Helping out my parents here. They just bought a new (to them) home which has an existing alarm system (CPI). I don’t know yet what type of panels they have, but I do know it has an alarm.com module.
I’d like to sign them up to use Surety and Alarm.com to monitor and control their system.
Will they need any information from the previous homeowner, or will the previous homeowner have to deactivate the account with the previous service provider (CPI)? Anything else I should know?
When they create a surety account, I assume there’s a place to put in the device’s serial number or IMEI or something?
Can u post a picture of keypad from CPI they use several different systems im guessing either a concord 4 or 2gig but either way it can be used with surety u might have get a new communicator and if they have cameras such I hope cpi delated them from the account of the previous owner or else they won’t be able to be used
Generally, the original owners must cancel their service with their provider, but in some cases this may have been forgotten or ignored. The IMEI must be unregistered (not connected to an active Alarm.com account) in order to be activated on a new account.
Depending on the model of panel they have, there would be different options regarding replacement and getting set up if their current module is too old (3G model) or still registered.
Also, it is usually necessary to have at least the master user code for the system so that necessary cell communication tests can be run during activation to connect the panel. Make sure the old owner provides the master user code to the panel. (The installer code is not required and can be changed remotely through Surety after activation)
So here’s what I’m looking at specifically… Unfortunately it looks like this system works using a Wifi access point from CPI, and I didn’t see any dedicated radio module or IMEI. The alarm.com module I had mentioned actually seems to be a camera interface rather than an alarm module.
My assumption here is that this is not connectable to surety / alarm.com, and I’ll have to replace all this to make it work, correct?
That looks like a Concord 4 probably. There would be a cellular module if they used Alarm.com. The device you are looking at there with the two antenna looks like it is just an access point functioning as a LAN for cameras likely. Yes, the module with Alarm.com written on it looks like their video server used for analog camera conversion.
The cellular module for the panel may be in another room, attic, or it may be inside the box though I do not see a cellular antenna cable coming out, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t run out the back up into the attic. Can you open the box on the right and provide a photo of that?
Is this keypad currently sounding an alarm? With the keypad showing fire alarm upstairs smoke if so id power it down which u just have remove the cables going to the battery and remove the black power transformer
Yes good eye, it’s a Concord 4 (there’s a label inside the panel). Here’s a pic of inside the panel as requested. I’ve looked everywhere except the attic, don’t see a cellular module anywhere. The house does have a phone system hookup, perhaps it’s connected through that? It’s right there in that large panel in the middle.
Only thing I could think of is they came took the cellular module out or disconnected the phone system as there no wires going to phone port on the panel
Alarm.com accounts require a cell module to get started. I don’t recognize that module on top of the main board, but it is not any LTE cellular module. It may be an old Superbus gateway which wouldn’t be supported anymore.
Unfortunately Concord modules have been discontinued, so the recommended steps would be replacement of the panel, and reusing existing wired sensors with a takeover module.
Are you interested in replacing it with an IQ Panel 4?
Thank you Jason - makes sense, it all looks pretty outdated to me.
I’m the IQ panel does look nice but let me run it by my folks and see if they want to spend the money. For now we will have CPI reactivate the existing system so we have some protection.
