2GIG GC3 Add Duress User Code
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Description
An alarm system is designed to provide aid for practically any potential emergency. This includes a situation where you might have to disarm your alarm while someone is physically threatening you.
Our video shows you the steps to add a Duress Code to the 2GIG GC3 security system. The tutorial also includes important info about selecting and using a Duress Code.
Entering the proper Master Code is the easiest way to disarm a security system. Unfortunately, criminals know this, too. Forcing a homeowner to disarm their own security system might sound like a scene from a movie, but unfortunately it’s a terrifying possibility in the real world.
Business owners run a special risk due to predictable hours. A thief can ambush an employee as they open or close the store. But homeowners should be prepared for this situation, too.
The Duress Code is designed to appear completely normal. When you enter the code, the alarm is disarmed. Nothing will look unusual about the control panel, under the assumption the criminal will be watching you very closely.
But a secret signal has been sent to the alarm monitors. Instead of contacting you directly, the alarm company will immediately contact your local police department. They’ll also explain the nature of the alarm and that you are possibly being held against your will.
The video has easy-to-follow instructions for setting up a Duress Code. First, you’ll enter the System Settings area by using your Master User code. Then the video will show you how to open the Users tab.
Unless you’ve set up additional sub-users, only the Master User account will be setup and active. Underneath will be a grayed-out “Duress” user slot. By default, the 2GIG does not have a Duress code pre-set.
By following the instructions in the video, you’ll be able to set up your Duress Code in just a few steps. You’re free to choose any four digit number which is different from any existing codes already created for the system.
As we explain in the video, 2580 is a popular Duress Code. It doesn’t conflict with the default Master or Installer codes. Plus, 2580 forms a vertical line down the middle of the keypad, which is easy to remember.
Any situation where you need to input the Duress Code is going to be extremely stressfully – and that’s putting it mildly. You want to keep the Duress Code simple. At the same time, 2580 is common enough that you might want to use something a bit more original.
If you want to add an extra layer of security, you can also change the name of the code from “Duress” to something more innocent-looking.
As the video shows, the system looks and acts completely normal after the Duress User Code is created. If you need to use the code, even someone looking directly over your shoulder wouldn’t know you were secretly signaling for help.
Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] Hi, DIYers. This is Frank at Alarm Grid again. We're back in the video lab working on the two gig GC3. Today, we'll be showing you how to add or manage your duress user code.
The duress code is specifically designed to send out a silent panic signal to a central station. So by setting up this code, the assumption is that you've already enrolled in service, or you plan on enrolling in some sort of central station monitored service. If you have questions on that, you can always reach out to us separately. We do offer that service. There are other two gig dealers, any alarm.com dealer that works with the too gig panel would support this duress code feature.
So the duress code is a four digit code used just as you would use a regular code, whether it be your master installer code. Except this code, when it's used to arm or disarm at the keypad, it will immediately send a silent panic out to the central station. So what this is designed for is a situation of duress.
So, for example, if you are getting out of your vehicle outside the home in your driveway and walking in the front door, and God forbid, an intruder grabs you, walks into the home, and asks you to disarm the panel, this is a way for you to seemingly disarm your system, while in turn sending out a silent duress panic signal to the central station. The operators receive the signal. They do not verify on this type of signal by calling. They simply dispatch the police. And at that point, the police will show up, and they'll know that you're in duress, and that someone's there with you.
So let's show you how to change the code here. On the home screen of the GC3, we can go into the system settings icon on the bottom right, and enter the master user code. The master user is 1, 1, 1, 1 by default. We always recommend changing that, so if you haven't already, you can check out our other video on how to change the master user code on your GC3.
For now, we're just using our default, which is 1, 1, 1, 1. So we'll hit users. And you'll see the duress code here is grayed out, because we don't have one set up yet. So by default, there's no duress code set in. We can hit Edit, and at this point we can first toggle this activate toggle button there. And it'll say enter code for user duress.
So this is where we can enter the code. A common code is 2, 5, 8-- excuse me, 2, 5, 8, 0, just because it's down the center of the keypad. If you're worried that maybe an intruder would know that, feel free to set it to something else. A lot of people do that just so that they remember it in a situation that is stressful.
The same idea should go along with any code you use. So it should be an easy code, either an easy pattern of numbers, or an easy pattern on the number pad. For today, we'll just set it is 2, 5, 8, 0. And then next, we'll put in 2, 5, 8, 0 one more time.
And you'll see that the activate column here is toggled green to the right, the user number is set on eight, and we have the name here as duress. You could rename that if you wanted to, if you wanted that to come through differently on alarm.com or whatever it may be. And then the code here is down at the bottom.
There's an Edit key, so if you ever did want to come in and edit this later on, you can do that. For today, we'll just keep it on the 2, 5, 8, 0. At that point, we can back all the way out to the home screen. So if we were to arm with that code, and the panel is already configured to sending signals out to a central station, it would immediately send that panic signal, and the authorities would be on their way immediately.
So it does not show anything on the system that the panic has been initiated. In order to protect you from any potentially violent, dangerous situation with the intruder, there's nothing on the system at all. So it'll basically seem like it disarmed and everything will seem to be good, and then the police will show up. So if you have any questions around how the duress user code works, or how to reset it, please check out this video. And if you have any other questions on the GC3, you can email us at support@alarmgrid.com, and don't forget to subscribe to our channel.
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