Question 1

Can Alarmhandler act as perimeter alarm?

Accepted Answer

Yes, cameras placed and pointing directly at entrances can be placed in a "perimeter" group. Alarmhandler allows you to turn on perimeter sensors separately from the home screen. This makes it possible to monitor all entrances while you are at home.

Question 2

How do I setup my camera connection to use my gmail account?

Accepted Answer

If you're using gmail, then you can specify the following when you configure your camera connection:

Smtp server address: smtp.gmail.com
Smtp server port: 465
Sender email address: youremail@gmail.com
Sender username: youremail@gmail.com
Sender password: your gmail password
Encryption: Use SSL/TLS
Receiver email address xxxxxxxxx@alarmhandler.com (see address under Settings-Estate settings-Camera settings)

If you use 2 factor authentication, you will need to setup app specific passwords that you use on the cameras. To do so, login to your gmail account and select Security, then under Signing in to Google tap App Passwords. At the bottom of the screen, Select the app and device for which you want to generate the app password. You can select Other app and enter a free text description like "AH camera". The tap Generate to get the app specific password. You're probably not interested in keeping the messages sent from the cameras to Alarmhandler. To auto delete them, just setup a rule in Gmail. In Gmail tap the settings "cog" icon a select Settings. Then select the tab "Filters and blocked addresses" and add a rule that matches from: youremail@gmail.com to: xxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com (where xxxxxxxx is the camera address) and do this: Delete it. You may also consider creating an extra mail account that you only use for your cameras to send mails to the Alarmhandler servers.

Question 3

How does Alarmhandler differ from just sending mails to yourself?

Accepted Answer

Some IP camera owners to not subscribe to cloud based camera recording service, but just set up cameras to send emails to themself. So here’s the different approach taken by Alarmhandler:

Most camera control apps do not offer a simple and instant detection on/off button, meaning you will get lots of mails all the time as soon as there's a detection. Alarmhandler never records anything or alerts you, unless you turn recording ON explicitly in the app - and then it only records when motion or sound is detected - meaning you don't have to worry about getting lots of messages and missing our on the important ones.
Alarmhandler cleans up recordings. The received mails are deleted within seconds after Alarmhandler receives them from your camera. If your alarm is ON, then the service will keep a copy of the received recording in a a database to allow you to play back the recording. This in turn is auto deleted after 30 days. So all in all, you don't have to worry about images floating around, Alarmhandler takes care of cleaning this up.
Mailing camera recordings to yourself does not mean any action is taken. Alarmhandler has a configurable workflow that kicks in when events occour. It first notifies all inhabitants (that you define) and in case none takes action, and you’ve turned it on, Alarmhandler will notify neighbours and friends (defined by you) to find the closest available helper.

Question 4

What should my camera settings be?

Accepted Answer

In order to use IP cameras as sensors with Alarmhandler, you need to ensure your camera settings are tuned for this purpose. If you get many unwanted alerts from Alarmhandler, this is a clear indication that your camera settings are not in order. If you get a warning in the app that you're close or over the storage or upload quota, this is also an indication that your camera settings are not in order. Before tuning the camera settings, you should start by placing the cameras at a location where they will not pick up sound or movement that should not cause an alarm. Next up is to ensure, that the cameras only detect sound and motion when this is actually the case. It's important to understand, that Alarmhandler does no interpretation on the received images, so it's up to the camera to detect sound or motion correctly. Whenever we receive images we will trigger an alarm - so adjusting the camera is the only way to fix false alarms. Proper camera settings depend on the camera producer and what is possible to adjust. But here are some generic instructions of normal, working camera settings:

Recording should only be mailed upon motion or sound detection.
Recording should only be mailed with a few frames before and after the detection.
Recordings should happen at a frame rate of 1 image per second.
Motion detection is normally tied to an active area a sensitivity parameter:
- Sensitivity reflects how big a difference there should be in two images before motion is detected. Try settings around 40% - if no motion is detected when walking in front of the camera using whilst having "Record everything" enabled under estate settings, then set sensitivity higher up.
- Active area lets you control if parts of the camera view should not be used for motion detection. En example could be disabling part of the view where a window is located to avoid birds or similar to create a false alarm.
Day / night vision should be disabled as many cameras make a high noise when toggling between day and night vision mode - and some cameras detect a big difference between images captured before and after the switch. It might be better to just to run the camera in night vision mode as this avoids these two issues.
You might want to disable sound detection in order to get motion detection working properly first, then later on try to get sound detection to work. Sound detection should normally be set as high as possible, e.g. 90dB. This in order not to pick up cars outside and other irrelevant noise. What you want to pick up is for instance your fire alarm which will be over 100dB.

