the Serial Number and IMEI Number from the Callbounce unit. These can be found on the box the device comes in.

Important Note: Provisioning must take place on the AlarmNet360 server BEFORE the Cellbounce unit is powered on.

Once the Cellbounce has been provisioned, it should be powered up using an unswitched outlet, not a power strip. From there, the Cellbounce does all the heavy lifting. On one hand, it reaches out and finds an LTE signal, on the other, it reaches out to the existing 3G communicator and locks on to it. Once both of these connections have been made, any time the 3G communicator sends a signal, the Cellbounce captures it and transfers it to the LTE network. AT&T has promised that the Cellbounce units will continue to function until at least Q1 2025. This should give any Cellbounce users plenty of additional time to upgrade. There are a limited number of Cellbounce units available, so if this sounds like an attractive option for you, order yours today. Don't get left behind!

Sunset Graphic courtesy of AlarmNet360:

If you read our blog regularly, you know that certain Qolsys IQ Panel 2 systems that use the AT&T LTE 4G network require an update to the communicator. Without this update, these cellular units will stop communicating after the 3G Sunset. On January 10, these updates will begin automatically.

Qolsys IQ Panel 2 panels that use an AT&T LTE Cellular Communicator will need a firmware update prior to the AT&T 3G sunset, which is scheduled to occur on 02/22/22. Without this update, these panels will lose their connection to the cellular network and could leave the alarm system with no communication path. The update can be performed over WIFI, or by using an SD Card.

For those panels that have a WIFI connection, Alarm.com will begin to automatically push the update on Monday, January 10, 2022. Once these updates begin, they will continue from 8 am - 8 pm seven (7) days per week until all are completed. Some panels will require both a panel firmware update and the cellular communicator update. The Alarm.com server will determine the panels that fall into this category and will perform the updates in the correct order automatically. Once the update has been applied, the panel will reboot as part of the update process. This is normal.

If a WIFI signal is available in the location where the panel is installed, but the panel is not currently connected to it, there are a few different ways to get the panel connected:

1. Locally: The connection can be made at the panel using the touchscreen. Instructions for connecting to WIFI locally can be found here.
2. By the dealer, remotely: Alarm.com dealers, like Alarm Grid, can use the Partner Portal to connect the panel to WIFI. This is found on the Partner Portal website under the Signaling/Broadband Settings.
3. By the end-user, remotely: Starting on 12/13/21, Alarm.com has enabled a tool that allows an end-user to connect the panel to WIFI through the Customer Alarm.com App or Alarm.com Website.

If you would like to go ahead and perform the update on your own, and you need to connect the system to WIFI first, from the customer's Alarm.com app click on Menu > Manage Devices > Select the 3-dots icon next to the panel's name > Select Device Settings > Select Panel WIFI. From there you can either choose an existing camera to copy that device's WIFI settings or select the SSID and complete the authentication process by entering the proper password. Once the connection to WIFI is made, the communication path will be changed from Cell-only to Dual-Path.

Panels that are on version 2.3.0 or lower must be updated to a minimum of 2.3.1 or higher before applying the communicator firmware patch. Panel firmware updates on panels that have a WIFI connection can be performed locally from the panel with a Patch Tag or can be completed remotely by the alarm dealer via Alarm.com's Partner Portal. Once the panel's firmware is on a compatible version (see the link in the paragraph below) the cellular firmware can be installed using the patch tag: ATT3GSunset

For panels that have no WIFI connection available, the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 can be updated locally using a MicroSD Card. The upgrade files, as well as instructions on how to perform the local upgrade, are available on Alarm Grid's Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus Firmware Update page. Both the panel firmware files and the ATT3GSunset patch can be downloaded from there.

This issue only affects AT&T LTE Cellular units. Verizon cellular units are in no way affected. This update is required because early Qolsys AT&T units used a provisional VoLTE Firmware Version. This later changed when VoLTE was fully released and because the difference between the two firmware versions didn't affect a panel's ability to send signals via cellular, no action was required at that time. AT&T realized that the upcoming sunset would have a detrimental affect on these early communicators and alerted Qolsys and Alarm.com of the required update.

If you are unsure whether your panel requires the update or not, contact your alarm dealer. They can verify whether or not your panel requires the panel update as well as the cellular update. This version information is only available when checked through the Partner Portal Website, and is not available from the Alarm.com Customer App or Website. You can read the full Qolsys Technical Service Bulletin regarding this upgrade here.

Qolsys IQ Panel 2 equipment that uses an AT&T LTE Cellular Communicator requires a firmware update prior to the AT&T 3G sunset date of 02/22/22. Without this update, these devices will lose their connection to the cellular network. The update can be performed over WIFI, or by using an SD Card

If a WIFI signal is available in the location where the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 is installed, but the panel is not currently connected to it, there are a few different ways to connect:

1. Locally: The connection can be made at the panel using the touchscreen. Instructions for connecting to WIFI locally can be found here.
2. By dealer remotely: Alarm.com dealers, like Alarm Grid, can use the Partner Portal to connect the panel to WIFI. This is found on the Partner Portal website under the Signaling/Broadband Settings.
3. By user remotely: Starting on 12/13/21, Alarm.com is enabling a tool that allows an end-user to connect the panel to WIFI through the Customer Alarm.com App or Alarm.com Website.

In order for the customer to connect their panel to WIFI using the customer app they will click on: Menu > Manage Devices > Select the 3-dots icon next to the panel's name > Select Device Settings > Select Panel WIFI. From there the user can either choose an existing camera to copy that device's WIFI settings, or select the SSID and complete the authentication process. Once the connection to WIFI is made, the communication path will be changed from Cell-only to Dual-Path. This may be useful for panels installed in locations where the building is not always occupied.

Starting on Monday, January 10, 2022 Alarm.com will begin to automatically deploy the firmware update to any WIFI connected panel that has not already received it. The automatic update process will proceed through the queue of needy panels 7 days per week during daytime hours (8am - 8pm panel time). As part of the update, a system reboot will occur.

In some cases, the panel's firmware may require an update before the cellular firmware update can be implemented. Panels that are on version 2.3.0 or lower must update to a minimum of 2.3.1 or higher. Panel firmware updates on panels that have a WIFI connection can also be performed locally from the panel with a Patch Tag, or can be done remotely via Alarm.com's Partner Portal. Once the panel's firmware is on a compatible version (see the link in the paragraph below) the cellular firmware can be installed using the patch tag: ATT3GSunset

For panels that have no WIFI connection available, the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 can be updated locally using a Micro SD Card. The upgrade files, as well as instructions on how to perform the local upgrade are available on Alarm Grid's Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus Firmware Update page. Eventually, Qolsys will also make the cellular firmware update patch available for download and install via Micro SD. Once they do, we will also host it on our site. As of 12/10/21, it is not yet available.

This issue only affects AT&T LTE Cellular units. Verizon units are not affected. This issue is occurring because early Qolsys AT&T units used a provisional VoLTE Firmware Version. This later changed when VoLTE was fully released. Since the difference between the provisional firmware and the released version didn't affect a panel's ability to communicate via cellular, no action was required before. If you are unsure whether your panel requires the update or not, contact your alarm dealer. They will be able to verify this information for you, as this information is only available when checked through the Partner Portal Website, and is not available from the Alarm.com Customer App or Website. Read the full Qolsys Technical Service Bulletin here.