Total Connect 2.0 Posts

It was only supposed to be a simple software update! These words are I'm guessing, being echoed by the cybersecurity giant, CrowdStrike. Over night CrowdStrike pushed out a misconfigured/corrupted update to its customers. This has caused major issues to banks, airports, TV stations, health care organizations, hotels, and you guessed it, the alarm industry.

Early this morning, Alarm Grid became aware of multiple issues concerning alarm systems. Resideo reported issues July 19 at 3:57am EST. They reported All Pro Series and LTEM-P devices failing on all services. Also, TC2 Application notifications and event processing were delayed. They have reported that most systems are already back online.

Alarm.com reported issues July 19 at 1am EST. The reported issues were affecting access to the Partner Portal, Mobile Tech, the customer website, and the customer app, and may cause delayed execution of commands and signals sent to and from customer systems.

CrowdStrike has reported that the fix has been implemented, but that it could take time to get things back up and running. Both AlarmNet and Alarm.com services are reporting improvements.

Please continue to check back here for updates.

UPDATE: As of 10am EST, Alarm.com has reported that all of their services are fully restored.

UPDATE: 3:30p EST. Resideo has reported that most of the systems are back online. And that alarm delivery services are not impacted. Although we saw their service return much earlier than this update.

Thanks for your patience. If you continue to have issues with Alarm.com or Resideo's services, you can email us here.

We first told you about the First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera in our ISC West blog earlier this year. The VX5 debuted at the trade show. However, it's still not available for purchase. That's pretty routine, announcing a product that nobody can get yet. But, here's what we know about it so far.

For one thing, it looks like that ⬆. It is attractive and unobtrusive. This is an indoor camera that can be mounted to the ceiling, wall, or can sit on any flat stable surface. It requires a wired connection to power, but is otherwise wireless. Using Total Connect 2.0, live video and clips can be viewed from any location where the user has access to either a cellular or WIFI connection to the internet.

Advanced Event Detection

The VX5 Indoor Camera offers advanced event detection using state-of-the-art AI. It can tell the difference between a person, animal, or vehicle, and can alert you to the same. This AI capability will no doubt pay dividends down the road, and I can foresee new features being added that also capitalize on it.

Offers Video and Audio Capabilities

The VX5 is capable of 2MP resolution, which gives sharp, detailed images in both day and night vision situations. The ability to both hear and communicate with anyone in the camera's vicinity allows the user to engage with those being viewed. This can be used as a deterrent if you catch a person (or animal) lurking in an area where they don't belong.

Automated Privacy Mode

Privacy is on everyone's mind these days. The VX5 offers both a manual privacy setting, as well as automated privacy settings. Privacy Mode can be selected from the Total Connect 2.0 app or by pushing a button on the camera itself. Privacy Mode prevents the camera from recording any video or audio. When integrated with one of the PROSeries security panels, the privacy shield will come on automatically when the system is disarmed and turn off when the system is armed.

Remote Access Using Total Connect 2.0

The new First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera leverages the user's Total Connect 2.0 subscription, giving remote access and notification capability to any of the VX cameras associated with the account. For Alarm Grid customers, a Platinum Plan (Self or Full) will support up to eight (8) VX cameras with 30-days of recording capability. If you need more than eight (8) cameras, you can add a Video-Monitoring Plan, which doubles this support.

In Summary:

The First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera is a much-needed addition to Resideo's Total Connect 2.0 camera lineup. It offers a fresh look and modern features that consumers want in a camera. They're taking a "one-size-fits-all" approach so far, so let's hope this camera performs in the way we expect.

This camera is still considered to be in the Beta stage of development. That means:

• It could still be a while before it's released.
• Anything we've been told about it so far could be changed before it's released.

One thing that's not likely to change is how it looks, so the picture above should be accurate. As for everything else, we'll just have to wait patiently for it to be released then hopefully, we'll see.

ISC West is the premiere trade show in our industry. It happens in Las Vegas each spring and all the manufacturers of security products show up. Of course, we're interested in Qolsys, Alarm.com, Resideo, AlarmNet, and 2GIG, but there are many more! They'll display all their best new gadgets.

