Service Announcements Posts

As winter weather continues to move across the region, the Alarm Grid team wants to keep customers informed about how upcoming conditions may impact our operations. Forecasts indicate that the Louisville area may be affected by snow, sleet, freezing rain, or a combination of all three. These conditions can make travel hazardous, and the safety of our team is always a top priority.

For this reason, while Alarm Grid will remain open and operational, our Louisville office employees will be working remotely during this weather event. This allows our team to continue supporting customers while avoiding unsafe road conditions.

That said, severe winter weather can sometimes lead to power outages or intermittent internet disruptions. If this occurs, customers may experience slight delays when reaching our support team. We kindly ask for your patience as we work through any temporary challenges caused by the weather.

It is important to note that Alarm Grid’s professional monitoring services will not be affected. Our monitoring partners, CMS for customers within the United States and Rapid Response for customers in Canada, operate 24/7/365. They maintain multiple facilities in geographically diverse locations, ensuring that a single weather event does not impact their ability to monitor Alarm Grid customers.

If you're an Alarm Grid monitored customer, and you need to place your system on test mode or cancel an alarm, please contact your monitoring station directly. For CMS, call (888) 818-7728 and select Option 9. For Rapid Response, call (800) 932-3822 and follow the prompts. When calling, be prepared to provide your name, address, and false alarm password. Providing an incorrect password or a duress password will result in authorities being dispatched.

For routine support issues, the monitoring station will not be able to help. Items such as individual panel support or adding or removing zones from your system must be handled by the Alarm Grid support team. You can reach us by calling (888) 818-7728 and selecting Option 2. For non-emergency issues, email us at support@alarmgrid.com, and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate this winter weather event together!

Happy New Year 2026 From Alarm Grid!

As we prepare to ring in 2026, we want to take a moment to thank all of our customers for another wonderful year. Whether you have been with us for years or just set up your first system last week, we are grateful for your trust and your patience when things get complicated. We could not do this without you, and we cannot wait to head into the new year with you.

Before we get into the festivities, here are our holiday hours. Support team, this affects you…

New Year's Eve (Wednesday, December 31st): Support available until 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1st): Office closed.

Friday, January 2nd: Back to normal at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.

Support team, if you're still reading: Surprise! You are leaving early today. No, you did not miss a memo. There was no memo. This is the memo. Take the W and go home. You have spent all year helping customers, you're the main driver of our success. Thank you for another great year!

Monitoring Station Contact Information

Even while our offices are closed, professional monitoring continues without interruption. Our central station partners at Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) and Rapid Response are open 24/7/365 and will continue monitoring alarms and dispatching help exactly as they always do.

If you need to contact the monitoring station during the holiday, to report a false alarm or to place your system on test mode, please use the appropriate number below:

US Customers with Full Monitoring Plans:

Call CMS at (888) 818-7728 and press Option [9]. Be sure to have your name, address, and false alarm password ready when the operator answers.

Canadian Customers with Full Monitoring Plans:

Call Rapid Response at (800) 932-3822 with your name, address, and false alarm password ready.

It is very important that you provide the correct password to the monitoring station operator. If you give an incorrect password when asked, or if you provide your Duress password, the monitoring station will dispatch emergency services, as designed.

If You Need Technical Support, Email Us!

The monitoring station can only assist with alarm-related events and emergencies, or system tests. They cannot help with technical support, programming questions, or account changes such as zone names or contact lists.

For those needs, email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We will respond as quickly as possible once the office reopens on Friday. Please note that there may be a brief backlog after the holiday, and we greatly appreciate your patience while we clear it. If you're an Alarm Grid customer and you have a more pressing issue give us a call at (888) 818-7728.

New Year's Eve Safety Reminder

If you are heading out to celebrate tonight, remember to arm your security system before you leave. Whether you are going to a party, watching fireworks, staying in for a quiet night, or spending two and a half hours watching the Stranger Things series finale and hoping the Duffer Brothers stick the landing, taking a few seconds to arm your system can give you peace of mind as you welcome the new year.

