Can I reuse the HM gear with anything else?

[ryanw1]

Due to many problems with network and devices staying online, I cancelled my Home Monitoring plan. 

Are these devices able to be used with any other devices or programs?

[shaenn]

I don't think the gateway can but the cameras, light moduals, and door/window sensors are all Z-Wave I believe. And if that's the case should be useable with other Z-Wave gateways. Take a look at http://www.z-wave.com/modules/ZwaveStart/ for more info.

Please post back when you find a compatible system.

[mrpervis]

If you have the 8021 indoor camera you can reflash the firmware with NorthQ firmware. This will allow you to use the camera at full resolution. VZ has it locked down and you can't login to tweak any of the settings. 

I'm considering canceling my subscription to this service for the simple fact that I purchased a product - cameras in my case - and have no access to the settings.

[ryanw1 · Accepted solution]

I did order the VeraLite from Amazon.

After reading the quick install and watching a few youtube videos, I am pleased with it.

The iPhone app works.  It was VERY quick to get the home monitoring devices up and running on the veralite device.

There are "apps" that you can download to add in for the veralite(which I haven't done yet, but will)

I also plan on flashing the cameras like the other user said, so I can fully utilize the cameras.

But the basic user should be able to reuse the Verizon devices on Veralite easily and have the mobile apps actually work.

[shaenn]

Nice. Sounds like a good alternative to the Verizon Gateway. Please post back after you have had time to use it for a bit. Is there a monthly plan that you must have to use it, like Verizon?

[ryanw1]

No monthly fee.  Just buy it and go.  

I'm going to look into updating firmware, etc in the next few weeks(for the camera).  The recurring fee thing was what was killing me with VHM.  Well, that and nothing seemed to work right. 

It seems to work a bit faster too.  I'll check back in in a few months and give an update.

[richm20]

firmware is no longer avaiable. Now what?

[shaenn]

Someone on the VeraLite forum may have it still. Post a request over there.

[mld53a]

I just purchased Smarthings (http://smartthings.com/) hub for only $99 and no montlhy fee and I got everything working just fine except for the cameras and the thermostat. The thermostat is supported but I haven't tried moving it over YET. It's fairly simple to move devices from the Verizon Hub to the Smarthings hub and Smarthings has so much more flexibility and "power" under the hood. There are actually apps that are available and you can even write your own to do complicated event triggerring and control. And they have some cool devices themselves including an integrated motion/vibration/tempearture device and a little keyfob "presence" device that you can attach to your keys or your kids backpack. With this presence device, you can trigger lights and other things to happen. If you attach it to your kids backpack, you can trigger a text message to let you know she is home. Way cool.

Plus their hub  supports ZigBee, Z-Wave and IP-accessible devices – which they claim "means it is compatible with hundreds of "smart" devices today, and even more in the future." After I move all of the devices, I will be discontinuing the serrvice. Of course i still have to figure out how to "unolock" the cameras. Note that you can see the video from a browser from inside your home network but just going to the IP address. It works both on my iPhone and my browser. It will not work outside of yur home network unless you seyup your router using NAT to do so but I would not advise that since there is no password required and anybody could view the video feed.

Let me know if you need any help with Smarthings but they have great support.

[shaenn]

That's good to know. Unfortunately for me, the cameras are a big part of my system.

COME ON VERIZON, RELEASE THE CAMERA INFO! Since you are no longer selling the equipment and will most likely drop the service some day soon, let us move on and be able to use ALL the equipment on over systems, please.