News Posts

Alarm Grid has been hearing reports from 2GIG GC3 and 2GIG GC3e users with trouble conditions that they cannot clear. According to reports, these unclearable errors only occur on these systems when Smart Area Partitioning is enabled. While inconvenient, they shouldn't cause much issue.

When a "trouble" condition appears on a 2GIG GC3 or 2GIG GC3e with partitions enabled, the "Smart Areas" menu button on the panel will appear yellow. Normally, you fix the trouble condition itself first. Then, you acknowledge the trouble by clicking on Smart Areas, entering your Master Code, and clicking the "speech bubble" next to the partition associated with the trouble. Then the trouble should clear, and the Smart Areas button should return to its usual blue state, indicating that everything is normal. More information on the trouble-clearing process can be found in this FAQ.

In the case of our customers who have reported this issue, they received a valid trouble condition of "Console Broadband Network Failure" or "Cellphone Communication Failure" appearing on various Smart Areas of their GC3 and GC3e systems. Because this was a system trouble, it showed up on multiple partitions. The trouble condition was then resolved successfully, as evidenced by the ability to send successful test signals via all communication paths to Alarm.com. However, the trouble message became stuck in multiple partitions and could not be cleared by any means.

Alarm Grid was able to replicate a similar issue through a relatively unique method. We found that if you enrolled a sensor with a GC3 or GC3e, put the sensor into a trouble condition (e.g. loss of RF supervision, cover tamper, etc.), and then deleted that sensor from the system without ever correcting and clearing the trouble condition, then the same situation would occur. Whichever partition the sensor was assigned to would be stuck with a permanent trouble condition that could never be cleared, regardless of which troubleshooting method was attempted. Of course, this would rarely happen in practice, as a responsible user would fix a trouble condition before intentionally deleting a sensor. But nevertheless, we were able to replicate a similar problem in practice.

Various methods have been attempted to fix this issue, but nothing has worked at removing these seemingly unclearable troubles. Some of the methods attempted have included disabling and then reenabling partitions, powering down the panel for a hard reboot, performing a reboot through System Manager, upgrading the firmware version, and factory defaulting the system. Users have reported that once they acknowledge the error that the panel stops making any audible sounds associated with the trouble condition, but still, the Smart Areas button remains a disturbing yellow color.

Not every GC3 and GC3e with partitions enabled appears to be affected. From what we can tell, only a small number of these systems are displaying such an error. Either that, or most users have chosen simply to ignore the issue, and not report it to us. Most of our monitored customers with a GC3 or GC3e have not reported this issue. But the ones who have reported the issue have left us at a loss for a solution. We apologize to these users, as we know how frustrating this can be. We don't often encounter issues we can't solve with a little bit of thinking, but this is one of those rare cases where we are just as confused as you are.

While this issue is annoying and bothersome, it doesn't appear to have any major impact on the performance of the system. The GC3 or GC3e System will still report to Alarm.com as intended, and it can still be relied upon for security and life-safety purposes. The one pressing factor though is that this issue can make it difficult for a user to determine when in fact there is a legitimate trouble condition on their system. Most GC3 and GC3e users who use partitions rely on the Smart Areas button to tell them if something is wrong. If it's blue, then everything is okay. But if it's yellow, then something needs their attention. This is a pretty simple check, and when it's not functioning properly, it's understandably frustrating.

Unfortunately, we do not have a solid fix for this problem at the current time. But luckily, if a new trouble condition occurs, the system will provide a trouble beep locally. It will continue to beep until a user acknowledges the new trouble condition. In addition, if you have trouble notifications enabled through Alarm.com, then you will also receive a new trouble notification via text, email, and/or push notification should any new issues arise. Nortek and 2GIG have been apprised of this error, and advise they are working on a fix.

