How Do I Install a Honeywell Home PROA7 or PROA7PLUS?

Determine which system you want to install and what peripheral modules you will need. Install any peripheral modules such as LTE communicators, PROTAKEOVER modules, or WIFI and Z-Wave modules. Then, mount the system to the wall or desk mount. Then program peripherals and activate the system.

Below the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS is shown on the left and the PROA7 is shown on the right:

Choose Your Panel:

The first thing you need to do is decide which panel you want to install. The Honeywell Home PROA7 has many of the capabilities of the PROA7PLUS, but there are certain features that the PROA7 will never support. For example, support for Bluetooth is only available on the PROA7PLUS. Another feature that is unavailable on the PROA7 is disarm photos. As you can see in the image above, the PROA7 does not have a front-facing camera while the PROA7PLUS does. These are features that can never be added to the PROA7. You can see a full feature comparison between the PROA7 and the PROA7PLUS in this FAQ.

Aside from those features that the PROA7 will never support, the biggest difference between the PROA7 and PROA7PLUS is what's included from the factory. The PROA7 system, straight out of the box has no support for any type of communication, and no Z-Wave support.

By comparison, the PROA7PLUS comes from the factory with the PROWIFIZW pre-installed. This module gives the system WIFI communication capabilities as well as a Z-Wave Plus chip that allows you to use the system as an automation controller. With or without Total Connect 2.0 a subscriber can choose to use WIFI as their system's only communication method. This is cheaper than using an LTE cellular communicator, but is also substantially less reliable.

Alarm Grid recommends that for those users who choose the PROA7 or PROA7C as their panel a WIFI module be installed. This is because any firmware updates that become available will only be sent to the panel using WIFI, never using cellular data. Also, if you want to use a secondary touchscreen keypad, the Honeywell Home PROWLTOUCH and the Resideo PROWLTOUCHC require WIFI in order to connect to the panel.

LTE Cellular Communicators:

For those users who won't have access to WIFI, or who just prefer to have the reliability of a cellular communicator, there is an AT&T LTE and a Verizon LTE cellular communicator available for the PROA7 and PROA7PLUS. The same communicators are compatible with all versions of the PROSeries panels. At Alarm Grid, we always recommend dual-path reporting whenever possible. WIFI may be the fastest communication path available, but LTE cellular is by far the most reliable.

For Alarm Grid customers, our Bronze and Silver Plans (Self or Full) are available for those who choose to go with a WIFI only communicator. Our Gold and Platinum Plans (Self or Full) are suitable for those customers who want to add cellular communication (Gold, Self or Full) or both cellular communication and video access (Platinum, Self or Full). Any plan that includes cellular monitoring also includes WIFI or IP monitoring at no additional charge. Here is the Install Guide for the PROLTE-A and PROLTE-V. Be sure to install the cellular communicator only after powering down the system.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Honeywell Home PROA7 and the Resideo PROA7C panels come from the factory with no WIFI and no Z-Wave capability. If you plan to have the system monitored, and/or plan to use Z-Wave Automation with the system, you'll need to add either the PROWIFI (WIFI only) or PROWIFIZW module (WIFI and Z-Wave).

For those who aren't interested in using Total Connect 2.0 remote access but will add an LTE cellular communicator, we offer our Cellular Alarm Monitoring Plan, and for any customer who wants to use video cameras without an alarm panel, we offer our Video Monitoring Plan.

A Word About AlarmNet360 and Local Alarm Mode:

In the panel's documentation, the first step listed for setting up the PROSeries panels is to create an account in AlarmNet360. Almost no DIY users will have access to this site. In fact, if you plan to use Alarm Grid for monitoring, even if you did have access to AlarmNet360, you wouldn't be able to create the account for your panel, Alarm Grid must do it. Bear in mind that the official documentation for the panel is intended for professional alarm dealers.

Only alarm professionals can create a login to the AlarmNet360 site. This is the site where alarm dealers create their customer's Total Connect 2.0 and monitoring accounts. For accounts with full central station monitoring, the information that identifies the system to the central station is also included in this account creation. So, don't worry about AlarmNet360, move forward with your DIY installation. If you're an Alarm Grid customer, we'll create the account for you. If you plan to be monitored by some other company, then that company will take care of creating your account.

The panel usually arrives from the factory with Local Alarm Mode enabled. This is a feature meant to prevent unwanted trouble conditions from popping up on a new panel between the time the panel is powered up and the time it's registered for monitoring. You can read about Local Alarm Mode here, including how to disable it. We recommend that Alarm Grid customers leave this feature enabled until right before your activation appointment.

