Service Announcements Posts

Hi DIYers! We are happy to announce that there are new firmware updates available for the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus and the 2GIG GC3e & GC3 Systems. Qolsys users can apply the firmware update locally at the panel. 2GIG users can apply from USB or have it pushed from Alarm.com for a small fee.

Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus Version 2.3.4

Starting with the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus, Firmware Update 2.3.4 is now available. This is a relatively minor upgrade to the system that improves recognition of the PowerG daughterboard for supporting wireless PowerG Sensors. Although you can technically apply this update to an original Qolsys IQ Panel 2 System, it won't make a difference, because that system does not have a PowerG daughtercard. Since you can apply this update locally at the panel, there is no fee required to receive this update. Remember, your system must be actively monitored and connected with Alarm.com for the update to go through.

In order to apply this update, you must have your Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus connected to WIFI. The panel should be plugged into AC power, and it should not have a low-battery condition. To begin, start from the main screen of the system. Press the small grey bar at the top of the screen. Choose Settings > Advanced Settings> Installer Code (default 1111) > Upgrade Software > Patch Tag > enter iqpanel2.3.4 > OK > Upgrade Using Network. The system should begin downloading the update. Once the download is complete, the update will be applied. This process should take about five (5) minutes. The panel will reboot at this time. The process is complete after the reboot finishes.

2GIG GC3e & GC3 Firmware Version 3.2.3

The 2GIG GC3e System just became available very recently. This Firmware Update Version 3.2.3 is a great way to get your new GC3e System up and running. Additionally, existing users of the original 2GIG GC3 System can also apply this same update. The update provides support for the new AT&T LTE Communicator (coming soon!) and allows for 6-digit user codes with both the panel and compatible Z-Wave locks. It also provides various fixes and helps the system run smoother overall. It is recommended that every GC3e and GC3 user receives this update so that they can continue to get the most out of their system.

The easiest way to receive Firmware Version 3.2.3 is to simply have it pushed down from Alarm.com. To do this, the system must have an Alarm.com Cellular Communicator installed and activated. You must contact your alarm company and ask them to push the update. There will be a small fee for this service. If you don't have Alarm.com, you can get more information on our monitoring page. The latest update can also be applied directly at the panel. To do this, you must download the update file onto a USB flash drive and insert the drive into the panel. You will then be able to apply the update locally at no cost. More information on this process can be found in this helpful FAQ. Although that FAQ is specific to the original 2GIG GC3 System, the 2GIG GC3e will follow the same process. Remember, there is no cost required to update via USB.

If you have questions about either of these firmware updates, or if you would like to learn more about our monitoring services, please reach out to us! The best way to contact us is always to email support@alarmgrid.com. We will check your email at our earliest convenience and reply back as soon as possible. You may also call us at (888) 818-7728 during our normal business hours of 9am to 8pm EST M-F. We look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions!

Hi DIYers! We have learned about a super convenient feature for Total Connect 2.0. You can now set smart scenes on Total Connect 2.0 to have your Lyric Arm or Disarm automatically based on a set schedule. This was previously only possible for Alarm.com users. TC2 users rejoice!

This feature is extremely convenient if you want to have your Resideo Lyric Panel Arm or Disarm at a set time on a regular basis. You can select both the day(s) of the week and the time of the day when the Arm or Disarm will occur. If your system is already Armed or Disarmed accordingly, then no change will occur. Otherwise, the scene will go through automatically, with no code being required.

Please note that this feature is only available for the Lyric Controller. It will not work with other Honeywell Panels that can use Total Connect 2.0 like the VISTA Panels or the LYNX Touch Panels. If you want to use this feature with TC2, then you will need to upgrade to the Lyric System. This is a great system anyway with its increased zone support and HomeKit compatibility. You might also consider going with an Alarm.com System, as the Alarm.com platform supports this feature for all their compatible panels. A great option is the 345 MHz version of the IQ Panel 2 Plus, which can support the same great 5800 Series Sensors that are commonly used with LYNX and VISTA Panels.

