Can anyone tell me how to add the 2GIG as a secondary controller on to an existing Vera Lite? My understanding is to leave the Vera Lite as is and add the 2GIG as a secondary controller. Then either the alarm.com web site or 2GIG system can see and control any ZWave device is being controlled by my existing Vera Lite.
Thanks in advance.
Learning the 2Gig panel as a secondary controller is covered in the following forum post.
For simplicity, here are the steps, assuming you have all the desired ZWave devices learned into the Vera.
I understand that I can configure all of my zwave devices into the Vera and then set the 2gig panel as a secondary controller. I have 2gig motions and 2gig door sensors. Will the Vera know about the sensors through the 2gig panel? I also have KwikSet locks. Currently when a code is entered at the lock the 2gig will disarm the security and the door will unlock. If I assign the locks to the Vera will this functionality still be possible?
No, Vera would not know about the 2GIG sensors being tripped. As I understand it locks can’t work with both Vera and 2GIG, only lights and thermostats can work with both controllers at the same time. Jason has done more work with Vera and should be able to confirm that.
ADC control over your zwave lock is achievable when the lock is learned into Vera and subsequently the 2GIG Panel is set as the sub controller, provided the operation was a success. Rules will also be executable, such as automatic disarm. I have done this very thing in the past.
So I need to register the motion and door sensors with 2gig to make sure the alarm system works, and the rest of my z-wave devices like locks, thermostat on the vera and set the 2gig as a secondary controller? So 2gig can be a secondary to vera AND have sensors registered to it directly?
Yes, because the zwave radio is isolated from the sensor radio. The two types of devices (zwave and alarm sensors) communicate at different frequencies. There ARE zwave sensors on the market, but their benefit is to provide some alarm functions on a non-alarm platform (like Vera.)
How to add the 2GIG as a secondary controller on to an existing Vera Edge? I dont think it has battery mode and there are no + buttons on it like the Lite has.
I got my system all built out using the Vera Edge now. The only issue that I have is that I added a lock after it was changed to a secondary. I added the lock to the Vera Edge successfully and I can control it from Edge but it does not show up on the 2gig panel nor does it show up on alarm.com. What do I need to do to sync the panel up with Vera Edge?
In your Vera Edge UI, there should be a feature to “Update Controllers”
Typically, you are able to resend information to subcontrollers after new devices are added to the primary. It is not known if this will work with Vera Edge yet.
I have not found a way to update the 2gig secondary controller from VeraEdge. Does anyone know how?
Also, since adding all of the zwave devices to the vera edge, resetting the 2gig controller, and learning into the vera edge, the locks no longer disarm the 2gig panel. That is, when I enter the codes into the Kwikset lock(s) the door unlocks but the alarm does not disarm. I have all of the rules in place at alarm.com to do so. Plus all of the users have lock and panel privs. I can lock/unlock any of the locks from alarm.com so I know that the communication from panel to lock is occuring. Ideas?
I have all of the rules in place at alarm.com to do so.
Have you recreated the rules on Alarm.com? Any rules you previously had will no longer work until you recreate them and save.
Yes, I recreated the locks rules but it did not change anything. The other rules work perfectly without recreating though.
To make sure I did it right: to make the 2gig secondary I just press Reset Controller, wait a bit until it clears everything. This is verified by alarm.com no longer having any rules. The press Learn Controller and with the VeraEdge close to the 2GIG I add a device. It finds the 2GIG and I named it appropriately and it’s all done. Eventually alarm.com will show all of the devices, which I then have to name accordingly again. Is that all correct?
Sounds right.
It’s a bit difficult to say with certainty since the Edge likely has newer firmware and Zwave versions than the Lite that I worked with, but it would stand to reason that if all other automation functions, that specific lock rule should be able to work.
Has anything else changed in your Z-wave network that might affect communication to the lock? Did you relearn any thermostats on battery power so they are no longer repeating devices? Remove/move any lights?
You might try resetting and relearning one more time. Make sure to leave the 2GIG Panel next to the Edge for a few minutes after it appears everything is done. Locks always take a bit longer to share info.
I did not move any devices. This morning I did reset and then learn. I left the Edge within 5 feet of the 2gig the whole time and it is still there much to the dislike of my wife (extension cord and network cable running across the hall). I will try the unlock when I get home but I suspect that I will see the same result. Alarm.com is supposed to call tonight as they suspect that something with alarm.com is messed up. We shall see. Since you, Jason, have this working with the Lite one would think is should work with the Edge. I have four locks that all fail to disarm the panel. The tech on the phone on Saturday indicated that he did not see any communication to alarm.com. The panel, however, can lock and unlock the locks through alarm.com so the zwave comms are working. But to disarm, the panel has to communicate to alarm.com and alarm.com has to tell the panel to unlock.
But to disarm, the panel has to communicate to alarm.com and alarm.com has to tell the panel to unlock.
This is not correct. Rules are saved at the 2GIG panel and operate locally thereafter (unless it requires a back-end override, like certain Geofence rules).
Your panel could completely lose communication with Alarm.com and functioning rules would still occur. The issue would be with how the rule is saved/how the Edge transfers the lock info to the panel.
Alarm.com rules are intended to function with Z-wave info directly learned through pairing a device with the security control panel. Adding a second controller can throw a monkey wrench into the equation if incompatibility between Z-wave versions or reporting exists. In this case it is unlikely since you can otherwise manually control the locks using Alarm.com.
I have a VeraLite that I replaced with the VeraEdge. I will try unpairing one lock from the VeraEdge tomorrow. I will then unplug the VeraEdge and power up the VeraLite, reset it to default (assuming that is possible with one easy step). I will then pair the unpaired lock. Then reset the 2GIG and learn in the VeraLite. Then I will try the lock scenario. One difference between Lite and Edge is the Edge is zwave plus. Maybe that is enough of a difference. Stay tuned.
I put my 2GIG back as primary and relearned all of the devices. What a pain. Then my VeraEdge died so I sent it back for a new unit. I am now using the VeraLite. I ResetZ-Wave network and then selected Copy Z-Wave network from a primary controller. It times out retrieving data. The Lite is about three feet away from the 2GIG. Any ideas?
Ah, remember 2GIG cannot be a primary controller in a network, only the secondary. The process would be the same as before, learning devices into the Vera Lite and then after devices are learned in, resetting the 2GIG panel Zwave and learning it into Vera as a secondary.
That is what I originally did and all was good except that the locks would not disarm the panel. So I thought I had to have the vera as secondary. But now that 2gig is in primary mode the locks still do not disarm the panel as well as unlock the door. They only unlock the door. So I guess it is a problem with 2gig or alarm.com.