Mounting the Panel

As mentioned above, you can choose to either wall mount or desk mount the panel. If you choose to wall mount, you should arrange to fish the power wiring for the system through the open space behind the wall and through the wire access hole in the back of the wall plate. This will provide the most attractive appearance for the finished installation. All the hardware you need to wall mount the panel comes inside the box. If you plan to use a PROTAKEOVER module, don't waste your time installing the wall plate that comes with the panel. See the important note below.

For desk mounting, you will remove the panel from the wall plate. The PROA7DM, purchased separately, comes with its own back plate which you will need to install. The stand attaches to the new back plate and can be set at a 60° or a 30° viewing angle. The desk mount kit also comes with an 8' (2.4m) power cable with a barrel connector for the panel end. So you won't need to run your own wire for panel power.

Important Note: If you plan to use the PROTAKEOVER module, the antenna for that module is attached to the inside of the wall plate. A new wall plate, which includes this antenna comes with the PROTAKEOVER module. There is no way to use a PROTAKEOVER with a desk mount, as there is no way to include this antenna in that setup. Without its antenna, the RF range for the PROTAKEOVER is only about 3' (1m).

Wall Mount the PROA7 or PROA7PLUS System:

1. Choose a location. There are a number of factors to consider when deciding where to wall mount your system. If the panel touchscreen will be your main interaction point with the system then you need to put it in a convenient location suitable for that purpose. Per the installation guide, the panel should be mounted at least 10' (3.1m) from any 2.4 GHz WIFI devices such as routers or access points.
   
   If you plan to use an LTE cellular communicator, you'll also want to choose a location with a good cellular signal strength based on the cell carrier you choose. Generally speaking, you want the power wire to be as short as possible, and there are wire length limits associated with the gauge wire you use. So, installation near a power source is also important. Once you choose a location, make a small hole in the wall in the center of your mounting spot. This is where your power wiring will come through the wall.
   
   The table below shows the acceptable length of various wire gauges when used for power on the PROSeries panels:
   

   Acceptable Length	AWG (Wire Gauge)
   Up to 25' (7.62m)	22 AWG
   Up to 45' (13.72m)	20 AWG
   Up to 70' (21.34m)	18 AWG
   Up to 110' (33.53m)	16 AWG

2. Fish power wires. As mentioned above, when wall mounting, you should run the power wiring through the wall so that it comes out in the spot where the system will be mounted. This is known as fishing the wire. There are tools for this purpose called glow rods. You will attach the wire to the rod using tape or some other means and use the rod to guide the wire up through the wall. They're called glow rods because if you need to shine a light into the wall space to find the wire, the rod picks up the light for easy visibility. Once you have the wire situated so that one end is at the outlet to be used, and the other end is sticking out of the hole you made in Step 1, you can move to the next step.
3. Hang the wall plate. The wall plate that comes with the PROA7 or PROA7PLUS should be mounted covering the wiring hole you made in Step 1, with the wall plate centered over this hole. Use a level before mounting the wall plate. With the plate level, mark the locations for the screws. Use drywall anchors (included) when necessary. Attach the wall plate to the wall.
   
   Notice the panel tamper in the image below. By default, if the panel itself is pulled away from the wall plate, the tamper will be activated. However, if the entire system, panel and wall plate, are pulled from the wall the tamper is not triggered. That is why the tamper screw option is offered. If you put in the tamper screw, as shown below, particularly if you can secure it to a wall stud, an intruder may be able to pull the whole system from the wall, but the tamper will break away and remain on the wall, causing a trouble or an alarm condition to occur. We recommend using the tamper screw.
   
   Once the wall plate has been secured to the wall, find the power wires that you fed through the wall and through the wire access hole in the wall plate. The PROA7 and PROA7PLUS panels use a DC Power Adapter. That means you will need to observe proper polarity when connecting the power wires.
   
   Below you can see the panel's power adapter. You can't tell from the picture, but one of the screws is marked as Positive (+) and the other is marked Negative (-). We recommend using 18 AWG, 2-Conductor wire for this, which usually has one black and one red conductor. After stripping about 1/4 inch from each wire, connect the red wire to the Positive terminal, and connect the black wire to the Negative terminal. Don't plug the adapter into the outlet yet. We offer an inexpensive wire stripper or you can find one at the local hardware store, you can even use a pair of scissors to strip wire in a pinch.
   
