Honeywell Lyric-CDMA

Verizon Cellular Communicator for the Lyric Security System

Average rating:

(based upon one review)

This is the Verizon (CDMA) version of the communicator for the Lyric. For those that want the added benefits of cellular protection, get the CDMA if Verizon has better signal than AT&T in the location your Lyric Controller is installed or going to be installed. For those that would prefer AT&T, the Lyric-3G is what you need.

This product is not sold by Alarm Grid at this time. As an alternative, we recommend:

Description

The Lyric-CDMA is Honeywell's first CDMA-ready cellular communicator which means your alarm system can report alarm signals using the Verizon network! For many years, Honeywell cellular communicators have only supported the AT&T network. This was fine for the areas with decent AT&T reception. However the Verizon network has outstanding coverage throughout the country. Where the Verizon network seems to really shine is in remote areas where other carrier's signal strength is poor or non-existent. Honeywell has been guaranteed CDMA-1x coverage from Verizon until the CDMA network shutdown. Currently the LYRICLTE-A is the only LTE cellular option is for AT&T but Honeywell has plans on releasing a Verizon LTE communicator at some point. For those with unreliable or unavailable internet and phone connections, the Lyric-CDMA is here to save the day.

Cellular communicators are designed to transmit and receive signals from a server. In this case, the Lyric-CDMA is activated on the Verizon network by your monitoring company during the activation of your service. After the radio is active, the alarm company will have to register it on Honeywell's Alarmnet server. Once the module is registered, it can be used for self monitoring in the form of Total Connect 2.0, central station monitoring or both. In the event of a power outage, the Lyric-CDMA will be able to transfer signals on the panel's backup battery power. Since cellular communicators connect wirelessly to the nearest tower they do not rely on any local hardware except for the power to the panel.

Traditionally, alarm systems should be powered down when installing cellular modules. Well the Lyric Controller is the first control panel that offers a specialized way to install a cellular communicator without powering down the system. There are step by step instructions that can be found in the installation manual. You can enter installer programming and select "Test" or master user programming and select "Advanced." Then simply press "Install Cellular Module" and follow along with the prompts on the touchscreen. Please keep in mind that you will need to reach out to an alarm company that is an Alarmnet dealer to activate the radio. Always document the MAC and MAC CRC addresses and have them ready for activation.

Cellular communication gains it's popularity from the reliability it can offer in comparison to a phone line or internet connection. Generally both phone line and internet require a wired connection to the panel or modem. This line can be cut. Thus compromising the signal. Also, internet connections can simply drop out due to a myriad of local network issues such as IP conflicts or external issues such as line maintenance or extreme weather. The CDMA-based Verizon network is extremely reliable and the coverage throughout the country is why we are all so excited for the release of this device.

Brand: Honeywell Resideo

Reviews
Outdated Communicator
Submitted on 06/05/2020 Alarm Grid

The Honeywell Lyric-CDMA is a defunct communicator that was once sold as a cellular communicator add-on for the Honeywell Lyric Security System. Since Verizon is in the process of shutting down their CDMA Network, the Lyric-CDMA has been discontinued for purchase. It is also now impossible to activate an existing Lyric-CDMA for monitoring service. If you have an existing Lyric-CDMA Communicator that has already been activated, then you can continue to use it until Verizon shuts down their CDMA Network. This is expected to occur sometime in 2022, though no official date has been revealed to the general public. Alarm Grid now recommends buying an LTE communicator instead, such as the Honeywell LYRICLTE-V Verizon LTE Communicator. As for the Honeywell Lyric-CDMA, we only give it 4 Stars, as it is no longer an optimal communicator for the system.

There are positive aspects regarding the Lyric-CDMA. For one, it allows for the use of Total Connect 2.0. This is a monitoring and automation platform that users can access to control their Honeywell Systems remotely. Since Verizon has not yet shut down their CDMA Network, you can continue to temporarily use the communicator for monitoring service, at least until the network is permanently shut down. We also like the fact that the communicator is very easy to install.