This year Alarm.com showed up to ISC West loaded for bear! They rolled out several new offerings in the form of both products and services. Many, but not all of these devices were targeting commercial applications. We'll list the big new items below:

Alarm.com

Outdoor Floodlight Camera and VizBlinder:

The Outdoor Floodlight Camera is a new product. As the name implies, it mounts outside in darker areas where an intruder may attempt to enter or gain entry to an area where they shouldn't be.

The new Outdoor Floodlight Camera features 4MP video and Two-Way voice options. It has 3,000 Lumen floodlights, allowing you to customize your lighting options. It's suitable for homes and small- to medium-sized businesses. Additionally, because it uses video analytics, the floodlight can automatically respond to threats when unwanted visitors or vehicles are detected. It can activate red and blue warning lights and also play warning sounds from a powerful siren.

VizBlinder will incorporate new hardware as part of the new feature. It allows the central station operator to fill a room with a vision obscuring white haze. This is done after the operator has accessed the available Alarm.com cameras and determined that an intruder is present. If cameras that support Two-Way audio are in use the operator will be able to engage with the intruder prior to activating VizBlinder. If I were an intruder, and the room suddenly began filling with an unknown white fog, I would skedaddle!

Remote Video Monitoring Console:

The Remote Video Monitoring Console (RVM) is a system that allows central station operators to offer "round-the-clock concierge video monitoring and proactive defense services to customers with Alarm.com Video Analytics cameras." Operators will receive immediate alerts when a vehicle or person enters an area that is restricted. Through the RVM, the operator can review the situation and, if necessary, intervene through the RVM using hardware located on the protected site. This includes using the two-way voice feature of some cameras to talk to the unexpected visitor.

Because both the cameras and the RVM Console are provided by Alarm.com, this is truly a seamless end-to-end integration. The fact that Alarm.com makes the cameras, video analytics, and the central station hardware, there is no special interface equipment required. The Remote Video Monitoring Console is what allows the central station operator to deploy VizBlinder, which we outlined in the previous section.

Sunflower Labs Autonomous Security Drone:

Alarm.com has partnered with Sunflower Labs to offer an autonomous outdoor security drone. Sensor activity on the alarm system and Video Analytics trigger the drone to deploy and investigate suspicious events. It can cover 10 acres in 90 seconds, making it perfect for larger commercial and residential properties. The drone provides "eyes in the sky" for property owners and central station operators alike, and puts intruders on notice that they're being watched. Presumably, central station operators can also deploy the drone based on information they glean through the RVM Console.

Shooter Detection Systems

Adding to their commercial offerings, Alarm.com introduces the Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) Indoor Gunshot Sensor. In the event of an active shooter situation, this system allows for a faster and more accurate response while also providing valuable information to both police and medical first responders.

The SDS sensor uses dual-authentication technology identifying both the acoustic and the infrared signature of a gunshot. It has an accuracy rating of less than 1 false alert per 5 million hours of use. Gunshot detection signals are automatically forwarded to Alarm.com and the appropriate central station is alerted within seconds. With the information provided by the system, the operator can inform the authorities exactly where the incident was reported.

Resideo

First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera

Adding to their recently released First Alert® VX1 video doorbell and First Alert® VX3 outdoor camera Resideo introduces the new First Alert® VX5 Indoor Camera at ISC West. Like most of these products, the VX5 is not yet available, so information about it is scarce, but we know it will offer these features:

Advanced Event Detection
• Privacy Mode
• Integration with ProSeries Security Panel
• Compact, Versatile Design
• 2MP resolution and day and night vision with WDR
• Two-way audio
• Easy to Use App – TC 2.0 - for full control of the connected home or office

2GIG

E+ Extended Range Sensors

2GIG brings their new E+ Extended Range 900 MHz sensors to ISC West. This is an exciting addition to their portfolio. This product line will capitalize on the extended range capabilities of the 900 MHz wireless frequency. The E+ lineup will offer up to 1.2 Mile (2km) transmitting range. These sensors are bi-directional and fully encrypted with extended battery life as compared to regular 2GIG 345 MHz sensors. As with most products rolled out at ISC West, these are not yet available, but a data sheet for each is linked below. We will link to the products once they become available for sale.

