Can I Do Dual Path Monitoring on a Honeywell VISTA 21iP?

Yes, you can do dual path monitoring on a Honeywell VISTA 21iP. This system already contains an IP-only communicator much like the Honeywell 7847i. In order to do dual-path monitoring, the internal IP communicator must be disabled. You must then add a dual-path communicator like the LTE-IV.

Dual-path monitoring means that a system uses both cellular and internet (IP) communication. When IP is available, it is always used. If IP becomes unavailable, the cellular communicator takes over. This is good because if one communication path is unavailable, then the other will be there to back it up. In most cases, IP communication is slightly faster than cellular. But cellular communication is generally more reliable and consistent than IP communication. Having IP and cellular work together provides an effective and fast monitoring setup with excellent reliability.

The Resideo VISTA 21iP Alarm System already contains an IP communicator. But many people wonder if it can do dual-path monitoring. The answer is yes, it can. However, it's not as simple as just adding a cellular communicator to add to the existing built-in IP Communicator. If you add a cellular-only communicator like a Honeywell LTE-XA or LTE-XV, then you will need to disable the existing internal IP communicator. In other words, the panel will be using cellular-only, not dual-path. If you want to use dual-path, you must add a communicator specifically designed for dual-path connectivity. One such communicator is the Resideo LTE-IV.

The LTE-IV provides connectivity through the Verizon LTE Network and across a hardwired ethernet connection. It is specifically designed for use with Resideo VISTA Series Security Systems. As long as one communication path is available, the panel will provide fast and reliable monitoring service. At the time of this writing, a Resideo LTE-IA Communicator for connectivity with the AT&T LTE Network is not available. But we expect the LTE-IA to be available sometime in the future. Please note that you will need an appropriate monitoring plan that includes cellular and IP connectivity to use dual-path monitoring. For Alarm Grid customers, this is a Gold Plan or higher. This plan will also include connectivity with Total Connect 2.0 for controlling your system remotely. More information is available on our alarm monitoring page.

Additionally, Resideo is planning to release a brand-new VISTA 21iP System sometime in the future. This system is going to be called the Resideo VISTA 21iPLTE. Just like the current VISTA 21iP, this system will contain a built-in IP communicator. However, this system will support an LTE Cellular Communicator that you can add without disabling the integrated IP communicator. This communicator is going to be called the LTE-21V, and it will work exclusively with the VISTA 21iPLTE System. The LTE-21V will be similar to the old Honeywell VISTA-GSM4G Communicator. The VISTA-GSM4G features a convenient plug-in for connecting with a VISTA 21iP System, and it can be used without disabling the internal IP Communicator. However, the VISTA-GSM4G connects with the AT&T 4G Network, which is set to be shut down in 2022. As of June 26th, 2019, it is no longer possible to activate an alarm communicator with the AT&T 4G Network.