Our reports indicate that this issue is still present in both the latest GC3 Firmware and the latest GC3e Firmware. The highest firmware currently available for these panels is Version 3.2.5, and even systems on this latest firmware have been shown to be affected. We are hopeful that 2GIG and Nortek will release a fix for these unclearable trouble conditions in Firmware Version 3.2.6. But unfortunately, we have not yet received any indication that such a fix will be implemented. We also have no release date for Version 3.2.6 at this time. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience.

If you are affected by a trouble condition that you cannot clear, make sure to try the conventional methods of clearing it first. Correct the cause of the trouble, and then acknowledge the trouble by following the the steps in the FAQ linked earlier in this post. If you still can't clear the trouble, then please, report it to our support team by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. Your data is valuable to us in reporting the problem to 2GIG and Nortek so that a fix can be implemented. Our support team is available to check and respond to emails from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. As always we look forward to hearing from you!

Alarm Grid will be closed Thursday, November 26, 2020, for the Thanksgiving holiday. During this time, we will not be answering phones, responding to emails, or shipping orders. We will reopen for business as usual tomorrow, Friday, November 27, 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Additionally, we are also sad to announce our Florida headquarters will be resuming quarantine due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. Starting on Friday, our Florida employees will begin working from home as we did earlier this year. This should not affect your experience as an Alarm Grid customer, but please keep this in mind if you contact us for support or other inquiries. Our Florida headquarters is expected to remain in quarantine until at least the end of the 2020 year.

We understand that this has been a challenging year for many people out there. The ongoing pandemic may put a damper on many holiday gatherings, get-togethers, and annual traditions. But there is still plenty to be thankful for, and we should use this holiday to remember that. Our team will be enjoying a much-needed day of rest today, and we will be ready for business tomorrow.

Remember that you can still reach our central station partner Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) while we are closed if you need to put your system on test mode. You can do so by calling our phone number, (888)-818-7728, and choosing option number [9]. Alarm Grid customers in Canada who receive central station service through Rapid Response can contact them at (800)-932-3822 to put their systems on test mode.

If you need to reach us while our offices are closed, please email support@alarmgrid.com, and we will do our best to reply as quickly as possible when we reopen on Friday. Keep in mind that our usual business hours are from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Alarm Grid is thrilled to announce that the brand-new Alarm.com ADC-VDB770 Doorbell Camera is now available! This is a state-of-the-art video doorbell camera that provides all the tools you need to monitor the front of your home and quickly and conveniently respond to anyone at your door.

There's so much to discuss when it comes to the Alarm.com ADC-VDB770. But a great place to start is with its recording capabilities. This fully functional doorbell camera has the type of specifications that you would expect out of a high-end security camera. It offers Full HD recording capabilities, with max resolution topping out at 1440 x 1920 pixels. Its High Dynamic Range (HDR) helps recordings appear deeper, while also allowing for superior color detail. And with an astounding Field of View (FoV) of 150° Vertical and 115° Horizontal, the doorbell camera will capture more activity in the front of your home so that you stay informed. It even has IR night vision of up to 15 feet for capturing high-quality and detailed footage in the dark.

What makes the Alarm.com ADC-VDB770 even better is that it supports the use of Alarm.com Video Analytics. If you haven't heard about Video Analytics for Alarm.com, then you really are missing out. You can use Video Analytics to set up special recording rules and alerts based upon the type of activity that is detected. For example, you can easily set up a customizable detection zone that will trigger a video recording when a vehicle pulls into your driveway, but not when a person is walking by on the sidewalk. You can even set up multiple detection zones for added customization. For the ADC-VDB770, the video analytics feature will have the following limitations: One (1) Video Analytics recording rule can be set up per VDB-770, only Ground Zone rules can be created, and only people can be detected. You will most likely want to set up the Ground Zone rule directly in front of your door to detect a person as they approach. This is the ideal resource you need for producing video evidence of a package thief right in the act. Please note that the ADC-VDB770 does not have a conventional motion sensor, and it relies upon Alarm.com Video Analytics for all motion-based triggers and detection.