Users who follow a set routine every day should find that this feature is extremely useful. For example, if you go to work at the same time Monday thru Friday, you can set the system to Arm automatically shortly after the time you leave every day. You won't have to remember to Arm your system before you leave. Likewise, you can also have your system automatically Disarm a little before you normally return home. No more racing to beat your system's Entry Delay! Another example is if your kids leave the house after you do, and they sometimes forget to arm the system, you can set an arming schedule to run just after they are set to leave to be sure the system arms.

And if you ever want to make sure that your system Armed or Disarmed like it was supposed to, you can always check the Total Connect 2.0 Mobile App on your Android or iOS device. The app is also a great way to Arm and Disarm your system, and you can use it from pretty much anywhere. Another option available to make sure the system is Armed or Disarmed is to create Open (Disarm) and Close (Arm) notifications that will be sent via text, email, or push notification any time the system is armed or disarmed. We are sure that many of you will love automatic Arming and Disarming for your Lyric from Total Connect 2.0.

For our example, we will show you how to set up automatic Arming and Disarming from a web browser. But you should also have no problem doing this from the mobile app. To get started, login to your TC2 account on the website. Once you have logged-in, click "Scenes" on the left side of the page.

Then click the "Add Scene" button at the top of the screen.

Then give a name for your scene. We recommend choosing something easy to remember, like "Automatic Arm Away" or "Automatic Disarm". In our example, we just went with "Test Arm Stay". Then press the blue Continue button in the lower-right corner. When asked what you want the scene to do, choose Security. Then choose the status you want to put your system in when the scene activates. In our example, we choose "Arm Stay". Then press the blue Continue button in the lower-right corner.

Assuming that you only want the scene to Arm or Disarm your system, press the blue Continue button again. You will then be able to set the schedule for the scene. Start by pressing the "On a recurring schedule" button near the top.

And now you will set the schedule. You can choose multiple days of the week and the time. You can also choose to have the scene occur at Sunrise and/or Sunset on the selected days. For our test example, we set the scene to occur Monday thru Friday at 11:00am. Press the blue Continue button after making your selection.

Finally, press the blue Save button in the lower-right corner to save your new scene!

If you ever want to run the scene manually, you can press the Play button next to the scene. Otherwise, in our example, the scene will run automatically at 11:00am M-F if the system is Disarmed at the time. Once the scene runs, the system will automatically go into Arm Stay mode. If the system is already Armed at 11:00am M-F, then nothing will happen. The picture below shows the play button if you wanted to run the scene manually.

Remember that you will need to create separate scenes if you want to have your Lyric System both Arm and Disarm automatically at separate times. Also keep in mind that you can only do this on TC2 if you have a Resideo Lyric Controller. If you don't have a Lyric yet, now is a great time to upgrade to this powerful wireless security system.

If you have any questions about this feature, please reach out to us! We are happy to provide technical support for Alarm Grid monitored customers. The best way to reach us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. If you would prefer to call us, you can reach us at (888) 818-7728 during our regular business hours of 9am to 8pm Monday thru Friday. We look forward to hearing from you!

We have learned that some spam blockers have been incorrectly marking one of the Criticom Monitoring Services outbound phone numbers as "spam". This is a serious issue, as it is very important for all our customers with central station service to be able to receive incoming calls from CMS.

If you are not aware, Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) is the official monitoring partner of Alarm Grid. Anyone with an alarm monitoring plan from Alarm Grid who receives central monitoring service has their security system connected with CMS. If you have central station service from us, then it is crucial that you are always able to reliably receive incoming phone calls from CMS.

The phone number in question that has been being incorrectly labeled as "spam" is (800) 432-1429. This is not a spam number. This is not a telemarketer. This is Criticom trying to contact you with important information regarding your home or business security system. If you ever see this number calling in, you should make sure to answer. There are also other phone numbers that Criticom may use to call you. But, to our knowledge, this is the only one we have been seeing marked as "spam".

