Can I Update the Firmware on a 2GIG GC3 Alarm System?

Yes, you can update the firmware on a 2GIG GC3 Alarm System. There are actually two possible ways to do this. A user can perform a manual update by downloading it to a USB drive and then inserting the USB drive into the GC3 Panel. You can also have an update pushed down by an alarm company.

Updating the GC3 firmware will allow you to use new features and functions with the system. For example, a recent firmware update added screensaver mode, while the one before that added partitioning support. The easiest way to update the firmware is to do so manually by using a USB drive. A user can also have the update automatically pushed down by an alarm monitoring company. Having the firmware update pushed down automatically will require a small fee. Alarm Grid passes this fee onto the customer at no up-charge. If you are an Alarm Grid customer and you want an automatic update, simply email support@alarmgrid.com to make a request.

The benefit to updating the firmware manually is that you can do so at no cost. The process is very easy to complete. You just need a USB drive and a computer with an internet connection to download the update file. Another advantage of updating manually is that you can do so at any time. If you request an automatic update from your monitoring company, you will need to wait for them to send down the update. As a result, updating manually is often faster.

If you would like to perform a manual update on your 2GIG GC3 System, complete the following steps:

1. Download the update file. Insert a blank USB drive into your computer. Download the current GC3 firmware from this page. Extract the file, and save it to the root directory of the USB drive. The file should be named "gc3-3.x.x.xxxx-update-prod.2gig". You can then safely eject the USB drive from the computer.

2. Apply the update. Connect the USB drive to the top port on the GC3 System. The screen should display that a new firmware update is available. Click update. Then provide either the Installer Code or the Master Code. The default Installer Code is 1561. The default Master Code is 1111. The system should then reboot and apply the update.

3. Confirm the update. When the system reboots, the update should be automatically applied. Make sure that any new features you want to use work properly.