Can I Update the Firmware On a Honeywell L5100 Alarm System?

No, you cannot update the firmware on a Honeywell L5100 Alarm System. It used to be possible to push a new firmware update down to a LYNX Touch Panel from AlarmNet360. But this is no longer possible. All updates must be done using an updater tool. But the L5100 does not support the tool.

In order to update the firmware on a LYNX Touch Panel, you must use a Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool. However, this updater tool is not compatible with the L5100. This leaves L5100 users with no way to update their system's firmware. As a result, there are very few options for setting up the system with an alarm monitoring communicator, and it is very difficult to get the system monitored.

There are two (2) possible ways to get an L5100 System monitored. One method is by using a Honeywell ILP5 IP Communicator, which will require you to run an ethernet cable to the panel. The other is through a Honeywell L5100-WIFI Communicator. However, you can't just use any L5100-WIFI module. You will need to find a older-style model that does not require the panel to be on Firmware Version 8 or higher. If you see the following sticker on your L5100-WIFI module, then it is not an older-style model, and it will not work with an L5100 Panel.

Additionally, it is impossible to use a cellular communicator with an L5100 System. As of March 2020, only LTE communicators can be activated for alarm monitoring service. Honeywell released two (2) LTE communicators for the LYNX Touch Systems, which are the Honeywell LTE-L57A AT&T LTE Communicator and the Honeywell LTE-L57V Verizon LTE Communicator. However, these communicators both require a firmware version higher than 9, which is not available on the L5100 because it will not support the updater tool. This leaves the L5100 with no cellular communicator that can be activated for monitoring service.

Nearly every user with a Honeywell L5100 Panel will want to upgrade to something newer, such as a Honeywell Lyric Controller or a 345 MHz Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus. These panels can both be easily set up for monitoring service. The Lyric can use its internal WIFI card for IP-only monitoring. But the IQ Panel 2 Plus must be used for cellular monitoring, as is required by Alarm.com. The IQ Panel 2 Plus comes with a built-in LTE cellular communicator, so you will not need to make any additions to the system to use it for alarm monitoring service. The system also has a built-in WIFI card, which provides an additional method for communicating with Alarm.com. But only the cellular communicator needs to be registered for the IQ2+.