   The screw and red nylon washer you can see in the image below is a securing screw (in Canada, regulations require that you remove this screw and the plastic tab it connects through). It is meant to secure the power adapter to the outlet and prevent tampering. Before plugging the adapter into the wall outlet, you will need to back this screw almost completely out.
   
   Remove the screw in the center of the outlet cover, and when it's time to power the panel on, plug the DC Power Adapter into the bottom outlet, and replace the outlet cover's center screw with the transformer screw. This will hold the outlet cover in place while preventing both accidental and malicious powering down of the panel. Don't plug in the power adapter until panel mounting has been completed.
   
   
   Back at the wall plate, you're ready to connect the power wires for the panel side. You'll need to be sure your wire is properly stripped. Strip about 1/4 inch from the end of each wire. Loosen the screws for the Positive and Negative terminals. Insert the stripped end of the Positive wire (usually red) into the hole marked V+ and tighten the screw. Insert the stripped end of the Negative wire (usually black) into the hole marked V- and tighten that screw.
   
4. Mount the panel. Usually, the battery is installed and connected to the panel from the factory, but you should verify that this is true. Next, add any modules you wish to use, such as the PROTAKEOVER module, LTE communicator, and PROWIFI or PROWIFIZW. Finally, mount the PROA7 or PROA7PLUS panel to the wall plate.
   
   Slide the top edge of the panel up into place, engaging the two (2) depressions in the top panel edge with the two (2) retaining tabs located along the inside top edge of the wall plate. Once these are properly engaged, snap the bottom edge into place by pressing it straight forward. Use the provided set screw in the bottom edge of the panel to secure the panel to the wall plate. Once all modules have been installed and the panel is secured to the wall plate you can plug in the DC power adapter. The panel will begin to boot up. This process may take up to two (2) minutes.
   
   Important Note: Be careful. There are two (2) pins in the back of the panel that will be inserted into the power terminal block. This is how the panel receives power. So, don't force the panel onto the wall plate. If you attempt to snap the bottom edge into place and you feel resistance, pull the panel back and make sure the power pins in the back of the panel are properly lined up with the terminal block, then try again.

Desk Mount the PROA7 or PROA7PLUS System:

When choosing a location to desk mount the PROA7 or PROA7PLUS, you have to take into consideration the same factors as when wall mounting. Be sure the panel is in a location that is convenient for arming and disarming, particularly if this will be your main means of interacting with the panel. Be sure the panel will have a good LTE cellular signal based on whichever carrier you choose. And finally, keep the panel at least 10' (3.1m) from 2.4 GHz WIFI devices such as routers or access points.

To desk mount the PROA7 or PROA7PLUS follow these steps:

1. Remove wall plate. If the panel has been mounted to the wall plate, remove it. However, hold onto it in case you decide to switch to wall mounting at a later time.
2. Attach desk stand. Decide if you want to prop the panel at a 60° or a 30° angle. Attach the desk stand to the included back plate at the desired angle.
   
   
   
3. Secure stand to panel. The panel will attach to the back plate of the desk stand in exactly the same way it attaches to the wall plate. Slide the top edge of the panel in and up so that the two (2) tabs in the top edge of the mounting plate line up with the two (2) indentations in the top edge of the panel. Once the top edge is lined up, push the bottom edge forward until it snaps into place.
   
   
4. Connect power. In addition to its own back plate, the desk stand also comes with an 8' (2.4m) power cord. Connect the male barrel connector of the power cord to the female port on the back of the panel. Be sure it's securely inserted. When you're ready, plug in the DC Power Adapter. The panel will begin to boot up. This can take up to two (2) minutes to complete.
   

Programming the Panel:

The earliest version of the panel did not include the option for local programming. All programming had to be done using AlarmNet360. As already discussed, most DIY users will not have access to this site. In firmware version 3.591.92.0, the option for local panel programming was added. With the release of this version, DIYers can locally program their panel rather than having to rely on an alarm dealer.

In order to get a firmware update, the panel must be connected to WIFI. It will not perform a firmware update using cellular data. If you have a panel in a location where WIFI is unavailable, connecting the panel to a cellular hotspot will emulate a WIFI connection, and will allow the firmware update to go through. In order to send a firmware update to the panel, it must have an account configured in AlarmNet360, but according to MyWebTech, it doesn't have to be registered. There is no USB port on the panel for local firmware updates.

