Total Connect 2.0 Posts

Hey there DIYers! As you probably know by now, we're huge fans of Z-Wave smart home devices. Nothing beats being able to control the devices in your home remotely and having them activate based on a schedule or with system events. This is one of the best perks of owning an alarm system.

Many newer alarm systems come with a built-in Z-Wave controller for operating Z-Wave devices. But what if you have an older Honeywell VISTA System that you are perfectly happy with? How would you add Z-Wave functionality to your system. Sure, you could always purchase a Honeywell Tuxedo Touch Keypad. But that add-on is expensive, and many users are absolutely content with using a normal touch-button keypad. Fortunately, there's another way, with the Honeywell VAM.

The Honeywell VAM, or VISTA Automation Module, is an advanced user interface device that allows a Honeywell VISTA System to work with Z-Wave smart home devices. This includes Z-Wave lights, locks, thermostats and more. But please note that the VAM is only a standard Z-Wave controller, not a Z-Wave Plus controller. Z-Wave Plus devices can still be used with the VAM, but they will only have the range of non-plus Z-Wave devices.

The devices can be controlled through a web browser by connecting with the VAM itself. But most users will operate the devices through Total Connect 2.0. This can also be done through a web browser, but it also is possible to do remotely using the Total Connect Mobile App on Android and iOS devices. Remember, the VISTA will need either an IP or cellular communicator, and the user will need a monitoring plan that includes access to Total Connect and remote Z-Wave control capabilities to do this.

Overall, using a VAM represents an ideal solution for VISTA users who want to use Z-Wave devices without paying several hundred for a Tuxedo Touch Keypad. The Honeywell VAM is available on the Alarm Grid site. Get one for your VISTA System and start using Z-Wave devices today!

Hi DIYers! Today we have great news regarding Total Connect 2.0. Honeywell has updated the website version of Total Connect 2.0, and they are also planning to update both the iOS and Android mobile app versions in the near future. Let's dive in and take a closer look at these changes!

On the website version of TC2, there is now a "Refresh Status" button under the "Locations" tab. Previously, this feature was only available for the mobile app versions of TC2. Pressing this button will send a "refresh status" signal between Total Connect and the alarm panel to help users determine if their panel is currently connected with the service. If the panel has recently lost its connection or has reconnected to the network, the Refresh Status button will allow users to confirm the current condition. This can be useful for making sure that the panel is currently communicating properly with Total Connect 2.0.

Total Connect will also soon be adding an option to use a fan icon in association with any Z-Wave smart home devices. This will be the recommended icon for any Z-Wave fans that may be used with the Total Connect 2.0 service.

Honeywell will also soon enable Total Connect 2.0 desktop notifications for the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox web browsers. In order to receive desktop notifications, the user must enable notifications from their web browser, and they must have email notifications enabled for their TC2 profile. Desktop notifications will only be sent while the web browser is open. Honeywell is also working on enabling notifications for the Safari Browser as well.

As for the mobile app versions, users will soon be able to conveniently access the TC2 Amazon Alexa Skill from the main settings menu. New users will also see a special Amazon Alexa Welcome screen upon first opening the app.

The Android version of the TC2 Mobile App will soon provide support for Total Connect Comfort and RedLINK Connected Thermostats. Users will be able to control these devices right from the TC2 Android Mobile App.

A new button will soon be added to the login screen for users to launch an option to login through face-recognition or fingerprint ID. The iOS app version will support both face-recognition and touch ID, depending upon which version of iOS is being used. The Android app version will only support fingerprint ID, at least initially. These features will be very useful for users who lost their password, have their password cleared or who have experienced a failed face-recognition or touch ID attempt.

Hi DIYers! Did you know that you can control Z-Wave smart home devices right from your Android or iOS device by using Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com? In fact, this is how most users control their smart home devices, because it is super convenient. Let's take a closer look at this feature.

One of the biggest benefits of smart home devices is their ability to be controlled remotely. Whether you're across the street or across the globe, you can have Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com send a command to your system to operate your Z-Wave devices. This is possible both for individual Z-Wave devices, such as door locks, thermostats and lights, as well as entire scenes.

The process for controlling Z-Wave devices is very easy across both platforms, but the steps do differ slightly. If you are using Total Connect 2.0, simply click the "Automation" tab from the main screen. You will then be able to control any individual home automation devices, as well as any programmed scenes. Remember, Total Connect is used exclusively with Honeywell Systems.

If have a system from a different manufacturer, like 2GIG or Qolsys, then you most likely have access to the Alarm.com service. Once you login to your Alarm.com account, you should see menu from the main screen for controlling various scenes. You can also press the menu button at the top to control individual smart home devices by type. We definitely recommend setting up some smart scenes for easy access!

