How Do I Add a Gate Alert Notification Using Total Connect 2.0?

You can add a gate alert notification using Total Connect 2.0 by installing an outdoor door alarm sensor on the gate, enrolling that sensor with your Honeywell Panel, and making a notification for the zone in TC2. Any Honeywell Alarm Panel that is monitored and set up with TC2 can do this.

Sensor fault notifications in TC2 can alert users via text and/or email regarding various activity. In the case of a gate alert notification, you can install a Honeywell 5816OD Outdoor Alarm Sensor on the gate so that the sensor faults whenever the gate is opened. The way that this works is that the sensor and its magnet will be in proper alignment when the gate is closed. Opening the gate will cause the magnet to pull away from the sensor, and a reed switch inside the sensor will be released. The sensor will then alert the alarm panel, and the system will use its AlarmNet Communicator to send a sensor fault signal to the AlarmNet Servers that host Total Connect 2.0. If that sensor fault is set up as the trigger for a notification, then text and/or email alerts will be sent out according to the rules configured for that notification. Please note that it is also possible to have scheduling as part of the notification rules so that text and/or email alerts for your opened gate or fence are only sent if the fault occurs at certain times of the day and/or only on certain days of the week. For example, you might only want to be notified about your gate being opened at night, and not during the day when the gate is regularly opened. Or you might only want to receive gate alerts Monday thru Friday while you are at work, and not on weekends when you regularly do house work in your yard.

There are many things that go into Total Connect 2.0 notifications. You can only set these up if you have a Honeywell or Resideo Security Panel that is actively monitored on an alarm monitoring plan that includes service with Total Connect 2.0. For gate alert notifications on TC2 in particular, the Honeywell 5816OD is almost always the sensor for the job. You can technically use the 2GIG DW30e-345 instead if you have a Lyric Controller. The same also applies if you have a ProSeries Panel with an added PROTAKEOVER Module set to work with 2GIG Sensors. But otherwise, you will almost certainly be setting up a 5816OD on the gate. The 5816 will readily work with the Lyric, LYNX Touch Panels, and LYNX Plus L3000. The PROA7PLUS and other ProSeries Panels can support it after a Honeywell PROTAKEOVER Module has been added, and the module must be set to work with Honeywell 5800 Sensors. As for the VISTA Hardwired Panels, you must add a wireless receiver to get the system to support 345 MHz wireless sensors like the Honeywell 5816OD. Also, since the sensor is being used outside and possibly far away from the panel, it may be worth considering a compatible wireless repeater, namely the Honeywell 5800RP.

When programming the sensor, you will use Zone Type 23 - No Response, or whatever the specific equivalent is on your panel. The actual panel behavior for a fault also varies depending on the panel. For a VISTA P-Series Panel or an L3000, the system will display the fault, but the zone will not be able to cause an alarm on the system. However, the Lyric, LYNX Touch, and ProSeries Panels will use the Response Type of No Response, and faults will not display on the panel, even though they will be recognized by the panel for the purpose of sending a notification. A fault on one of these zone types will not prevent the system from arming. One important thing to note about Zone Type 23 - No Response and its equivalent Response Types is that these zones can be bypassed if you don't want to receive notifications for a period of time.

Complete the following steps to add a gate alert notification to Total Connect 2.0:

1. Program the sensor. Technically, you can program or install the sensor in either order, so Steps 1 and 2 can be reversed if you wish. But most users like to program the sensor while it is still in their hands and can be brought directly to the panel to ensure that there are no range issues. The actual process for enrollment will depend upon the panel you are using. Just don't forget that you need to program the zone with Zone Type 23 - No Response, or some equivalent that is specific to the panel. For the 5816OD, you should pick Loop Number 2 for the reed switch function.