You can check the current firmware version on your PROA7 or PROA7PLUS Panel by clicking the three (3) horizontal bars button at the bottom of the main screen, then choosing Tools, entering the system's Installer Code (default 4112), selecting System Information, and then pressing General. The current system firmware version will be shown on the screen.

Partitions:

A partition allows you to use a single alarm system to protect multiple areas that may need to be armed and disarmed at different times. For example, you may have a main home and a work shop. The main home may need to be armed while the work shop is disarmed. You could just bypass the zones of one area and arm the rest of the system, but that gets complicated.

With partitioning, you can assign the zones in the main home to partition 1. Then assign the zones for the work shop to partition 2. Now, you can easily arm these two important areas separately. If you need to arm both, that can be done fairly easily as well. The PROA7 and PROA7PLUS can support up to four (4) partitions.

To enable Partitions 2 - 4, enter programming by tapping on the hamburger menu icon at the bottom of the screen, then scrolling down, tapping Tools, entering the Installer Code (4112, by default) then tapping Programming and finally Partitions. To add a partition, tap the Add Icon (+) and give the new partition a name. Once you've added any additional partitions you'll use, you're ready to program zones.

Zone Programming:

Arguably, the most important programming you'll need to complete is zone programming. Each transmitter or wired zone you add to the system will require at least one (1) zone to be programmed. Some transmitters may allow you to protect two (2) or more separate zones, or protect against multiple conditions. For example, the PROSIXCOMBOV will monitor for fire, high heat, and carbon monoxide. For this reason, if you plan to use it for all three (3) of these conditions it will require that you program three (3) separate zones.

To program zones, follow these steps:

1. Enter programming. Click the three (3) horizontal bars menu button at the bottom of the panel's screen. In the toolbar on the left, scroll down and tap Tools. Enter the system's Installer Code (default 4112). Choose Programming. This brings you into Local Programming Mode.
2. Program zones. Once in programming, tap Peripherals. This brings you into zone programming. To add a zone, tap the Add icon (+) in the upper right. The panel will enter listening mode. While the panel is listening, activate the zone you want to program. When the panel picks up the serial number, it will determine if the sensor is a PROSIX, SiX, or PROTAKEOVER sensor and will show options for programming that are appropriate based on that information. Below we'll go through programming for a PROSIXSMOKEV:
   
   
   
   
   1. Sensor Type: This is filled in automatically by the panel. It knows what type of sensor is in use based on the MAC address it learned in. If this were a zone that communicated to the panel via the PROTAKEOVER or PROSIXC2W, it wouldn't receive this information automatically. In that case, you would need to program this option.
   2. MAC: Again, this is filled in automatically because the sensor was learned in by the system. If you were manually programming (not an option with PROSIX sensors) you'd need to type in a serial number.
   3. Partition: Partition 1 is selected automatically, but if you have multiple partitions and need to assign the sensor to a different one tap the dropdown arrow to the right and select the correct partition.
   4. Service: The option to ADD a service is used when programming sensors that offer multiple options, like the PROSIXCOMBOV mentioned earlier. For now, we're going to skip this option, but we'll come back to it.
   5. Zone Number: Also selected automatically, this is the next available zone number at the time the sensor was learned in. You can change it by tapping on it, then entering a new zone number. Just be sure the number you choose is still available with nothing already programmed for it.
   6. Service: In this case, Smoke is selected. The PROSIXSMOKEV has two (2) available services, one for smoke detection, and one for heat detection. By default, Smoke is the selected service when learning the detector into the panel. If you only wanted to use this as a heat detector, you could hit the dropdown arrow and change the service to Heat. If you're putting the detector in a garage, or a kitchen where false smoke alarms could be an issue, you might want to use only the heat detector option.
      