If you're still unable to avoid unwanted alerts with your camera after following the suggestions above, you may need a different camera. Be aware that some IP camera manufacturers focus on live streaming and motion / sound detection does not work very well. If this is the case, try to contact us so we can share your results and get our white / black list of cameras updated. Also see Why do I get false alarms?

Question 5

How do I add users in the system?

Accepted Answer

First of all, you need to validate your e-mail address by activating the link in the mail you received just after signup. Once you've done that you can tap the + button on the Sharing screen (tap Menu-Sharing), and choose to send an invite code either via SMS or e-mail.

Invited users get control over the alarm like you have, so they can turn monitoring ON or OFF and playback recordings
You might not register a detection, especially if far away on holiday without Internet connectivity. If you need help through a holiday, you can temporarily share the estate to neighbour "helpers" and let them react to notifications and contact police if a breakin has occurred.

PS If you did not receive a user validation e-mail, please look in your junk mail folders for it, and if it's not there then contact support to sort this out.

Question 6

How does the app send SMS messages to my alarm?

Accepted Answer

Alarmhandler asks you once for your SMS alarm PIN code and then stores this inside the app. When you're setting up Alarmhandler to control your SMS alarm, you specify the type and phone number. This means the app knows exactly how the SMS message should look like. After you've hit one of the control buttons in the app, the standard message/SMS app opens up with a pre-filled message, ready for you to send by just tapping Send.

Question 7

Can Alarmhandler control SMS alarms for several estates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, just add more estates under Select estate by tapping +. To add the SMS alarm in use for the different estates, just tap + on the Overview page and select SMS Alarm. During the setup process, the app will prompt you for the PIN code in use by each SMS alarm / estate. Alarmhandler acts as a kind of password manager for SMS alarms, as you just need to remember the PIN code for the Alarmhandler app and not the PIN code for the different alarms :)

Question 8

Can Alarmhandler control my SMS alarm?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Alarmhandler is able not only to control camera surveillance, but also send commands to an SMS alarm. Tap + on the home screen and choose "SMS Alarm" to add your alarm. If you're lucky you can see your alarm in the autocomplete list when entering brand/model. This means the system already knows how to command the alarm and all you have to do is enter your phone number that the app should send SMSes to in order to control the alarm. Alarmhandler has a number of predefined alarms, but you may add your own type. Alarmhandler uses crowdsourcing to learn more alarm types. If several users define the same SMS alarm (same name and control codes), the alarm type becomes globally available.

Question 9

When does the trial period begin?

Accepted Answer

Once you’ve a new estate (happens during signup), the 30 day trial starts. If you're happy with the solution, tap menu Upgrade to Premium at the top of the menu. If you don't need camera surveillance, but one of the best SMS alarm controller apps - you can keep using that without paying for camera surveillance.

Question 10

What is the price for Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

It's free to signup and try Alarmhandler for 30 days. If you want to continue using Alarmhandler after the trial, the price is 12.49EUR per year for the Premium subscription available with Apple or Google. For exact local price, visit the Upgrade to Premium screen available at the top of the menu in the app. The subscription is paid 12 months in advance and cannot be cancelled for the current period. The subscription automatically renews as any other Apple or Google recurring subscription.

Question 11

Can I try Alarmhandler without a IP camera?

Accepted Answer

You can try out Alarmhandler by emailing an image recording by hand. To do so, follow these steps

Add a new camera in the Alarmhandler app
Turn Alarmhandler ON
Prepare a mail using your normal mail program. Attach a jpeg image or short mp4 movieclip of max 1MB. It does not matter what you put into the title or body of the mail. Then send the mail to the address listed for the camera you just added, see the Alarmhandler app under the settings cog to the right of the camera on the home screen
Our servers will normally receive and process the image within one minute after you send it. When this has happened, the app will get a push message and inform you there's been activity detected by the camera

Question 12

How do I connect IP camera without WPS?

