Alarm.Com Z-Wave Module with Vera

Other Devices & Integrations Door Locks & Sensors
41

[quote=“aschwalb, post:40, topic:168620”]@PurdueGuy

Did you do a full power include or bring the Vera to the box? I will try it tonight… Looking forward to it! Thanks for your help[/quote]Honestly, I don’t remember. I had the 2 boxes sitting about a foot away from each other. I think I did a low-power, but I can’t remember.

42

[quote=“baalbergen, post:39, topic:168620”]Sorry messed that reply up. Want to know how do you perform this step:

To make Alarm.com module primary - do a “primary controller shift”…

And has anyone gotten it to work by doing that? I did open a trouble ticket with vera support and they said they are working on a plugin that should be done by end of year.[/quote]I don’t know of a way to shift primary control back to Vera if I ever wanted to. So I didn’t go that route.

43

@PurdueGuy

Tried it but did something wrong… Got an unconfigured scene controller in Vera a 2 unknown zwave devices.

44

Hello!

I’m looking at adding Z-Wave to my house. I’ve looked at alarm.com and Vera as options to do so. I have looked over all the posts for this topic and wondering what is the benefit of sinking the two together? Is the purpose to use alarm.com to control the security and Vera to control the light, thermostat, etc. Just wanted to clarify before purchasing anything.

Thanks

45

[quote=“PurdueGuy, post:41, topic:168620”][quote=“aschwalb, post:40, topic:168620”]@PurdueGuy

Did you do a full power include or bring the Vera to the box? I will try it tonight… Looking forward to it! Thanks for your help[/quote]Honestly, I don’t remember. I had the 2 boxes sitting about a foot away from each other. I think I did a low-power, but I can’t remember.[/quote]

@PurdueGuy
Only a few of my devices showed up… The controller is there and configured, but now what?

46

[quote=“aschwalb, post:45, topic:168620”]@PurdueGuy
Only a few of my devices showed up… The controller is there and configured, but now what?[/quote]

I guess you can try the replicate again. I have 1 device (aside from locks) that didn’t show up. I am out of town, and can’t try again. I’m not sure of the next replicate will be destructive or cumulative. Renaming all the devices on Alarm.com is a HUGE pain.

47

@PurdueGuy

Thanks… I am just as happy to do it again. Do you think I do the same thing but have vera in Exclude mode? Maybe I didnt wait long enough and exited the process too soon… Vera did the fast blinkky thing so I hit # on the SImon to get it to exit.

48

[quote=“aschwalb, post:47, topic:168620”]@PurdueGuy

Thanks… I am just as happy to do it again. Do you think I do the same thing but have vera in Exclude mode? Maybe I didnt wait long enough and exited the process too soon… Vera did the fast blinkky thing so I hit # on the SImon to get it to exit.[/quote]
I don’t think you have to do the exclude. I think the process for informing secondary controllers of updates is to just re-include. I think Vera will say something like “Found existing device.”

49

Any update on this lately?

I am using the Simon XT (Version 1.4) from Frontpoint Security with HomeSeer, not Vera. I have been able to successfully add the Simon XT module to my HomeSeer (Via the “Replcate Send” functionality in HomeSeer) and by putting the Simon XT into “Replicate Mode.” (I say ti was successful because bot the panel and the log in HomeSeer indicates that is was successful) HOWEVER, my Schlage z-wave deadbolt is not controllable via the Simon XT. (It says: "A secure connection was not established during the enrollment of the following lock(s): Device 14: Lock. Please delete and re-add them to the device network.“ on Alarm.com) I also had to do the “Replicate Send” function twice for all my lights and Trane Z-wave thermostat to show up on Alarm.com.

So, I am trying to figure out if the encryption settings are not included in the “Replicate Send” function in HomeSeer, or if the Simon XT panel is just not able to accept the encryption settings as a secondary controller?!? Seems to me to be the latter since I think PurdueGuy is getting the same result wit Vera 2 as Primary.

Also, I am interested in taking this a step further with Alarm.com and HomeSeer. I really would like these systems to be able to play nicely with HomeSeer as primary and Simon XT as secondary. Would any of you be willing to PM me the name of your contact(s) at Alarm.com?

Thanks in advance!

50

Does this allow Vera to also see the “sensors” that are tied to the Simon XT, such as window and door sensors, and include them as devices??
I’m looking for a way to have them show up as a device in Vera so I can utilize them in scenes. I had everything setup previously w/ the Simon XT, then when I got the vera, I just put all my devices through “exclude” then included them with the Vera, I did change anything on the Simon XT. Alarm.com still shows some of the lights on there, but they cannot be controlled.
Should I do anything BEFORE putting the Simon XT in include mode, and adding to my Vera?

