Setting up Smartthings to replace my Iris setup. Some items of concern

There are many differences between the ADT model hub and the regular SHM on the other hubs. As I’ve mentioned in other topics over the years, the only model I personally would recommend for security is the ADT model, for multiple reasons.

Here are a few of the differences. Most of these are because the regular SHM is cloudbased with only a few bits that run locally, and the ADT model runs locally, but in any case these are very real differences.

  1. there is no way, none, to either arm or disarm the regular SHM unless you have access to the SmartThings cloud. None. If the System was armed when you left home and then you lost Internet and you come home you will not have any way of keeping your sirens and whatever else from going off. None. And it doesn’t have to be that you lost the Internet. It could just be that the SmartThings cloud is unavailable, which has happened occasionally in the past.

The ADT model can be disarmed from the panel or with the logo key fob whether you have Internet access or not.

The same thing is true with arming. Say that you are home and you don’t normally arm your system until you go to sleep. The power goes out and for whatever reason you are worried about potential looters. There is no way to arm the regular SHM system. Because the status is kept in the cloud and you can’t get to the cloud. But the ADT model can again be armed from either the panel or the key fob.

  1. all messages from the regular SHM system, including push messages to your own phone and notifications to whatever third-party monitoring center you might be using , require the SmartThings cloud to be available. Seriously, even if your phone is on the same Wi-Fi as your hub, they can’t communicate without going through the cloud first.

The ADT model offers a cellular option which allows it to communicate with the professional monitoring center even if both your power and your Internet are off.

  1. The V3 hub has no battery back up. The ADT model hub has its own battery back up.

  2. The other hub models rely on network protocols which are inherently less reliable than the ADT dual logo sensors. You will definitely get more false alarms with the non-ADT models. You may also get some missed alerts.

  3. The “professional monitoring service” offered with the non-ADT models is scout, and it is limited to “intrusion alerts” – – meaning contact and motion sensors. It cannot, or perhaps better to say will not, monitor smoke or CO2 detectors. The ADT model system can provide smoke and CO2 monitoring. In addition, the Scout integration is being discontinued June 1, 2019.

Choice is good, and different people have different reasons for choosing one system over another. But looked at objectively, the ADT/smartthings dual logo hub is a decent low-cost security system. The cloud-based SHM options for the other models just don’t meet the minimum standards for what most people looking for a security system want.

This is why for over a year if you follow any of the links on the SmartThings website to “security” they will only take you to the ADT model.

https://www.smartthings.com/home-security

Submitted with respect.

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Well put JD! Nothing like the ADT model for total security and professional monitoring.

All custom apps run in the cloud today so one need to guarantee internet access (I always recommend folks put their hub and internet modem on a small UPS with a 24 hr backup battery, it’s quite cheap and is hugely beneficial for its investment, especially for folks with remote home setups and spotty electricity). There could always be a platform outage worst case scenario and this where ADT shines. The downside is limitations on devices that can be used with that hub. I know why they did that but I wish they hadn’t because now you need to choose between features and professional grade security.

I was under the impression that SHM had now moved to local processing. Will do some more testing on that front with the upcoming 25.x firmware.

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NonCustom alerts created through SHM like notify with lights or turning on a siren if a sensor triggers are eligible for local processing if the devices are using device type handlers which run locally.

But you can’t change the SHM armed status, you can’t change the mode, you can’t receive notifications, and you can’t dismiss notifications unless the hub has access to the cloud.

I’m not 100% sure, but I don’t think custom SHM alerts run locally either, although I could be wrong on that one.

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Keep in mind the only limitation with devices on the Smartthings hub is what can be used for security notification to ADT call center. Any device that can interface with smartthings works with the ADT Smartthings hub and can be used for home Automation.

The ADT/Smartthings dual branded sensors are also presented to smartthings so I can use them for HA as well.

You just have to make sure if you want to use alarm monitoring you have the dual branded sensors on what you want to monitor

There are also two flavors of SHM and from all the information I can find I would really be surprised if the new version installed from the new app was not 100% cloud based. It uses all of the new api and follows the paradigm being deployed for smartthings. It seems to be dependent on cloud 100% from what I can tell.

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Can the ADT hub be used for self monitoring until I as m ready to go with full pro monitoring?

Yes, but only with the proprietary sensors

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You can also use the ADT Tools 2 smart app to help with the migration as well. It has a method to allow you to use existing sensors for monitoring and provide it’s own notification. The functionality was intended to help users migrate from SHM to the ADT sensors over time.

What about cameras and sirens?

