Does Alarm.com work with Nest at all?
The Nest thermostat can be integrated with and controlled manually through ADC, but this does not include scheduling etc. The ADC-T2000 has far more functionality through ADC.
How complex can the home automation rules get? Can I set a rule to turn on some lamps an hour before sunset only if we’re home? Turn off the lamps in the morning an hour after sunrise?
Depends on the level of complexity you are used to or envisioning. Other systems that allow extreme granular control of Z-wave parameters have more complexity, but that’s not always a good thing.
You cannot use arming status as a filter for rules (only if armed away, etc.) You can schedule actions at specific times, up to 2 hours before or after sunset/sunrise, and if you set a specific time you can randomize it by selecting to make the time approximate (rule will fire within 45 minutes before or after the set time.)
I have a Schlage BE469ZP (Z-wave Plus) deadbolt. Can I use this system to update user codes on the lock? Can I set it so if a user code is entered correctly on the lock the system is disarmed?
Yes to both!
I’m considering using the fire alarm listener to incorporate fire monitoring as well. Are there extra fees? If there is a false alarm what is the easiest way to keep monitoring from calling the FD out?
There are no extra fees for monitoring based on the type of sensor. You can add or remove sensors as needed. Standard procedure for professional monitoring operators for Fire alarms is to contact via Two way voice (if enabled), then the landline premise number (if applicable), then dispatch. Cell contacts are then called. You have control over your central station account details at all times through the Surety system manager, but Fire dispatch order is unique in that it can only be changed by special request.
Can I easily switch from self-monitoring to professional monitoring? Sometimes I don’t need professional but when I’m away it’d be nice to be able to turn on and off at a moment’s notice. I’m not worried about pricing on this one, just want to avoid false alarm dramas
You can add or drop monitoring on request at any time, all services are month to month. This takes at most one business day depending on when the request is made.
We are further developing the system manager and I know one of the additional features soon will be on demand activation and deactivation of monitoring, so it will be even easier (and instant) soon.
Does the Geofencing service on cellular phones work reliably for iOS and Android? Nest and Smartthings are always iffy, but Life360 has been flawless on geofences. Just curious how the geofencing has been for you guys. I will be using two different phones to determine when the home is empty or occupied.
Geofencing is solid in higher population density areas just by its nature, but there are some caveats regardless of the service that uses it. It works via triangulation, not GPS, so there are some limitations. Some concerns include:
- Some carriers disable data while voice is active. If you cross a geofence while speaking on the phone the crossing may not be caught.
- Geofencing may not be active reliably if you use third party app-killers to close background processes.
- If a phone is powered off but a rule is looking for it, that rule would not be able to activate.
- Geofences should be fairly large to function reliably. A minimum of 1 mile radius should be observed.
Can I set an entry delay based on if the alarm is armed home or away? For example the back door if we are not home will never be opened, we don’t even have a key on us to open the back door. If that door is opened, it’s probably by force so I’d like the alarm to sound right away. However if we’re home it could be opened from the inside to let the dog out. If that’s the case we’d like a delay so we can react to the warning before alarm sounds. Possible?
No you wouldn’t be able to do this on a sensor by sensor basis. There are relevant global overrides though. For example whenever you arm you can choose to Arm Stay or Away with or without Entry Delay (will affect all entry sensors) so that during that arming period all those points will alarm immediately if opened.
There is no sensor type which changes its functionality between Stay and Away arming aside from interior followers (motion detectors) which do not generate alarms during stay mode.
You can also add two different delay times (depending on the panel model) and assign entry sensors to one or the other group. This lets you for example have 30 seconds of delay when entering through the garage but 2 minutes through the side door, etc.