Resideo Posts

Recently, while writing content about the installation of various add-on modules for the PROA7PLUS, I discovered the "Shutdown system" option. Being familiar with Resideo's definition of "Shutdown" I sent an email to support to find out exactly what this button does. The answer surprised me.

I was looking for a better way of powering down the panel for the purpose of adding hardware. Having to disconnect the battery and possibly unplug the DC power adapter is inconvenient and unnecessarily difficult. I was hoping for a menu option that would allow me to power down without physically disconnecting anything.

When you enter the menu options of the PROA7PLUS, PROA7, PROA7PLUSC, or PROA7C you see an option for Tools. If you select Tools, you'll be prompted to enter a code. Once you enter a valid code, and this includes both the Installer Code and the Master Code (4112 and 1234 respectively, by default) you'll then see a list of additional options.

At the bottom of this list is "Shutdown system". I was hoping this was an option to power down the system. Just above it in the menu list is "Reboot System" but rebooting doesn't help when you're attempting to add or remove hardware. Again, knowing Resideo as I do, I was afraid to simply try out the shutdown option, so I sent an email to their technical support to inquire about what this menu option does. I found the answer a little disturbing.

According to support, when you perform a system shutdown the system cannot be armed. Only 24-Hour emergency zones can be activated, and those alarms are local only because the system's communicator is also shut down. The burglary portion of the system is useless in this state. Access to the "Tools" menu is also disabled.

You might wonder, as I did, if the communicator is shut down, and the "Tools" menu is disabled how the heck do you recover from this state? According to technical support, it is still possible to send a command to the system from AlarmNet360. This is called a "Resume System" command. This option can only be performed by your alarm dealer.

My takeaways from this are: If your system is not registered with an alarm dealer DO NOT SELECT SHUTDOWN SYSTEM from the "Tools" menu. Doing so will likely cause your system to be permanently inoperable. It's unclear if an alarm dealer could register a system after the shutdown command has been implemented, and then send the Resume System command. I wouldn't recommend testing it.

For anyone who may have accidentally hit this menu option and who does have a registered system, contact your alarm dealer immediately. Let them know what happened and that you need to initiate a "Resume System" command through AlarmNet360. They should be able to help you get your system back up and running.

If you're an Alarm Grid customer who finds yourself in this position you can email us at support@alarmgrid.com, or call 1-888-818-7728. Our support team is here Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 8:00 pm, with the exception of holidays. We will hopefully be able to send the command to Resume System using AlarmNet360.

During beta testing of the Resideo and Honeywell Home PROWLTOUCH touchscreen keypad, the PROWLTOUCHDM desk mount and charging stand offered an LED on top to show when the keypad was properly connected and charging. Resideo removed this feature, apparently in 2020, without informing users.

Of course anything we say about the Honeywell Home PROWLTOUCH is also true of the Resideo PROWLTOUCHC. Both keypads are compatible with the PROWLTOUCHDM. The only difference between the two keypads is the branding shown on the front of the product. Honeywell Home products are marketed toward residential use while Resideo branded products are marketed for commercial use.

What makes this situation somewhat perplexing is the fact that the PROWLTOUCHDM still has the LEDs and the ribbon cable internally that would allow the LEDs to be connected to power. There's just no connector on the power board, so the LEDs can never be successfully utilized.

When we first encountered this issue, we thought we'd found a manufacturing problem. We received several different PROWLTOUCHDMs in our office, and they all looked the same inside. All the bits to make it work, minus that all-important connector.

We reported our findings to Resideo technical support. They had no record of a product change. They escalated the inquiry to the product manager and that's how we all found out about the decision to remove this feature, which took place in April, 2020! Any PROWLTOUCH manufactured after April 2, 2020 will not have a working LED indicator.

The date code for this product is only located on the packaging that it comes in. You can see a date in the first image above. There is no date code on the PROWLTOUCHDM itself. So, if you have one of these and you've already thrown away the box, there is no way to check a date code. If you're just buying one, it's likely that it will have been manufactured after April 2, 2020.

