I’m investigating switching from Frontpoint (I’m on month-to-month service with no contract). I currently have an Interlogix controller which I understand is proprietary and not usable so I’m looking at the Qolsys iq5ns panel (I want no microphones/cameras in my house that I don’t have 100% control over). Surety doesn’t sell that particular panel but Alarm Grid does. Can I just buy the panel from Alarm Grid?
It looks like the Interlogix PIR sensors should be usable with an appropriate daughter card but it’s unclear if those sensors need to be “released” from the other panel. Do I just pair them to a new controller or do I have to reset them first?
Also, if I already have an alarm.com account can I have 2 systems running in parallel, one with Frontpoint and one with Surety during a transition? If Frontpoint makes me pay for another month of service do I have to use that month or can I just pay for the month and switch my account elsewhere?
It’s a travel-heavy time of year for me so I don’t want to be left hanging without any service during the switch.
Does Qolsys have any local API or any other local-only capability with Home Assistant? I see some mqtt integration is possible - is it fairly reliable?
The panel: You can use the IQ5 NS with us, and buying it from Alarm Grid is fine. You’ll get the same support from us. The only difference is that warranty replacements would go through the seller. You’re also right on the hardware: per the Qolsys spec sheet, the IQ5 NS has a speaker and siren but no microphone or camera.
Sensors: For your Interlogix sensors, you’ll need the 319.5MHz legacy radio card (QC0001-840). There’s no need to delete or release them from the old panel. The panel just listens for each sensor’s transmit ID, so you learn them into the new one. If you can share the PIR model numbers, we can double check they’re 319.5MHz.
Running both during the switch: Since you’d be on a new panel, you don’t need to cancel Frontpoint first. You can get set up with us before your Frontpoint service ends, so you won’t be left without coverage while you travel. Your Surety service would be a brand new Alarm.com account, so rules, notifications, and any cameras would need to be set up again. For how your last Frontpoint month works, you’d need to check with Frontpoint directly.
Home Assistant: Local integrations aren’t officially supported by Qolsys, so support for them is limited. The ha-qolsys-panel integration you’re probably thinking of works locally over MQTT by pairing as a virtual IQ Remote. It currently lists the IQ Panel 5 as supported but not the IQ5 NS specifically, so I’d check with that project before counting on it.