• ProSeries Panels: To add a 5816OD, the system must have a PROTAKEOVER Module set to work with Honeywell 5800 Sensors. Also, the system must be on a high enough firmware version to support local end-user programming. Otherwise, the programming must be done by the alarm dealer. As of May 2021, end-user programming is still in beta development, and while it is expected to be released to the general public very soon, it is still only available to alarm industry insiders at the time of this writing. But once your system has end-user programming, you can follow a simple programming process. Start from the main screen of the system. Press the menu button with three horizontal bars at the bottom of the screen. Choose Tools, and then provide the Installer Code for the system. The default Installer Code is 4112. Then choose Programming, followed by Peripherals, and then the Add (+) button in the upper-right corner. Fault the sensor by separating the magnet from the sensor while it is receiving battery power. The system should display the sensor trying to enroll. From there, you can program the sensor as needed. Just make sure to set the Device Type to "Other", and the Response Type as "No Response". When finished, save the changes by pressing the button in the upper-right.
• Lyric: Check out this FAQ for programming information. Set the Device Type as "Other" and the Response Type as "No Response". All other fields can be set as needed.
• LYNX Touch: Refer to this FAQ for programming information. Make sure to choose a Device Type of "Other", along with a Response Type of "No Response". All other fields should be set based upon your personal needs.
• LYNX Plus L3000: You can use this FAQ to access programming. The command is [Installer Code] + [8] + [00] to get into programming, followed by [*56] for zone programming. Remember that the default Installer Code is 4112. Once in zone programming, use [*] to move to the next entry, and [#] to backtrack if you make a mistake. The Zone Type should be 23- No Response. All other fields can be set as needed. Once you finish, press 00 at the A (Zone Number) prompt, then press [*99] to exit programming.
• VISTA P-Series: A wireless receiver must be added to support a 5816OD. Only program with an Alphanumeric Keypad, not a Fixed English Keypad. Enter programming with the command [Installer Code] + [8] + [00], with the default Installer Code being 4112. The complete command is [4112800]. Then press [*56] to access zone programming. You can press [*] to move forward after making a selection, or [#] to go back to the last entry field if you make a mistake. The Zone Type should be 23 - No Response. Once you are done, press 00 at the "Enter Zone No." prompt, then [*99] to exit.
• VISTA TURBO: As these are hardwired panels, you need an added wireless receiver to support the 5816OD. Also, make sure to use an Alphanumeric Keypad for programming, not a Fixed English Keypad. Enter programming with the command [Installer Code] + [8] + [000], with the default Installer Code being 4140. That means the complete command is [41408000]. Then access zone programming with the command [#] + [93], then [1] when prompted "Zone Programming?" Upon entering zone programming, you can press [*] to move forward to the next entry, or [#] to move back to the last one. Check this FAQ to learn how to enable a receiver in device programming, as well as this FAQ for programming a wireless zone. You should use Zone Type 23 for the setup. All other fields can be set as needed.

2. Install the sensor. Refer to this FAQ on how to install a 5816OD. The sensor can be mounted on both flat and curved surfaces. You will need stainless steel strap ties if mounting on a curved surface. All other mounting hardware should be included. Refer to the FAQ linked previously in this step and/or refer to the 5816OD Installation Manual for more information. Remember that you can technically install the sensor before programming, but most users program first.

3. Create the notification. With the sensor programmed and installed, you can then build the notification. Refer to this in-depth FAQ for more information. The process will involve creating one or more user profiles and associating phone numbers (for texts) and email addresses (for emails) with those user profiles, and then assembling all of the relevant users who should be alerted into a Notification Group. After assembling a proper Notification Group, you can build the notification, making sure to set the trigger as the gate sensor zone number you programmed. It is also possible to set the notification to only be sent out during a specific schedule. This may be very useful if you don't want to receive notifications for fence sensor activity during certain times of the day and/or on certain days of the week. In the end, just build the notification based upon your unique needs.

4. Test the notification. It is strongly advised that you test the notification to ensure that it works properly. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, and if anything isn't working or set up correctly, then the notification might not be sent. Make sure that you have access to the phone and/or email being notified, and also make sure that the notification is scheduled to occur during the test time if you put time-based restrictions on it. If everything is working properly, then the notification should occur within a few minutes. If you don't get the notification a few minutes after you have opened the fence or gate, then try checking the sensor's programming, the notification settings on TC2, and the actual sensor itself.