Do I Need An Internet Connection To Use A Qolsys IQ Panel 4?

No, an internet connection is not required for the IQ Panel 4. Every IQ Panel 4 comes with either a Verizon or an AT&T cellular communicator. This cellular module comes pre-installed on every IQ Panel 4. For this reason, without the internet, the cell will be available to carry the workload.

The Qolsys IQ Panel 4 is a 7" All-In-One touchscreen alarm system. It has many modern features that seamlessly integrate with Z-Wave smart home devices, by the way of its built-in Z-Wave Plus V2 controller. It is capable of supporting 128 zones and 242 users. The panel can be purchased in black or white, and comes in different "flavors", so you can continue to use existing RF sensors when replacing an older wireless panel.

What we refer to as "flavors" are the various legacy RF receiver options available for the IQ Panel 4. These include the 319.5 MHz (Qolsys/GE/Interlogix) flavor, 345 MHz (Honeywell/2gig) flavor, and 433 MHz (DSC) flavor. All three (3) panel flavors that offer legacy RF receivers also support the 915 MHz PowerG frequency sensors. There is also a PowerG-only IQ Panel 4 kit that does not offer legacy receiver support. The panel in this kit is only available in white and comes in either Verizon or an AT&T version. In addition to panel color, receiver, and cellular carrier options, each IQ Panel 4 comes with a built-in dual-band WIFI module.

The IQ Panel 4, requires the use of the cellular module on a monitored system that is connected with Alarm.com. This is why you may notice that on the Alarm Grid Monitoring page, only the Gold plans or higher indicate support for Alarm.com The Internet connection can also be used, but it is optional. If the internet is available, we always recommend using it. Qolsys and Alarm.com do not allow panel firmware updates to be downloaded via cellular, so in order for the panel to remain up-to-date, an internet connection is preferred. It is possible to update the panel locally when an internet connection is not available.

Also, the Internet is often a faster method of communicating and will provide two (2) paths, often referred to as dual-path communication. When the internet is available the panel will send all signals using both paths, ensuring that the fastest available path is used for each signal. The Alarm.com server will process the first of these signals it receives, and discard the "losing" signal. The dual-band WIFI module allows the IQ Panel 4 to connect to either a 2.4GHz or a 5GHz WIFI network.

When only connected using cellular, good communication back to Alarm.com is still possible. Although cellular may not always be faster than IP, it is still considered the more reliable communication path. Cellular towers rarely go down and they do not require any in-home wiring that can be cut, to disable their ability to transmit. Just ensure that the cellular signal strength is adequate in the protected premises. The signal strength is reported between 0 to 6 bars, with six (6) being the best possible. A signal level of two (2) or more bars is the recommended minimum.