Hi Folks - I am fairly new at home automation and very new (2 weeks with HE. I have an older wireless alarm (Honeywell Total Connect 2.0) and I need to integrate the alarm panel into HE Somehow. My main goal is to disarm the system when I arrive home. I have followed many links, some point to dead ends and other with only a bit of information. Many of the post go back a couple of years. Out of shear frustration the other day, I installed a copy of Home Assistant on my Windows 10 pc (not an easy feat) and it pulled TC2.0 in right away. I followed threads to Smart Things and tried to download some of those codes but they always throw an error in HE. I have followed threads to IFTTT but all I can get is for the system to arm and I am really looking for arm/disarm
I really need someone smarter than me that has this working in HE to point me in the right direction. I figure since a couple of the threads go back a couple of years, someone by now has a working copy of TC2.0 with HE.
I really could use all the help that folks are wiling to give. Thank you all for your time and help!
Up until about 6 months ago I was hunting for the same solution; pull in TC2. 0 so it could be automated with Hubitat with little to no action on my part. I actually started with SmartThings 4 or 5 years ago, and had a "decent" working integration with TC2, but shortly after that Honeywell changed their side of things and blocked the code that allowed Smartthings to poll the home automation user account for status and arm/disarm. I never found a working integration for HE, and the closest I could come was using Alexa as a go-between for automation, but Honeywell still blocked the disarm feature. You can arm through Alexa, but for security reasons you always had to manually disarm.
Long story short... I wanted a single platform that could handle all the automation including security in the background, but without ditching TC2 I was never able to find a good solution.
That being said, and it is not a solution for everyone, I did end up cutting ties with my remote monitoring service and TC2 and went with a full conversion using Konnected boards when my old security company tried to lock me in a 10 year contract with higher rates and a required equipment upgrade (mind you I had installed a Lyric controller in 2015). I still have central monitoring through the Noonlight integration and it did achieve my end goal of one platform for all automations, everything disarms when I'm about 1/2 mile from home and my arrival automations run. Likewise, when I leave all my departing automations run, the system arms, and the doors lock if I had forgetten to do that.
Like I said, it may not be a solution for you, but if you decide that's a viable option, I've had it working reliably for a while now. Been in your boat, got tired of waiting for Honeywell to come up with some sort of decent automation or integration, and moved on.
Thanks So much for the informative reply. Sounds like you traveled this same path with similar frustrations. I will need to look into the Konnected boards. I have seen them pop up in my search but had not paid any attention to them. Sounds like it may be an alternative.
What i found odd in my search was that all the threads seemed to dry up a couple of years ago but that would confirm your thoughts on Honeywell changing their code. Being new to all this i figured their had to be someone that figured it all out by now. My goal is to accomplish what you already have and it seams i may need to take a very similar route.
Thanks again for the fast and very informative reply. I can stop beating my head against the wall and move on.
Hey Jason - Mine does not so unfortunately @zkmay11 that great idea will not work for me. My Panel is a wireless panel. I have always had the ability to arm/disarm from my phone but now that i am getting into home automation, i thought it should just be a logical step in that direction. I Guess i need to go back to the drawing board and consider several options. Funny enough, the one i am fighting with now is, does automating my alarm system (as cool as that seems) present a single point of failure? Lot's to consider.
Out of curiosity which panel? I had upgraded to the Lyric controller and at that time the alarm service had installed a wireless conversion card that just converted all my wired zones into wireless zones. When I switched to Konnected boards I just went in and moved my wired sensors back in to the old ademco enclosure; the nice thing was I was able to even split up a few zones the company had consolidated (I had something like 8 windows in multiple rooms on one zone). I had a few wireless contact sensors that just straight up had to be replaced, but frankly they were getting to be a PITA, and at $50 plus the $120 service charge to replace I was just done and happy to replace then with a few $25 Homeseer z wave sensors.
As for points of failure... Serious consideration, I agree. Again, I didn't have much choice since our service provider was looking to force another equipment upgrade and a contract, and I'm just not a fan of contracts. From a failure standpoint in my scenario:
Original setup (Lyric and TC2 seperate from home automation)
-Pros: monitored and maintained by a third party, no real involvement myself; only point of failure was the hardware itself really
-Cons: associated costs for service and monitoring; wireless contact sensors frequently fell off the grid and set off the alarm (usually in the middle of the night while on vacation) and were a constant failure point for us; automation was supported by TC2 but was clunky and rather limited; geofencing in the TC2 app (at least while we had it) was iffy and not reliable for arming or disarming
New setup (Hubitat/Konnected):
Pros: all automation under one umbrella; geofencing works and arming/disarming occurs reliably; low monitoring costs ($10/month); ability to self service equipment; robust automation options
Cons: multiple potential failure points (one for each interface, hubitat, Noonlight, and Konnected); no professional service support if needed; design and implementation of the system may be more involved than many people want to get into.