If you don't already have a monitoring plan that includes home automation control, now is a great time to get started. Please check out our monitoring page for more information. All of our Silver, Gold and Platinum level plans (full and self) include this functionality. We hope that you'll enjoy using home automation to make your life easier just as much as we do!

Honeywell has now made it possible for users to integrate a Chamberlain MyQ Garage Door Controller with Total Connect 2.0. A user can now access their Total Connect 2.0 account to operate their Chamberlain Controller. The garage door controller must be integrated with TC2 for this to work.

The integration process is completed through Total Connect 2.0. Before you can set up your garage door controller, you must have the feature enabled by your alarm monitoring company. Alarm Grid customers should contact us by sending an email to support@alarmgrid.com to have the feature enabled. Please note that you must have a Silver, Gold or Platinum Level Monitoring Plan (full or self, with automation) to receive Chamberlain support. Alarm Grid will not approve the feature for Self-Bronze customers.

For a complete guide to setting up a Chamberlain MyQ Garage Door Controller with Total Connect 2.0, please see this document. The steps outlined below provide a brief overview of the set up process.

Once your Total Connect 2.0 account is approved for Chamberlain Service, you can proceed with integrating your garage door controller with TC2. Start by downloading the MyQ App to your iOS or Android device. The app is available for free download in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Next, connect your MyQ garage motor to your local WIFI network. Some motors have an integrated gateway, while others require a separate internet gateway, like the 828LM. Once the motor is connected to internet, you can use the MyQ app to setup a MyQ account. You will use that login to integrate garage door control between MyQ and Total Connect 2.0.

The actual integration process is completed through Total Connect 2.0 Mobile App and the MyQ App. Start by opening Total Connect 2.0, and access the "Automation" section. Then press the "Manage Devices" button. Choose "Chamberlain/LiftMaster". Then choose "Setup New Garage Door" if your garage door controller is not yet set up with the MyQ App. Or choose "Add Existing Garage Door" if you have already set up your Chamberlain MyQ Controller with the MyQ App.

The screenshots below show the iOS version of the app, but the Android version is very similar:

If you choose "Setup New Garage Door", the MyQ App will open so that you can complete the MyQ Setup process. Otherwise, the process for integrating with TC2 will continue as normal. You may need to provide your MyQ login information to continue. Choose the garage door controller you want to use, and click "Save".

A warning message will appear to let you know that you are updating the list of garage doors that can be controlled from the app. This is normal, and you can press "OK" to continue. The update should go through successfully. Press "OK" to continue. You will then see the newly added garage door opener on your automation screen.

If you ever need to remove a Chamberlain MyQ Garage Door, please review pages 5 & 6 of the the set up guide that is linked above. If you have any questions or trouble, please send us an email for further support.

As you may know, Honeywell recently enabled partition support for their Total Connect 2.0 interactive service. We've heard reports of some users having trouble getting started with this service. Fortunately, this is an easy fix, and partition support can be enabled with just a few steps.

Before getting started, make sure you have a compatible Honeywell VISTA Alarm System that supports multiple partitions. Also you must have at least one zone configured on a secondary partition. If your alarm system does not provide support for partitioning, then the option for enabling the partition feature will not show up on Total Connect.

Once you have confirmed that your alarm system supports partitions, you can proceed with enabling the feature on Total Connect 2.0. The process will work for new system users, as well as those who opted to enable the partition feature later. After it has been completed, you will be able to control system partitions from TC2 at any time.

When enabling partition support, you must be using the web browser version of Total Connect 2.0. It is not possible to enable partition support using the iOS or Android Mobile App versions of TC2. Once the feature is enabled, you can use the mobile app to control multiple partitions. But the initial set up must be done from the web browser version at TotalConnect2.com.

After you have logged into your Total Connect 2.0 account, click the "Locations" tab on the left. Then the blue "Sync Panel" button at the top. This will sync your panel with Total Connect 2.0. Wait a few moments for the syncing process to complete, and verify "Zone Sync Success" within the Events tab on the left. Then logout of your TC2 account, and log back in. Then, once again, click the locations tab. The following pop-up should appear:

Click the blue "Configure Now" button. Total Connect 2.0 will then walk you through the remainder of the process for enabling partition support. If you have any questions about this process or if you need further assistance, please send an email to support@alarmgrid.com, and one of our technical specialists will reply shortly.

Alarm Grid has learned that Honeywell recently added a refresh button to Total Connect 2.0. This button is found inside the locations tab of Total Connect 2.0. While this may seem like a minor addition, it can help customers solve issues without having to contact their monitoring company.

Before this button was implemented, an end user would sometimes need to have a refresh signal sent to their Total Connect account by their alarm monitoring company. This refresh signal would then be forwarded from Total Connect to the panel. Now, end users can refresh their systems on their own through Total Connect 2.0.

