Can I Connect to Total Connect 2.0 Using My Tuxedo Touch WIFI?

No, you cannot connect to Total Connect 2.0 using your Tuxedo Touch. The internet connection used with the Tuxedo Touch Keypad is used to provide a communication path to Total Connect 2.0 for Z-Wave smart home devices. It also allows the current weather to be displayed on the keypad.

The Tuxedo Touch is a touchscreen keypad designed for use with VISTA Series Panels. It provides a convenient way to arm and disarm the system, and it also features a console mode for making programming changes. The device also functions as a Z-Wave controller for operating smart home devices.

Although the Tuxedo Touch WIFI offers IP connectivity, the device itself is not an alarm monitoring communicator. The VISTA System will still need a communicator to connect with the AlarmNet Servers and Total Connect 2.0. This is how the system will report out alarm signals and receive arm and disarm commands from Total Connect 2.0.

The internet connection used with the Tuxedo Touch WIFI Keypad is used for transmitting Z-Wave signals to Total Connect 2.0. This way, if a user operates one of their Z-Wave smart home devices, Total Connect 2.0 will be made aware of the current status. Keeping the Tuxedo Touch and TC2 in constant sync is very important.

Likewise, If a user controls a Z-Wave device from Total Connect 2.0, then the internet connection will inform the Tuxedo Touch to receive notification of the updated status. The Tuxedo Touch internet connection also allows the keypad to display the current weather conditions. This can be handy if the user needs to quickly check the weather.

If the Tuxedo Touch is not connected with the internet, it can still arm and disarm the panel. The Tuxedo Touch will need to be connected with the ECP bus for the panel, and it will need to be powered on. Additionally, the Tuxedo Touch can also control Z-Wave devices locally. But without internet, it will not be able to update the device status on Total Connect 2.0.