      
   7. Zone Description 1: You'll have to scroll down to see this option, along with the rest of the zone programming for this sensor. Zone Description 1 is the name you want to give this zone. If you begin typing, existing vocabulary words will come up that you can choose. For example, I typed LIV and the options for Living and Living Room popped up. I selected Living Room, then tapped SAVE.
   8. Zone Description 2: This is additional descriptive information, for sensors that you can't fully describe otherwise. For example, if I have two (2) smoke detectors in my Living Room, I might call them Living Room North, and Living Room South. If you don't need to use an additional descriptor, you can leave this blank and move on.
   9. Device Type: Smoke is automatically programmed here. This setting follows the Service option programmed. The options for this particular sensor are Smoke or Heat. Available options will vary based on the sensor being programmed.
   10. Response Type: You may also hear this referred to as the Zone Type. This is the programming that tells the panel how this zone will behave, and how to treat it. By default, "Fire No Verification" is selected. Because the panel knows that this is a PROSIXSMOKEV, it only gives two options here, Fire No Verification or Fire With Verification. Fire With Verification is an option to reduce false alarms. If the sensor is activated, the panel will wait 30 seconds before indicating an alarm. If, at the end of 30 seconds the detector is still activated, a full fire alarm will be triggered and reported by the system. If not, then the system returns to normal. You can read about all of the available Response types in the Installation Guide, starting on page 26.
   11. Supervised: This toggle lets you tell the panel whether it should supervise the wireless zone for periodic check in, or not. It is always recommended to supervise any transmitter that offers the option, unless the sensor is something like a key fob that will be carried off site. With supervision enabled, if the panel doesn't hear from the sensor for a predetermined period of time, it will indicate a trouble or check condition for that sensor.
   12. Alarm Report: This toggle determines if the system will report an alarm on this sensor to the monitoring station. If full central station monitoring is being used, this option should be toggled on.
   
   
   
   13. Version: This information is filled in automatically based on the information provided to the panel by the PROSIX sensor. For legacy wireless devices, which communicate to the panel via the PROTAKEOVER module, this information will not be available.
   14. Chime: Chime is disabled for the PROSIXSMOKEV, as it has no need to chime. If this were a different type of sensor, such as a door or window, the Chime option would be available and you would have a selection of chime sounds to choose from. Having unique chime sounds helps you to determine as quickly as possible which sensor has been opened. There are ten (10) chime sounds to choose from. You can enable or disable chime on a per zone basis.
   15. One Go/All Go This option is available for certain life-safety sensors such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. For sensors that have this option, and have it enabled, if any one of the "interconnected" wireless smoke or CO detectors goes off, all of them will sound until the system is silenced with a disarm command.
   16. Supervision Time: If the system doesn't hear from this particular sensor for this amount of time, in this case, 120 Minutes or two (2) hours, then it will indicate a trouble condition on this zone. The supervision time may vary for different types of sensors, and usually can't be adjusted. Once you've programmed all options, be sure to press SAVE at the top right of the screen.
       
       ADD SERVICE: Remember, back on item iv, I said we'd come back to this option. After you've programmed the primary service option for a multi-service sensor, you can press ADD under SERVICE and the system will add another zone based on the available information from this one. Once you tell the system to ADD, you'll need to go through programming for the new zone in the same manner that you did the original one. In this case, my next available zone number is eight (8), the system knows this is a heat detector because I already programmed the smoke detector service so Heat is automatically programmed. Helpfully, Description 1 and Description 2 will be carried over from the original zone. So, this is now the Living Room South Heat. The rest of the options such as Supervision, Alarm Report, and One Go/All Go will be set to match the first zone programmed. Unless you need to change them, just press SAVE

Program Z-Wave Devices:

First of all, the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS and the Resideo PROA7PLUSC come with the PROWIFIZW installed from the factory. The Honeywell Home PROA7 and the Resideo PROA7C do not. Therefore, if you want to use Z-Wave devices with the PROA7 or PROA7C, you'll first need to add the PROWIFIZW module. You can see a full comparison between the PROA7 and PROA7C vs. the PROA7PLUS and PROA7PLUSC in this comparison chart.

• How Do I Add a Z-Wave Lock to a PROA7PLUS?
• How Do I Rename a Z-Wave Device on a PROA7 or PROA7PLUS?
• How Do I Remove A Z-Wave Device from a PROA7PLUS?

Summary:

This guide should help you choose a panel and a communicator, determine how and where to mount the panel, and give you a guide to begin programming your system. It is by no means all encompassing, so you may have questions. Feel free to reach out to us at support@alarmgrid.com with questions or comments. At this point in the process, you should be ready to activate the system for monitoring.

If you're an Alarm Grid customer, we will either create your account and let you know when it's ready (Self Monitoring) or if you want full central station monitoring, you will set up an appointment at the time you sign up for service, and one of our activators will call you at the appointed time. Be sure to provide all of the information requested during your sign up. This helps us to get a jump on building your account, and makes the process of activation go much more smoothly. At your activation appointment time, be sure the panel is powered on, connected to WIFI, if applicable, and if you're using an LTE cellular module, be sure it has been installed using the instructions linked above.