This refresh signal is usually needed when an alarm or a trouble indication becomes "stuck" in the Total Connect 2.0 display. Total Connect may not recognize that the condition was actually cleared from the alarm panel itself. Sending a refresh signal will clear this problem. Being able to do this through Total Connect will be much more convenient and easier for end users.

The refresh button has many uses for Honeywell users. Some of the issues that can be solved using the refresh button include:

• Removing trouble conditions
• Clearing system alarms
• Restoring sensor faults

Any customer who encounters communication issues between Total Connect 2.0 and their Alarm system should try using the refresh button to see if that fixes the problem. To do this, simply login to your Total Connect account, navigate to the locations section, and click the refresh button. The refresh command should then be forwarded to the panel set up at that location. Please note that Total Connect 2.0 will not log the system refresh anywhere, and there is no way to view that the system has been refreshed from Total Connect. However, a user can tell that the refresh went through because the status in TC2 will match the status on the panel.

The refresh button is found within the locations section of TC2. This is true whether you are using the website, iOS or Android version. The screenshots below will help you locate the refresh button on iOS and Android devices.

For iOS Devices:

Start by clicking the "More" button in the bottom-right corner of the main screen.

Choose "My Location".

Then scroll down from the next screen, and hit "Refresh Status" at the bottom.

For Android devices:

From the main screen, press the menu icon (three horizontal bars) in the upper-left corner.

Choose "Settings".

Then "Locations".

Finally, "Refresh Status".

Hi DIYers! Yes, we just had a video recap a few days ago. But we wanted to get out this week's edition early, since we have an exciting announcement coming Monday - it's a secret! We still have four great videos starring Dylan and Jorge this time. These videos focused on Honeywell products.

Programming a Honeywell 5816 Sensor

Dylan goes over the programming process for a Honeywell 5816 Door and Window Contact. This is a wireless sensor that works with Honeywell and 2GIG Systems. To learn the 5816, access zone programming, and put the system into its sensor enrollment mode. Then separate the sensor from its magnet to activate it. The system should recognize the sensor. Repeat this process two more times to learn it in. Then configure the settings for that wireless zone, and save your changes.

Changing the Master Code on a LYNX Touch System

Dylan talks about how to change the Master Code for a Honeywell LYNX Touch System. The Master Code is the code that is primarily used for system arming and disarming. Unlike the Installer Code, a user will certainly want to change their Master Code. Leaving this code at its default could present a major security risk if an intruder knows the default code. The Master Code on a LYNX Touch can be changed from the user-level programming menu.

Using the Tuxedo Touch as a Keypad for a Lyric Alarm System

Jorge explains that the Tuxedo Touch cannot be used as an external keypad for a Lyric Controller. The Tuxedo Touch is designed to be used with a hardwired Honeywell VISTA Panel. The device will provide a VISTA with a touchscreen controller, and it also serves as a Z-Wave controller for integrating home automation devices with the system. The Tuxedo Touch will not work with the Lyric Controller. If a user wants an external keypad for the Lyric Controller, they should use the Honeywell LKP500.

Self Monitoring on a Lyric Alarm System

Jorge discusses how the Honeywell Lyric Controller can be self-monitored. This means that the system will not connect with a central monitoring station. Instead, it will be up to the end user to report any alarm events to the authorities. This is made possible using a service called Total Connect 2.0. Any alarm event that occurs will be sent from the Lyric System to Total Connect 2.0. The user can then receive a text and/or email alert directly from Total Connect 2.0 to immediately let them know about the alarm. Check out our Monitoring Page to learn more.

Honeywell's Total Connect 2.0 service has received a much anticipated update that provides the platform with new functions and capabilities. The new features should currently be live and available for Honeywell users. Both the browser version and the TC2 Mobile App have received the update.

This is version 5.1.2 of Total Connect 2.0. It is an update over 5.1.1, which featured some bugs that Honeywell wanted to correct. With this update, users should find that Total Connect 2.0 will run smoothly and without issue.

The following features are included in the update:

Multi-Partition Support

Users can now access Total Connect 2.0 to control multiple partitions on their compatible Honeywell VISTA Alarm System. Users can access this type of control through the "Partitions" tab within Total Connect 2.0.

The following partition functions are available:

• Name partitions
• Arm and disarm individual partitions
• Bypass sensors
• Assign partition control to different users
• Enable or disable event notifications
• Set remote disarming capabilities for individual partitions
• Choose which user codes can activate and edit partition settings
• View activity of fire partitions remotely (cannot control a fire partition remotely)

Please note that users with an existing Total Connect account may not see the Partition tab right away. Honeywell is currently in the process of rolling out this update, and it is slowly being made available to existing users over time. According to Honeywell, all TC2 users with a compatible VISTA Alarm System should be able to access the Partitions tab by June 25th.

