How Do I Add and Control Z-Wave Lights With the IQ5 NS?

To add Z-Wave lights with the IQ5 NS, open the IQ Installer app and go to Installation > Devices > Z-Wave Devices. Select Add Device, choose Autolearn Z-Wave, press Start Autolearn, and press the pair button on the light module. Once enrolled, use the Alarm.com app to control your lights.

Before You Begin

The IQ5 NS (available in AT&T LTE and Verizon LTE) is a screenless security panel that still includes a full Z-Wave radio supporting up to 80 dimmers and light modules. Because the IQ5 NS has no display, you enroll Z-Wave devices using the IQ Installer app on your iOS or Android phone. Day-to-day control of your lights happens through the Alarm.com mobile app, giving you remote access from anywhere. This makes the IQ5 NS a capable platform for home automation in installations where a wall-mounted display is not needed or not desired.

Supported light devices include Z-Wave dimmers, on/off switches, lamp modules, and smart outlets. Any Z-Wave Plus certified light module that works with a standard Z-Wave controller is compatible with the IQ5 NS. You can create schedules and automation scenes in Alarm.com to have lights respond to time of day, arming events, or other sensor triggers. For example, you can set the porch light to turn on when the system arms away at night, or dim the living room automatically at a set time each evening.

Before pairing, power on the light module and position it within 30 feet (9 meters) of the IQ5 NS during enrollment. If the device was previously paired to another controller, clear it from that network first. Use the IQ Installer app's Clear Device function to run an exclusion before attempting to add the device to the IQ5 NS. This prevents residual pairing data from causing enrollment failures.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open the IQ Installer app on your mobile device and connect to the IQ5 NS. Make sure your phone is connected to the same WIFI network as the panel or directly to the panel's built-in access point. From the app, navigate to Installation > Devices > Z-Wave Devices.

IQ5 NS IQ Installer app navigation path to Z-Wave Devices

2. Select Add Device from the Z-Wave Devices page. You will be prompted to choose between Autolearn Z-Wave and Autolearn PowerG. Select Autolearn Z-Wave for standard Z-Wave light modules.

IQ5 NS Z-Wave devices page in the IQ Installer app

3. Press Start Autolearn when the app displays the pairing prompt. The IQ5 NS enters Z-Wave inclusion mode. You have approximately 60 seconds to press the pair or learn button on the light module. Press the button as described in the light module's documentation.

IQ5 NS Autolearn Z-Wave device pairing screen in IQ Installer app

4. Configure the device name and settings when pairing is confirmed. Enter a descriptive name for the light module such as "Dining Room Dimmer" or "Back Porch Light." If S2 security keys are requested, grant the appropriate level and enter the DSK code printed on the device label. Confirm the settings to save the device to the IQ5 NS.

IQ5 NS device configuration screen after successful Z-Wave pairing

5. Open the Alarm.com app to control your enrolled Z-Wave lights. In the Alarm.com app, navigate to the Automation or Lights section to see all paired light modules. Touch a light to toggle it on or off, or use the dimmer slider to adjust brightness. From here you can also create schedules, build scenes, and set rules that link your lights to other devices or arming events.

Remote Access and Automation

An Alarm.com monitoring plan that includes home automation gives you the full range of light control features through Alarm.com, including remote on/off, scheduling, and scene creation. If you want a local interface for light control without using a phone, you can also pair an IQ Remote PowerG secondary keypad to the IQ5 NS to give household members a physical interface for controlling the system and its connected devices.

Z-Wave light control on the IQ5 NS delivers full home automation capability in a compact, screenless package managed entirely through the Alarm.com app on the IQ5 NS. For help with Z-Wave light control and home automation or other configurations on your IQ5 NS, contact the Alarm Grid support team. We are here Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Email us at support@alarmgrid.com, call us at 888-818-7728, or visit our website and chat with a live support agent.