Controlling alarm codes has long remained an extremely important aspect of any security plan. You may remember our section about this subject in our post on Security System Use Tips. After all, allowing your alarm codes to get into the wrong hands puts your security in obvious danger. Keeping track of who has which codes — and making sure they don’t get shared — can prove difficult over time if not impossible. For this reason, we make sure to create code-free security system disarming options whenever possible. In this post, we will explain various options that provide this feature.
We will begin by discussing the benefits of code-free security system disarming. Before you determine how you create this security, you will find it useful to know why you need it. From there, we’ll discuss some specific methods of code-free security system disarming. The widespread popularity of wireless security system technology allows alarm customers to use a couple different methods to disarm their security system without a code. We will spend some time focusing on how wireless alarm customers can add this functionality. From there, we will discuss using interactive cellular monitoring to control your alarm. This monitoring service allows customers to control their security systems using a smart phone or any internet-connected device. Let’s begin by focusing on how code-free security system disarming improves overall security.
What Are the Benefits of Code-Free Security System Disarming?
Keeping your alarm codes out of the wrong hands is a major concern with any of our security system customers. Alarm users may experience compromised alarm codes for a couple reasons. For one, individuals occasionally need to access a property in the owners’ absence. Perhaps you leave for vacation and need a house-sitter to take care of plants and pets. Or maybe a contractor needs to access your business to perform emergency work over the weekend. Either way, this type of scenario would traditionally involve providing these individuals with an alarm code. This may invite a break-in at a later date without fear of your alarm system getting in the way.
Additionally, sometimes the wrong people catch someone entering an alarm code. Maybe you’re with a group of friends as you come home and disarm your security system. Or perhaps you walk into your office with a client and need to deactivate your alarm in front of them. In these scenarios, prying eyes may catch your alarm code and store it away for future use. Simply put, the more alarm users can control their system without entering a code, the better. We will spend the rest of this post showing off some specific methods our alarm customers use to enjoy this type of security. Let’s begin by looking at a couple options for our wireless alarm customers.
Alarm key fobs, such as this one by DSC, allow users to control their alarms — and even activate an alarm panic response — remotely.
Taking Advantage of Wireless Alarm Technology
Our post on Smart Security System Design examined many choices potential alarm customers face. One of these choices revolves around installing wireless versus hardwired alarm components. As we also pointed out in that post, some alarm systems include both hardwired and wireless alarm technology. In addition to allowing for easier installation, wireless security systems also provide options for code-free security system disarming. In this section, we look at these options and explain how they add security. We’ll begin with a look at key fobs, one of the most popular means of controlling a wireless alarm system.
Key Fobs with Built-in Panic Buttons
Of course, most people are familiar with using key fobs due to their inclusion on car keys. The key fob pictured here actually controls an alarm system. The “lock” and “unlock” buttons disarm and arm the system, respectively. Additionally, holding both of these buttons down at the same time activates a siren and police response. We encourage alarm users to provide key fobs, rather than alarm codes, for house sitters or contractors who require access to their home or business. Key fobs offer greater ease of use for those who feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable with alarm technology. Furthermore, many find keeping track of one or two extra fobs easier than tracking multiple alarm user codes. Now, let’s look at an even quicker way for users to disarm an alarm without a code.
Access Control-Style Fobs for Quick Disarming
Several months back, we created a post examining access control systems, entitled The How, Where, When, and Why of Access Control. In that post, we discussed different access control methods, including proximity fob access. Users present proximity, or “prox,” fobs at a reader that scans the card and determines whether the credential should allow access at a given time. In the case of an access control system, a door then electronically unlocks to allow for access. Furthermore, users can program specific days and times that a prox fob will unlock a door. For example, a fob may work on a weekend, but not on a weekday.
Certain alarm systems use similar technology to allow for customizable, fob-based alarm access. Alarm owners can program prox fobs to allow users to disarm a security system at certain times. Unlike key fobs, this prevents individuals from coming back uninvited at a later date. The ability to add the security of code-free disarming, combined with complete control over when users are allowed to disarm the security system, make these a very powerful means of controlling your alarm system. Now, let’s look at another way that our customers control their alarms without codes.
The Alarm.com interactive cellular dialer allows you to check on — and change — your alarm system’s arming status remotely.
Using Interactive Cellular Monitoring to Disarm Your Security System
We spent a good amount of our post on Unique Security Monitoring Options discussing interactive monitoring through a cellular dialer. One of our most popular monitoring options, interactive cellular monitoring offers our alarm customers both security and convenience. For starters, a cellular dialer does not depend on traditional phone lines for central station communication. This keeps your monitoring intact even when phone lines go down. Additionally, interactive cellular dialers, such as our powered by Alarm.com, also allow you to control your security system and track alarm use remotely through the Alarm.com application. In this section, we’ll discuss code-free security system disarming options made possible through interactive cellular monitoring.
A Cell Phone App with All the Bells and Whistles
The Alarm.com phone app provides you an instant snapshot of everything going on with your alarm at any given moment. For example, you can tell when doors have been opened, when your alarm system has been armed and disarmed, and access a log of alarm events at any time. Additionally, you can also use your phone app to arm and disarm your security system remotely. This allows you to disarm your alarm system for a guest without providing a code, a key fob, or any information or equipment that will allow them to disarm your alarm system going forward! Obviously, this ability adds a tremendous amount of security to any type of property or application. Now, let’s look at one more option that Alarm.com offers for you to control your security system.
Creating an Alarm.com Scene with Security System Disarming
In addition to letting you control your alarm system remotely, Alarm.com allows for you to create a command to arm or disarm your security system as part of a larger set of smart home commands called a “scene.” The Alarm.com cellular dialer also acts as a smart home hub, allowing you to install smart lights, thermostats, garage door openers, locks, and any other number of smart home devices. You can then control all of your smart home appliances right from the same app that you use to control your security system.
Alarm.com scenes, such as the “Home,” “Away,” “Sleep,” and “Wake Up” scenes pictured here, allow users to control their alarm system and other smart home devices simultaneously through a smart phone.
Users can give these scenes different names based on when they would activate them. For example, a “home” scene could involve disarming your security system, turning on smart lights, and doing other tasks associated with coming home. A “bedtime” scene could include turning out lights, arming the security system, locking doors, and setting the temperature at a level comfortable for sleeping. Users can activate these scenes using the Alarm.com app. Additionally, iPhone users can even give a voice command through Siri to activate their scenes! For more information on creating and activating Alarm.com scenes, we recommend our post on Using Alarm.com Scenes for Extra Security and Convenience.
Putting it All Together
We hope that this post has given you an idea on just how many ways you can disarm your security system without a code. Keeping your alarm codes private is a major security concern. Therefore, taking advantage of available alarm technology that allows for code-free security system disarming gives you a major security boost. We encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have about the material presented here. We provide free site surveys and quotes for home and business owners alike. While on site, we can assist with alarm system design and with finding the best code-free methods to arm and disarm your security system. Together, we can an effective, efficient, and convenient security plan based on your own unique security needs.