Available sensors, so far:

• 2GIG GB1E-900 - Glassbreak Detector
• 2GIG DW10E-900 - Door/Window Sensor
• 2GIG PIR1E-900 - PIR Motion Detector
• 2GIG DW30E-900 - Outdoor Door/Window Sensor
• 2GIG SMKT-900 - Smoke Detector

Qolsys

We saved Qolsys for last because they didn't really roll anything out especially for ISC West. Qolsys finished 2023 strong with the release of their PowerG Everywhere 900 MHz automation devices and the Qolsys IQ4 NS no screen security panel.

PowerG Everywhere combines the excellent transmitting range we've come to expect from PowerG with the battery-savings and simplicity of use we get from Z-Wave. The resulting product is a battery sipping tour de force. So far, they offer the following PowerG Automation products which are compatible with the IQ Panel 4, IQ4 Hub, and IQ4 NS running firmware 4.4.0+ and the IQ Pro with firmware 4.3.0n+:

• IQ Lock-PG
• IQ Dimmer-PG
• IQ Switch-PG
• IQ Socket-PG
• IQ Smart Plug-PG
• IQ Outdoor Plug-PG

The IQ4 NS is a budget-friendly panel based on the IQ Panel 4. It's nearly identical to the IQ4 Hub, in fact, with one exception. It does not include a touchscreen interface. Instead, programming is performed using the IQ Installer App, available as a free download from the iOS and Google app stores. You can read all about the IQ4 NS and PowerG Everywhere in our blog posts here and here respectively.

Update 04/08/24 5:08 pm: According to a contact at Resideo, the available stock of IPCAM-WOC2 cameras without this issue is being held back to use as replacements for any affected units that have already been sold. Stock is limited, and once it is depleted, the camera will likely be discontinued permanently.

As an alternative, Resideo recommends the First Alert CAMWE-WO, also known as the VX3 HD Camera. This is an outdoor, 1080p camera with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). With its intelligent event detection, the CAMWE-WO can distinguish between vehicles, animals, and people.

Original Post: If you have purchased a new Resideo IPCAM-WOC2 recently, but have not yet tried to register it, there is a good chance it will not register. A manufacturing issue has been identified, and a fix is in the works. However, you will need to warranty replace the existing camera if affected

Resideo released this notice today regarding the issue. The notice is a bit confusing. It states that because of this issue they have decided to stop selling the IPCAM-WOC2, but it also states that a resolution has been identified and that new product is available in their warehouse and that affected units can be returned for exchange or refund.

What we know currently:

• Installed, registered, and working units are not affected. There is no reason to believe they will have future issues related to this announcement.
• Units that have been purchased but not registered may have the issue. If you attempt to register an IPCAM-WOC2 and it fails, return it to the vendor you purchased it from for an exchange or refund.
• Currently, you can't purchase a new IPCAM-WOC2. Presumably, current stock of working units is being used for warranty replacement.

We've reached out to Resideo to try and get clarification on a few of our questions. When we hear back, we'll update this blog post. In the meantime, if you have purchased an IPCAM-WOC2 and you haven't tried to register it yet, it is recommended that you do so now. If you encounter an issue, contact the distributor or dealer you purchased the unit from and proceed from there.

If you are an Alarm Grid monitored customer, or you purchased an IPCAM-WOC2 from Alarm Grid recently, you can contact us regarding a warranty replacement. Send an email to support@alarmgrid.com. If the email you use to contact support is different from the email you used when ordering your product, please provide us with the ordering email. That is the easiest way for us to look up and confirm your recent order.

Resideo has confirmed that some Gmail users are not receiving Total Connect 2.0 email notifications. Their engineering group are aware of the issue and are working on a resolution. It is expected to be resolved soon. Text, push notification, and most other email domains are not affected.

We haven't been made aware of the actual issue with Gmail email addresses, but it probably has something to do with Gmail's efforts to block unwanted emails such as spam or phishing attempts. Unfortunately, when you take measures to block the unwanted, you sometimes also block the wanted.

This is an evolving issue, and Resideo have promised to update us when it is resolved. If so, we'll post that information here. Check back often!

UPDATE 3:00 PM EST 02/22/24:

The nationwide AT&T outage has been resolved and all affected users, including alarm communicators, have been restored to normal operation. AT&T is still investigating the cause of the outage, and no concrete information is yet available. If a forensic analysis is made public, we will comment on it in a separate post.