Of course, you will also receive alerts from the Alarm.com Mobile App on your phone whenever someone rings the ADC-VDB770 Doorbell. You can then connect to a live full portrait video of the person at the door and communicate with them in real-time using two-way audio. This is perfect whether you are away at the office or downstairs in your basement and don't feel like walking all the way upstairs to answer the door. If it's your friend, then you will know to let them in. But if it's just a pesky solicitor, then you can tell them you're not interested without having to go all the way to the door. This is super convenient, and it can really make your day-to-day life easier. You can even use this feature to prevent a possible burglary by answering the doorbell and appearing to be home if a potential intruder tries to ring the doorbell while you are away. Many intruders will first ring the doorbell to see if anyone is home, so this can really come in handy!

The Alarm.com ADC-VDB770 connects with your local WIFI network for pairing with the Alarm.com servers. WPS pairing is supported to make the process easy. One important thing to note is that if you do not have full video monitoring service for your Alarm.com account (e.g. if you are signed up with one of Alarm Grid's Gold Plans), then you will be restricted to using only one (1) ADC-VDB770 device with 1,200 monthly clips and 1,200 total clips. These limits cannot be increased unless you upgrade to full video service (e.g. an Alarm Grid Platinum Plan). If you have full video service with an Alarm Grid Platinum Plan, then the ADC-VDB770 will simply count towards you camera limit and your regular clip limits. More information about all our monitoring plans can be found here. The doorbell camera is eligible for Alarm.com Video Analytics, regardless of whether it is used with a non-video plan or a full video surveillance plan.

The Alarm.com ADC-VDB770 is available for purchase on our site now! If you have any questions about this new doorbell camera, including compatibility requirements, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. This is also a good email to contact us at if you are interested in signing up for new monitoring service or upgrading your existing plan. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Resideo has announced that 17 million shares of common stock will soon be available in a public offering. According to Resideo, the proceeds will be used to repay borrowings and to help fund growth and acquisitions. The news comes after Resideo posted abetter-than-expected Q3 for 2020.

Resideo trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker REZI. The security, automation and comfort company had its initial public offering (IPO) in late 2018 after being spun-off from Honeywell. The news of the 17 million shares being available in a public offering resulted in a 14% decline in the company's stock price during Monday trading.

For the transaction of 17 million shares, Morgan Stanley and Evercore ISI will act as lead joint book-running managers. Additional bookrunners on the transaction include Bank of Ameria Securities and JPMorgan. Underwriters are being given the options to purchase an aggregate of up to 2.55 million additional Resideo common stock shares.

In the company's most recent earnings report, $1.36 billion in revenue was said to have been achieved in Q3 of this year. This greatly exceeded the consensus expert estimate of $1.15 billion. Year over year revenue for Resideo has increased by 10%. Resideo President and CEO Jay Geldmacher has recently expressed great optimism in demand trends for the security industry as the market enters into the final stretch of 2020.

Resideo is arguably best known for its state-of-the art Honeywell Lyric Alarm System, which boasts 128 wireless zones, encrypted sensor options, backwards compatibility with legacy Honeywell 5800 Sensors, integrated WIFI, built-in Z-Wave home automation, Apple HomeKit compatibility, a 7-inch touchscreen display, and local end user programming. The company also offers the new Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS Alarm Panel, the Honeywell LYNX Touch Panels, and the Honeywell VISTA Alarm Systems.

If you are interested in setting up a Resideo Security System in your home or business, then please feel free to email us at support@alarmgrid.com with any questions you might have. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. Also remember to check out our monitoring page to learn more about the services we offer. We look forward to hearing from you!

In an act of deja vu, next year's ISC West is being pushed back from its scheduled dates in March to new dates in July. The group in charge of organizing ISC West, Reed Exhibitions, says that the decision was made based on the current state of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.

