What is the Honeywell VAM Used For?

The Honeywell VAM is used for adding Z-Wave smart home functionality to a Honeywell VISTA System. Once a Honeywell VAM has been set up and configured, a user can access the Total Connect 2.0 platform through a web browser or the mobile app to control their Z-Wave smart home devices.

The Honeywell VISTA Automation Module (VAM) can support up to 232 different Z-Wave devices at any time. However, it is recommended to keep the total device number under 100 for optimal performance. The VAM has no display screen, and there is no way to control the Z-Wave devices directly from the module itself. For local control, a user can open a web browser and pull up the IP address for the VAM. This will require connecting the VAM to a local WIFI network. The web browser will then display a screen for controlling the VAM.

However, the VAM is more popularly used with the Total Connect 2.0 service. Total Connect 2.0 is an interactive platform designed exclusively for use with Honeywell Alarm Control Panels. One of the best features of Total Connect 2.0 is the ability to control Z-Wave devices remotely. In order to do this, the user's security system will need to have some type of Z-Wave controller. That is where the Honeywell VAM comes into play. However, there is a limit to the number of devices that can be used with Total Connect 2.0 when facilitated through the VAM. By using a VAM, a user can control up to 40 lights, 3 thermostats and 4 door locks through Total Connect 2.0.

Another major benefit of the Honeywell VAM is that a user will be able to create and execute smart scenes. A smart scene allows up to 10 different devices to respond in a predetermined manner. This includes both Z-Wave devices and the system itself. One example of a smart scene could be where a user shuts off their Z-Wave thermostat, turns off all their Z-Wave lights, locks their front door and sets their VISTA Security System to Arm Away. A user might call this smart scene "Work", and they might perform this smart scene before they leave for work in the morning. The VAM can support up to 20 TC2 scenes and 10 local scenes. The TC2 scenes can be performed by accessing the service through a web browser or through the free Total Connect 2.0 Mobile App on Android and iOS devices.