HS newbie, alarm questions

[J-Will]

I am currently an ADT customer. The alarm is about 2 years old, wireless sensors with GSM. I think the panel is made by GE.

I would like to add home automation to the mix. Vivint makes an appealing solution, integrating with alarm.com. They will replace my current panel however make use of my current wireless sensors, and adding capabilities for home automation. Home alarm and automation will be fully taken over by their unit (one bill). However their home automation does not seem complete, nor even close to the customization of homeseer. One major drawback is that they use lamp modules for lighting automation... but I have all recessed and ceiling lights controlled by switches not outlets. They say their system integrates with other devices, though they do not in fact sell them (added expense on top of their service costs is no appealing)

On the flip side, I'm a little confused about homeseers' alarm integration and therefore have some questions:

Will HS integrate with alarm sensors in order to use them for events and triggers?
Will HS take over alarm monitoring, or would I still need a provider? With no home phone, how does GSM work?
Any HS installers/ experts in the northern VA area I can talk to or even provide me with an assessment.

I think HS has what I'm looking for in regards to home automation, I just want an 'all in one' solution that also integrates well with the alarm

[Rupp]

Will HS integrate with alarm sensors in order to use them for events and triggers?
Yes if you alarm hardware is integrated with HS like the DSC, Elk, and other alarm systems do.

Will HS take over alarm monitoring, or would I still need a provider? With no home phone, how does GSM work?
This depends on how you want to monitor. Self vs Company. If you want to continue to use a company then the build in monitoring should continue to work as it did prior to integration.

Any HS installers/ experts in the northern VA area I can talk to or even provide me with an assessment.

I think HS has what I'm looking for in regards to home automation, I just want an 'all in one' solution that also integrates well with the alarm

I would recommend looking at the DSC alarm systems. They are very affordable and integrate well with HomeSeer. Your existing system may even integrate as well. I'll let other comment on your existing alarm system as I'm not sure this system is capable of accepting an interface card.

[J-Will]

I would recommend looking at the DSC alarm systems. They are very affordable and integrate well with HomeSeer. Your existing system may even integrate as well. I'll let other comment on your existing alarm system as I'm not sure this system is capable of accepting an interface card.

Great, thanks for the response. What would the DSC system require from a monitoring standpoint?

Then how does it work with HS? Does the alarm panel integrate to HS, and/ or does each sensor (window, door, etc) integrate? And will HS still be able to use the sensors as triggers for events while still maintaining their function and duties as a piece of the alarm system?

[reidfo]

Great, thanks for the response. What would the DSC system require from a monitoring standpoint?

Then how does it work with HS? Does the alarm panel integrate to HS, and/ or does each sensor (window, door, etc) integrate? And will HS still be able to use the sensors as triggers for events while still maintaining their function and duties as a piece of the alarm system?

A DSC system would be monitored very much like your current GE system. Lots of options there including landline, GSM, etc. DSC is one of the most common alarm panels and just about any company should be able to monitor it.

You can integrate the DSC panels using a serial interface (see the HomeSeer store for the IT-100 interface). You can arm/disarm the alarm, and also get events from it. This means you can use your wired and wireless sensors to trigger events in HomeSeer.

I don't have a DSC panel myself, but I've been doing research and am planning to purchase one soon.

[mattm55]

I'll throw the GE Concord (4) into the mix that integrates with HS and the wireless sensors are excellent. Install the Concord plugin and have at it.

I've added a ton of wireless sensors, wired to areas I can get at and now working on the Insteon piece to be able to trigger an image sent when motion, doorbell is triggered and alarm is set to away.

So far I haven't been limited on anything I wanted to do with the Concord. Do some Google searching and ask questions before the purchase and it'll save headaches down the road...

Enjoy, Matt

[J-Will]

Thanks for the replies...

I now understand it a bit more clearly how HS actually works with an alarm. I was hoping to drop ADT, however it sounds like I still need to keep them (or someone) for monitoring.

I will have to go home and read into what I have more to provide you all with a better understanding of what I bring to the table. I'd like to use the wireless sensors I have and just replace the panel. However the panel has the keypad, and alarm speaker integrated, where as it looks like its separated for the units that HS sells in their store.

Does that mean the panel can be where the HS machine is for easier integration with HS? Then the keypad and sensors (again, door and windows) are wireless so they can be placed anywhere?

[Rupp]

Does that mean the panel can be where the HS machine is for easier integration with HS? Then the keypad and sensors (again, door and windows) are wireless so they can be placed anywhere?

Yes. Many times the panel is in the wiring closet and all sensors are wired back to the wiring closet.

[mark_anderson_us]

A DSC system would be monitored very much like your current GE system. Lots of options there including landline, GSM, etc. DSC is one of the most common alarm panels and just about any company should be able to monitor it.

You can integrate the DSC panels using a serial interface (see the HomeSeer store for the IT-100 interface). You can arm/disarm the alarm, and also get events from it. This means you can use your wired and wireless sensors to trigger events in HomeSeer.

I don't have a DSC panel myself, but I've been doing research and am planning to purchase one soon.

I do this (have 1832) and it works well

[reidfo]

Thanks for the replies...

I now understand it a bit more clearly how HS actually works with an alarm. I was hoping to drop ADT, however it sounds like I still need to keep them (or someone) for monitoring.

It depends on what you're looking for in a monitoring solution. If you just want to be notified when the alarm sounds, HomeSeer can do that for you easily via email, text message, phone call, etc. The value that most monitoring companies add is alerting the police and possibly initiating a two way voice call with whoever is in the home.

Does that mean the panel can be where the HS machine is for easier integration with HS? Then the keypad and sensors (again, door and windows) are wireless so they can be placed anywhere?

That's the most common configuration. Most of the traditional panels use a serial interface to connect to HomeSeer, though some (like the Elk M1) may use Ethernet.

[J-Will]

Thanks for the clarification guys