Accepted Answer

When connecting your IP camera, it's easiest if you use the WPS buttons to do so. However, if you can't find a WPS button on the router or WPS does not seem to work, then follow these steps to connect the IP camera to the house's wireless network:

Place the camera next to your router and connect it to the router with the included network cable. You may unplug the cable and move the camera later on.
After some seconds a connection LED on the camera switches to green, which indicates that the camera is connected to the network

Your camera is now on the network and you can continue the with IP camera configuration.

Question 13

How do I setup the IP camera configuration?

Accepted Answer

Once you have your camera attached to your local network and added a new camera inside the Alarmhandler app , you are ready to setup the the IP camera configuration. The following is a set of generic instructions, but based on user inputs we're also adding guides for specific brands/models, see links at the bottom.

Identify what IP address your camera has on the local network. The easiest method for obtaining the IP address of the camera is to use a network scanning app like "Fing" that can be downloaded for free in Appstore and Google Play. Alternatively, you can log into your router and see what devices are connected to it. For detailed instructions for your router, see the documentation that comes with the router.
Once you've got the IP address, enter it in your web browser to configure the camera. You will be prompted for username / password. If you have not changed this yet, it will often be admin / admin or admin and an empty password.
Once you're logged on to your camera in the web browser, find the configuration or settings section for the camera. Then enable the following:
- Sound detection: this lets the camera can detect loud sound eg from a fire alarm. If possible, set up the camera to transfer video in case of sound detection. With video you can hear the sound and determine what is triggering the alarm, eg a fire alarm. This cannot be done if you only transfer images. Specify the format to MPEG4 (H.264). If the camera does not support video transmission, choose image transfer instead (see Motion Detection)
- Motion detection: if the camera detects motion in the visual field, while the alarm is on, then set it to transfer images to Alarmhandler. Specify the camera to transfer single images with a frame rate of one image / sec. This is the best way to ensure that the camera will transfer data immediately after detecting motion. Delaying transmission to eg 10 seconds and then transferring a video is a really bad idea, as this gives a thief time to find find the destroy the camera before it has had time to report the break in.
- 24/7 monitoring: the camera should continually try to deliver data at sound or motion detection. Our servers determine whether to save images and video, as it knows about the alarm is on or not.
- Mail transfer: specify your own mail server name and port, encryption, mail address and credentials for your mail account. Perhaps you use gmail, then search the FAQ for gmail to learn more. In addition the camera must know the recipient address. We're receiving recordings for your camera on a special email that should be specified o the camera. You can see the email in the Alarmhandler app under Settings - Estate settings - Camera settings.
- Wireless network: If you have your IP camera cabled to your router, you need to setup the wireless network information on the camera before you unplug the cable between the camera and the router. To do so, enter the SSID and password for your network on the camera.

There is often a “test connection” button, try this out - but remember to turn Alarmhandler ON before doing so - otherwise our service will reject connections from the camera. See also How do I check if the IP camera is correctly hooked up? Camera specific guides:

Configure D-link camera

Question 14

Where is Alarmhandler available?

Accepted Answer

As of March 20 2017, Alarmhandler is available in Appstore and Google Play in the following 48 countries:

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and Turkey.

Let us know if your country is not on the list, we do localisations based on the number of requests we get.

Question 15

Why do I get false alarms?

Accepted Answer

False alarm is when you after a period of stabile operation get alarms without any appearent reason. When you get a false alarm, the video or images clips received show no motion and sound. The camera should not be sending video/images if there's no motion or sound, so it means the camera has stopped operating properly. Most IP cameras today work without problems for months, but will at some time need to be restarted. The cure is normally to power off-on and the detection will work again. Also see What should my camera settings be?

Question 16

Which mobile phone can I use for Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

The app works on smartphones with recent IOS or Android versions. We keep testing on various models, but if you have a problem on a particular phone, please send us a message with information about it.