The Upside Down is not real, but burglars are.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being a part of the Alarm Grid family. We are grateful for your trust and support throughout 2025, and we look forward to helping you stay safe and secure in 2026. Here is to a happy, healthy, and safe new year for everyone!

The holiday season is here, and we want to wish everyone a safe and happy season. Alarm Grid support offices will be closed Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th, 2025. Our office will reopen Friday, December 26th at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.

During this time, Alarm Grid's super star support staff will be enjoying a well-deserved break to spend time with their loved ones. Even while our offices are closed, professional monitoring continues without interruption. If you have opted for full central station monitoring, your security system remains protected around the clock. That is, as long as you remember to arm it!

Monitoring Station Contact Information

Our central station partners at Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) and Rapid Response are open 24/7/365 and will continue monitoring alarms and dispatching help exactly as they always do, unless you have provided them with specific instructions to the contrary.

If you need to contact the monitoring station during the holiday to report a false alarm or to place your system on test mode, please use the appropriate number below:

US Customers:

Call CMS at (888) 818-7728 and press Option [9]. Be sure to have your name, address, and false alarm password ready when the operator answers.

Canadian Customers:

Call Rapid Response at (800) 932-3822 with your name, address, and false alarm password ready.

It is very important that you provide the correct password. If an incorrect password or your Duress password is given, the monitoring station will dispatch emergency services, as designed.

If you're an Alarm Grid customer and you need Technical Support – Email Us Instead

The monitoring station can only assist with alarm-related events and emergencies or system tests. They cannot help with technical support, programming questions, or account changes such as zone names or contact lists.

For those needs, email us at support@alarmgrid.com. We will respond as quickly as possible once the office reopens. Please note that there may be a brief backlog after the holiday, and we greatly appreciate your patience while we catch up.

Holiday Travel Reminder

If you are traveling for the holidays, please be sure to arm your security system before you leave. It is also a good idea to double-check that you know your false alarm password ahead of time. A few minutes of preparation can prevent stress while you are away from home.

Happy Holidays!

Thank you for being a part of the Alarm Grid family. Whether you are traveling, hosting family, relaxing at home, or working through the holiday, we wish you a safe, peaceful, and happy Christmas and Hannukkah season!

Thanksgiving is here once again! The Alarm Grid offices will be closed on Thursday, November 27th, so our team can enjoy time with their families. Our office will be open and back to normal hours on Friday, November 28th, at 9:00 AM EST. Despite our office being closed, central station monitoring will be handled as it always is; quickly and professionally.

Monitoring Station Contact Information

Even though our office is closed, your security system keeps working around the clock. Our central station partners at Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) and Rapid Response will be monitoring systems and responding to alarms all day Thursday. We appreciate their professionalism and commitment to keeping our customers safe.

If you need to contact the monitoring station during the holiday to report a false alarm or put your system on test mode, here's who to call:

US Customers: Call CMS at (888) 818-7728 and press Option [9]. Have your name, address, and false alarm password handy when the operator picks up.

Canadian Customers: Call Rapid Response at (800) 932-3822 with your name, address, and false alarm password ready.

Quick heads-up: Make sure you give them the correct information. If you accidentally provide an incorrect password or your Duress password instead of your false alarm password, they'll dispatch help. Because that's exactly what the Duress password is designed to do.

For Technical Support - Email Us Instead

Here's something important: the monitoring station only handles alarms and emergencies. They can't help with technical issues, programming questions, or changes to your account settings like zone names or contact lists.

For anything like that, shoot us an email at support@alarmgrid.com. We'll get back to you as soon as we're back in the office. The holidays sometimes create a bit of a backlog, so thanks in advance for your patience when we return!

Thanksgiving Safety Tips

If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, please be sure to arm your system before you hit the road. Also, double-check that you know your false alarm password before you leave. Nothing says "happy holidays!" quite like realizing you can't remember your false alarm password while you're three hours, or even three states away.

