Alarm Grid

Alarm Grid provided excellent support to me on a commercial project that involved an IP and cellular backup connection, as well as a host of wired and wireless detectors. This was my first experience with Honeywell panels and i could not have done it without their great support. The customer uses Alarm Grid’s monitoring service and is pleased with the system, and particularly likes the Android and iPhone apps for the system.
I like the fact that I can install an advanced system knowing they have my back when i need support!

We totally renovated our Chicago home in 2004 and at that time had a professional install a wired Vista 20P Honeywell alarm system. Then we decided to ditch our land line and that meant retrofitting our existing system or changing to a wireless system. After a lot of searching, we decided that we liked the quality of the Honeywell systems and that we didn’t want to go through the hassle of putting in new wireless sensors and keypads since we had perfectly good wired ones. After some poking around, Sterling from Alarmgrid recommended changing out one of our keypads for a 6160RF which has a radio frequency transmitter and adding a cellular communicator so we could self-​monitor without having a land line. (The panel is not close to an ethernet wire otherwise we would have gone with a system that used both the internet and cellular connections).
The items arrived on time and my husband and I were able to replace the keypad and program the new one without any problems. We used the «backdoor» method described on the Alarmgrid website to determine the installer code for our system because (of course) the installer hadn’t left that information for us. After a week or so, we decided to tackle the cellular communicator; this was a little more traumatic. We had to get an electrician out to fish wires between the panel and an area in the house where we could get a decent cellular signal (read: $$$ signs.) The old PROM chip was stuck in our panel but one (frantic) phone call to Sterling provided the critical tip on how to remove it. My husband wired the communicator and placed the panel in the appropriate position. This whole part took about 2 hours.
Then I scheduled an activation appointment; it took about 30 minutes to get everything up and going.
I’ve been very pleased with the professionalism of the Alarmgrid team. I wanted a self-​monitored system and I didn’t want high-​pressure sales tactics, contracts, or high monthly fees. I paid a bit more for the equipment (vs Amazon) but I feel I’ve gotten better service so I think getting everything from Alarmgrid was worth it. Because of the new keypad, we can add Radio Frequency wireless sensors to our system and my plan is to add a temperature sensor for the upcoming winter. I will purchase that from Alarmgrid too because of the service I’ve gotten from them so far.

Alarmgrid has just made it easy to sign up and stay active.
The signup process was very easy as well as hooking up my alarm system to them. They even helped me add/​remove sensors remotely without having an alarm technician come to my home which is VERY cool.
If ever I need anything I can just send an email and they are willing to help.
Finally, we did have a few of our fire alarms trigger and we were promptly called so the service works great. Highly recommended.