For a reference, below are all of the numbers that CMS may use to try and contact you:

• Longwood, FL: (800) 432-1429
• Manasquan, NJ: (800) 631-2299
• Cypress, CA: (714) 373-7000, (800) 468-4640, and (800) 482-9800

We strongly recommend that you add ALL of these numbers to the contacts list on your phone. That way, if CMS ever contacts you, then you will know that the call is from them. Remember, you may not always receive calls from the CMS monitoring center closest to you. If one office is ever down or unavailable, calls will be re-routed to one of the other two (2) monitoring centers. This redundancy ensures that CMS is always able to receive incoming alarm signals. This reliability is a big reason why we have chosen CMS as our monitoring partner.

If you use a spam blocker on your phone, that is fine. But you must make sure to "whitelist" this number so that calls can come through successfully. To do this, you should contact your phone service provider and make sure that this number is not blocked. If you use an app on your phone to block numbers, use that application to whitelist the number. We have found that this issue mostly affects T-Mobile users who have the new Name ID App, but users from other carriers who have spam-blocking apps may be affected as well.

Remember, CMS will call you whenever there is an urgent event regarding your security system. This can include a burglary or life safety alarm. If an alarm occurs on your system when it is not warranted, you will need to answer the incoming call from CMS and provide your false alarm password. Otherwise, the trained operator will follow the instructed action listed on your account. This usually involves dispatching the local authorities. If the incoming call is blocked as "spam", then you won't be able to answer the call, and you may receive unnecessary emergency dispatch. This can result in a major inconvenience for your local authorities and heavy fines for you. At Alarm Grid, we always do our part to prevent false alarms. You must do your part as well. Always make sure that you can receive calls from CMS.

If you have any questions or concerns about this issue, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. One of our top priorities is making sure that you can reliably communicate with our monitoring station partner. The best way to contact us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. You are also welcome to call us at (888) 818-7728 during our normal business hours of 9am to 8pm EST M-F.

Remember, our team is here to make sure that you always feel confident about the operation of your alarm system and the response of our central station partner. Thank you for being a valued Alarm Grid customer, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Last night, July 24th, 2019, Alarm.com was experiencing server issues. You may have noticed problems with signaling and with your interactive account. We would like to let all of our Alarm.com customers know that these issues have been resolved. The service should now be working properly.

All Alarm.com users should now find that they can successfully access the platform and that their systems can report to Alarm.com without issue. We apologize for any inconvenience that these problems with Alarm.com may have caused for you last night. But we are now happy to report that these issues should now be resolved

If you are an Alarm Grid customer and you are still experiencing any issues with your Alarm.com, we urge you to email us at support@alarmgrid.com immediately. We will check your email at our earliest convenience and work to get your service working as soon as possible. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced last night, and remember that our team is here to help.

Hi DIYers! This weekend is very special for Alarm Grid. Saturday, July 20th, 2019 is our 7th anniversary! Our entire team is super excited, and we hope that you are too. We wouldn't have been able to achieve this success without the support of our monitored customers. Thank you so much!

To celebrate, most of our staff will be going on a "team-building exercise" the afternoon of Friday, July 19th. This "team-building exercise" is going to start at 3:30pm EST. We will still maintain all normal operations until our regularly scheduled closing time of 8pm EST that night. But please understand that we will have a lighter staff than usual. We appreciate your understanding.

Don't worry, our "team-building exercise" is strictly for training purposes. We certainly aren't doing anything fun like going to a super cool video game lounge with an open bar so that we can all hang out and play arcade games. What do you take us for? This is strictly business ;)

Thanks again to all the customers who have supported Alarm Grid throughout the years. We are truly grateful for your continued patronage. If you have any questions, you can always email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We will check your email at our earliest convenience and respond back as soon as we can. Thanks again, and we look forward to hearing from you.

We have received news that T-Mobile and Rogers are both scheduled to shut down their 2G networks at the end of 2020. This is important for anyone using Alarm.com who is still using one of these communicators. Time is running out to upgrade your communicator and keep your system monitored!