Both AlarmNet and Alarm.com show that service for customers with AT&T communicators has been fully restored. If you have an AT&T communicator that still seems to be offline, attempt to power cycle the device.

Always put a monitored system on test with the monitoring station before performing any kind of maintenance.

For most stand-alone communicators, you can do this by unplugging the battery and the primary power supply, waiting about 30 seconds, and then powering back on by plugging the battery, and then the power supply back in. If your communicator gets its power from a VISTA alarm panel, like the LTEM-XA, then power cycle the entire system. Power down by unplugging the panel's battery and transformer. Power up by plugging in the transformer first, and then the battery.

For older All-in-One systems, like the LynxTouch panels, you'll need to power cycle the entire system. Do this by opening the panel and unplugging the battery, then unplugging the transformer. When powering back up, plug the battery in first, then the transformer.

The PROA7 and PROA7PLUS panels have a reboot option through the Tools Menu. From the Home Screen, tap Menu (≡) > scroll down, tap Tools > Enter Installer Code (4112 by default) > scroll down and tap Reboot.

If you have a Qolsys touchscreen system, be sure to go through the panel's menu to reboot, rather than removing the battery and DC power. Not following the proper power-down or reboot procedure can damage the panel. Tap the gray bar at the top of the screen, then tap Settings > Advanced Settings > Enter Installer or Dealer Code (1111 or 2222 respectively, by default) > Panel Reboot (↻).

ORIGINAL POST:

A nationwide outage, beginning this morning at approximately 3:30 AM, is affecting both mobile phones and alarm communicators. The outage seems to be limited to AT&T, though there were early reports of issues with T-Mobile also. According to T-Mobile, their service is working normally now.

AlarmNet has posted this notice on the AlarmNet360 page:

Alarm.com has posted this notice:

It is important to note that this is a carrier outage, not an AlarmNet, Total Connect 2.0, or Alarm.com outage, meaning this is not something Resideo or Alarm.com can resolve. As new information becomes available, we will update it here. As an AT&T Subscriber in the Louisville, KY area, I can report that I have no cellular service at this time. AT&T recommends that their wireless users take advantage of WIFI calling wherever possible, until this issue is resolved.

This outage does potentially affect your ability to remotely control your system, to receive notifications from your system, and your system's ability to report alarm and other signals to a central station, but only if you have an AT&T communicator tied to the system or have an AT&T Mobile Device and no access to WIFI. To our knowledge, Verizon communicators are unaffected.

If your system reports a trouble condition related to the cellular outage, you can silence any audible alert by acknowledging the trouble condition. For users with touchscreen panels, this will usually involve touching the notification message and then acknowledging it on the next screen.

For VISTA users, a disarm command should be entered. This is accomplished by entering a valid 4-digit user code, and then pressing the 1 or OFF key. Once the outage has been restored, you will need to perform a disarm command again to clear the trouble condition from the display.

Most wired DSC panels indicate a trouble condition by displaying a triangle with an exclamation point inside. Pressing [*] [2] and then viewing the number or numbers displayed will explain what the condition is. A four usually (4) indicates a Comm Failure. You can see information about how to view DSC trouble conditions here. DSC Impassa users can see the Install Guide here. Information about trouble codes is on page 72. You can see a DSC PowerSeries troubleshooting guide here.

02/14/24 1:09 PM UPDATE: Per Resideo, these two issues are unrelated. However, the second issue, involving AT&T communicators appears to have been resolved.

02/13/24 4:15 PM UPDATE: Resideo has an update on the AlarmNet360 site currently:

"A small percentage of ProSeries and LTEMP LTE AT&T communicators may experience signaling issues that could result in a communication failure message being generated to the monitoring Central Station.

This issue is being worked with AT&T for immediate resolution.

We appreciate your patience while we work to quickly resolve this issue."

It is not clear whether this is a separate issue, or is related to the Pro Series issue originally reported in this post. When we get that information, we will either update here or in a new post with details of the new issue. Keep watching this space for updates.

02/13/24 Original Post:

Recently, Resideo identified an issue with select PROA7 and PROA7PLUS panels: screens become dark/unresponsive, losing connection to AlarmNet. A hard reboot is required for a reset. Resideo plans a firmware upgrade to address this, which will be applied automatically to all Pro Series panels.