ISC West 2021 was originally scheduled for March 23 - 26. With this postponement, it will now occur July 19 - 21. The event will still be held at the Venetian Resort and Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. A unique aspect of the 2021 edition of the event is that it will occur in a hybrid format, with both in-person and virtual conference passes being available. Extra measures are being taken to ensure the health and safety of those involved.

Reed Exhibitions and the Security Industry Association (SIA) released a statement that reads, "We’re pleased to have a plan in place to produce ISC West in 2021, and after a long respite, the ISC and SIA teams look forward to welcoming our customers back to Las Vegas for strong education, demos, product announcements, awards ceremonies, networking opportunities, special events, and more."

This isn't the first time the tradeshow was postponed from March to July. The event for last year, ISC 2020, was originally set for March 18 - 20, before being rescheduled to July 20 - 22. It was later postponed a second time to October, before finally being cancelled entirely. There was an entirely virtual event held in its place. Unfortunately, we found the virtual event to be pretty lackluster, and we didn't obtain any useful announcements to post on our blog.

We really hope that the in-person ISC West conference happens this year. It is always a nice event for meeting key industry insiders and checking out some of the latest technology and upcoming products. It just doesn't transition easily to a virtual event, especially as security equipment manufacturers aren't likely to save their big surprises and unveilings for an event where people can't actually see the fruits of their labor in person. Although Las Vegas is hot in the summer, we'll take a summertime ISC West in the desert over no ISC West at all!

If you have any questions about ISC West, or if you are interested in learning more about monitoring service from Alarm Grid, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We're here to check email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Security system users in Panama City, FL may soon have to think about alarm registration and newly enforced fines for false alarms. Reports indicate that city council members approved the first reading of a new ordinance, with a second ordinance reading set to follow sometime soon.

Concerned citizens and officials in Panama City, FL are considering a new city ordinance that would allow the city to fine businesses and residents who intentionally or unintentionally cause false burglary/intrusion alarms and/or false fire alarms. The purpose of such a new ordinance would be to make first responders more readily available and to cut down on a high rate of false alarms.

Vice Mayor of Panama City, FL Geoff McConnell said of false alarms, "This is a huge drain on resources that could be better spent responding to emergency calls... We don’t want to spend money on chasing these false alarms when the public isn’t going to benefit from the safety of them.”

According to McConnell, more than 11,000 total false alarms are reported in the city each year. That reported figure comes from combined reports from the Panama City Beach Police Department and Panama City Beach Fire Rescue. McConnell went on to state that most of the city's false alarms are from repeat offenders. The majority of these repeat offenders are neglectful businesses with faulty alarm systems.

The ordinance being considered would not only enact fines for false alarm offenders, it would also make registration of alarm systems mandatory. In particular, alarm system owners, monitoring companies like Alarm Grid, and central stations, such as Alarm Grid's central station partner CMS, would be required to register with the city. Officials state that while the majority of alarm calls end up being false, responders are trained to respond to all calls with the same seriousness every single time.

Alarm Grid understands the frustration experienced by Panama City, FL officials. But we urge the city to take a step back and not enact a new drastic policy that would only make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to get alarm systems. We think it's perfectly reasonable to require alarm systems to be registered, and it's also fair to fine users who repeatedly cause false alarms.

We hope that any registration fees for installing and maintaining security systems are kept to a minimum. Such fees make it more challenging for innocent end users to install alarm systems, and they are ultimately detrimental to alarm businesses. If the city decides that a registry of alarm systems will help prevent false alarms, then just please keep registration fees to a minimum. We understand that some small fees are necessary for maintaining the registry in the first place. But excessive fees will only deter everyday users from installing systems. We have found that low, reasonable fees, such as those in Pompano Beach, FL, tend to work best.