You don't lose much with the removal of this feature. It can be a little tricky to mount the PROWLTOUCH to the PROWLTOUCHDM so that it's lined up correctly to properly charge the keypad battery. The LED was nice for allowing the user to be sure it was properly mounted. Otherwise, users likely won't miss it. What are your thoughts on this feature removal? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

Users with Lyric Controllers still installed are trying to use PROSIX PROSeries sensors with the Lyric panel. This is a mistake as the Lyric does not support any PROSIX devices. Instead, those users should be purchasing either SiX Series or 5800 series wireless sensors for the Lyric panel.

Below you can see the PROSIXGB, glass break detector. It is compatible only with PROSeries systems:

This has apparently become such an issue that Resideo put out a MyWebTech Technical Notification advising dealers what will and won't work with the Lyric. If you have a Lyric Controller, be sure that you only purchase SiX Series devices, 5800 Series uni-directional devices, or 2GIG Non-encrypted devices to work with your panel.

As always, we recommend that you update your panel to the latest firmware. If you are an Alarm Grid customer and you need help with a firmware upgrade, send us an email to support@alarmgrid.com.

From the images shared above, you can see how easily PROSIX and SiX Series devices can be mixed up. Even people that are very familiar with these products can easily get them confused if they aren't careful. But notice in the bottom image, there is a notice that shows the SIXGB is compatible with the Lyric. The image at the top makes no mention of the Lyric.

Based on the Technical Notification, I believe the PROSIX sensors must be capable of pairing with the Lyric. However, once that happens, things don't go as planned and the PROSIX sensor learned in with the Lyric doesn't behave as expected. For that reason, Resideo and Honeywell Home want to be sure everyone understands the following:

1. PROSeries or PROSIX sensors are not compatible with the Lyric and are not intended for use with the Lyric Controller.
2. SiX Sensors are packaged and labeled for use with the Lyric. PROSIX and SiX are different protocols. A SiX Series sensor that was used on a Lyric can be added to a PROSeries panel. At that point it will be updated, and will become a PROSIX Sensor. From that point forward, it will never work with a Lyric again.
3. The Lyric panel also supports 5800 Series uni-directional wireless and non-encrypted 2GIG 345 MHz sensors.
4. If you need a sensor for a Lyric and cannot find a SiX Series sensor that suits your needs, find a 5800 Series sensor that will. Do not attempt to make a PROSIX sensor work with the Lyric.

You can see in the images above that the SiX and PROSIX devices are packaged differently. SiX Sensors carry a badge on the packaging that clearly identifies them as compatible with the Lyric. PROSIX do not. Another way you can tell is by checking the device firmware.

PROSIX sensors will have firmware versions that begin with the digits 2, 4, 5, or 6. On the other hand, SiX Series devices will have a firmware version that begins with the digit 0 or 1. You can find the firmware version by checking in the Zone Programming screen of the panel. Your alarm dealer can also check it by looking in AlarmNet360.

We first told you about the First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera in our ISC West blog earlier this year. The VX5 debuted at the trade show. However, it's still not available for purchase. That's pretty routine, announcing a product that nobody can get yet. But, here's what we know about it so far.

For one thing, it looks like that ⬆. It is attractive and unobtrusive. This is an indoor camera that can be mounted to the ceiling, wall, or can sit on any flat stable surface. It requires a wired connection to power, but is otherwise wireless. Using Total Connect 2.0, live video and clips can be viewed from any location where the user has access to either a cellular or WIFI connection to the internet.

Advanced Event Detection

The VX5 Indoor Camera offers advanced event detection using state-of-the-art AI. It can tell the difference between a person, animal, or vehicle, and can alert you to the same. This AI capability will no doubt pay dividends down the road, and I can foresee new features being added that also capitalize on it.

Offers Video and Audio Capabilities

The VX5 is capable of 2MP resolution, which gives sharp, detailed images in both day and night vision situations. The ability to both hear and communicate with anyone in the camera's vicinity allows the user to engage with those being viewed. This can be used as a deterrent if you catch a person (or animal) lurking in an area where they don't belong.