We have talked about the ongoing 3G sunset on numerous occasions. Most 3G networks are set to be shut down by the end of 2022. Well the 2G sunset is even more pressing. Most of the 2G networks have already been shut down, and very few people are still using a 2G communicator for monitoring service. However, these people are still out there. They need to understand that if they don't take action soon, their panel will no longer provide monitoring service.

At this time, Alarm Grid only has a small number of customers using 2G communicators with their systems. These customers are using the 2G T-Mobile Network or the 2G Rogers Network in Canada to connect with the Alarm.com Servers. We want to make it very clear to these customers that if they do not replace their communicators by the end of 2020, they will no longer have active monitoring service.

We would also like take this opportunity to remind all our 3G customers that they will also have to switch to LTE in the coming years. Although the end of 2022 might seem far away, it certainly doesn't hurt to get a head start. An LTE communicator will provide faster and more reliable monitoring service, making it a great upgrade to make as soon as possible. And we're here to help you make the switch as easily as possible.

Fortunately, most Alarm.com Security Panels allow users to easily upgrade the cellular communicator for their systems. If you are still running a 2G communicator, then now is the time to make the transition to LTE. You can do this with an LTE cellular communicator. Start by powering down your panel by disconnecting its backup battery and unplugging its transformer. Then open it up (if necessary), and remove the old communicator. Install the new LTE communicator in its place, and power your panel back on. You can then contact us to activate your new communicator. If you already had cellular alarm monitoring, then there will be no need to change your monitoring plan.

Most of the LTE communicators available on our site connect with either the AT&T LTE Network or the Verizon LTE Network. You should choose whichever network provides better service in your area. Remember, this has nothing to do with your mobile service provider. Your smartphone and your security system are mutually exclusive devices. You can use a completely different cellular service provider for your alarm system.

If you are in the United States, then you should have no problem using an AT&T LTE communicator or a Verizon LTE communicator in your area. Just go with whichever service works better in your area. If you are currently using a Rogers 2G Communicator in Canada, then things are a little more complicated. We recommend checking this post we made on Alarm Monitoring in Canada.

And if you aren't sure of which communicator to get, you can always ask us for help. The best way to reach us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. We will check your email at our earliest convenience and reply back as soon as possible. You may also call us at (888) 818-7728 during our normal business hours of 9am to 8pm EST M-F. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you determine the perfect security option for your needs.

Hi DIYers! Many of our customers have been using Chamberlain and LiftMaster MyQ Garage Door Controllers with Total Connect 2.0. These smart garage door controllers are perfect for use with the TC2 platform. They offer a great way to integrate your garage door into your smart home network.

The Chamberlain and LiftMaster MyQ integration is great for tying in remote control for your garage doors to your Total Connect 2.0 account. By using this integration, you can consolidate your garage door control into one single app, instead of two separate ones. However, there is a limitation. The integration does not allow you to add the MyQ garage doors into a TC2 Smart Scene for automated control based on security system actions. For instance, you cannot create a scene that will automatically disarm your Resideo System if your garage door is opened. But fortunately, we now have a solution for this problem.

When you integrate your MyQ Garage Door Controller in with Total Connect 2.0, you can control your garage door remotely through the platform. You can also receive text and/or email alerts when the garage door opens or closes. However, if you try to integrate your MyQ Controller with smart scenes, you will be unable to do so. But we recently came up with a solution for this issue that will work for the Lyric Controller and all LYNX Touch Systems. This solution will also provide your system with the ability to truly monitoring the activity of your garage door.

The answer is to add a sensor to your garage door. You will want to use either a tilt sensor or a contact sensor with a wide spacing gap. The Honeywell 5822T is a wireless tilt sensor that can easily pair with a Lyric or LYNX Touch System. Another option is the Honeywell 958. This is a hardwired contact designed for overhead garage doors. You can either wire the Honeywell 958 back to the panel, or you can connect it to a wireless sensor that accepts a wired input, such as a 5816 or a SiXCT. Whether you go with the 5822T or the 958 is really up to you, as they are both perfect options for this job.