This alert applies to all Resideo and Honeywell Home Pro Series panels. This includes the PROA7, PROA7C, PROA7PLUS, and PROA7PLUSC. While they say the number of affected panels is very small, we don't yet have an actual number or a date code range to confirm those details.

In response to this issue, Resideo has a firmware update, 03.1872.18.0 which they will begin pushing to all registered Pro Series panels this week. The update will also be available to dealers to push manually beginning on 02/13/24. This is a critical update and will be pushed over WIFI, if available, or Cell if WIFI is unavailable. It is important to note that only registered panels can receive this firmware update. Registered means that there is an account associated with the panel.

An affected panel will be dark, with no status LEDs illuminated. Along with these visible symptoms, the panel will stop communicating with the AlarmNet servers. This will eventually generate a report to the monitoring station of E359, which indicates the panel failed a regularly scheduled check-in.

If you have a Pro Series panel and believe your panel is affected, we recommend you power cycle it as soon as possible. Remove the set screw in the bottom of the panel and pull the front and back of the panel apart. Doing this will automatically remove the primary DC power.

Next, find the panel's battery and unplug it from the main board. Leave it disconnected for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Now carefully put the panel back together. Doing so will reconnect the primary power and the panel should begin to boot up. Replace the set screw, if installed and allow the panel to boot. This should return the panel to normal operation and allow it to receive the firmware update.

Panels that receive the firmware update will reboot as a part of the update process. This will generate a signal to the monitoring station of E-339-Exp. Module Power On / Reset, or possibly E-305-System reset, or possibly both.

If we receive further details on this issue, we'll post them here, so stay tuned. Updates will be posted near the top of this page and will be highlighted with a bold date and wording to indicate new information. We have yet to receive an official MWT Technical Bulletin on this issue, but I believe one is likely coming soon. Hopefully, it will contain the details that are, so far, notably missing.

Update 02/06/24:

Per Resideo, they first began seeing this issue back in April 2023. They were able to determine that the Total Connect 2.0 server was creating and sending the notifications properly. They checked with the receiving carrier, in this case, Telus, and found that Telus had blacklisted TotalConnect2.0@alarmnet.com as SPAM. Therefore Telus was not delivering these notifications. This will affect SMS and Email notifications only.

For those Canadian customers who have complained of this issue, contacting Telus and asking them to whitelist totalconnect2.0@alarmnet.com has resolved the issue. This will also affect Canadian users of the Rogers service. Both Telus and Rogers appear to use the same intermediate SMS provider.

Original Post:

Alarm Grid has had reports from our Canadian customers that they are not receiving notifications from Total Connect 2.0. After checking with Resideo, we have confirmed there is an issue, and they are currently working with Telus to resolve it. We don't have an ETR. Check back for updates.

This is a recent development, though we haven't received any details from Resideo yet as to when the issue began. It seems to affect text, email, and push notifications to recipients in Canada. When we have more details, we will provide updates here. Rest assured this does not affect your system's ability to send alarm signals. Any signals generated by your system will be processed normally.

Resideo recently applied an update to the wording of Total Connect 2.0 notification messages. Where, originally they referred to the alarm system by name, they added the word "Installation" to the message. After complaints, they have returned the messages to their original wording.

These updates exclusively affected SMS, email, and SMS-to-email notifications. Consequently, if you rely solely on push notifications through your iOS® or Android® device, you might not have noticed any difference. However, for those who receive SMS, email, or SMS-to-email notifications, you may have noticed these changes in recent days.

The primary concern that most users seemed to have revolves around the term "Installation." This led to some confusion, and coupled with other modifications, such as displaying the user number instead of the user name when a system is armed and disarmed, the update garnered a negative reception. I believe there's an opportunity to combine elements from each of these formats to craft a more well-received message that users would find favorable.

It is undeniable that the updated format offers a concise, but complete message, whereas the original format, to me, seems a bit jumbled. As an alarm professional, I can parse the jumble pretty easily, but I imagine an end-user took a little time to become accustomed to this messaging format. Having acclimated, when users were provided with a somewhat improved, more complete, message they balked.

I would like to see a format similar to the example shown below. Remember that the location name provided in these notifications comes from the name you've given your system in the Locations section of the Total Connect 2.0 website. Particularly, if you have multiple locations, it's important to name each one so that it's easily distinguishable when you receive notifications. Not to mention, when you log in to control your systems or check their status.