Question 17

Can I use Alarmhandler when going abroad?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you enable mobile data you will still use the app. If you're not able to use mobile data, please invite neighbours or family vio Menu-Sharing and instruct them to react to any push notifications, and contact police in case of a break in after validating it via video recordings.

Your property must be located in one of the countries that can be selected when creating an account in the app.

Question 18

Which IP camera can I use?

Accepted Answer

Alarmhandler is built to use standard IP cameras, giving you the freedom to acquire the cameras you want from wherever you want, and to mix different brands and models of cameras. Alarmhandler supports most cameras on the market by supporting email transfer of images and videos. Any camera that can send email notifications upon motion detection can be hooked onto our system, eg several models from Foscam and D-link Some cameras do not support mailing recordings, in which case they cannot be used with Alarmhandler. You can read the test of various cameras on our blog, and feel free to send us a message if you've tested a particular camera with Alarmhandler and would like to share your experience with us. Alternatively, if you have a camera that can submit recordings using https post protocol, this is also possible. this is what the app for "old phones" is utilising.

Question 19

What happens if I don't renew my subscription?

Accepted Answer

The following will happen at the end of the prepaid period:

Alarmhandler stops monitoring if the cameras are online
Alarmhandler stops recording when there's a motion/sound detection
Alarmhandler stops sending notifications to owner or helps when an event occurs

In short, the your IP cameras are transformed from an alarm system into normal surveillance cameras again. SMS alarm control remains functional also after your free trial period has ended.

Question 20

What is Alarmhandler's data policy?

Accepted Answer

To ensure efficient operation of the Alarmhandler the following data retention policy data applies:

received signal data from alarm and use data stored for 30 days
received photos from cameras kept until the account's quota is exhausted or were at least 30 days old

- The quota pt. set to 100MB per camera
- There will not be stored additional photos if the quota is exhausted
- Is the quota used up, the customer will be notified of this in the app
- Customer can always delete photos in the app, including when the quota is exceeded, so that again is space to store new photos

If you need to save images for a specific event, you download them from Alarmhandler using the "Send mail" button located on the playback screen. If you need a dump of the log for a specific event, we suggest you take a screen shot om the phone of the log for the event.

Question 21

What does last updated timestamp mean?

Accepted Answer

It indicates when the Alarmhandler last heard from one of your cameras. This will update even though you see no new recording in the app, if monitoring is ON but the cameras do detections.

Question 22

What is "Home ON" / "Home Arm"?

Accepted Answer

This concept is used by traditional alarm services and means that the perimeter of your home is secured, meaning doors and windows. This means the alarm will detect opening of windows and doors, and this is typically turned on when going to sleep and you don't want to trigger the alarm when moving around inside the estate. Another reason to just secure your estate doors/windows and not the interior could be that you have pets that might trigger the photo sensors or body heat sensors monitoring your interior.

Alarmhandler supports "Home ON" for both SMS alarms and IP cameras. For SMS alarms, the app will send the control code to your alarm to enable perimeter sensors. For IP cameras, the cameras that you've marked as "perimeter" under settings for the camera are enabled when you tap "Home ON".

Question 23

Does Alarmhandler contact the police or the insurance company after a break-in?

Accepted Answer

No, this must be done either by the estate owner or the person handling the event. Alarmhandler is just an intermediary between your alarm and you and your helpers.

Question 24

Does my subscription get more expensive if I add another camera?

Accepted Answer

It costs nothing extra to connect multiple IP cameras to Alarmhandler for one property as long as you comply with our Acceptable Use Policy. Traditional IP camera recording services and SMS alarm monitoring services typically charge extra for each sensor you attach to the system.

Question 25

How do I cancel my subcription?

Accepted Answer

You can try Alarmhandler risk-free for 30 days.  You will then receive an invoice for your first subscription period. If the system was not for you, then just ignore the invoice and your account will be automatically deactivated. Unlike most other services, Alarmhandler does not store your creditcard details upon payment. This means you will never pay for the service, if you do not actively renew it. So to cancel the subscription, just cease to pay the renewal invoices.