You should program the sensor into one of the designated wireless garage door zones. The designated garage door zones for an L5100, L5200, or L5210 are Zones 46 thru 48. For an L7000, they are Zones 45 thru 48. And for the Lyric, they are Zones 127 thru 130. You should give the Zone Descriptor a name that allows you to easily recognize it as your garage door.

Please note that each garage door zone is associated with a particular garage door slot. The table below outlines this:

From there, you should program a "virtual" Honeywell 5877 Relay Module into the system through the Automation Menu. The 5877 is a Honeywell Wireless Relay Module that provides remote control for garage doors. However, it is not compatible with MyQ Garage Door Controllers. With this trick, you don't actually need a 5877 Relay, but you will program your system as if you are using one.

What you want to do is start from the main screen of your panel. Choose Automation > down arrow > Garage Door Setup. From there, choose the garage door slot associated with the zone you set up with the tilt sensor or the contact sensor. Click on "Assign Device". Then go to the "Enter Serial Number" field. Since you aren't actually using a real 5877, you can just enter a fake serial number like "1111111". Click "Done" in the bottom-right corner when you have finished. This will make the system think that a 5877 Relay has been enrolled. You can then return to the main screen by repeatedly pressing the return arrow in the upper-right.

You can then create TC2 Smart Scenes to have the system respond automatically based on the status of the garage door. For example, you might have a smart scene to disarm your system automatically when you open your garage door. To do this, you will want to use the garage door slot that you set up on the system when creating the smart scene. The system will know to change the status of the garage door (opened or closed) based on the activity of the associated zone.

Now, you might be wondering why you need the "fake 5877" setup with the system. The reason for that is because you can't create smart scenes to Arm or Disarm your system based on zone faults. So even if you have sensor programmed for your garage door, you cannot use it as a trigger for arming or disarming your system. But you can use a garage door as a trigger. By making your system think that it has a true garage door programmed, you can use that as a trigger for smart scenes.

It must be mentioned that there are a couple of limitations to this setup. For one, you cannot use this work-around to have your garage door respond automatically based on system activity. This is because there is no real relay module to tell the garage door what to do. So if you want to have the garage door automatically open/close when you arm/disarm your system, it will not work. Second, this will not work with Honeywell VISTA Systems, as there is those systems do not support the 5877. As a result, you cannot program a "fake 5877" on a VISTA Panel. But other than these limitations, this is a pretty good work around. You also get the benefit of enabling your system to truly monitor your garage door for activity.

If you have any questions about this work-around, please reach out to us. The best way to contact us is to email support@alarmgrid.com. We will check your email at our earliest convenience and respond as soon as possible. We look forward to helping you.

Alarm Grid will be closed Thursday July 4th, 2019 in observance of Independence Day. We will not be checking emails or answering calls during this time. If you have any issues during this time, you can email support@alarmgrid.com. We will read your email as soon as possible after we reopen.

The Alarm Grid support and planning departments will both resume normal operation on Friday July 5th, 2019. This means that our office will be checking emails and answering phone calls. However, there will be limited shipping available on July 5th. Some products will be unable to be sent out until the following Monday. Keep this in mind if you order anything on July 4th or 5th.

Additionally, our content department will have the 5th off. This means that there will be no new blog post for July 5th. You can expect a new blog post from Alarm Grid on Monday July 8th. Keep in mind that our regular office hours are 9am to 8pm EST M-F, and our phone number is (888) 818-7728.

From all of us at Alarm Grid, we wish you happy and safe Independence Day, no matter how you plan to enjoy the holiday. Our support and planning departments look forward to working with you on Friday.

Hi DIYers! We have a quick tip today to help you save time. If you ever email us to make changes to your central station document, then you will need to provide your false alarm passcode or the last four (4) digits of your credit card on file. This is necessary for verifying your identity.

This information is applicable for any Alarm Gird customer with monitoring service that includes central station service from Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS). Any customer with central station service will have a document on file with Alarm Grid that includes important instructions and information. For example, this document will include the phone numbers to call during an alarm, the order that these numbers should be called, your false alarm passcode and more.

