I added a PIR1 motion detector to my system today. I walk-tested it after the installation and it tripped the panel, but when I called the CMS to be put back on active monitoring they said they had no evidence in my account history that the walk test had registered with them.
I repeated the walk test with the CMS guy on the phone and it again didn’t come through on their end. Confused, I went and tripped other sensors such as my DW10s and although everything works at the panel, nothing registers with the CMS.
When you say “tripped” you mean activated, correct? Or do you mean you used the sensor to set off the alarm?
The central station does not have visibility to sensor activity monitoring. They are privy, obviously, to security monitoring on the sensors. The station should see activity if and when tripping your sensor has set off the alarm. If they don’t, I’d think it likely that the sensor either had “no response type” programmed or the “reports” option disabled. The central station will not, however, be able to see activity on a walk test or other sensor activity not associated with alarm activity.
Hope that helps, but if I’ve misunderstood and the “no response type” or reports option isn’t the culprit, let us know.
When I say “tripped” I mean walking by the motion detector to see if the sensor would detect me during the walk test. It did, and that registered at the panel. Same thing for the DW10s–in walk test mode, opening a door sensor will register at the panel.
There was no actual alarm activity because I had the monitoring center put my system into test mode for the installation, and on top of that I had put my panel in walk test mode locally.
However, despite this the CMS guy said that he should be able to see in my account history that these sensor events had occurred. He couldn’t, even when I repeated them with him on the phone. He said this meant there was a communication failure between my system and the CMS.
True?
For what it’s worth, the PIR1 I installed shows up on alarm.com and shows a status of “OK.”
Walk test is just that, a walk test. Testing sensors locally at panel. Signals are not sent out/reported.
If you want to test for real (not a walk test), and verify CS is receiving signals and that zones are correct, then call system out with central station (place on test), then arm system and activate devices.
Afterwards, call and ask what signals they received. Then place system off test and back in service.