I'm biased because I really like my current setup and the tinkering, but I do have to say overall it's pretty nice to not have to call the monitoring service every time I need to change a battery in a contact sensor or smoke detector.
Once you have the itch for home automation... It just never stops lol
My System is a Honeywell Lyric L5200 and is 100% wireless. We bought our new home in 2015 and I installed it and the wireless sensors before we even moved in. We have had it professionally monitored using total connect 2.0 ever since. I must say, the system has performed admirably all this time with the only major annoyance being battery replacement every year or so. To echo your pain, the sensor battery's would always go out at night or just when i left for work and continually beeped to my dogs great discontent. so battery failure at the most inopportune time is my greatest gripe. Since i installed everything myself, there was never a service charge.
We have it monitored by a third party for about $12 a month and they really do nothing except provide me with the total connect app so i can monitor and get instant alerts on my phone. Between my cameras and TC 2.0 it is up to me to call the police/fire if something does happen but the monitoring provides me with a discount on my home insurance as well.
The single point of failure is weighing heavily on my mind. I have a routine that shuts off my AC if a door is left opened and today that failed to happen. According to HE, The thermostat is offline but it is actually working and maintaining temp so my guess is the issue is with HE
I agree with the itch to automate. Why should i touch a wall switch, garage door, or an alarm panel when my home is technically smarter than i am? It is a struggle I have had since getting HE a couple of weeks ago. Now i have visions of replacing the alarm panel with a tablet and an interactive dashboard. i have to keep slapping myself and say "baby step, baby steps" lol. replacing a perfectly good alarm system without the cons you went through seems a bit overkill just for automation. Unfortunately once i have my mind set on something, i don't usually stop.
I have a Honeywell Vista 20P panel, with dual paths to a TC 2.0 paid remote monitoring station via my home Internet link and AT&T LTE.
For over two years, I was using Alarm Decoder (USB interface) on a Raspberry Pi wired to my alarm panel as a second keypad. Homebridge has a plugin that speaks to Alarm Decoder, and another one that speaks to Wink. With a dummy (virtual) switch on Hombridge and a couple of Homekit automations, I could reliably lock/unlock the front door (by dummy switch, since Homekit won't let you automate unlocks) and arm/disarm the alarm system based on iPhone presence.
With Wink's implosion last month, I took a step backwards and re-engineered everything with HE at the center. I'm now using the community Alarm Decoder app on HE, and can see (and trigger from) every single sensor on my alarm system in HE. Using HSM, I now have the two TC 2.0 links plus my backup Verizon LTE link on the HSM/HE side. Yes, I have three different paths to send alerts. I also have Homebridge linked to the HE via Maker API, and am using the iPhone presence to unlock the door and disarm the alarm system. Alarm Decoder and HE both run locally, with no cloud connection to TC 2.0 or anywhere else required.
If Alarm Decoder works with the Lyric, you may wish to check it out as an alternative to re-creating an alarm panel on HE.....
Thanks Vreihen! Really good information. I guess I misspoke above and had to do some extra digging and found the panel was a lynx and not a lyric. While i am not sure what the difference is, Unfortunately the Alarm Decoder will not work. Under their compatibility page is states:
"Note: The Ademco LYNX Systems are NOT compatible as they do not support the 4 wire expansion bus the AlarmDecoder connects to."
My guess is, i am cursed!I have the only alarm panel that cannot be integrated AND, I am running into the same issue with my garage door of all things. It seems i have the only garage door opener that is not compatible with any of the z wave openers!!! I think this one will be an easy work around but the alarm panel is driving me crazy. It is probably time for me to move!
Thanks for the great information! i truly appreciate it!
I should preface that I would not use the term integration in any way. This is a hardwire workaround. (kludge at best)
This solution allows you to Arm Stay, Arm Away, Disarm any of the panels using a 5834-4 Honeywell keyfob connected (soldered) to a Zwave relay (3 relays required, although 4 will allow you to use all 4 buttons). All these wireless panels can use the Honeywell 5800 series wireless devices. It is important to learn the remote into the system and setup up the encryption before modifying the remote for this use.
You can also add a 5800RL relay module to many of the panels. This has 2 relays, one that reports an alarm condition, and the other an arm/disarm condition. Should be noted this module uses latching relays so it does not change condition on loss of power etc. This means that once the module is setup, an arm/disarm condition, and alarm condition should be done before connection to your input Zwave module.
I have passed onto Residio that a connection to Hubitat would be a win/win. I think the best way for this to implement would be direct to the panel. Since the panels already allow for a direct connection from an app on an iPhone/Android phone over wifi, a driver would need to be built to support this. It would be fast and reliable since they reside only on the local network.
