How Do I Connect My Interlogix Simon XTi or XTi-5 to WIFI?

You cannot connect your Interlogix Simon XTi or XTi-5 to WIFI. There is no official WIFI card for either of these systems. In order for one of these panels to receive monitoring, it must use a phone line connection or a cellular connection. Alarm Grid recommends using a cellular connection.

An alarm system can only use WIFI connectivity if it has a properly functioning WIFI card. However, Interlogix has not released a WIFI card for their Simon XTi or XTI-5 Alarm Systems. This gives these systems no way to connect with a WIFI network. Instead, these systems must rely on a telephone line connection or cellular service for alarm monitoring.

However, the lack of WIFI connectivity is not a major concern for these systems. A WIFI connection would not allow these systems to work with Alarm.com. This is because Alarm.com requires an alarm system to use cellular connectivity to sync with its service. Cellular service is also superior to WIFI connectivity in most ways. Cellular service is much more reliable, and it offers speeds that are nearly as fast. Unlike WIFI, cellular service is not affected by normal power outages, and it is almost never down or unavailable.

But a Simon XTi or XTi-5 System cannot use cellular service unless a cellular communicator has been installed first. This upgrade is the most important one that can be made for a Simon XTi or XTi-5. Without a cellular communicator, a Simon XTi or XTi-5 System would be forced to rely upon a phone line connection for monitoring. Phone lines represent a largely archaic technology that is both slow and unreliable. For that reason, upgrading to cellular is crucial. To learn more about cellular monitoring, make sure to check out our Alarm Monitoring Page.

Another benefit of a cellular communicator is that it will provide Z-Wave functionality for the system. Z-Wave home automation can help save a user money in energy bills, and it makes controlling Z-Wave devices inside their home more convenient. By accessing Alarm.com, a user can control any Z-Wave devices that have been programmed with their system. They can also set up rules and scenes for their Z-Wave devices so that they activate automatically based on pre-set schedules or system events.