GSM module no signal problem and a TS1 question

I set up our alarm this weekend, and this morning, the GSM module was activated and all seemed well.
At lunch I noticed the unit wasn’t communicating with alarm.com anymore.
I ran a few cell tests, and after a few tries, it connected. A couple hours later, I noticed it lost connection again, and now signal is 0/31.
I pulled the antenna out of the wall and tried several different positions. I’d get a hit every now and then but it lasted only a second, then was gone. Moving the panel isn’t an option.

It’s been unable to connect for a couple hours now, and “registration is denied”.
It appears Verizon is a bust for our area. I seem to catch a wandering signal every now and then, but the rest of the time it is just nonexistent.

Any suggestions? Or do I need to exchange this for the AT&T module?

Is there a notification you can set that will alert you if the panel has lost radio communication? I only noticed by checking the app and noticed no history after certain times.

My other question is my sensors are DSC sensors, and we are using a Resolution unit to translate them to our 2Gig. Would the XCVR2 needed to have a TS1 work with this set up?

Try powering down the panel completely, taking out the cell module, re-installing it and powering back up. Sometimes when there are issues with cellular connection that helps.

I’m seeing a lot of jumping around on your reported signal level between 1 bar and 4 bars. In most cases the registration time is much higher than we would like it to be which is another bad sign. If it doesn’t improve soon you may want to exchange it for an AT&T module.

No, you don’t need a TS1 to use Resolution Products translator.

I meant, if I change the Transceiver to an XCVR so I can use a TS1 with my system, would my DSC sensors the Resolution is translating be affected? Or is it a seamless switch-out?

And I will try to reinstall the module in a bit.

Thank you!

Ok, I reinstalled unit and repositioned the antenna higher up inside the wall (higher above the unit when I had it outside the wall seemed to catch more signals when I was experimenting).
It seemed to register quickly and reported 4/31. So far it seems to have held on.
I will report back tomorrow with the results.

if I change the Transceiver to an XCVR so I can use a TS1 with my system, would my DSC sensors the Resolution is translating be affected? Or is

No. and you want a XCVR2 for TS1/Bridge/IS

It seemed to register quickly and reported 4/31. So far it seems to have held on.

That signal is too weak and will result in dropped and intermittent communication. Remote commands may fail, and the last thing you want is to have your panel not report an alarm event, or fail in medical emergency.

It the signal is consistently lower than say 14/31 then I would replace it.

Here is what a good signal looks like btw:

Use of an XCVR2 will not affect use of a translator.

4/31 indicates poor signal reception. Have you used our coverage check tool to see if one of the carriers reports better coverage?

When you say moving the panel isn’t an option, where is it located now?

Thanks for the info on the XCVR2.

The coverage check tool reports all providers at Full Coverage.

We have a Sprint LTE home internet plan (no Cable/DSL providers at our location) and AT&T cell phones that we haven’t had any drops or issues with.

The Panel is mounted by our front door, covering a pretty big hole left by the previous ADT Impassa the last owners left behind. We could move it, but it would involve quite a bit of labor, patching, and matching an odd paint color I’d like to avoid (hubby is good at saying he’ll do/fix something, but months down the road I’d still have a gaping hole by the front door)

Phone service signal is usually a poor indicator of machine to machine communications signal. Strange though you would see a 4 in a “Full Coverage” area. Is there any electrical wiring behind the panel near the antenna?

There is a light switch nearby, but I have it mounted away from that side.

There are the power lines to the panel the antenna is sharing the hole with, however when I had the antenna on the outside of the panel, I was still getting the inconsistent service levels.

Since I reinstalled the GSM unit last night, even though it is a low signal strength, does it show to be holding the connection better? If it is holding, do you think an ANT2X would be worth a try?

If you have broadband internet, use the bridge

Possibly, but the reaction of the module is strange. Signal shows reported strengths of 17 and 14 yesterday evening as well. Is this what you saw when the antenna was away from the wall? Can you verify the antenna is firmly attached to the module? Also verify that the module’s antenna port is firmly soldered onto the board and not loose in any way. If that is damaged it could explain inconsistencies.

I’ll check if there are any known carrier issues in the area for this account at the current time, but it is more likely affected by something locally at the system.

Riven, we have a capped LTE plan we use for our home Internet. I would use that if I could, but I would need to know, more or less, how much data the panel uses per month to ensure I can do it without overages. As it is, keeping my daughter off YouTube Kids is a massive undertaking.

Also, something to consider, we live a mile or two from the Mexico border. This could, or could not, be a factor.

The higher pops were from when I had the antenna out of the wall, but as quickly as it acquired it (that I physically saw), it would drop to 0. It was like an All-Or-Nothing thing. I’d get excited, then have to put my sad-face back on.

I completed the reinstall around midnight last night, so all readings since that time would be in wall, not disturbed.

When I go home for lunch in a bit I will re-check the connections, maybe even pull the antenna out of the wall again and try a different angle.

Riven, we have a capped LTE plan we use for our home Internet. I would use that if I could, but I would need to know, more or less, how much data the panel uses per month to ensure I can do it without overages

Understand. Your call.

Sounds like you need dual path communication though. When your panel fails in an alarm or emergency event it will be too late.

So you need to decide what is more important- having a functional alarm system that will allow you to summon emergency personal and/or police, or the fire dept (if your home fills with smoke or CO when you are asleep, you may not be able to wake up. This only applies if you have monitored life safety smoke detectors/firefighter/CO detectors) when you need it, at the potential risk of incurring overage charges… or the very likely and very real possibility that your cellular by itself will fail when you need it the most and no one will be coming to help you or your family. Pay a few dollars overage, or god forbid… pay for a funeral…

Also… the panel does support a phone line (POTS) as back up secondary communication (signals only, no remote automation, or ADC services). So, you have a couple options.

Relocate panel to center of home, or go with an attic antenna (and hope for the best)
Replace the VZN module
Install a broadband bridge
Hook up a POTS module

Ok!
I took panel panel apart, inspected the GSM and antenna, everything looks well put together, connected, and happy.

I carved out a new path for the antenna inside the wall, positioning it on the other side of a stud, furthest I can get from the light switch and power line for the actual panel.
Upon power up, it hit 14 & 16, then started bouncing back to 0.
However!! After a few minutes, it seems to have settled at 14.
Unless my eyes and mind are playing tricks on me, every time I have checked it, it’s been steady. If this behavior continues, I may give the attic antenna a shot.

I’m willing to bet there is something in that wall

When you see such large discrepancies between in wall and out, you are most likely dealing with either excess metal or house electrical wires.

I am now seeing 14 being reported as well with a normal reaction time to the signal request.

So far so good!

Thank you all for your help, suggestions, and information, it is much appreciated!
Have a great Thanksgiving Weekend!