Question 26

How do I restore my subscription?

Accepted Answer

You can always come back to us as a paying customer by logging into your account with your email and password and tap Upgrade to Premium in the menu. You will not pay for the time you've been away.

Question 27

Can I pause my subscription?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only after the paid period expires - see also How do I restore my subscription?

Question 28

I forgot PIN code, what do I do?

Accepted Answer

To change the PIN code in the app, log out (via settings) and then sign in again. You will thus be asked to choose a PIN code again. If you've forgotten your PIN code, you will automatically be logged out of the app after 3 attempts. After that you can login again and choose a new PIN code.

Question 29

How do I select a PIN code?

Accepted Answer

When using the Alarmhandler to control your IP cameras, you can choose a PIN code to protect the app and prevent unauthorized access. You can select any PIN code you want. The PIN code is not tied to an estate, so once you've unlocked the app with your PIN code, you'll not be prompted for a PIN code when changing estate (if you're using Alarmhandler on multiple estates).

If you're using Alarmhandler to control SMS alarms, it's a bit different. After adding an alarm, the app will ask you to enter the PIN code for your alarm. This has either 4 or 6 digits and should be entered just as you enter the code on the normal physical SMS alarm control panel.  You may use the same PIN code for the SMS alarm for an estate as for the app itself, but they may also differ. This is very practical if you've got more estates with different alarms

For security reasons, we do not store your alarm PIN code on our servere, but just locally inside the app. So if you log out of the app or install it on anther device, you'll be prompted for the PIN code again.

Question 30

How do I check if the IP camera is correctly hooked up?

Accepted Answer

After you have connected your IP camera to the local network and set it up to upload photos/video to connected to Alarmhandler via mail, the next step is to check if everything is working as it should. Then turn on the alarm (tap ON on the home screen) and try to activate recording by moving in from of the cameras. Within a minute, you should get push notifications and be able to see new recordings in the app (do a pull to refresh the home screen, or camera recording subscreen). If no film clips appear

Check the camera's settings are correct, many cameras have the built-in web page a test feature that check that mails can be sent from the camera. If the images show up in the app you know the settings are correct.
You might also need to adjust the camera's field of view to - note that many cameras have a quite narrow angle in which they are able to detect movement. You might have to move the camera further away to cover the desired area.

You can also try to email an image up to 500KB in size to the mail account associated with the camera. If this appears in the app, there's still something not correctly setup on the camera. Note: most IP cameras have a Test Email button to verify that email settings have been specified correctly for the camera. If none of the above helps, please contact us via the Send Message button on our website. We are happy to help you to get it to work!

Question 31

How does Alarmhandler differ from traditional alarm services?

Accepted Answer

You might be considering to secure your home with a traditional alarm service. Here’s how Alarmhandler can offer more value for money:

Many alarm services use specialized alarm hardware that they install and service for you as long as you’re a subscriber. You might pay a signup fee, but that does not cover the full equipment and installation cost. Instead you pay for the equipment and installation as part of your monthly subscription fee. If you’re a subscriber for a long period, you effectively pay the alarm many times over. If you cancel the subscription, the alarm is dismantled by the alarm company leaving you with nothing. With Alarmhandler you purchase your own inexpensive and maintenance free IP cameras, and if you cancel your subscription, you still own them and can use them with another online service.
For private customers, most alarm services send out a security guard to check on alarms on a best effort Service Level Agreement (SLA). This means that business alarm customers that typically have a time specific SLA will get serviced before you, as the alarm company will be penalized if they use long time to respond. With Alarmhandler, we’ve also gone for best effort response, but instead of basing it on expensive paid security guards, the inhabitants or neighbours constitute the response team. This means that there is no guaranteed response time, but if anyone you have given access to the app can see something is not right using the recordings, and they are nearby, they can check up on your estate and alert police or fire brigade in minutes. This is almost never possible with paid security guards that have large areas to cover!
For most alarm services, traditional magnet contacts are mounted on doors/windows and infrared sensors are used to monitor space inside your estate. This is stable and well-known technology, but if you want to validate alarms and check video recordings, you need to purchase additional photo sensors working with the other alarm hardware - and pay a premium monthly charge per photo sensor added. With Alarmhandler, we use inexpensive IP cameras not only as sensors but also for recording during events. And no extra charge!
Many alarm services charge you extra per month if you add more sensors, Alarmhandler has a flat monthly fee as long as you respect our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Question 32

How does Alarmhandler differ from other camera recording services?

