Where Can I Download the Latest Firmware for the Honeywell L5200 Alarm System?

NOTE: The information presented below is outdated. The Honeywell L5200 can now receive a firmware update using the Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool. By doing this, AlarmNet will recognize the L5200 as an L5210 System. Please see this blog post for more information.

You cannot manually download the latest firmware for the Honeywell L5200 Alarm System. The only way to initiate a firmware update is to have the latest firmware pushed down from the AlarmNet Servers that are operated by Resideo. This requires that the system is connected with AlarmNet.

At this time, the only way to monitor a Honeywell L5200 is through WIFI using an L5100-WIFI module. As of June 26th, 2019, it is no longer possible to activate a CDMA, 3G, or 4G cellular communicator for monitoring service. This includes deactivating an existing communicator and then reactivating it. Since there is no LTE cellular communicator for the L5200, the panel cannot be activated for cellular alarm monitoring. Remember, the Honeywell LTE-L57A and LTE-L57V will only work with the L5210 and L7000 Systems. These LTE communicators will not work with an L5200.

Normally, a person would only upgrade a LYNX Touch System to make it compatible with an LTE communicator. But there is still reason to upgrade a Honeywell L5200. Newer versions of the L5100-WIFI require a LYNX Touch System to be running Firmware Revision 8.00.183 or higher. Newer version of the L5100-WIFI that require this Firmware Revision can be identified by having a MAC prefix B8:2C:A0. If your LYNX Touch L5200 is running a lower firmware version, you might upgrade it to make it compatible with this module. More information can be found in this helpful blog post. Additionally, it's possible that a future firmware update may be released to fix system bugs or add new features.

For an L5200 System, you can only upgrade the firmware by having an update pushed down from the AlarmNet Servers. This requires that the system has active monitoring service. In other words, the system must have an active cellular or IP communicator and service with an alarm monitoring company. The most realistic scenario is that a user has an L5200 System with a CDMA, 3G or 4G cellular communicator. The user knows that the sunset for these networks is quickly approaching. With that in mind, they get a new L5100-WIFI module to monitor the system. By using the L5100-WIFI and their existing cellular module, they can do dual-path monitoring (IP and cellular) until the cellular network is shutdown. Once the cellular network is shutdown, they will still be able to do IP-only monitoring with their L5100-WIFI. But if the L5100-WIFI requires a higher Firmware Revision than what is on the panel, then the user will need to upgrade the System Firmware first. They can have the update pushed down from the AlarmNet Servers through the existing cellular path. As long as the user does this before the cellular network is shutdown, they will be okay. For reference, 3G and 4G cellular networks are due to be shutdown in 2022.

Remember, the system must have active alarm monitoring service to have an update pushed down from the AlarmNet Servers. If you have an L5200 without active monitoring service and a new L5100-WIFI module, you might find yourself in a catch-22 situation. You need the L5100-WIFI module to activate monitoring service so that the system can be upgraded. But at the same time, you need to upgrade the system to use the L5100-WIFI module. Unfortunately, you will have to replace the panel. A newly manufactured L5210 or L7000 System will be running high enough firmware to support the L5100-WIFI module right out of the box.

The L5210 and L7000 Systems can receive firmware updates using the Honeywell LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool. Even if you find an old L5210 or L7000 with a low firmware revision, you can still update the system using the updater tool. Please note that the L5210 and L7000 Systems do not allow firmware updates to be pushed down. You must use the updater tool to upgrade these two systems. More information on using the LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool can be found in this helpful FAQ.

Unfortunately, the L5200 System is not compatible with the LYNXTOUCH-MSD Firmware Updater Tool at the time of this writing. Resideo has stated that a future update to the LYNXTOUCH-MSD will make it compatible with the L5200 System. Until that happens, the only way to update an L5200 is to have the update pushed down from AlarmNet.

Update: As of November 2019, you can now upgrade an L5200 using the updater tool. More information can be found here.