Do I Need Monitoring if I Have Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com?

Yes, you need monitoring if you have Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com. These interactive services will not work unless you have a compatible panel and a monitoring plan. The monitoring plan that you have will also need to specifically include access to Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com.

Total Connect and Alarm.com are not monitoring services themselves. They are interactive platforms that are included as part of many alarm monitoring plans. In order to use either of these services, you will need to have a monitoring plan that includes connectivity to one of these services, as well as a compatible security system with an IP or cellular connection. The IP or cellular connection is necessary for your panel to properly interact with the Total Connect or Alarm.com service.

If you try to use either Total Connect or Alarm.com without receiving active monitoring service or after your monitoring plan has been cancelled, then you will not be able to access the server. This is because connectivity to Total Connect or Alarm.com is done through an alarm monitoring company, and without active monitoring service, you will not be able to login to either of these platforms. In other words, your access to Total Connect or Alarm.com is controlled by your alarm monitoring company, and you will need an appropriate monitoring plan from them if you want to access one of these services.

Whether you use the Total Connect service or the Alarm.com service will depend on what type of security system you have. Total Connect is exclusively for Honeywell panels, such as the Lyric Controller and Lynx Touch Panels. Meanwhile, Alarm.com is used by Alarm.com compatible systems, like the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 and 2GIG's GC2 and GC3. Both services will provide virtually identical functions and features, providing roughly the same excellent experience for end users.

By using Total Connect or Alarm.com, you can control your security system in some very interesting ways. Using these services, you can remotely arm and disarm your system, check the status of your sensors and even control Z-Wave devices from anywhere in the world. These great features make having either Total Connect or Alarm.com absolutely necessary for getting the most out of your security setup.