If you're cooking this year, kitchen smoke and steam are notorious for setting off smoke detectors. If yours is connected to your alarm system and it goes off, just silence it quickly. For all-in-one panels like the IQ Panel 4 or PROA7PLUS, you'll see a prompt on the screen asking for your disarm code. For older VISTA systems, just enter your User Code and press 1 (Off), exactly like you're disarming the system.

The monitoring station will call you when a smoke alarm goes off. If it's just your burning turkey setting off the detector (we've all been there), let them know and give them your false alarm password. They'll ask some questions to make sure everything's okay, and you can decide together whether the fire department really needs to stop by.

Important: Carbon Monoxide Alarms

If your carbon monoxide (CO) detector goes off, get everyone out of the house immediately. Carbon monoxide is completely invisible and odorless, and it's dangerous - especially for little ones, like kids and pets.

The monitoring station is required to send help on CO alarms no matter what. Even if you call them and say you're fine, they're still dispatching the fire department. It's for your safety. The fire department has special equipment to detect carbon monoxide and make sure your home is safe to re-enter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for choosing Alarm Grid. Whether you're hosting, traveling, staying home for a quiet day, or working through the holiday, we hope your Thanksgiving is exactly what you want it to be. May your turkey be moist, your family drama be minimal, and your smoke detectors stay silent!

Resideo Technologies has announced an automatic firmware update rollout for several AlarmNet LTE communicators used in security systems. These updates are designed to enhance cellular connectivity and ensure a more stable, reliable link between your system and the AlarmNet cellular network.

According to MyWebTech Technical Notification #136, Resideo will begin pushing firmware updates over the air within the next 30 days to select radios used in burglary and residential fire applications. These updates are part of an ongoing effort to maintain optimal performance and address prior cellular connectivity issues.

Affected Radios & Latest Firmware Versions

• Honeywell Home LTE-IV — Firmware 4.1.31.0
• Honeywell Home LTE-IA — Firmware 4.1.31.0
• Honeywell Home LTE-XV — Firmware 4.0.62.0
• Honeywell Home LTE-XA — Firmware 4.0.62.0
• Honeywell Home LTE-L3V — Firmware 4.0.54.0
• Honeywell Home LTE-L3A — Firmware 4.0.54.0
• Honeywell Home LTE-HSV — Firmware 2.14.16

Many of the affected communicators, though still active in the field, have been discontinued by Resideo and AlarmNet. Because they are no longer offered by Alarm Grid, discontinued products are not linked above.

These updates will occur automatically, and no action is required from end users in most cases. However, communicators with low backup battery voltage, or with a missing backup battery, may not successfully complete the update. In those instances, the communicator battery should be replaced so that the update can occur.

A small number of systems may briefly display a “radio trouble” condition when the communicator reboots after the update. This condition can typically be cleared by entering a valid user code + 1 (Off) twice on the system keypad.

Notes on Fire Radios

The same technical notice also reminds users about firmware updates for certain commercial fire communicators (HWF2V-COM, HWF2A-COM, LTE-CFV, LTE-CFA). However, Alarm Grid does not support commercial fire alarm systems, and these devices are not sold or supported by us. If you work with fire alarm communicators, contact your fire system provider or Resideo technical support for further assistance.

Summary

Resideo’s automatic update process ensures continued reliability for AlarmNet-connected communicators. As long as your communicator is in good working order and has adequate power and a good backup battery, it is likely that no action will be required on your part. With a possible exception of a disarm command to clear a communicator trouble display on some VISTA systems.

Alarm Grid will continue to keep you informed of any further changes that may affect system performance or connectivity.

Back in 2019 we told you about the Lyric Gateway's end-of-life. Recently we found that an unregistered Lyric Gateway can't be activated. This is because of a disconnect between AlarmNet360, the platform used to register, and the panel. If you have a registered Gateway, you are not affected.

Since the Lyric Gateway hasn't been available since 2019, this is likely not an issue that will affect a lot of people. But, since the secondary market for alarm panels is alive and well on platforms like ebay, and because the Lyric Gateway can't be programmed through the panel's touchscreen, it's still necessary to get this information out there.