Automated Privacy Mode

Privacy is on everyone's mind these days. The VX5 offers both a manual privacy setting, as well as automated privacy settings. Privacy Mode can be selected from the Total Connect 2.0 app or by pushing a button on the camera itself. Privacy Mode prevents the camera from recording any video or audio. When integrated with one of the PROSeries security panels, the privacy shield will come on automatically when the system is disarmed and turn off when the system is armed.

Remote Access Using Total Connect 2.0

The new First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera leverages the user's Total Connect 2.0 subscription, giving remote access and notification capability to any of the VX cameras associated with the account. For Alarm Grid customers, a Platinum Plan (Self or Full) will support up to eight (8) VX cameras with 30-days of recording capability. If you need more than eight (8) cameras, you can add a Video-Monitoring Plan, which doubles this support.

In Summary:

The First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera is a much-needed addition to Resideo's Total Connect 2.0 camera lineup. It offers a fresh look and modern features that consumers want in a camera. They're taking a "one-size-fits-all" approach so far, so let's hope this camera performs in the way we expect.

This camera is still considered to be in the Beta stage of development. That means:

• It could still be a while before it's released.
• Anything we've been told about it so far could be changed before it's released.

One thing that's not likely to change is how it looks, so the picture above should be accurate. As for everything else, we'll just have to wait patiently for it to be released then hopefully, we'll see.

ISC West is the premiere trade show in our industry. It happens in Las Vegas each spring and all the manufacturers of security products show up. Of course, we're interested in Qolsys, Alarm.com, Resideo, AlarmNet, and 2GIG, but there are many more! They'll display all their best new gadgets.

This year Alarm.com showed up to ISC West loaded for bear! They rolled out several new offerings in the form of both products and services. Many, but not all of these devices were targeting commercial applications. We'll list the big new items below:

Alarm.com

Outdoor Floodlight Camera and VizBlinder:

The Outdoor Floodlight Camera is a new product. As the name implies, it mounts outside in darker areas where an intruder may attempt to enter or gain entry to an area where they shouldn't be.

The new Outdoor Floodlight Camera features 4MP video and Two-Way voice options. It has 3,000 Lumen floodlights, allowing you to customize your lighting options. It's suitable for homes and small- to medium-sized businesses. Additionally, because it uses video analytics, the floodlight can automatically respond to threats when unwanted visitors or vehicles are detected. It can activate red and blue warning lights and also play warning sounds from a powerful siren.

VizBlinder will incorporate new hardware as part of the new feature. It allows the central station operator to fill a room with a vision obscuring white haze. This is done after the operator has accessed the available Alarm.com cameras and determined that an intruder is present. If cameras that support Two-Way audio are in use the operator will be able to engage with the intruder prior to activating VizBlinder. If I were an intruder, and the room suddenly began filling with an unknown white fog, I would skedaddle!

Remote Video Monitoring Console:

The Remote Video Monitoring Console (RVM) is a system that allows central station operators to offer "round-the-clock concierge video monitoring and proactive defense services to customers with Alarm.com Video Analytics cameras." Operators will receive immediate alerts when a vehicle or person enters an area that is restricted. Through the RVM, the operator can review the situation and, if necessary, intervene through the RVM using hardware located on the protected site. This includes using the two-way voice feature of some cameras to talk to the unexpected visitor.

Because both the cameras and the RVM Console are provided by Alarm.com, this is truly a seamless end-to-end integration. The fact that Alarm.com makes the cameras, video analytics, and the central station hardware, there is no special interface equipment required. The Remote Video Monitoring Console is what allows the central station operator to deploy VizBlinder, which we outlined in the previous section.

Sunflower Labs Autonomous Security Drone:

Alarm.com has partnered with Sunflower Labs to offer an autonomous outdoor security drone. Sensor activity on the alarm system and Video Analytics trigger the drone to deploy and investigate suspicious events. It can cover 10 acres in 90 seconds, making it perfect for larger commercial and residential properties. The drone provides "eyes in the sky" for property owners and central station operators alike, and puts intruders on notice that they're being watched. Presumably, central station operators can also deploy the drone based on information they glean through the RVM Console.

