Using Simon XTi with Total Connect

hey DIY is down here with alarmgrid today we're going over can I use Total Connect 2.0 with my Simon XTi quick answer is no so you cannot use Total Connect - with the Simon reason being is that Total Connect is a Honeywell system and Honeywell is very tight on their name meaning that total thanks is mainly only operational and functional with other Honeywell devices such as a lynx panel a lyric Vista anything like that not really on any other panels that you see on Total Connect mainly only Honeywell so that leaves the question can I use anything with the Simon XTi answer is yes you can what you can use is alarm comm application this application is similar to total connects it is different as in the brand is obviously different the layout is different but functionality is pretty similar what alarm comm is is basically a remote application or website that's name where you can remotely arm and disarm your system if you're not home you can create scenes you can access z-wave control you can integrate it with other kind of like smart devices that you have and you can get notifications remotely as well so if your alarm goes off if a sensor is left open anything like that you can be notified via text email or push notification so for the Simon XTi how do I get it to work with alarm calm you're gonna need a cell communicator this is absolutely required if you're trying to do anything with warm calm they usually require cell communicators the Simon XTi definitely does require one what you can be looking for for this we have the actual devices on our website so we have a whole layout of them right there but basically the main brand that this uses is the intro logics 600 - 1048 XT that's the main cell communicator that game using with assignment xti xt xt i there are different types verizon ATT ET mobile so just depending on what's best in your area what has the best that's we're gonna be picking that from yeah once you actually have a cell module installed into the Simon XTi you're basically gonna register the system with your alarm company they're gonna require the serial number from that cell communicator they can walk you through on how to get that and then once that set up and once this panel is registered with them you will have remote arm and disarm control of the system so if I leave for the day I forgot to press arm I can just pull my phone or tablet press arm the system through the tablet or phone have that signals sent down to the Simon itself hence arming the system remotely so I don't have to drive all the way back home and harm it now since it does use cell connection you want to just make sure as mentioned that the cell signaling area is good you don't you don't want to have low cell signal obviously if the cell signal is too low the commands are not going to go through to the panel and even worse if the panel has an alarm it may not go back through to you so check your area what has good signal in the area what carrier is the best you know that the surrounding area isn't too congested where it kind of dampens your cell signal in general if that does happen there are you know antennas that you can get there's so amplifiers other things that you can kind of do to boost the signal of the cell signal itself a cell communicator be it things to keep in mind with any kind of so communicator if really any panel coverage in the area carrier and then environmental factors so yeah once you have the so communicator in the panel you can log on to long comm application which your alarm company will give you the credentials for and as mention you do that you through the website phone tablet anything like that remotely armed and disarmed doesn't matter where you are as long as what you're using has significant signal so beat either cell data or Wi-Fi I have to have something on the device that is actually going to be communicating or also you're just gonna get it loading consistently I'll say failed to connect so even error just won't do anything at all you want to make sure that what you're using has signal and then also that the pan at home has proper signal as well but that's really set up during installation not really after it's already installed and when you start using it so yeah I mean fairly simple just to kind of reiterate you cannot use Total Connect to with the Simon XTi as Total Connect is a Honeywell service it's mainly only used with Honeywell panels links lyric Vista so on and so forth this can use alarm comm which is similar to Total Connect but different in the layout some features but overall idea is pretty similar you'll need a cell communicator in this that is the enchilada 600 - 1048 - XT again it's depending on what carrier is best in your area Verizon AT&T t-mobile anything like that check that so you know which communicator version of that one to get check that the cell signal in your area is pretty good make sure there's no like environmental factors that are dampening the signal if there are looking to either antenna or cell amplifiers and then once that's all set and you have this panel registered with your alarm company you have access to control remotely so you can arm and disarm remotely you can get a notification sent to your phone or tablet or website depending on how are you using this you can set up z-wave features and you can set up notifications so if the alarm goes off I want to be notified you know my alarm is going off I want to be notified my sensors left open anything like that you can set up and yeah that is essentially it if you had more questions about the Simon XTi abouts Total Connect about alarm comm check out our website alarmgrid comm also send us an email support at alarm grid comm we do have as mentioned more information about the panels about monitoring anything on our website if you did like this video please like and subscribe and hit the bell all kind of be notified when we release more content that way you keep getting the info that we're pushing it out to try to help you guys and feel free to give us a call as well our phone number is eight eight eight eight one eight seven seven two eight my name is Dylan with alarmgrid thank you very much for watching