Accepted Answer

Many IP camera owners subscribe to cloud based camera recording services, as camera vendor normally just provide live streaming. However, the recording services focus on using cameras for surveillance and continuous recording, which is not really what home owners who don’t want to feel watched all the time is looking for. So here’s the different approach taken by Alarmhandler:

Many camera recording services do not offer a simple and instant detection on/off button - the aim of the service is to do continuous recording which is not suitable for home use. Alarmhandler never records anything, unless you turn recording ON explicitly in the app - and then it only records when motion or sound is detected - meaning you use very little cloud storage space and we can deliver Alarmhandler at a low fee.
Many camera recording services access your cameras, so they’re in fact opening up your firewall to your home. Alarmhandler is solely based on the cameras connecting to Alarmhandler, not the other way - so nothing is opened up in your home.
Many camera recording services use ftp transfer from the cameras to the online service, however ftp is not a very secure protocol. Your ftp credentials are passed in free text over the internet when a transfer takes place. Alarmhandler uses email in order to be compatible with more IP cameras, and at the same time the camera can use SSL encrypted lines when submitting recordings.

Question 33

How does Alarmhandler differ from my camera app?

Accepted Answer

Most IP cameras can detect motion and send push notifications through an app provided by the camera producer. Some can also send mails with pictures. However, the camera producer apps have many shortcoming, here’s how Alarmhandler meets them:

The app does not offer a simple and instant detection on/off button - and permanently turning notifications on is very tiresome, as you will get a ton of notifications when you're at home. Many apps also have a substantial delay from when you turn notification/mails until the service stops sending you messages.
The apps cannot handle different brands of cameras. It cannot turn monitoring ON/OFF nor receive recordings from more than one brand. Alarmhandler does this.
The apps cannot group a number of cameras (for an entire estate) and turn all cameras ON/OFF at the same time. Alarmhandler does this.
The apps only offer one user account for the cameras - multiple users cannot control detection etc. Alarmhandler does this.
Most apps do not offer to store and replay recordings without a monthly fee. Alarmhandler stores recordings of events for up to 30 days for a fee lower fee - and at the same time offers the other advantages mentioned above.

Question 34

Why do I not get notifications? (iphone)

Accepted Answer

To receive notifications on iphone, you need to give permissions to Alarmhandler to do so.

PS If you do not receive notifications, you might have used the same account on multiple devices. If you do so, only the last logged device will receive notifications. Create multiple users for the estate in order to receive notifications on all mobile devices belonging to a family.

Question 35

How do I control the alarm?

Accepted Answer

There's no control panel as IP cameras are the only hardware you install physically in your estate. Instead you can turn off the alarm using the app before you walk in the door. Since your Alarmhandler is a "silent alarm" you'll never stress over a siren that goes off, if you forget to turn off the alarm. Instead your phone will just beep and a notification indicates that there is a detection.

To turn the alarm on, then you can do this via the app simply by tapping "Alarm on" eg. just after you have left the property. In the same way, just tap "Alarm off" before entering your home when arriving back.

Question 36

Where should I place my IP camera?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that you place our IP camera in your hallway, or other locations with access to the estate. To avoid false alarms, you should place the camera so that it does not get direct sunlight and it does not have a clear view of windows. The advantage of placing cameras in the access point to the estate is that Alarmhandler can quickly detect the burglary, while avoiding inhabitants to feel being watched, as you normally mostly occupy other rooms in your home.

Note: Cameras placed and pointing directly at entrances can be placed in a group called "perimeter sensors". Alarmhandler allows you to turn on perimeter sensors separately from the home screen. This makes it possible to monitor all entrances while you are at home.

Question 37

Why do I not get notifications? (Android)

Accepted Answer

On newer versions of Android, you will be prompted after installation to allow the app to send notifications. For older versions, you need to give the app permission to run in the background (via Settings - Protected apps).