When Resideo discontinues a product, they continue to fully support that product for five (5) years, then it moves to limited support. That means Resideo will only provide written documentation for the product to anyone requesting support. They will not provide over-the-phone troubleshooting.

Between 2019 and now, if we had an issue with a Lyric Gateway not registering properly, we could contact Resideo technical support and they would assist with the registration. Their support team has access to tools that we don't and can resolve some issues with registration that we can't. However, now that the Gateway has entered limited support, Resideo tech support will no longer offer this assistance.

So, if you see a Lyric Gateway for sale in some secondary marketplace, we recommend you give it a pass. If you have an unregistered Lyric Gateway with any SIX Sensors paired with it, you'll need to take special steps to keep those sensors viable for use with a new panel.

1. Be sure sensors are powered on. Be sure that every SIX sensor that is paired with the Gateway panel is powered on and within range of the panel.
2. Default the Lyric Gateway When you're ready to move the SIX sensors to a new First Alert PROA7, PROA7PLUS, or VISTAH3 panel, remove the set screw in the bottom edge of the panel, then either pull the rear cover off, or pull the panel away from the rear cover (if wall mounted). This will expose the battery, RJ45 port, and the microswitches on the back of the panel.
   • For Rev. 1.00 panels, reboot the panel. To do so, using a paper clip or similar small tool, depress the center microswitch on the back of the panel (see image below) until the panel reboots. Once the panel boots back up, you have five (5) minutes to complete the default. Otherwise, you'll need to reboot again.
   • For Rev. 1.01.0215.531+ you can skip the power cycle and move straight to Step 3.
3. Perform the default. On the rear of the panel, just below the RJ45 Ethernet port you'll see three microswitches. As you face the back of the panel use a small tool, paper clip, or similar item to press and hold down the left switch for twenty seconds, or until the panel prompts you to enter the Installer Code. After twenty seconds, or once prompted for the Installer Code, release the switch. If prompted for the code enter the panel's current Installer Code. This will set the panel back to factory defaults. As part of the default, a signal will be sent from the panel to all SIX sensors releasing them so that they are no longer paired. All SIX sensors previously programmed with the panel that receive this message are now free to be paired with a new panel.

Any paired SIX sensor that doesn't receive a release signal from the panel, either by the sensor being removed via AlarmNet360 or by defaulting the panel, will be unable to pair with a new panel.

It was a crazy day across the internet. Like a lot of other websites you might use, Alarm Grid was affected by the disruptions from the outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS). We wanted to let you know what happened, how it affected us, and the good news that things are getting back to normal.

What Happened?

According to Amazon, at around 3:11 AM EDT Amazon's huge AWS US-EAST-1 region (which is a massive data center in Virginia) started having issues. The first signs of trouble were increased latencies and error rates for sites and applications serviced by US-EAST-1. This regional data center runs a huge portion of the internet, so when it has a bad day, it can create a domino effect that takes down lots of services.

The crux of the problem appears to have been two-fold. Early in this event, at around 5:00 AM EDT, Amazon identified an issue with DNS resolution to the DynamoDB endpoint within the US-EAST-1 region. DNS or Domain Name System is how a URL like alarmgrid.com gets tracked down to its source IP address. By 6:35 AM EDT, Amazon reported that this issue had been fully mitigated.

The second source of trouble has to do with an underlying system designed to monitor the health of AWS load-balancing servers. It's unclear exactly what happened with this system currently, but mitigation efforts are progressing well for that issue as well. You're likely still seeing latency with some sites and apps that you visit. At 4:03 PM EDT, the AWS Health Dashboard said:

"Service recovery across all AWS services continues to improve. We continue to reduce throttles for new EC2 Instance launches in the US-EAST-1 Region that were put in place to help mitigate impact. Lambda invocation errors have fully recovered and function errors continue to improve. We have scaled up the rate of polling SQS queues via Lambda Event Source Mappings to pre-event levels. We will provide another update by 1:45 PM PDT."