And if the city decides to fine users who cause false alarms, we hope that is also done within reason. One possibility is to give a warning for the first false alarm on a registered system, and then fining users for repeated offenses, or for those who fail to register their systems. Alarm Grid takes false alarm prevention very seriously, and we would expect other monitoring companies to do the same. We do our part to make sure that our customers are properly trained in this aspect of using their systems, and we highly doubt that anyone monitored through Alarm Grid is repeatedly making the same mistake. However, we do realize that mistakes happen, so we ask any city considering a false alarm policy to consider the issue with some leniency and understanding. Remember, the overwhelming majority of end users are not intentionally causing false system alarms.

If you want to learn more about false alarm prevention, we strongly recommend checking out these tips to prevent false alarms. That link is a great resource whether you are monitored through Alarm Grid, are considering signing-up for alarm monitoring, or even if you are monitored through a different company. We also invite any Alarm Grid monitored customers, as well as those who are still exploring their options for alarm monitoring, to email our team at support@alarmgrid.com to learn more about false alarm prevention. We are here to check your emails during our usual business hours of 9am to 8pm ET M-F. As always, we look forward to hearing from you!

Nortek has announced discontinuing various 2GIG products, likely in an effort to make room for bigger and brighter things. The end of sale date for these products is November 30, 2020. This news comes after Nortek just recently discontinued a large selection of 2GIG products in September.

Starting November 30, 2020, it will no longer be possible to order the 2GIG products listed below. The last possible shipment date for these products is December 14, 2020. We will likely be discontinuing these products on our website when this happens, and we would expect other retailers to do the same. The complete list of products is outlined below, along with any appropriate replacement options, when applicable. Please note that many of these products were for use with overseas 2GIG equipment and not sold by Alarm Grid.

If you have any questions about 2GIG products, including those set for discontinuation and/or their replacements (when applicable), please reach out to our team by emailing support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email during our usual business hours of 9am to 8pm M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

Resideo, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the acronym REZI, saw its stock price increase by more than 40% during market trading on November 5, 2020. The substantial price boost occurred thanks to an excellent third quarter (Q3) that greatly exceeded expectations.

In the company's most recent earnings report, Resideo stated that it had achieved roughly $1.36 billion in revenue for Q3. This is much higher than the consensus estimate of $1.15 billion. Resideo has enjoyed a 10% increase in revenue year over year. The company says that it expects Q4 revenue to be between $1.36 billion and $1.41 billion.

Thanks to this positive news, REZI opened Thursday at $14.20 after closing at just $11.35 the day prior. REZI enjoyed further increases throughout most of Thursday trading, as the stock price soon rose above $15. The price stayed in the $15 range during most of the day, though it did exceed the $16 threshold at times.

Resideo President and CEO Jay Geldmacher said in a recent press release, "Our revenue performance and the progress with our ongoing transformation and cost reduction initiatives enabled us to strengthen our liquidity position, and in late October we made all outstanding reimbursement agreement payments to Honeywell... While we are closely monitoring our operations and supply chain for impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are encouraged by the strong demand trends we are seeing across our end markets as we close out 2020.”

The reimbursement agreement payments that Geldmacher is referring to come from an agreement between Honeywell and Resideo after Resideo was spun-off from Honeywell in late 2018. At the end of October 2020, Resideo paid Honeywell $35 million for a payment that was deferred on April 30, 2020, as well as an additional $35 million for a regularly scheduled payment.

Resideo also mentioned some highlights in its earnings report. Their ADI Global Distribution segment saw an 11% revenue increase to $790 million. Their Products & Solutions segment enjoyed a 12% revenue increse to $572 million. Their gross margin rate increased by 200 basis points (BPS) to 27.2%. Operating income for the company is up 122% year over year, with net income up 838% year over year, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) up 900% year over year. And their adjusted EBITDA increased by 65% to $188 million.

Alarm Grid supports many Resideo Security Systems for alarm monitoring service. If you want to learn how you can monitor your home or business, please contact our team via email at support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

A few months ago, we made a post stating how a recent batch of Encore FF345 Smoke and CO Detector Listening Modules were not compatible with Honeywell Alarm Systems. It now appears that this issue has been fixed, and new units should properly work with Honeywell Systems as intended.

