Getting ready to Vivout

I have a rental house in a different state. The alarm system is a 2gig that used to be with vivint. I called Vivint and they have no one in there records under the address, my name, or the previous tenants name. My plan is to set up the Vivout kit when I go to the rental house again in a couple weeks. I’d like to set things up with ADC so that the Tenants have complete control of the system, and I don’t. Even thought the month-month account is in my name and I’m covering the bill. (I shouldn’t have access to cameras due to landlord/tenant laws) But then when tenants move out I put ADC access back into my name until new tenants move in.

I’m doing the research and looking at instructions so that it goes smoothly. I will only be there for 2 days. The problem I have now is when I go to device manager, there is no “ports” section. or com port. Will this auto show up when I plug in the special cable? I don’t have it in the mail yet, and I am not at the security system. Just running through the instructions to make sure I have everything I need. I’ve tried plugging in different usb devises and they show up automatically, but not under a com port, and nothing in the menue says com port or ports.

Your Alarm.com account name cannot change back and forth with new tenants. It would be best to set that up as a business name and simply manage additional logins.

If you would like to not have access to cameras, you could set up an additional login for yourself which has custom access to only certain things, managing logins, users, contacts etc. Then create a login for the tenant which has access to pretty much everything but deleting/editing logins.

After that reset the primary login password to something random you would never remember and you no longer have access to cameras directly but can give access to your tenants. (If you need the primary again in the future we can reset the password.)

It is a bit round-about, but probably the best way to do it.

Your comm port will not show up until a device is using it. (Cable needs to be plugged in)

Thanks for the help. Honestly I didn’t look into it that far. Just got as far as updating the gocontrol panel. So is the custom access and business name done with Alarm.com or suretyDIY? who do I contact to set this up.

I did the vivout and everything went amazingly smoothly. I’ll give one tip, I had the most difficulty with the firmware flash - nothing went wrong thankfully but I was close to messing it up. Make sure your laptop and wall panel are securely fixed, I had one hand holding the wall panel and the other trying to make sure the laptop wouldnt go into sleep mode…the flash took maybe 8 minutes I and I nearly gave out. To make things worse the firmware flash cable doesn’t snap in securely or anything, so as my arms tired the cable was twisting and loosening. Two things to avoid this in the future - disable any power saving modes on the laptop and two make sure the control panel is held fixed. There is a nice strap but mine wasn’t usable due to the existing cable routing.

Thanks. Never thought about the sleep mode. I will disable that and screen savers right now.

Custom access Alarm.com logins are all created by the end user. See this video for a tutorial.

The primary login chosen would have been filled out in the service order. This can remain the same or be changed, I only suggested changing it to the business name in case you wanted to use that login name for your own custom login. But you can just use a similar name to make it easier.

The important part is creating the customized logins, which will allow you to limit usage based on who is being given access. Should give you all the options you would need.

Another question I can’t seem to find on the forum. I haven’t lived in the house for about 3 years, so technology has advanced since I had the alarm system. I would like to get things set up so that when the tenants move out, nothing with the alarm system changes. I seem to remember the cameras needing wifi to work. I currently have things set so tenants are responsible for cable/internet. So no internet is currently in the house. Do cameras still need home wifi to work?

Alarm.com cameras require internet access yes. There are Wifi options as well as hardwired POE options.

Just get three Image sensors, second generation PIR motion detectors pulling double duty as infared Cameras, no need for WiFi or internet (uses the cellular module). And Image Sensors are included free in Interactive Gold.

could you provide a link to optional image sensors and other cameras that don’t require any internet access. I’m new at this security thing. I could easily order the wrong stuff

Oh. forgot to mention. They need to be able to be outdoors. Cant have them indoor due to landlord tenant laws. If the house goes vacant, then maybe I could add an indoor sensor, then remove it if someone moves in.

2GIG Image Sensor.

Image Sensors will require the 900 MHZ Transceiver for the Go!Control Panel. One would already be installed if the system has any TS1’s.

Image Sensors are only indoor operation.

Thanks. I’m looking into the image sensors. One other thing. I can’t find in the instructions where it spells out which to do first. Update the new firmware first, or change out the communications card first? or does it matter?

It does not matter necessarily, but the new module won’t be able to function without the update.

Generally you will want to update firmware first.

As previously explained to you, you can customize/set up access restriction (where you would not have access to Image Sensors or cameras) and then have that access restored to you in event property was vacant.

ONLY your tenants would then have access to Image Sensor/cameras but you could create a text only (other options are image or clip) notification in event of alarm activation so that you would be notified of the event, and/or see what triggered the alarms.

What you would do is create a “tenant” CUSTOM access account (minus what you don’t want them to be able to change e.g., “view only”), and on the Primary account you simply have SuretyCAM randomly change your username/passcode to something you do not know via backend (this can be recovered at any time in future by SuretyCAM who would then reset the login in event you needed to regain control of system).

You could also create a third account something like PropManage" for yourself or property mangement with “Custom” User Code Management, and Lock Control only. So you have access, and notification in event something occurs.

Then you simply use the tenant acct yourself when you have no tenant, and when you do, you let them customize/reset/change the login info as they see fit.

Actually you may never really need to ever regain access to Primary account, as you can always have the tenant “temporarily” change password and give you Full access to system is necessary (and then tenant simply changes it back to whatever they want).

If you can only have outdoor cameras your options are limited to the discontinued V720W (WiFi), the V720 (PoE Ethernet only), or the V721W (WiFi).

All will require broadband Internet via modem/router and power in the home to function, and are an additional $5/month for 4

could you provide a link to optional image sensors and other cameras that don’t require any internet access. I’m new at this security thing. I could easily order the wrong stuff

You can get them anywhere, just be sure the model is “GC” (e.g., “ADC-IS-200-GC”), or it will not work with 2GIG.

http://suretydiy.com/product/2gig-image-sensor-pir-motion-detector/