Will Total Connect Work w/ a DSC Impassa?

No, Total Connect will not work with a DSC Impassa. Total Connect is designed exclusively for Honeywell Alarm Systems. But fortunately, there is another option. A DSC Impassa can access the Alarm.com service instead. This service offers very similar functionality to Total Connect 2.0.

Alarm.com is an interactive service platform that a user can access to control their alarm system. Once a user has logged-in to Alarm.com, they can arm and disarm their system, check the current status of sensors, operate Z-Wave home automation devices and more. Alarm.com can be accessed through a web browser or using the Alarm.com Mobile App on any Android or iOS device. In other words, a user can essentially control their DSC Impassa from anywhere with Alarm.com.

But a DSC Impassa can only connect with Alarm.com if the system is receiving active cellular monitoring service. This means that a compatible cellular communicator will need to be installed in the system. To support the communicator, the DSC Impassa will need to be running firmware version 1.3 or higher. Please note that there is no way to upgrade from a lower firmware version to 1.3. So if a user has a DSC Impassa that isn't running at least version 1.3, they will need to upgrade to a different alarm panel entirely in order to use Alarm.com. The user will also need an alarm monitoring plan that includes cellular connectivity. For Alarm Grid, these are the Gold and Platinum level monitoring plans.

Remember, upgrading to cellular provides greater benefits than just simply allowing an alarm system to work with Alarm.com. Most security experts agree that cellular connectivity is the optimal communication path for an alarm system. Cellular service is almost always readily available, and it is rarely down. It is nearly impossible for others to tamper with a cellular connection, making it very secure. The speeds offered by a modern cellular connection are right on par with WIFI. This will allow the system to send outbound signals much more quickly than with a standard phone line connection. For these reasons, upgrading to cellular is very important for any owner of an alarm system.

For the DSC Impassa, there are cellular communicators for both the AT&T network and the Verizon network. This has nothing to do with the user's regular cell service as the cost of cellular monitoring will be included with the regular monitoring price. We recommend choosing the communicator for whichever network tends to work better in the user's area. Both of these networks will allow the DSC Impassa to connect with the Alarm.com service.