Will Alarm.com Work w/ a DSC Impassa?

Yes, Alarm.com will work with a DSC Impassa. In order for this to be possible the system will need to be receiving active cellular monitoring service. This requires a cellular alarm communicator and a cellular monitoring plan. The Impassa must be running firmware version 1.3 or higher.

Alarm.com is an interactive service platform that a user can access to control their alarm system. By accessing the service, a user can arm and disarm their system, check the current status of sensors, control Z-Wave home automation devices and more. The Alarm.com service can be reached using any web browser or through the Alarm.com Mobile App on any Android or iOS device.

There are a few requirements that must be met for a DSC Impassa System to connect with Alarm.com. The system will need to be receiving active cellular monitoring service for it to work with the platform. This requires a compatible cellular communicator and an alarm monitoring plan that includes cellular connectivity. For Alarm Grid, these are the Gold and Platinum level plans. Please check out our alarm monitoring page for more information. The DSC Impassa must be running firmware version 1.3 or higher to support a cellular connection. More information on the process for installing a cellular communicator inside a DSC Impassa can be found in this FAQ.

However, Alarm Grid no longer recommends a DSC Impassa Alarm System for monitoring service. The DSC Impassa is a relatively outdated security panel, and better options are readily available. For former Impassa users, or any user with existing 433 MHz wireless sensors that are supported by a DSC Impassa, we have some nice upgrade options. If you want to stick with Alarm.com as you interactive platform and continue with cellular alarm monitoring, then the 433 MHz Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus in the red and white box is ideal for you.

Or if you are considering an alternative interactive platform instead of Alarm.com, then you should check out the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS, which uses Total Connect 2.0. By using the system with an added Honeywell Home PROTAKEOVER Module, it can support existing one-way 433 MHz wireless sensors, including those from DSC. One possible advantage of the PROA7PLUS is that it can be used with any Alarm Grid Monitoring Plan, including those that are internet-only. Just remember that without cellular backup, an internet outage will take your system offline. For a more direct comparison between the Qolsys IQ Panel w Plus and the PROA7PLUS, please see this FAQ.

Upgrading to cellular is very important for any alarm system. This goes beyond just merely being able to access Alarm.com. Cellular service is widely recognized as being the optimal communication path for an alarm system. The service is almost never down, and it is virtually impossible for others to tamper with or disable. It is also unaffected by routine power outages that may occur. Modern cellular speeds are also right on par with WIFI connectivity, making cellular service very fast. For these reasons, we strongly encourage any user to upgrade to cellular. The only LTE cellular communicator for the DSC Impassa on the Alarm Grid website is the DSC TL8055LTVZ Verizon LTE Module. The communicator is listed as discontinued.