How Did This Affect Alarm Grid?

Alarm Grid uses AWS in several ways to keep our website and services running smoothly. When AWS went down, it meant we had trouble with:

• Access to our site: The site alarmgrid.com has been unavailable at times, throughout the day today.
• Website features: You might have noticed our site was super slow, or that parts of our customer portal weren't loading at all. If you are attempting to place an order, you may see some issues. Please, retry any failed operation. You can reach out to support@alarmgrid.com if you need assistance.
• Our own support tools: Our web-based phone system was affected earlier in the day, but seems to have recovered as of now.

We know how frustrating this is, especially when you're trying to get something done. We sincerely apologize for the headache. Our site is up, but is still experiencing significant latency as of this writing. Rest assured, we're here and we'll help however we can.

Good News: Things Are Coming Back Online!

As of this afternoon, AWS says they've identified the issue and are well on their way to a resolution. We're already seeing our systems come back to life, and the Alarm Grid site should be getting back to normal.

What Wasn't Affected

Fortunately, monitoring services were apparently unaffected. We received no reported issues from our central station partners: Criticom Monitoring Service for customers in the United States, and Rapid Response for our Canadian customers. Alarm signal processing continued as usual. Likewise, the Total Connect 2.0 and Alarm.com remote services also appear to have been unaffected.

A Few Quick Stats on the Outage:

Just to show how big this outage was, at its peak, Downdetector.com showed nearly ten thousand reports for AWS. It also caused problems for major services like Snapchat, Ring, Roblox, Fortnite, and many others.

Due to an ongoing strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), the delivery of packages through Canada Post is currently suspended. As a result, Alarm Grid will temporarily use UPS to fulfill all Canadian orders until postal service in Canada resumes. It's unclear how long that may be.

This measure ensures that Canadian customers continue to receive their equipment and supplies without unnecessary delay. When we ship international orders, the cost of shipping is calculated at checkout, based on the postal code of the delivery address.

Once the strike is resolved and regular Canada Post operations resume, Alarm Grid will revert to our usual shipping methods for Canadian customers. You can check back here for an update as soon as that happens.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while this situation unfolds. Our team is monitoring the developments closely and will continue to prioritize fast and reliable delivery for all of our customers.

If you have any questions about your order or shipping options during this period, please contact us at support@alarmgrid.com. You can also take advantage of our live chat support by visiting alarmgrid.com and clicking the icon in the lower right portion of the screen. Chat support is available Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern, except on holidays. If you request support outside normal business hours, we'll respond via email as quickly as possible the next business day.

Update 12:30 PM EDT: Total Connect 2.0 Email Notification Issue Resolved

This morning, Resideo identified and resolved an issue that was affecting Total Connect 2.0 email notifications. The temporary problem was caused by a third-party vendor, Mailjet, and may have prevented the delivery of system notifications, password reset emails, and welcome messages.

Apparently, the undelivered email messages were queued, and when service was restored these messages went through. This may cause some Total Connect 2.0 notifications to arrive out of sequence until all queued messages are delivered. Any time you receive a notification that you question, log into Total Connect 2.0 and check the Activity screen as well as the current status page. You can also check the panel's Event Log from the touchscreen by tapping Menu (≡) > Events.

Who Was Affected?

The service disruption was reported at approximately 8:44 AM EDT. If you were expecting an email from Total Connect 2.0 this morning and did not receive it, you were likely affected by this brief outage.

Why Redundancy Matters

This incident highlights the importance of enabling multiple notification methods. We strongly recommend setting up push notifications on your mobile device as a reliable backup. For customers affected by today's email issue, push notifications would have still been delivered successfully, ensuring no critical alerts were missed.

As of approximately 12:30 PM EDT the issue has been resolved. If you're an Alarm Grid monitored customer and you continue to have any issues receiving email notifications for TC2 alerts, you can contact our support team by calling 1-888-818-7728, M - F 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM. You can also email us at support@alarmgrid.com.