I do not think a connection that goes back and logs into the customer Totalconnect account, is as beneficial as this relies on an encrypted connection through the Alarmnet servers and then back to the panel. Connection through the open internet could make the connection certainly slower and at time non-functional.
I suspect that Residio would only do this for the current Pro Series panels. But if they did, it is easy enough to upgrade to this panel from the earlier 5000/5100/52xx/7000/Lyric panels.
Or even IFTTT. They purpored to have one but it was horribly unstable and of course zero support. I went the Envisalink route instead, but that only works with some panels.
One of the large issues for the "Security" companies is with the ability to disarm the alarm panel from any connection that communicates over the WWW. In their view to compromise customer security from the internet. To that end I hit a wall suggesting any solution that has that stigma. A solution that is only on the local LAN curbs this obstacle. That is why I have asked for the info on communicating locally with the panel.
Background:
In this Vendor case Residio panels communicate only with the Residio servers (encrypted) and from there to your encrypted smartphone app. Any command made on the app goes back to the servers and then to the panel. It is the same for their Totalconnect devices including cameras. The only time this is not true is when you use one of their apps (local control) to be locked (Mac ID) to the panel and work over the local LAN. The smartphone becomes a remote keypad. It is this connection I am asking that we be allowed to make a hub connection through.
Yeah completely understandable. IFTTT cannot be operated completely local. I think a reasonable compromise would be allowing status monitoring and arming but not disarming.
I like your idea of the hub acting as basically an IP remote keypad acessible over the local LAN only. It's basically the way Envisalink works with the exception that Envisalink is hard wired to the panel and allows for internet access via their app. I have it firewalled off.
AlarmDecoder and Envisalink both support Honeywell/Ademco Vista and DSC panels via community-written integrations, and wire directly to the alarm panel as a second keypad. I have AlarmDecoder connected to my Hubitat, and it has been sending sensor signals and arming/disarming the system for a few years now without a hiccup.....
I love that folks came up with products link Envisalink. They drove the alarm companies forward. But the future will make these products much hard to create the way we used to. I think the alarm manufacturers are afraid of the liability that come with even making an SDK to interface with their product. Items like Envisalink gave them 100% deniability.
The Vista family of products have been around a very long time, and the keypads that connected to the panel were not encrypted so it was easy to get in and figure out the communication, create a third party module to fulfill this need. However the Vista family as we knew it then is starting to disappear (DSC and other vendors will fall into this in the same way) The newer Residio Pro Series panel will get additions to their families to take over as the heart of the legacy wired systems, to "update" the Vista systems. As cell flavors Sunset, the older panels will lose the ability to update their communication paths and the product/customers will be forced to upgrade the control. This will render the current modules like Envisalink obsolete. All wireless and keypad communication is already moving to encryption which will make it much tougher for these third party modules to be made. I think back to the days when there were a 100 devices connected to a single or 4 zone panel. Progress in this industry is always marching.
I do think attaching the hub as a remote keypad could be a way to get alarm companies onboard. It still gives them deniability as the panel is being operated locally as far as they are concerned.
I just wanted to update, I came across a hardwire module for The Honeywell Vista panels, made by Honeywell/Residio called the 4232CBM. This is a serial ontrol4 device. This module connects to the keypad bus and has an RS232/422 wiring connection. You could add an ethernet to serial adapter to this and connect to Hubitat through the local network. The panel compatbility is Vista 10, 15, 20, and 21 panels. The module does not include the driver or documentation so one would need to be written.
Another module I found was the HouseLogix HISM. This is also a Control4 device. It appears is is owned by SnapAV. Again a serial device. It appease to work on Vista and DSC products. It appears to come with a driver when purchased. The panels it lists as compatible, PC1864, 1832, 1616, 1404 DSC PowerSeries Control Panels, Honeywell LYNX Plus 3000, VISTA-21iP, VISTA-128BPT Series/VISTA Turbo Series, VISTA-128FBP, VISTA-250BPT/VISTA Turbo, VISTA-250FBP, VISTA-10P VISTA Plus Series, VISTA-10SE, VISTA-15, VISTA-15P VISTA Plus Series, VISTA-20P VISTA Plus Series, VISTA-20PUL Commercial, VISTA-50PUL, VISTA-20SE, VIA-30PSE, VISTA-128B, VISTA-128BP Series, VISTA-40, VISTA-50P, VISTA-250BP, First Alert FA-168C and other First Alert rebranded Panels, Safewatch 3000 Panels.
Has anyone looked into the Alula BAT-Connect? It wires to the Vista and DSC panels as a keypad and bridges to Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and 5G. Is it possible to figure out how to talk to it with Hubitat via LAN to retrieve sensor data?