Cameras you have to use an outside system. Ring, Arlo, Wyze, etc. I love my Wyze cams and have them arm/disarm/record with Smart Home Monitor via IFTTT. I’m not sure which ones work with the adt hub. @Mavrrick58 can you use any z-wave or zigbee siren with the adt hub? Or does it have one built in to the panel?

I can only and speak for arlo, and they work pretty well from my perspective. I haven’t heard if the new Arlo Ultra works. I have the Arlo Q and Arlo Pro 2. I would suggest using Arlopilot to control integrations between Arlo and Smartthigs. ADT Tools also has video routines that where specifically setup and tested with the arlo cameras I have. If other cameras support the video capture command they may work as well.

The ADT Smarthings system does have a 90+ decibel siren built in

As far as additional sirens go I would expect any siren that works with Smartthings will work with the smartthigs side of the ADT Smartthings system. They won’t be triggered by the alarm as part of the local alarm operations though. You would need ADT Tools 2 to help trigger the action on the siren when the alarm is triggered. Basically ADT Tools would look for the adt alarm side to trigger and when it does ADT Tools will trigger a set of actions. One of those actions can be to turn on the siren. It isn’t perfect, but it does allow you to add additional sirens

I have this setup to trigger my Arlo Pro 2 Base station siren.

I have 2 of the utilitech sirens. The ADT hub lists one in the hub itself. I would like to use the ring spotlight cames which have sirens as well. The idea here is to make as much noise and produce as much light as possible once a security event or panic has been triggered. With at least 4 or 5 sirens What’s the lights and the flashing strobe from the ring spot light cameras should get lots of attention pointed right at my house the event of a break in which in theory should drive-in the intruders away as fast as possible. Failing that at the very least it’ll give me time to grab my shotgun and confront them

I would expect the Utilitech sirens to work fine with the Smartthings side. They should have the siren capbility, So then when you setup the alert action in ADT Tools 2 they would be an option to select to turn on and off as part of a alert action.

The Siren in the ring cameras is a different story. It is dependent on if they present that siren to Smartthings as a siren. If they do it is all set, if not then no.

The ADT Tools 2 smartapp also has the option to turn on and flash on and off lights as part of the alert action as well. I had one user that tried it with 18 lights at once. He said he got calls from some neighbors asking what was going on. It can also have lights flash as long as the alarm is active.

In another thread, where we were talking about the colors of the tiny LED indicator lights, you expressed an interest in Leviton fan controls and switches. But you had just previous to that been talking about zigbee. Were you looking for their zigbee models or their zwave models? I’m not sure if they have a fan control switch in the zigbee line.

Also, were you looking for dimmers or on/off switches?

After our prior discussion on this matter it seems that Z wave is really a better way for me to go as it is less prone to Wi-Fi interference. My wife and I are considerably past the years where we will be needing baby monitors so that is not an issue which I’ve heard Z wave can have issues with. I don’t see any possible way I could exceed 240 devices on a Z wave network.

So yeah it looks like Z wave is a better option for me

Having said all that we switches that I’m going to want for a living should be dimmers with the exception of the Kitchen and the outdoor lighting. There are 2 sets of 3 way switches that need to be replaced as well.

So I’m looking at dimmers for 4 bedrooms the living Room and the dining Room. 4 3 way switches For the main bathroom and main hallway. I am looking for simple on off switches for both Shower commode rooms as well as the small hallway in the kitchen. Likewise I will need simple on off switches for front door light garage front light, and the back door light.

The garage front light and the back door light may and up simply being ring floodlight cameras but I am concerned about these switch control that exists for those.

@Mavrrick58 - Regarding this statement. I have installed your source code from github and when I load it and go to the simulator and try to add it there is no optionto select the Utilitech siren.

What do you mean by simulator. Are you trying to use that in the IDE?

Yes, trying to use the simulator in the IDE.

I would suggest against that. My understanding is that the simulator can be flacky with some device integrations. I would suggest you install the app and then configure it to test.

Sorry for my noob-iness but I am not sure how to install it and configure it to test. I just went through the IDE tutorial yesterday, did the groovy tutorial app(copy paste, test, etc) and played around with other built in sample smart apps. For all of these I used the simulator which allowed me to select specific devices I had connected to utilize in the smart app and then save and publish them, I dont know any other way I guess is what I am saying. Thanks!

The simulator is one part of the IDE that people used to test code they are writing. ( but as was mentioned, it’s pretty flaking now, it hasn’t kept up with all the changes over the years) You don’t need to use that part for installs.

Try the custom code FAQ and see if it helps explain the process you will need. (The topic title is a clickable link)