Alarm Grid changed my opinion about having an alarm system. My previous experiences were the nightmares you have read about before with the big names in the industry. After going with an inactivated alarm system for over a year my wife decided it was time to get it going again. I refused to do what we had done multiple times before and regretted each time.
I started with a house that had an alarm system wired up with a dead battery, POTS-​only monitoring capability, and an installer code that the previous company refused to give me. I got on
and selected what I thought would be the best configuration to throw that junk away and start with a new system using the existing sensors. I filled my cart with components and submitted my order. It didn’t take very long before they contacted me about an extra component that it did not look like I would need to make my system work. They could have just let the extra stuff ship to me and gotten more money, but they were more interested in ensuring I had a good customer experience.
Before the components arrived I had email waiting for me indicating what information would be needed to activate monitoring and a request to schedule an activation appointment. Everything arrived in obviously brand new condition and well packaged.
When the new control panel arrived I wired it up per the instructions and followed the install guide to configure the sensor names that I had on my system. I had the un-​monitored system setup within a few hours just by following the instructions that came with the control panel.
The appointment to setup monitoring was very, very simple. Basically you sit on the phone, hit a sequence of buttons on a control pad, and then test the system. It doesn’t get any easier than that. We were up and running in no time with Internet and cellular monitoring.
The central monitoring station has been top notch. We have gotten a few calls within the correct SLA after an alarm has been triggered. We even had police dispatched on one alarm trip. After we checked the camera and realized the house cleaners were there early we were able to call the 1 – 800 number and cancel the police dispatch which helped avoid irritating our local constable.
We love using the Honeywell TotalConnect app on our phones to be able to arm or disarm the alarm away from home. This has been very convenient for house cleaners, service providers, house showings (we are for sale right now), and the odd times we forgot or were unsure if the alarm was set or not. The app might be a tiny bit slow, but that does not seem to at all be the fault of Alarm Grid. It gets the job done if you are willing to wait the 5 or so seconds to receive confirmation that your request was processed properly.
After the system was installed we decided to monitor our overhead garage door. We didn’t want it to alarm, but we wanted to tell if it was open or not without going to check. We can even check if it is open when we are away from home using our smart phones. We spent a few bucks on an overhead door sensor and got it configured in no time to turn off our ready light when it is open and display as a fault, but to not set off the alarm when it is open. Alarm Grid answered the phone (a human after a few button presses) and helped ensure this was configured properly – for free. I think it cost me about $ 25 (in hardware only) to make this change to my system. Get a quote for that from the big guys!
A few times a wireless bridge in my setup has gotten unplugged and I have received notification emails to double-​check my Internet connection. This has been an encouraging, reassuring reminder that although I installed the alarm myself I am not on my own… I am just without an enslaving contract. After about 18 months as a customer my monthly recurring charge of exactly $ 30 has never gone up by even a penny. The only time it was not $ 30 was when it was free because I referred a co-​worker (who was also happy with Alarm Grid).
A few parting notes: Check their YouTube channel for a lot of helpful videos. Don’t be afraid to ask for help over email or phone… you will get a pretty quick response that is helpful and not condescending. You might be able to use your existing control panel hardware (my co-​worker was with a slight modification).

Been with AlarmGrid for over a year. Started out with a basic package and developed a smart house with cameras later on.
The best part of having all of these wonderful gadgets and protection is… No contracts or large bills to pay labor for having the system installed. The staff at AlarmGrid provides excellent customer service and technical support.
For less than other major alarm companies, with AlarmGrid I get peace of mind knowing I can tap in anytime and check out what’s going on with the animals, household temperature, and lighting.
I made an investment when I purchased my first house to have it the way I wanted… High-​tech! And the investment has already paid itself off. Energy bills are much lower since everything is on a schedule. I don’t even touch light switches anymore! No rushing around or thinking about what to turn off before leaving home. «Arm Away» and everything shuts off and thermostat enters energy efficient mode. At 4:45pm, the thermostat turns back on so the house is comfortable for arriving home from work. If a burglar or fire alarm triggers, all the lights come on inside and out.

Sterling has always given prompt and expert service. He’s worked me through configuration changes as I have added zones to my alarm system, and has a wealth of practical knowledge that can get a system configured in an optimal way.
I have enough experience with kids triggering the alarm, and power outages, to know that the monitoring service provided by Alarm Grid is highly responsive and professional.
It’s great to be able to pay a reasonable price for a top-​notch personalized service.

These guys are so helpful. I bought a DIY alarm system from another company. I first used their videos and later signed up for their services. Their support team helped me with every issue I encountered. They were extremely patient and the monitoring has worked very well!

After debating between buying a pitbull or a bigger gun, my wife convinced me to call Alarm Grid to keep out the rats. Frank and Sterling walked me through hardware ordering and configuration to integrate with an existing home alarm system (ADT). The setup for a cellular-​based comprehensive alarm system for my vacation home in Florida was a cinch. Great service from courteous professionals and a great pricing model. Look out ADT, you’ve got competition that blows your bloated pricing and non-​existent service away. I look forward to working with these guys and Alarm Grid again on the next house!

Alarm Grid came to my rescue after I bought a Honeywell Lynx 5200 system from Amazon. I had understood that this was a self monitoring system that I could connect to my Wifi and it would send me notifications via text. Boy was that not the case. I spent hours trying to configure it.
After contacting Alarm Grid they set me straight. I spoke with Sterling who was very generous to set me up right then and there. It turns out that the system requires some type of connection to the Honeywell servers. Alarm Grids self monitoring service does this for only $ 10 a month, and no contracts!
I’m 57 so I’ve been around a while. It is so nice to call a company and get fantastic customer service. It is so rare these days. Either through email or over the phone, Alarm Grid was exceptional in helping me out. I’m so glad I found them and I highly recommend them to anyone with any alarm system.