The easiest way to make simple changes to your CMS document is to email us at support@alarmgrid.com with the changes. For example, you might want to add a new phone number to your account. Or maybe you want to have the central station call your spouse before they call your neighbor. Perhaps you want to change your false alarm passcode to something you can more easily remember. Emailing support@alarmgrid.com in these situations is a great way to get the change made as quickly as possible.

However, it isn't enough to just send us an email from your email address you have on file. We need verification to prove that it's you. At Alarm Grid, we take protecting your account information very seriously. If we get an email telling us to make changes to your account, we want to be certain it's you. For all we know, someone may have hacked your email and is trying to gain unlawful access to your account. That is why we strongly encourage all customers to keep their email passwords safe and protected.

Now you may be wondering, how can we prove that you are really who you say you are when you send us an email. The easiest way is to include your false alarm passcode or the last four (4) digits of the credit card that you have on file with Alarm Grid. This is classified information that only you and people you absolutely trust should know. On that note, we must also remind customers to never share this secure information with anyone who should not have access to their accounts. This is important.

Just to be clear, your false alarm passcode is not the same as your verbal duress code. Your false alarm passcode is what you say if the central station calls you and wants to know that everything is okay. The dispatcher will ask you for your secret false alarm passcode so that they know it's you on the line and not an intruder who made an unlawful entry.

Your verbal duress code is something completely different. This is also a secret code that you say to a central station dispatcher, but this code is used in an emergency hostage situation. As soon as the dispatcher hears this code, they will hang up and immediately call the police. This code is useful if an intruder is holding you hostage and you want to request emergency dispatch without actually calling for help.

Always make sure that you know the difference between your false alarm passcode and your verbal duress code. Never mix them up, as doing so can certainly lead to a false alarm. Remember, you can always contact us or CMS to change your false alarm passcode or your duress code. Our team is happy to help you with these issues whenever needed.

Keep this tip in mind the next time you email us to make account changes. Remember to include the last four (4) digits of your credit card or your false alarm passcode so that we can verify your identity and quickly make the changes. We look forward to hearing from you!

Hi DIYers! We have received news from Alarm.com that there will be a couple of new features coming to the ADC Mobile App next month. Customers will soon be able to setup video analytics and access the Alarm.com Knowledge Base for easy answers to their questions right from the app .

According to Alarm.com, these features will be made available for the Alarm.com Mobile App sometime mid-next month (July 2019). These features are already available from the website version of Alarm.com, but you will now be able to use them on the Alarm.com Mobile App for Android and iOS devices. We are sure that many Alarm.com users will take advantage of these mobile app features. Remember that you will need an appropriate alarm monitoring plan to access Alarm.com.

Video Analytics is a useful tool that allows you to get the very most out of your Alarm.com Cameras. This feature gives you ultimate control over when your cameras will start recording and when you will receive Alarm.com notifications. You can use Video Analytics to differentiate between people, cars and animals. You can also set activity zones so that triggers only occur in very specific areas. For example, you might have an alert set to trigger when a vehicle pulls into your driveway, but not when one drives past your house. Alerts can even be triggered based on direction or duration. This can be useful if you want to know when someone comes into a room or area, but not when they are coming out. And duration rules are good if you want to know if someone is loitering outside your home, but not if they are just walking by.

The Alarm.com Knowledge Base is a great tool if you want to get fast answers regarding your Alarm.com service. This is the same resource the technicians at Alarm Grid often use to get answers for Alarm.com products and services. Now if you have a question, you can quickly and conveniently get an answer from the Knowledge Base on the Alarm.com Mobile App. Everything from using the Alarm.com service to configuring your security cameras is available from this platform.

We think these new mobile app features will be very useful for Alarm.com users. Of course, Alarm Grid monitored customers can still contact us if they have questions regarding their Alarm.com service. We offer free support for monitored customers. If you ever need to contact us, the best way to do so is to email support@alarmgrid.com. You can also call us at (888) 818-7728 during our normal business hours of 9am to 8pm EST M-F. We look forward to answering any questions you might have.