The problem outlined in this notice arises if you attempt to pair an older firmware ProSeries touchscreen keypad to a newer or recently updated ProSeries panel. If the keypad is on version 3.324.46 or lower, and the panel is on 03.3206.57+, then the keypad won't pair and ceases functioning.

ProSeries keypads, specifically the PROWLTOUCH and PROWLTOUCHC, may require a special upgrade process to install the latest firmware in certain cases. Normally, these keypads receive updates from the ProSeries panel. However, if the keypad can’t pair with the panel, or loses connection, it won’t be able to receive the update.

If you have a ProSeries panel and touchscreen keypad that stay paired, connected to WIFI, and in regular communication most of the time, you shouldn’t have any issues. When the panel updates its firmware via WIFI, it will pass along any available update to the keypad automatically. If your keypad has trouble staying connected, you may want to set it up using Access Point (AP) Mode. This helpful FAQ can show you how.

As we mentioned earlier, most users won’t run into this issue. However, certain situations make it more likely. For example, if you buy a used ProSeries touchscreen keypad, or if you purchase one from stock that has been sitting on the shelf for a long time, you may encounter the problem.

If your panel hasn’t been updated regularly, jumping from an older firmware straight to the latest release can cause the issue described above. It can also occur with panels that have been installed for a long time and communicate with AlarmNet360 only over cellular.

If your system has a PROWIFI or PROWIFIZW module, the panel and keypad may have been paired using AP Mode. Since the panel can’t update firmware over cellular, suddenly connecting it to WIFI could trigger an upgrade to the latest version, potentially leaving the keypad behind on older firmware.

If you purchase a new keypad that has been sitting in stock, and you discover it suffers from this issue, you should be able to return it to the dealer or distributor for a refund or replacement. However, if you buy a used keypad, inherit one with a home purchase, or receive a second-hand keypad as a gift, you may need to follow specific steps to update it. The first step is to check the firmware version.

Our Advice: If you’re considering buying a used touchscreen keypad, ask the seller to verify its firmware before you commit. Request a picture of the firmware screen as proof. Even if the keypad isn’t paired to a panel, you can still see its firmware version.

To check the firmware, power on the keypad and let it attempt to connect to a panel. Press "Pair to Panel". On the next screen, you’ll see options for connecting the keypad to WIFI. At the bottom of that screen, the current firmware version is displayed.

Once you know the keypad firmware, verify your ProSeries panel version. On the panel begin by tapping the Menu icon (≡) at the bottom center of the panel screen. Scroll down and tap Tools > Enter the Installer or Master Code (4112 or 1234, by default) > tap System Information > General. The panel firmware version will be displayed in a XX.XXXX.XX format.

If the keypad is on version 3.324.46 or lower and the ProSeries panel is on firmware version 03.2306.57 or higher, the touchscreen keypad will not pair with the panel. There is no way to make the keypad in this example pair with a panel at that firmware version. However, the keypad will still function if it is used with a panel on a lower firmware version that is then upgraded properly.

Important Note: You cannot downgrade the firmware on a ProSeries panel, per Resideo support.

Another drawback to this situation is that an end-user can't control when their panel updates, or to what version. The only control you have as an end-user is that if you remove your ProSeries panel from WIFI, it will not receive firmware updates. These panels don't update using cellular data.

Important Notes At A Glance:

• Keypads on v3.324.46 or lower can’t pair with panels on v03.2306.57 or higher.
• ProSeries panel firmware can’t be downgraded.
• Panels update only over WIFI, not cellular.
• Disconnecting WIFI stops panel updates.
• Check firmware before buying a used keypad.
• Contact your alarm dealer for upgrade help.

If you're a customer with concerns about this potential issue, contact your alarm dealer. They will be able to push the necessary upgrades to your ProSeries panel in the correct order. Alarm Grid has a list of customers with touchscreen keypads that may be susceptible and we are proactively reaching out via email or phone to those customers. If you are not an Alarm Grid customer your alarm dealer should have a similar list.