How to reactivate a home alarm system without monitoring or subscription?

Security Components Forum Motion Detectors & Alarms
1

Our house, built in 2003, has wired sensors and Honeywell keypads installed. Over the years, we’ve had monitoring services from ADT, Brinks, and most recently Xfinity. We canceled Xfinity a few months ago, but now the system doesn’t arm or work independently. We’d like to use it without monitoring as a deterrent.

The system was working fine before Xfinity, and their offer to reactivate for $10/month seems unnecessary since we own the system. Is there a way to reset or reactivate the system for standalone use without relying on Xfinity or any other service? Any advice is appreciated.

2

Your Honeywell keypads likely connect to a Vista 20p panel. To regain control:

  1. Power down the panel by disconnecting the battery and unplugging the wall transformer.
  2. Reconnect the power and within 60 seconds, press * and # together on the keypad to enter programming mode.
  3. When the keypad displays ‘20’, enter a new four-digit installer code and press *.
  4. Exit programming by pressing *99.
  5. After the restart, enter the installer code and follow this sequence to set a master code: [installer code] + 8 + 02 + [new master code].

You can find guides online to help with programming the system further. This will restore your ability to arm and disarm the system.

3

@Earl
Just a heads-up: the * and # step must be done within 60 seconds of powering up, or it could trigger a panic alert.

4

Xfinity likely installed a small 2x2 white box near your panel. This intercepts signals between the keypads and the panel. To fix this:

  1. Unplug the transformer and disconnect the battery.
  2. Cut the wires going into the white box and strip them.
  3. Match and connect the wires: red to red, black to black, green to green, and yellow to yellow using wire nuts or connectors.
  4. Reconnect the panel power and test.

Alternatively, you can bypass the white box entirely by reconnecting the keypad wires directly to the panel terminals: 4B, 5R, 6G, and 7Y. Let me know if you need more help!

5

@Edgar
Thanks! I found the white box, rewired it as you suggested, and reset the installer and master codes. The system is working, but the upstairs keypad has no display or response (though it’s backlit). Any ideas?

6

@Charlotte
The upstairs keypad may need to be re-addressed. After a fresh power-up, hold 1+3 on the keypad, then press 17 to set the address. That should fix it.

7

Edgar said:
@Charlotte
The upstairs keypad may need to be re-addressed. After a fresh power-up, hold 1+3 on the keypad, then press 17 to set the address. That should fix it.

That worked perfectly. Thank you for all your help!

8

Xfinity’s iControl hardware likely caused the issue. It sits between your keypads and the alarm panel, and when deactivated, it can leave your system non-functional. You can see details about the iControl Panel Interface Module (PIM) here.

9

If you can access the installer menu, you can disable the communicator and restore functionality. Look up the installer manual for your Honeywell system to find the programming code or sequence to access the menu.

10

For future use, consider upgrading to a system like Konnected or Envisalink. These allow you to integrate your alarm system with smart home platforms and provide standalone functionality without a subscription.