Thanks for the detailed response.
No 24/7 computer needed - excellent. I have several iOS devices available for control functions.
Regarding my switches, I have several Cooper/Aspire (about 25 total switches):
RF9501
RF9517 (accessory)
RFWC5 (5 button scene controller)
I also have the Cooper remote control, which is basically needed to set up the switches and associations. I use that to configure the network and then transfer the network to the Honeywell for remote access. I keep the Cooper remote as the “master.” Transfering “master” status to the Honeywell system caused too many issues for me.
The 9501/9517 combinations have served me fairly well. Only a few hiccups. The scene controllers, however, are a complete disaster. Originally, they seemed to have conflicts with the Honeywell Thermostats. Now that the Honeywells are removed from the network, they still randomly lose their scene associations and have other flaky behavior. I keep them in the wall, but can’t use them for anything. A few years back I was in communication with a Cooper person about my issues. They claimed to be investigating my problems but ended up never getting back to me. I have since realized that virtually all my issues were due to the scene controllers being on the network.
Regarding Security:
With the Honeywell sensors being proprietary, I will stick with that system. Everything is less than five years old. While I have never been happy with the Honeywell, I’m not sure ADT (or almost any other system) will provide me with enough of an “upgrade” to justify starting over from scratch. (Although I will check into it).
On Z-wave for security… I’m guessing that my Honeywell Lynx uses z-wave for the security portion. When you state that z-wave isn’t good for security systems do you mean specifically z-wave? Are there other wireless systems out there that provide a better option? My setup must be wireless. Due to the home design, wired security is not feasible.
I looked at the ADT link you provided. The smoke/fire/CO/water/Intrusion monthly cost is with a buck or two from what I am paying now. My current service includes the “home automation” features of Total Connect.
Money isn’t necessarily the driving force here. It’s more about getting value. My real issue is that I can’t stand the Honeywell interface/software. Even being stuck with the Honeywell alarm system, I figure I could switch to “alarm only” monitoring service and cut my monthly cost by more than 50% (pricing I have seen online). Then switch my z-wave switches to a hub like SmartThings that allows for more options and a better interface. Get more and pay less.
SmartThings Cloud…
From the looks of it, the hub is not being controlled by a direct connection to the user device. It goes through this cloud. Is that correct?
If so, does that present any security issues? Is there any cost involved with use of this cloud service? Does it present any limitations (other than an additional point of potential failure as noted in the “Outages” link).
Thanks for the links. They are helpful. My system is currently a cell connection as we just received access to broadband. This will require upgrading the Lynx system which I am reluctant to do. That’s why I’m looking into other options.