Shooter Detection Systems

Adding to their commercial offerings, Alarm.com introduces the Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) Indoor Gunshot Sensor. In the event of an active shooter situation, this system allows for a faster and more accurate response while also providing valuable information to both police and medical first responders.

The SDS sensor uses dual-authentication technology identifying both the acoustic and the infrared signature of a gunshot. It has an accuracy rating of less than 1 false alert per 5 million hours of use. Gunshot detection signals are automatically forwarded to Alarm.com and the appropriate central station is alerted within seconds. With the information provided by the system, the operator can inform the authorities exactly where the incident was reported.

Resideo

First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera

Adding to their recently released First Alert® VX1 video doorbell and First Alert® VX3 outdoor camera Resideo introduces the new First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera at ISC West. Like most of these products, the VX5 is not yet available, so information about it is scarce, but we know it will offer these features:

Advanced Event Detection
• Privacy Mode
• Integration with ProSeries Security Panel
• Compact, Versatile Design
• 2MP resolution and day and night vision with WDR
• Two-way audio
• Easy to Use App – TC 2.0 - for full control of the connected home or office

2GIG

E+ Extended Range Sensors

2GIG brings their new E+ Extended Range 900 MHz sensors to ISC West. This is an exciting addition to their portfolio. This product line will capitalize on the extended range capabilities of the 900 MHz wireless frequency. The E+ lineup will offer up to 1.2 Mile (2km) transmitting range. These sensors are bi-directional and fully encrypted with extended battery life as compared to regular 2GIG 345 MHz sensors. As with most products rolled out at ISC West, these are not yet available, but a data sheet for each is linked below. We will link to the products once they become available for sale.

Available sensors, so far:

• 2GIG GB1E-900 - Glassbreak Detector
• 2GIG DW10E-900 - Door/Window Sensor
• 2GIG PIR1E-900 - PIR Motion Detector
• 2GIG DW30E-900 - Outdoor Door/Window Sensor
• 2GIG SMKT-900 - Smoke Detector

Qolsys

We saved Qolsys for last because they didn't really roll anything out especially for ISC West. Qolsys finished 2023 strong with the release of their PowerG Everywhere 900 MHz automation devices and the Qolsys IQ4 NS no screen security panel.

PowerG Everywhere combines the excellent transmitting range we've come to expect from PowerG with the battery-savings and simplicity of use we get from Z-Wave. The resulting product is a battery sipping tour de force. So far, they offer the following PowerG Automation products which are compatible with the IQ Panel 4, IQ4 Hub, and IQ4 NS running firmware 4.4.0+ and the IQ Pro with firmware 4.3.0n+:

• IQ Lock-PG
• IQ Dimmer-PG
• IQ Switch-PG
• IQ Socket-PG
• IQ Smart Plug-PG
• IQ Outdoor Plug-PG

The IQ4 NS is a budget-friendly panel based on the IQ Panel 4. It's nearly identical to the IQ4 Hub, in fact, with one exception. It does not include a touchscreen interface. Instead, programming is performed using the IQ Installer App, available as a free download from the iOS and Google app stores. You can read all about the IQ4 NS and PowerG Everywhere in our blog posts here and here respectively.

Update 04/08/24 5:08 pm: According to a contact at Resideo, the available stock of IPCAM-WOC2 cameras without this issue is being held back to use as replacements for any affected units that have already been sold. Stock is limited, and once it is depleted, the camera will likely be discontinued permanently.

As an alternative, Resideo recommends the First Alert CAMWE-WO, also known as the VX3 HD Camera. This is an outdoor, 1080p camera with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). With its intelligent event detection, the CAMWE-WO can distinguish between vehicles, animals, and people.

