Dual-path Monitoring and the Vista-21iP

[MUSIC PLAYING] Hey, DIYers, Jarrett with Alarm Grid here. Today, we're going to talk about if you can use dual-path monitoring with the VISTA-21iP. Yes, you can use dual-path monitoring with the VISTA-21iP. The VISTA-21iP has a built-in IP-only communicator, which is called the 7847i, or the Honeywell 7847i. Now, if you wanted to use dual-path monitoring with the VISTA-21iP, you will need to disable the onboard IP communicator and use a dual-path communicator called the Honeywell LTE-IA or the Honeywell LTE-IV. We'll talk about this a little bit later in the video. But just to explain a little bit what I mean by using dual-path monitoring is if you were to use an IP connection with the system or a cellular connection with the system. So basically, if the alarm were to be triggered or anything were to happen with the system, sensor events or anything like that, it's going to send out those signals, whether it be through an internet communication or the cellular communication. Now, it's better to have the dual-path communications set up with your system because if, by any chance, one communication method is down, then it'll be able to send the signal through the other method of communication. So, for instance, if it's sending the signal through the internet connection and your internet drops, then it's then going to send the signal through the cellular connection and you will be able to be notified of the current situation of what's going on. Now, if you were to use dual-path monitoring, it is nice to be able to use the internet because it is a little bit faster than using the cellular, but the cellular is always going to be a lot more reliable than the internet connection because the internet can go down every now and then, but the cellular connection is more than likely going to be up-- or most of the time going to be up at a consistent rate compared to the internet connection. So if you were to use dual-path monitoring with the VISTA-21iP, you definitely can. It's possible, but it's not as simple as being able to add the onboard cellular communicator that used to be sold for the VISTA-21iP, and what I mean by that is the Honeywell VISTA-GSM4G. Unfortunately, the VISTA-GSM4G, it really won't be able to be used anymore because of the 3G sunset in a couple of years. So, now, the thing is about the VISTA-21iP is that it has the onboard IP communicator, and then you used to be able to add the VISTA-GSM4G, but if you wanted to do dual-path communication then, as I said, you will have to disable that IP or the internal IP communicator. Now, you can add a cellular-only communicator with the system, whether it be the Honeywell LTE-XA or the Honeywell LTE-XV, but the thing is is if you were to add that communicator, you cannot use the onboard IP communicator anymore because that communicator will need to be disabled in order to be able to use the external communicator. So basically, if you were to add a cellular-only communicator, it's basically either/or where you'd use just the internet only or you're using cellular only with that cellular-only communicator. But if you were to add the Honeywell LTE-IA or the Honeywell LTE-IV, then at that point, even if you were to disable the internal IP communicator, then you could still use the IP communicator that is built in with the dual-path communicator with either one of those communicators. So at that point, you would be able to use dual-path connectivity, but you would be losing that internal IP communicator, as I had specified. So the Honeywell LTE-IV is a Verizon LTE dual-path communicator, and the LTE-IA is an AT&T LTE dual-path IP communicator. So if you were looking to use dual-path monitoring with your alarm system, you will need to look at the appropriate monitoring plans. You want it to be able to be set up for that type of communication method for your monitoring services. So if you were an Alarm Grid customer or if you were looking at one of our monitoring plans, then the plans you would look at if you're looking for central station monitoring would be either the Gold Plan or the Platinum Plan, and if you were looking for self-monitoring for the system, then you're going to be using the Self Gold Plan or the Self Platinum Plan. I mean, all of these plans that I had specified, they do come with Total Connect 2.0, so that you will be able to interact with the system and even control your system remotely wherever you are. Now, the other thing about the Honeywell VISTA-21iP that I just want to add is recently, there was a new VISTA-21iP released, which is called the Honeywell 21iP LTE, so this is, basically, a newer version of the Honeywell VISTA-21iP, and it actually does have a cellular communicator that's built for it, like the GSM or the VISTA-GSM4G. And, basically, the cellular communicator that was built for it is called the Honeywell Home LTE-21V. This communicator is meant for the 21iP so that you can just pop it in and you do not have to disable that internal IP communicator, as you do with the Honeywell VISTA-21iP now. So if you wanted to take a look at that, it is available right now. It's called the Honeywell 21iP LTE. And, as I said, the Honeywell VISTA-GSM4G, unfortunately, won't be able to be used anymore, as I said earlier in the video. As of 2022, there is going to be a 3G sunset made by Verizon and AT&T, and they're going to be completely shutting down the 3G network. So if you wanted to look at some upgrades or anything or dual-path monitoring, definitely take a look at those different options. They are very, very good. So to go over one more time, are you able to use dual-path monitoring with the VISTA-21iP? You definitely can. If you have any questions about the Honeywell VISTA-21iP or alarm systems in general, please contact us at support@alarmgrid.com or go to our website, alarmgrid.com. If you found this video helpful, please Like, Subscribe. If you want notifications of future videos, please click the Bell icon. This is Jarrett with Alarm Grid. You have yourself a great day.