5 Messages
No Link to Dispatcher on Keypad
Yesterday (June 5th), I downloaded new firmware onto the base station and keypad which I assume is the 2.16 firmware. I did this at home where I have a WiFi network to download the new firmware. I was preparing the system for a new Habitat for Humanity home we're building. I also did the pairing and naming of all the entry sensors, motion sensors and sirens that we purchased for the house. This all went as expected.
I have installed 30+ Simplisafe systems for Habitat homes over the past 5 years, so there was nothing out of the ordinary while preparing this system for its home.
However, when I went to the home today to install the sensors on the doors, windows, etc. I started getting an audible "beep" and the LED on the base station would flash yellow every 10 to 15 seconds. The message on the keypad was "No link to dispatch".
This was not a surprise since the house under construction has no internet connection or available WiFi signal. Very few of our Habitat owners can afford an internet connection, and we chose Simplisafe as our go-to alarm system 5 years ago primarily because it allowed the system to be configured and operate in a Standalone mode (i.e. no internet connection).
A call to the Simplisafe Support line resulted in a lengthy discussion and I found out that a recent change (not sure if that was in 2.16 or not) meant that systems with no internet connection would get this audible alarm as well as the flashing yellow LED every few seconds. This makes for an undesirable situation where the owner of the home will have to ignore audible and visible alarm indications.
In the past the lack of a link to a dispatch was not a problem since the system still would be activated should someone try to break into the house. Of course, there would not be any alarm sent to police or fire, but at least there's an alarm for the family. And the system, even in its current state, still gives audible beeps when an entry sensor is opened.
Further investigation showed that even when there are multiple alerts shown on the keypad (open door, low battery, etc), I cannot view these alerts since the only alert I can see is the "No link to dispatch".
I can understand why the cellular module would be turned off if there is no internet connection, but I am hoping that there is a way to make the system respond as it has in the past as a "Standalone" alarm system.
If not, Habitat may be forced to find a different alternative to Simplisafe.
captain11
Captain
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6.1K Messages
3 months ago
@rgmcleod52 First, I applaud your community service and thank you being involved in your community. The alert and lighting was updated for SS to comply with new regulations, but it is my understanding it can b shutoff. If it is the same warning, I shut mine off but must be done via the keypad.
If you can't find it there I would call support back and escalate.
Finally, suggest you contact SS, explain your role with Habitat with Humanity and see if SS can do something on their part to support this worthy organizatioo.
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rgmcleod52
5 Messages
3 months ago
@captain11 Thank you for the reply. I find the volunteer work with Habitat to be very rewarding. I've helped build 45 homes in the last 5 years and seeing those 45 families get decent housing is its own reward.
I did contact SS support and explained the situation - both the alert state and Habitat - but they did not tell me of a way to shut that alert off. I looked at the menu on the keypad and did not find anything that hinted at a solution. Maybe it's buried somewhere. If you can remember what you did to shut yours off I would be interested in knowing how to do that.
I asked the support supervisor to escalate this issue so that we might find a solution for this for the long term, but that was just yesterday and I haven't heard anything back from them yet. My intention with my post here was to hopefully raise awareness and get someone from inside SS (like Davey D.) to help me get some visibility.
BTW, when the system alerts in the manner I've described, it makes it impossible to view any other alerts that the system might have logged - open doors/windows, low battery, etc - since using the keypad you can't get past the "No Link to Dispatch" alert even if there are 2, 3 or 4 other alerts indicated.
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emily_s
Community Admin
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3.3K Messages
3 months ago
Hi @rgmcleod52,
I converted your original comment into its own post. That beeping sound you heard from the Base Station is its Trouble Signal, and the yellow flashing light it the Trouble Light. This was introduced as part of the system’s 2.10 firmware update as added support for the UL-985 standard.
The Trouble Signal and Trouble Light are meant to warn you about a potential issue regarding your system - like if a sensor is offline or there is a No Link to Dispatcher warning. This can be turned off using the Keypad, though. If you navigate to Menu > System Settings, you can turn both the Trouble Signals and Trouble Light settings off. And if the system detects a potential issue, you will still be notified on the Keypad.
Even if there is a No Link to Dispatcher warning, SimpliSafe sensors communicate to the Base Station through their own RF signal, not Wi-Fi, so if a sensor is tripped an alarm will still sound. But unfortunately that notification cannot be cleared from the Keypad unless the system is connected to Wi-Fi.
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