Original Post: If you have purchased a new Resideo IPCAM-WOC2 recently, but have not yet tried to register it, there is a good chance it will not register. A manufacturing issue has been identified, and a fix is in the works. However, you will need to warranty replace the existing camera if affected

Resideo released this notice today regarding the issue. The notice is a bit confusing. It states that because of this issue they have decided to stop selling the IPCAM-WOC2, but it also states that a resolution has been identified and that new product is available in their warehouse and that affected units can be returned for exchange or refund.

What we know currently:

• Installed, registered, and working units are not affected. There is no reason to believe they will have future issues related to this announcement.
• Units that have been purchased but not registered may have the issue. If you attempt to register an IPCAM-WOC2 and it fails, return it to the vendor you purchased it from for an exchange or refund.
• Currently, you can't purchase a new IPCAM-WOC2. Presumably, current stock of working units is being used for warranty replacement.

We've reached out to Resideo to try and get clarification on a few of our questions. When we hear back, we'll update this blog post. In the meantime, if you have purchased an IPCAM-WOC2 and you haven't tried to register it yet, it is recommended that you do so now. If you encounter an issue, contact the distributor or dealer you purchased the unit from and proceed from there.

If you are an Alarm Grid monitored customer, or you purchased an IPCAM-WOC2 from Alarm Grid recently, you can contact us regarding a warranty replacement. Send an email to support@alarmgrid.com. If the email you use to contact support is different from the email you used when ordering your product, please provide us with the ordering email. That is the easiest way for us to look up and confirm your recent order.

Resideo has confirmed that some Gmail users are not receiving Total Connect 2.0 email notifications. Their engineering group are aware of the issue and are working on a resolution. It is expected to be resolved soon. Text, push notification, and most other email domains are not affected.

We haven't been made aware of the actual issue with Gmail email addresses, but it probably has something to do with Gmail's efforts to block unwanted emails such as spam or phishing attempts. Unfortunately, when you take measures to block the unwanted, you sometimes also block the wanted.

This is an evolving issue, and Resideo have promised to update us when it is resolved. If so, we'll post that information here. Check back often!

02/14/24 1:09 PM UPDATE: Per Resideo, these two issues are unrelated. However, the second issue, involving AT&T communicators appears to have been resolved.

02/13/24 4:15 PM UPDATE: Resideo has an update on the AlarmNet360 site currently:

"A small percentage of ProSeries and LTEMP LTE AT&T communicators may experience signaling issues that could result in a communication failure message being generated to the monitoring Central Station.

This issue is being worked with AT&T for immediate resolution.

We appreciate your patience while we work to quickly resolve this issue."

It is not clear whether this is a separate issue, or is related to the Pro Series issue originally reported in this post. When we get that information, we will either update here or in a new post with details of the new issue. Keep watching this space for updates.

02/13/24 Original Post:

Recently, Resideo identified an issue with select PROA7 and PROA7PLUS panels: screens become dark/unresponsive, losing connection to AlarmNet. A hard reboot is required for a reset. Resideo plans a firmware upgrade to address this, which will be applied automatically to all Pro Series panels.

This alert applies to all Resideo and Honeywell Home Pro Series panels. This includes the PROA7, PROA7C, PROA7PLUS, and PROA7PLUSC. While they say the number of affected panels is very small, we don't yet have an actual number or a date code range to confirm those details.

In response to this issue, Resideo has a firmware update, 03.1872.18.0 which they will begin pushing to all registered Pro Series panels this week. The update will also be available to dealers to push manually beginning on 02/13/24. This is a critical update and will be pushed over WIFI, if available, or Cell if WIFI is unavailable. It is important to note that only registered panels can receive this firmware update. Registered means that there is an account associated with the panel.

An affected panel will be dark, with no status LEDs illuminated. Along with these visible symptoms, the panel will stop communicating with the AlarmNet servers. This will eventually generate a report to the monitoring station of E359, which indicates the panel failed a regularly scheduled check-in.

If you have a Pro Series panel and believe your panel is affected, we recommend you power cycle it as soon as possible. Remove the set screw in the bottom of the panel and pull the front and back of the panel apart. Doing this will automatically remove the primary DC power.