But the negative aspects for the Honeywell Lyric-CDMA should not be ignored. The communicator can no longer be activated for monitoring service. And once Verizon shuts down their CDMA Network, then the communicator will stop working entirely. Anyone with this communicator should make sure to upgrade to an LTE communicator as soon as possible. That is the only way to continue using the Lyric System for cellular monitoring service. With that in mind, we only give the Lyric-CDMA 4 Stars.

Good: Total Connect 2.0, Can be Used Until Network Shutdown, Easy to Install

Bad: Can No Longer be Activated, Will Stop Working Soon

Bottom Line: 4 Stars

No, if you don't intend to get monitoring (central station and/or Total Connect 2.0 service), there would be no reason to purchase the cellular communicator.
No, the cellular data charges are paid by us (or whatever company you activate with) and are included in the monthly monitoring rate.
Do I need a Cellular Communicator for the Lyric Security System if my house isn't being monitored by a alarm company
Is there a separate monthly charge on top of the monitoring companies fee? for the Verizon communicator?
Correct, you would need to have it physically removed to do a WIFI only plan and then install it back if/when you want to upgrade to cellular.
Thanks for your quick response. This means if I have a wifi plan, I can't keep the cellular card in there as a backup in case I need to activate it quickly in the future?
I'm not sure I understand the question. However, the cellular card must be removed from the panel if you are activating a WIFI only service plan. Therefore, to upgrade to cellular, someone would need to be on site.
if this module is installed already but not enabled, can I turn on cellular reporting if nobody is home (assuming I have total connect access)
No, unfortunately there isn't a CDMA option available for the L5100 panel. You could either spend money "bulletproofing" your WIFI against things like power loss, assuming you're using it with WIFI, or it may be time to consider upgrading the panel.
If you had the AT&T cellular module (Lyric-3G) in before it was actually not a 4G communicator either. If you had another alarm system before, do you know what model number the communicator was? Honeywell doesn't currently have any 4G cellular communicators available for the Lyric and most of their communicators are 3G instead of 4G. There is talk of an LTE version coming out. The good news is that your Lyric system isn't downloading YouTube videos or streaming heavy data and therefore the difference in speed from 3G (and CDMA 1X which is roughly equivalent to AT&T's 2G technology used with the Lyric-3G) to 4G shouldn't matter. Also, Honeywell has commitments from the cellular carriers that the current 3G/CDMA-1X units will work for many years into the future (even after the carrier's may have phased out the phone coverage) as they are M2M (machine-to-machine) cellular devices sending smaller amounts of data.
Hi there, will this communicator work with the Honeywell touch L5100 ? I have the L5100 system but zero AT&T signal
Okay, thanks for that information. The GSMVLP5-4G did work on AT&T's 2G/3G/4G network. Since that unit was released, Honeywell changed out to the 4GL/3GL which really only worked on AT&T's 2G/3G networks. The difference between AT&T's 3G and 4G network is only speed. With alarm systems that are sending very small packets of data (and not downloading YouTube videos like phones), speed differences between 3G and 4G are negligible. Also, there's been no indication from AT&T that the 3G network would be discontinued before their 4G network and I think most people agree that both networks probably will be sunset at the same time once they switch fully to LTE. With all that said, the new Lyric-CDMA communicator which works on Verizon's CDMA network won't be any slower than your old communicator. Honeywell has also confirmed with Verizon that their CDMA 1X network will be kept alive for machine to machine devices (such as your panel's communicator) at least until 2022 so I don't think you have to worry about the network being phased out.
I bought a GSMVLP5-4G for the Lynx 5100 Touch
What was the model number of your "old" 4G communicator? I can answer the other questions better if I know what you had previously.
I bought this with Honeywell's latest system (Lyric) feeling like it was an upgrade. After hooking it up, I noticed that it is CDMA 1x 2G..It may work but why do I feel as if I have been secretly downgraded from my "old" 4G communicator? Isn't This going to be slower and are they not phasing this tech out altogether? Thanks!
The system functions the same whether it's Verizon or AT&T so you should just pick the one that has the strongest signal strength in your home. If both work the same, it doesn't matter which one you pick.
If I have both AT&T and Verizon 4G coverage in my house, which would you recommend?
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