For more information on the TC2 multi-partition support, please review this helpful guide.

Amazon Alexa Skill

We previously announced that Amazon Alexa support was available for Total Connect. However, there was no way to control smart scenes through Alexa. But this latest update from Honeywell has made scene control possible.

Honeywell users can now control home automation scenes by providing voice commands to their Amazon Alexa device. Users will be able to ask Alexa to perform any Z-Wave scenes that they have programmed through Total Connect. To use this feature, a user will need to enable the Total Connect 2.0 Alexa Skill on their Android or iOS device.

Here is a video demonstrating the feature:

Multi-Language Support & Stability Fixes

Total Connect 2.0 is now available in French, Spanish and Portuguese. The platform has also received patches to improve overall stability.

If you have any questions about this update, please email us at support@alarmgrid.com, or call us at 888-818-7728 M-F from 9am to 8pm.

After much anticipation, partition support for Total Connect 2.0 will soon be available for compatible VISTA Systems! With this update, users will gain full access to each live system partition. This includes controlling, checking the status and receiving updates for individual partitions.

The TC2 partition update applies to the following panels:

• VISTA-20P
• VISTA-20PSIA
• VISTA-21IP
• VISTA-21IPSIA
• VISTA-128BPT
• VISTA-128BPTSIA
• VISTA-250BPT
• VISTA-128FBPT
• VISTA-250FBPT
• VISTA-32FBPT

By using TC2, users can control up to eight different partitions on their alarm system. However, if their VISTA System supports fewer partitions, the user will only be able to control the number of partitions that are supported by their respective system (e.g. VISTA-20P can only support three partitions, with one being a common partition). With this update, users with compatible systems will be able to perform the following functions from Total Connect 2.0:

• Name partitions
• Arm and disarm individual partitions
• Bypass sensors
• Assign partition control to different users
• Enable or disable event notifications
• Set remote disarming capabilities for individual partitions
• Choose which user codes can activate and edit partition settings
• View activity of fire partitions remotely (cannot control a fire partition remotely)
• Additional features to be announced

To ensure a successful rollout, Honeywell is making partition support available for a small percentage of customers each day. The process already started on Monday, June 11th, and it is expected to continue until the week of June 25th. By the week of June 25th, all compatible VISTA Systems should have TC2 partition support. Also note that any new Honeywell Total Connect VISTA partition account programmed during the rollout will be enabled for partition support the next regular business day.

Sometime during this rollout period, you should notice an update on your Total Connect 2.0 account. The message will state that partitions for your location have been made available. You will then be able to configure the partitions for your VISTA System through both the Total Connect 2.0 web browser and the TC2 Mobile App.

Please note that you will not be required to set up multiple partition configurations for your system right away. You can also choose to save the set up process for a later time. To configure partitions for your system immediately, select "Configure Now". To save the process for another time, choose "Later". You will be able to access partition support by clicking the "Partitions" tab on Total Connect 2.0.

To learn more about this feature, please review this helpful guide from Honeywell.

If you have any questions about Total Connect 2.0 partition control, please do not hesitate to contact us at support@alarmgrid.com or call us at 888-818-7728 from 9am to 8pm M-F.

With heavy hearts, we are sorry to announce that the Total Connect 2.0 service, powered by Honeywell, no longer supports the slide show feature.

While most Total Connect 2.0 users probably never even knew this feature existed, it was a pretty cool option for turning a LYNX Touch security system (models L5100, L5200, L5210 and L7000) into a digital picture frame.

From the TC2 Locations module, you could edit the house icon and click on the 'Edit Slide Show' button to upload images to your account from your computer. Honeywell's servers then download to the LYNX Touch system associated with that TC2 account/location (as long as the system had an ILP5 or L5100-WIFI internet communicator installed and online). Once the images were downloaded to the system, you could use the master programming mode (Security > More > Tools > enter Master Code) to go to the Slide Show option and setup your images to display on the panel's touchscreen when the system was sitting idle.

Honeywell indicated that the feature was removed due to "cyber security concerns" and while you can no longer use your LYNX Touch system as a digital picture frame, the new Lyric Controller does still offer the Slide Show feature. You just have to use a USB stick to load the images to the Lyric locally as the feature has been removed from Total Connect 2.0 on all systems. We have an FAQ on how to use the slide show feature on a Lyric system online at https://www.alarmgrid.com/faq/how-does-slide-show-... and if you have a LYNX Touch system now that was using this feature and want to discuss upgrading to a Lyric, we'd be happy to help. You can email us at support@alarmgrid.com or call us M-F 9-9 EST at 888-818-7728.