2GIG Edge: Sending a Cell Test

Hey DIYers, Jorge from Alarm Grid here. Today, we're going to be going over how to send a cell test from your new 2GIG Edge security system. So first thing I want to go ahead and go over is what is a cellular test on the system, and what is it needed for. Basically, this is one of the most important steps in the activation of your 2GIG system that most companies will require. And they need that to be done in order for the system to give a little handshake to the alarm.com cloud service. In order for the security system, 2GIG Edge, to basically sync, and pair to alarm.com it needs a successful cellular test completed. Now the 2GIG Edge, it comes in either AT&T or Verizon. So before you go out and buy your 2GIG Edge, one of the things you want to research in your areas first is to see which provider has better reception in that area. The reason I'm saying you want to do this research before is because the 2GIG Edge, unlike the other previous 2GIG systems, like the GC2, the GC3, the GC2E, the GC3E-- the cellular modules were add-on pieces. You can actually remove them, replace them. If you guys were moving to one location that you needed a different set of your module for, you could just swap them out. The 2GIG edge on the other hand, has the module built into it. It cannot be replaced. So you want to make sure you guys get the correct one to start off because if not, you guys might need to replace the whole panel, so very important to keep that in mind. Now, the actual cellular test is typically something that needs to be done after the alarm company creates the account. If you guys are going with a local company, typically their technicians will be doing this for you, so you probably don't have to worry about it. But if your DIYer, and your monitored, let's say, by us, Alarm Grid, we will actually send you steps on when to do the cell test so that we can actually sync your panel to the account that we've created for you. So real fast, to do the cell test, the alarm company first has to greet the account. So you need to make sure you're signed up for the correct plan. After you-- after they've created the account, they would let you know to run that cell test. The fastest way to do it, you will need the in-panels installer code. Default installer code for 2GIG systems are 1561. 1561 is the code. If that doesn't work in the next few steps then I'm going to be showing you, then that means the code may have been changed. This is typical in local companies. They will change the code just so that their installers can add the devices for you. But if you are DIYing it, you want to make sure you have access to your installer code as that's where you are going to be using to programming your own devices and do all these deep level programming tests and just checking the status of the system and everything. So starting at the home screen, if you have your 2GIG Edge powered on, you're going to hit the little gear icon. In the bottom right-hand corner, it's going to ask you for a code. [DIAL TONE] This is where you're going to enter in your installer code. Mine is defaulted at 1561. Once you're here, you're going to scroll down, and you're going to go to installer toolbox. Now if you enter in a master code, it will take you to this screen as well. But if you enter in the master code and you hit installer toolbox, it'll ask you for the installer code. It won't let you get into the toolbox. So that's why I like using the installer code right off the bat, which is why I use the 1561. Once I'm in the installer toolbox, what are we doing? We're doing a cellular test. That can be found in the system tests field. So I go to System tests. I'm going to go to Cell Radial Test and Status. This is also a good area where you're going to get the panel's IMEI or serial number. The alarm company will need the serial number or the IMEI. They should be the same. They'll be found on different screens. We actually have a video on how to find your 2GIG Edge system's cellular information, so make sure you look out for that video as well if you're having trouble finding it. But basically on this screen, it will show you all the information you need to get activated. So if you haven't given them the serial number or IMEI, you can find that right there in the second field. Signal strength, the very first one, it's very, very important. When I first plug this system in, my signal strength had zero out of six bars. It could have been that the sim card was deactivated. So if you've done research in your area, and you know for sure that Verizon or AT&T work in your area, and you plug the system in, and you're getting zero out of six bars, and you're like how could this be, I did the research, everything works fine, my phone works fine, it could just be your system. It basically-- the account needs to be created first. You may need to reboot the system, so reset its memory to start back up, give it a little jump-start. So l when I first plugged in this 2GIG Edge, I actually was showing zero to six. We created the account, we activated it, and now look, it's three out of six bars. That's a really good signal for a 2GIG Edge system. This here is going to show you all the information you guys need to know. So signal strength is showing good. I'm going to go ahead and do test cell radio. This will send a radio test basically to the alarm.com cloud. And it should come back successful because I have three out of six. [DIAL TONE] It would say cell radio test in progress. And it came back immediately, cell radio test successful. Some of you guys, it may take a little bit longer, so you might have to be a little patient with the system. If it takes a very long time, you've been standing there five minutes, it might fail. If at that point it does fail, this is where I suggest doing a reboot. If the reboot doesn't help, you might need to do a little bit of troubleshooting with the alarm company that you guys are with. Some other options, if it just turns out that the panel just really has no good cellular reception in the area, you might want to think about getting a cellular amplifier or a booster for the house. That'll increase LTE signal for any device that's using LTE-- your cell phones, depending on what kind of Wi-Fi you have, if you have Wi-Fi router based off of LTE, the panels, LTE communicator. You guys can do that. You guys can try swapping out to a different 2GIG Edge system, maybe the other carrier offers a better signal in the area. But basically, once you run a successful cell test, the panel syncs up with the alarm.com cloud service. And at that time, you should get welcoming emails from alarm.com if that's the service that you guys have signed up for. Alarm.com is also an application you download onto your smartphones, tablets. It's a website that allows you to access, control the system remotely from anywhere in the world. So you guys can arm, disarm. You guys have z wave devices, lights, locks, thermostats, cameras. There is a whole bunch of endless possibilities you guys can do with the system if you guys have it set up on the alarm.com service with the application. Now that I've run my successful cell test radio, I'm going to go ahead and back out to the main screen. I'm just going to repeatedly press this top right back icon. So top right, there's a back button. [DIAL TONE] I'm just going to repeatedly press it until I back out to the main screen. Once you've successfully run your cell test, you guys should be good to go. If you guys have any questions whatsoever, you guys need help finding a 2GIG system for your home, your business, whatever it maybe, please give us a call, send us an email. Our email is going to be support@alarmgrid.com. If you find the video helpful, make sure you hit Like underneath, subscribe to the YouTube channel, and hit the little bell icon, so whenever we upload new content you guys get notified. I'm Jorge. And I'll see you guys next time.