What Is Error Code 103 On a VISTA Alarm System?

Error code 103 on a VISTA Alarm System indicates that there is a problem with your system's communicator. You will only see Check 103 on an Alphanumeric Keypad like a Honeywell 6160. On a Fixed English Keypad like a Honeywell 6150, you will instead see bF, which stands for "backup failure".

In order to clear a Check 103 error code, you must first correct the problem affecting your system's communicator. You then need to acknowledge the error with a double disarm. A double disarm can be executed with the command [Master Code] + [1] + [Master Code] + [1]. The reason the double disarm is required is because the system wants to be aware that there was a problem, even if it has since been fixed. Remember, a Check 103 error will NOT go away until you perform this double disarm! This is very important.

There are many possible causes for a Check 103 error. But all of these causes involve the system's communicator. For an internet communicator, a temporary internet outage may have caused the problem. Internet service tends to go out regularly, sometimes for seemingly no reason. An electrical outage may also cause internet service to go down. That is why it is important to provide a backup communication path with a cellular communicator.

It is much less common to see an outage for a cellular communicator, but it does happen. Severe weather or a down cell tower could result in an outage. A weak cellular signal may also result in loss of communication. You can ask your alarm monitoring company to check the signal strength for your communicator if you believe that may be the problem. Weak cellular signals can often be addressed with a cellular amplifier or a cellular antenna.

Additionally, cellular service providers are currently in the process of shutting down their older cellular networks in favor of their faster and more reliable LTE networks. Most 2G networks have already been shut down. Most 3G networks will be terminated by the end of 2022. If you try to use a cellular communicator for a network that is no longer in service, you will get the Check 103 error. That is why you should upgrade to an LTE communicator ASAP.

Other possible causes for a Check 103 error include a tamper cover on the communicator, a communicator that is not properly registered, a loss of connectivity between the communicator and the VISTA Panel, and a power and/or battery problem. Another culprit could be that you have a communication path enabled in system settings, but no communicator for that path is actually installed. In that case, you must disable the path. This FAQ can help you.

In addition to the Check 103 error code, the Alphanumeric Keypad will display a 4-digit code that will tell you the exact issue. This can be seen in the following table below. Please note that these codes may vary slightly between different communicators, but they are usually pretty consistent.