If you need to edit the name of your system, you can easily do so by logging into Total Connect 2.0 from a browser. In the Menu list to the left, click on Locations, then click the down arrow to the right (ours is shown as an up arrow because we've already clicked on it in the screenshot below) of the current location name to expand the selection, then click on Edit and enter the name you want to use. Be sure to "Save" when you've finished.

If you're a Total Connect 2.0 user, did you notice any difference in your recent notification message format? If so, did you notice when they were switched back to the original format? Which format do you prefer? If you have a format idea that you think is better than the one we proposed above, share it with us. We'll be happy to pass it along to Resideo.

The First Alert VX3 HD (CAMWE-WO) is the newest camera offering from Resideo and Honeywell Home using the First Alert brand name. It offers full HD viewing and recording and supports Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). Its built-in speaker and microphone support 2-way audio through the TC2 app.

Resideo completed the purchase of First Alert in 2022 and is now beginning to roll out products using the First Alert name. So far, we've seen the First Alert VX1 HD (CAMW-WDB) HD doorbell camera, and now the VX3 HD. First Alert brings with it end-user brand recognition, as well as manufacturing capabilities for life safety and other devices.

The newly introduced VX3 HD boasts a sleek, modern design and a compact form factor. A notable advancement in this camera, compared to earlier TC2-compatible models, is its intelligent event detection capability. This sophisticated AI-driven feature distinguishes between people, vehicles, animals, and packages effectively reducing unnecessary alerts. This functionality is present in both the VX3 HD camera and its counterpart, the VX1 HD video doorbell.

Another exciting feature of this new outdoor camera is the ability to use Power over Ethernet (PoE). Because the VX3 HD also supports WIFI, it can be powered by a 12VDC, 1A power supply. But, if you plan to use an ethernet connection for networking, you may as well take advantage of its PoE capabilities. The VX3 HD is an 802.3 af PoE class 3 PD. The maximum cable length when using PoE is 300' (100m).

The First Alert VX3 HD offers many impressive specifications. You can read the full spec sheet here. One thing we haven't discussed yet is Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). You may be wondering what the difference between High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) is.

Both HDR and WDR have to do with the contrast and resolution in images that have both very dark and very light areas. HDR uses processing power and software to take these images and perfect them, as much as possible, so that the viewer can get the most detail possible from the image. With HDR, it's all software-based.

WDR uses both hardware and software to achieve the same goal. One example of how this occurs is that shutter speed is controlled by the camera, so that in areas where there is an abundance of light, shutter speed is faster, allowing less light into the camera, and in darker areas, shutter speed is slower, to take in more light. In many cases, multiple images are taken with different exposure levels and then combined to provide you with the best possible image.

A custom back box is available for installations where in-wall wiring is not possible, or for anyone who needs additional space to protect cables. The CAMWE-WOBB replaces the standard mounting bracket and is installed behind or beneath the camera. It can support up to three (3) 1/2" (1.27cm) conduits. It has rubber grommets that can be used to protect any conduit space that is not being used. With an IP66 rating, the back box is dust-proof and water-resistant.

Alarm Grid customers who want to take advantage of all the advanced features of the VX3 HD will need to sign up for either a Platinum Plan (Self or Full) or a Stand-alone Video Plan. This camera is compatible with Total Connect 2.0, and can also be viewed through the Honeywell Home PROA7PLUS or Resideo PROA7PLUSC touchscreen. As long as the panel is on version 03 or higher. It can also be viewed on the PROWLTOUCH or PROWLTOUCHC secondary keypad when used with one of these panels.

Up to eight (8) cameras can be added to each monitoring plan that supports cameras, and each First Alert VX3 HD counts as one (1) camera. Full access to the camera, including the 2-way audio feature, is accessible through the TC2 app. The website does not support 2-way audio, and will only allow you to view the camera's live feed and captured video.

The 2-way audio feature allows the user to listen in to ambient sound in the vicinity of the camera, and to speak through the camera to anyone within view. This feature can be used to deter potential burglaries, scare away stray animals, or play tricks on your friends. There is also an LED spotlight and siren feature that can be deployed manually by the end-user to deter intruders in the vicinity of the camera.