When we login to suretyhome.com we see this message : “Your alarm system may be having communication troubles with Alarm.com”.
Alarm doesn’t seem to be working. Battery was replaced last week on main panel, still showing “low battery”.
Happy to help!
Looks like the account you are referencing indeed shows that the cellular radio is not currently responding. It looks like both a panel tamper and low battery is still occurring in ADC, but if it is resolved locally that likely just means ADC hasn’t received an update from the panel due to the communication failure.
Have you performed any troubleshooting on the communication module?
- Be sure the antenna has not been disconnected or loosened from the module connector.
- Power down the system fully by unplugging the transformer, then unplug the panel backup battery.
- Remove and re-seat the communication module.
- Power up the system, battery then transformer. When it boots up, wait 5 minutes then run a cell test. Any luck?
Note that cell phone tests and panel alarm signaling would fail if the panel cannot communicate.
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We re-did the power to make sure they are seated correctly. No luck. The main panel stills shows low battery even though the battery is brand new.
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It is supposed to work just on power alone, even if the battery is removed, ie., battery is only there as backup, right?
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None of the parts look loose. Is there anything else to check?
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Is there a better, faster technical support service we can get (where we can talk to a human being based in USA) if we pay more money for subscription? Or, is this the best support Surety has to offer?
We re-did the power to make sure they are seated correctly. No luck. The main panel stills shows low battery even though the battery is brand new.
Power application is not the concern in this case as far as signaling goes, from above you would want to remove and re-seat the cellular communication module. The cellular module is the circuit board screwed down in the panel on the right side. Just to clarify, was this performed?
It is supposed to work just on power alone, even if the battery is removed, ie., battery is only there as backup, right?
Correct, whether or not the battery works or is even present should have no impact on functionality, other than if power is lost, the panel will immediately turn off.
In this case I would recommend disregarding the battery for now and troubleshoot the communication module issue separately. It may be best to unplug the battery and leave it unplugged for the moment.
None of the parts look loose. Is there anything else to check?
Please post a photo of the interior of the panel here, we can take a look at the module and antenna and make sure nothing is amiss!
Is there a better, faster technical support service we can get (where we can talk to a human being based in USA) if we pay more money for subscription? Or, is this the best support Surety has to offer?
I can assure you that I am a human, I am based in the USA, and I am experienced with installing the equipment you are using. Surety does not perform phone tech support at this time. In our experience multi-media support via the forum is better suited to the commonly complex questions brought by our DIYers.
Generally cellular technical issues boil down to one of three things:
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The module or antenna is loose, or the panel pin connection to the module is loose somewhere, or a software process in the panel has failed. Generally removal and re-installation of the module while the panel is powered off will address all of these possibilities.
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The module or antenna is damaged or has otherwise failed, necessitating replacement.
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The carrier is experiencing issues in the area, requiring carrier intervention. (it doesn’t look like others in the area are affected, so this is unlikely. Nearby users on the same carrier do have lower signal strength readings, so antenna issues locally may cause exaggerated signal loss)
Ensure that you have removed and re-installed the cellular module to troubleshoot, (this video shows the process of installing one) and please provide a photo of the inside of the panel including the module and antenna so we can check for anything out of place!
Tried arming it again and we got the message “We could not confirm arming state change”.
Please see attached the photo of the interior of the panel and the main panel status now.
To verify, is the module antenna always inserted into the panel in that fashion where it is wedged against the transceiver block and battery tray? (the transceiver is the large silver colored brick beside the cellular module)
The antenna should be routed out the back of the panel and into the wall, or installed in the antenna tray on the side of the panel housing. Wedging it inside the panel like that may cause damage to the wires in the antenna sheath, they are very thin gauge.
The white strap across the interior of the panel is used to hang on the small hook at the bottom of the back plate, this will take the tension off the power wires, it looks like it may be hanging from the wires in the photo, which can damage and loosen them.
It looks like you still have the battery pack plugged in. Can you try unplugging that and leaving it unplugged for now?
If you have removed and re-installed the module while the panel was powered down, try going to the radio status screen and post what you see.
To get to the radio status screen: Tap the logo in the bottom right of the home screen > enter Installer Code > select Radio Status.
Thanks, will try those and get back. Now, our installer code doesn’t work either. How to reset it?
Typically, you can reset your installer code via the System Manager feature through your Surety account dashboard, however, this can only be done if your panel is communicating. Successful communication is required for remote commands to successfully process.
You could try the default Installer Code of 1561, in case this was never changed. Unfortunately, the installer code is needed to get to the Radio Status screen from above.
Otherwise, you could factory reset the panel to default the installer code but this would reset all settings and delete sensors from programming. Afterwards all sensors would need to be programmed locally. The factory default procedure can be found here.
I would not recommend following default instructions yet, it would be easier to test other possibilities such as swapping the module first before trying to factory default the panel.
If you are unable to access via the installer code, please let us know.
Just to verify that the panel is able to view the module, If you go to Security > Menu > Toolbox > Master Code > scroll right twice, do you see an option for “Cell Phone Test” This will be the middle button.
I think it worked. Can you see it from your end?
We still see these 2 messages:
Device Low Battery (Glass Break Detector)
Panel Low Battery
Modem pings appear to be successful and I am seeing sensor activity report to Alarm.com.
Device Low Battery (Glass Break Detector)
The Device Low Battery (Glass Break Detector) should be resolved by replacing the sensor’s internal battery. Do you know which device you currently use? If not you can post a picture here and I can give you the battery type you would need. Do you know when the last time the battery was replaced?
Panel Low Battery
Above, you stated that you had replaced the internal battery for the panel recently, correct? If so, you will want to ensure that the internal battery is now connected to the panel at this time, you can confirm the proper connection in the attached photo.
With the battery firmly reconnected, allow up to 24 hours for the battery to fully charge. If the battery is plugged in and working, the low battery notification should resolve on its own.