Due to the original issue, FF345 units with a date code of 01/2020 are unable to enroll with Honeywell Alarm Systems. These units will work properly with 2GIG Alarm Panels, but they are incompatible with the Honeywell Systems that they are advertised to work with. These units may also be incompatible with the 345 MHz Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus, which should also support these units, but this has been neither tested nor confirmed. Additionally, FF345 units with date codes ranging from 02/2020 to 08/2020 are likely also affected, but we are unable to confirm this.

Starting with date code 09/2020, a fix was implemented to make these units once again compatible with Honeywell Alarm Systems. Any FF345 unit with a date code of 09/2020 or later should be able to enroll with compatible Honeywell Panels. We have tested units with the 09/2020 date code, and we found that they were able to enroll with Honeywell Lyric and Honeywell LYNX Touch Systems as intended. However, our testing revealed that using these sensors may result in an E380 Sensor Trouble Condition occurring. The trouble condition may appear after a Fire Alarm or CO Alarm has been cleared on the system. The alarm condition is cleared by disarming the system twice. Upon further investigation, we found that the trouble Condition may clear on its own after some time, or a user can get it to clear manually with a third system disarm. This shouldn't have a major impact on performance, but it is important to keep the issue in mind if you intend on using an FF345 device manufactured from 09/2020 onward with a Honeywell Security System.

Remember, FF345 units with a date code older than 01/2020 should have no issue working with Honeywell Security Systems. Units with a date code of 01/2020 are known to not work with Honeywell Systems, and any unit with a date code from 02/2020 to 08/2020 is believed to be impacted as well. Units with a date code of 09/2020 or newer should work with any compatible Honeywell System, but they may experience the E380 Sensor Trouble Condition after an associated Fire Alarm or CO Alarm has been cleared. To check the date code on an FF345 unit, please refer to this helpful FAQ. That guide will tell you everything you need to know about checking the manufacture date on your FF345 so that you can determine if the unit is affected by the aforementioned issue.

If you have any questions about the FF345, or if you are looking to set up monitoring service for fire and/or CO detection, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We check our email from 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!

2GIG has recently updated their logo to provide a more "modern" look. The change is very subtle, as it only includes thinner text, with virtually no other adjustments. This comes ahead of the release of the new 2GIG Security System, the 2GIG Edge, which should be available in February 2021.

Our main takeaway here is that 2GIG is really trying to invoke a "modern" and "clean" image, without making any major changes that may result in a loss of identity or brand recognition. The company most likely wants to refresh its branding ahead of their new panel release. We're sure 2GIG is hard at work on their new alarm panel, though it will take an incredible effort to overthrow the existing Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus as the top security system option for use with Alarm.com. It seems 2GIG is holding nothing back ahead of the anticipated release.

Unfortunately, we don't have any new details on the 2GIG Edge at this time. We promise to check-in with 2GIG soon to see if we can learn more. We also have no word on how the new Edge will affect the existing 2GIG GC2e and 2GIG GC3e Security Systems. It's fair to expect that the 2GIG Edge will have a completely revamped programming setup, so it may or may not replace their existing offerings. For now, we strongly recommend checking out our prior post with an in-depth discussion on the 2GIG Edge, which can be seen in its entirety here.

You may also recall that the parent company of 2GIG also performed its own rebranding, as Nortek Security & Control simply became Nortek Control. We're not entirely sure if that name change has anything to do with 2GIG revamping its logo, or with the upcoming release of the 2GIG Edge in February 2021, but we wouldn't rule out that possibility. You can learn more about the name change for Nortek Control in this prior blog post.

Remember to please email us at support@alarmgrid.com if you have any questions about the upcoming 2GIG Edge System, any of the other great systems we support, or about alarm monitoring services in general. We check email during our usual business hours of 9am to 8pm ET M-F. We look forward to hearing from you!