Next, find the panel's battery and unplug it from the main board. Leave it disconnected for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Now carefully put the panel back together. Doing so will reconnect the primary power and the panel should begin to boot up. Replace the set screw, if installed and allow the panel to boot. This should return the panel to normal operation and allow it to receive the firmware update.

Panels that receive the firmware update will reboot as a part of the update process. This will generate a signal to the monitoring station of E-339-Exp. Module Power On / Reset, or possibly E-305-System reset, or possibly both.

If we receive further details on this issue, we'll post them here, so stay tuned. Updates will be posted near the top of this page and will be highlighted with a bold date and wording to indicate new information. We have yet to receive an official MWT Technical Bulletin on this issue, but I believe one is likely coming soon. Hopefully, it will contain the details that are, so far, notably missing.

Update 02/06/24:

Per Resideo, they first began seeing this issue back in April 2023. They were able to determine that the Total Connect 2.0 server was creating and sending the notifications properly. They checked with the receiving carrier, in this case, Telus, and found that Telus had blacklisted TotalConnect2.0@alarmnet.com as SPAM. Therefore Telus was not delivering these notifications. This will affect SMS and Email notifications only.

For those Canadian customers who have complained of this issue, contacting Telus and asking them to whitelist totalconnect2.0@alarmnet.com has resolved the issue. This will also affect Canadian users of the Rogers service. Both Telus and Rogers appear to use the same intermediate SMS provider.

Original Post:

Alarm Grid has had reports from our Canadian customers that they are not receiving notifications from Total Connect 2.0. After checking with Resideo, we have confirmed there is an issue, and they are currently working with Telus to resolve it. We don't have an ETR. Check back for updates.

This is a recent development, though we haven't received any details from Resideo yet as to when the issue began. It seems to affect text, email, and push notifications to recipients in Canada. When we have more details, we will provide updates here. Rest assured this does not affect your system's ability to send alarm signals. Any signals generated by your system will be processed normally.

Resideo recently applied an update to the wording of Total Connect 2.0 notification messages. Where, originally they referred to the alarm system by name, they added the word "Installation" to the message. After complaints, they have returned the messages to their original wording.

These updates exclusively affected SMS, email, and SMS-to-email notifications. Consequently, if you rely solely on push notifications through your iOS® or Android® device, you might not have noticed any difference. However, for those who receive SMS, email, or SMS-to-email notifications, you may have noticed these changes in recent days.

The primary concern that most users seemed to have revolves around the term "Installation." This led to some confusion, and coupled with other modifications, such as displaying the user number instead of the user name when a system is armed and disarmed, the update garnered a negative reception. I believe there's an opportunity to combine elements from each of these formats to craft a more well-received message that users would find favorable.

It is undeniable that the updated format offers a concise, but complete message, whereas the original format, to me, seems a bit jumbled. As an alarm professional, I can parse the jumble pretty easily, but I imagine an end-user took a little time to become accustomed to this messaging format. Having acclimated, when users were provided with a somewhat improved, more complete, message they balked.

I would like to see a format similar to the example shown below. Remember that the location name provided in these notifications comes from the name you've given your system in the Locations section of the Total Connect 2.0 website. Particularly, if you have multiple locations, it's important to name each one so that it's easily distinguishable when you receive notifications. Not to mention, when you log in to control your systems or check their status.

If you need to edit the name of your system, you can easily do so by logging into Total Connect 2.0 from a browser. In the Menu list to the left, click on Locations, then click the down arrow to the right (ours is shown as an up arrow because we've already clicked on it in the screenshot below) of the current location name to expand the selection, then click on Edit and enter the name you want to use. Be sure to "Save" when you've finished.

If you're a Total Connect 2.0 user, did you notice any difference in your recent notification message format? If so, did you notice when they were switched back to the original format? Which format do you prefer? If you have a format idea that you think is better than the one we proposed above, share it with us. We'll be happy to pass it along to Resideo.