Thanks!

51

My contact is at FrontPoint, not Alarm.com. I tried going to Alarm.com directly, and they pointed me back to FrontPoint. :frowning:

The senors on the SimonXT will NOT show up. That is a separate system entirely within the panel, not exposed to the outside world.

52

@PurdueGuy; is it possible to incorporate these sensors in any way?

53

PurdueGuy, I see… I am with FrontPoint too! They told me to use the Simon XT as the primary controller too! I assume you didn’t get very far with them on trying troubleshooing why the Lock did not work then, huh?

54

Since the sensors are a different part of the network, I don’t see how. Unless you have the panel flip a physical z-wave switch on open/close, and have Vera watch for that. But the results would not be instant, I don’t think. You might have to wait for polling, and then it’s just slow!

As for getting farther with locks, there was a note in the docs I was given that locks wouldn’t work correctly (yet) b/c of the encryption. But Alarm.com is aware of it, and an upgrade is supposed to be in the works. And I’m told they are usually good about meeting their timeframes.

55

@PurdueGuy

Assuming the locks do get fixed… how are you going to use them? I just bought a yale lock (waiting for the Schlage keyway) and was planning on adding it to Vera. It would be really great to have it disarm the alarm and trigger scenes if that was somehow possible.

56

[quote=“aschwalb, post:55, topic:168620”]@PurdueGuy

Assuming the locks do get fixed… how are you going to use them? I just bought a yale lock (waiting for the Schlage keyway) and was planning on adding it to Vera. It would be really great to have it disarm the alarm and trigger scenes if that was somehow possible. [/quote]Right now my locks tie into Vera only. When I enter my code, they trigger my “home” scene, which adjusts lighting, HVAC, and fans if needed. I still enter my disarm code on the alarm touchpad.

Before I had Vera, I had the locks tied into the SimonXT. When I would enter my code then, it would disarm the panel. Also, FrontPoint uses 4-digit codes, so there are less combos on a 5 button keypad. I am thinking about calling them and asking if I can move to 6 or 8 digits. The panel supports at least 6 digits (maybe 8, but I don’t have the docs with me), but I do not know if their system (or Alarm.com) will support more than 4.

Lately, I think I have been favoring the dual-code approach (one to get in the door, and another for the alarm). One additional layer of security. Maybe once my development is complete and the gates are closed, I’ll go back to the one code approach.

57

I have two updates regarding this issue:

  1. Frontpoint Security actually gave me a call about this issue because I found a link on their website to “ask the CEO a question.” I mentioned the difficulty I have had with getting the lock to pair correctly, and show up on Alarm.com. I talked with one of Frontpoint’s techs, and he said that Alarm.com is aware of the failures with the replicate function on the Simon XT. They are working on a fix, but he was not sure if it was a Hardware or firmware fix, but one should be coming out in the future, as they have only recently started to work on it.

  2. I actually logged a point with HomeSeer, on thier “Priority Support” (read “paid”) forum, and Rich took the time to test the “Replicate Send” function in HomeSeer. (IE the function that creates a secondary controller) Initially he said that the encryption information was sent with this function, but in his subsequent test between two of his units, found that is NOT currently being sent. (IE so, the Simon XT wouldn’t have ever got my lock’s encryption codes from HomeSeer in the first place!)

While it is nice to know that there is a reason that the lock wasn’t showing up on alarm.com, it is somewhat disappointing that both systems are known to not function in this scenario.
I have agree with PurdueGuy, I’m thinking it might be best if the lock didn’t communicate to the panel to disarm it?!?!

58

B0SST0N, any update on getting vera and 2gig panel working together?

59

I am new to all of this as well. If you don’t mind me asking did you have any trouble getting your yale locks added? When I set everything up I had the schlage link locks but decided to get the yale real living locks in case my kids forget to lock the door that I could do it remotely or have it set to automatically lock. I just can’t seem to get it to pick up the new locks. Any help or thoughts i would appreciate.

60

@arizonamom

I did not have any trouble getting my Yale Locks paired with my Vera 2 (running 1.1.135 Firmware version). That being said, I did not have any Schlage locks on this Vera 2, only the Yale Lock.

I did find the setup process a little more confusing using the Yale Lock, compared to the Schlage. (I did have a Schlage lock on my Vera1)