Great alarm company… and service…
Sterling and his team set up my alarm in no time… They are alway there when I need them even after hours. The alarm is currently installed at my car wash in Houston TX and never had a problem.
I will be installing this alarm at my house, and other business when my contract end with ADT.
Keep up the great work Sterling… Mike with Upper Kirby Car Wash.

Sterling was a pleasure to work with. After I got my alarm set up he walked me over the phone on how to set up my system with his service.
Alarm Grid has excellent customer service.

Echoing the other positive reviews out there. I was searching for a way to bring my older existing alarm system into the 21^st century. I wanted an interactive system with mobile phone app control. After much research I found this company and have had a very positive experience. I contacted their sales team who were very knowledgable and told me exactly what to order. I now have Internet, phone and cellular backup as well as mobile application interactive control. Their monthly prices are very reasonable and there is NO contract requirement. The only challenging part was installing the parts they sent me but that only took me a couple hours since I don’t usually mess around with alarm systems. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to migrate their existing alarm system to something more modern or just want to save $$$ on the monthly fees.

Excellent company with excellent service. I found Alarm Grid on the internet while looking for the best prices on equipment. They were the cheapest by a good margin. After buying the new system I then found out I can also use them for the monthly monitoring. They even saved me $!
After my equipment arrived, I had some technical questions so I called Alarm Grid. My call was picked up right away and the tech was extremely helpful! No waiting on hold and the operator spoke perfect English which was a nice change from my old company that seemed to outsource the call center. They answered all of my questions and took extra time to walk me through a couple of the options.
The monitoring was originally an afterthought. I wasn’t happy with my old alarm monitoring and when I noticed I could change at the click of a button, I decided to give it a shot. I can tell you they are MUCH BETTER than any company I’ve used in the past. Both times my alarm went off, the operator called right away and was very pleasant and thorough. I can’t say enough good things about this company.

Did a ton of research on home security before taking the plunge with a Honeywell Lynx L5100 for security, home automation, video surveillance. Wifi primary with GSM backup monitoring. Sterling’s videos on YouTube are so clear and simple, they make the whole process a breeze. Their responsiveness to questions and issues is phenomenal. I cannot say enough about how these guys run their business. They should teach a Harvard Business School class on customer service and how to build a loyal following as a small, service oriented business.

I was in the market for a security monitoring system and obtained detailed quotes from multiple local and nationwide installers. However, my dad (who conveniently happens to work for a major manufacturer of security monitoring systems :) convinced me to go the DIY route, for two primary reasons — (1) cost and (2) control over the system. My monthly payment is about half of what others (e.g., ADT) charge ($ 20/​month for Total Connect, vs $ 35-​$ 50/​month with others). Even more importantly, I have complete control over my security installation, and I can add/​change sensors, modify alerts etc. myself whenever I need to (and at no extra cost, while usually you have to pay every time for making modifications to your system).
My dad was kind enough to help me choose the exact monitoring setup I need (including the specific sensors). While making these decisions, he bombarded Alarm Grid with numerous questions, yet to their credit they replied very promptly and comprehensively. We mostly dealt with Sterling, and found him to be extremely knowledgeable and responsive, on issues ranging from choosing the sensors, to tech support needed to install them, to billing and returning some extra sensors we ended up not using. Frankly, I was grossly puzzled by a 1-​star Unilocal review complaining about the lack of tech support — my own experience was exactly the opposite, as I got very fast and very thorough support every time.
You can probably find the individual components of the system a bit cheaper elsewhere (but not by much, probably by 5−10% or so), but in my opinion it’s simply not worth it — I prefer to deal with a single point of contact, who can provide decent support when needed, will take merchandise back without hassle etc. I believe Alarm Grid is fairly new on the market, but my expectations were strongly exceeded. Even after the initial purchase, I contacted Sterling many times, to get help with using Total Connect via an Android app, to get a certificate for my insurance company to obtain a discount on my home insurance, as well as on other minor things, and the level of service I got (usually from Sterling, and occasionally from his colleague Josh) was always superb. I strongly recommend them without any reservations.