PS If you do not receive notifications, you might have used the same account on multiple devices. If you do so, only the last logged device will receive notifications. Create multiple users for the estate in order to receive notifications on all mobile devices belonging to a family.

Question 38

Is Alarmhandler for a DIY alarm?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Alarmhandler is something you can setup for yourself. Using Alarmhandler is much easier than if you were to setup IP cameras with your own storage solution and re-configure your firewall - all of this is unnecessary with Alarmhandler. It is also easier than setting up a traditional SMS based alarm. What is required is

some experience using a screwdriver to physically install the cameras
IT knowledge to connect the cameras to your network
IT knowledge in configuring them to Alarmhandler when detections have been made (setting up email notifications on the alarms

Question 39

Can Alarmhandler extend my existing alarm?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you have an alarm with an indoor siren or maybe just normal fire alarms, Alarmhandler is an excellent extension of your alarm. Most IP cameras have built-in microphones and can be set to detect when the sound for instance exceeds 90dB. This makes it possible to remotely monitor your existing alarm, even though it might be an older model without ability to send SMS etc. And with Alarmhandler, you can now visually validate your alarms - so no more going home to a false alarm.

If you've got a existing alarm that just a few year old, it'e likely to support SMS control. This means you can control the alarm by sending command messages via SMS from your phone. Alarmhandler is able to do so on your behalf. If you've setup which type of SMS alarm you have and which number it has, the app will send the correct SMS message to arm/partly arm, or disarm the alarm.

Question 40

Is Alarmhandler suited as alarm for single family home?

Accepted Answer

Yes, however Alarmhandler is a very cost effective alarm for single family homes. As houses usually have multiple entrances, several IP cameras are required to monitor all access points. But basically, Alarmhandler is well suited both for single family houses and apartments.

Question 41

Is Alarmhandler suited as alarm for apartment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Alarmhandler is ideal as alarm for apartments. With just one IP camera you can secure your apartment as you normally only have one entry / exit, and the single camera can capture all coming in and out of the apartment.

Question 42

Can I use my G4S alarm with Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

No, your G4S alarm, or if you have an alarm from one of the other major alarm service companies, the alarm belongs to the company. You will not be allowed to keep it, if you cancel your subscription there. Thankfully, IP cameras and the Alarmhandler subscription are cheap, so it's not a major expense to switch over to Alarmhandler :)

Question 43

Can I use my Verisure alarm with Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

No, your Verisure alarm, or if you have an alarm from one of the other major alarm service companies, the alarm belongs to the company. You will not be allowed to keep it, if you cancel your subscription there. Thankfully, IP cameras and the Alarmhandler subscription are cheap, so it's not a major expense to switch over to Alarmhandler :)

Question 44

Can I do live streaming from IP camera connected to Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

In general yes, you can use Alarmhandler together with live streaming apps. An example: D-Link cameras supports live streaming and you can do live streaming from the camera, although it is connected to the Alarmhandler. You just need to download the app "mydlink lite" from Appstore or Google Play. The two apps from Alarmhandler and D-Link can coexist on the phone and can share access to the camera. However, you should be careful not to change the camera settings from the mydlink app, for example if you turn motion detection off, the camera will obviously not any longer report motion detections to Alarmhandler.

Question 45

Can I use my own IP based alarm with Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

No, most IP based alarms use a non-standardized protocol that ties them to your current subscription and they will normally stop working if you cancel your current subscription. Therefore, you can not use the alarm with Alarmhelper. Thankfully, IP cameras and the Alarmhandler subscription are cheap, so it's not a major expense to switch over to Alarmhandler :)

Question 46

Can I pay the subscription from the app?

Accepted Answer

Yes, tap Upgrade to Premium in the menu and the select to buy our premium subscription at the price shown on the Upgrade screen. The fee depends on the local taxes and currency fluctuations compared to EUR. The payment happens via the payment method enabled for your Apple or Google account.

Question 47

Are IP cameras sensitive to network jamming?

Accepted Answer

Any wireless device is sensitive to jamming. However, it's easy to connect the camera to your home network using a network cable - and it also means that you're protected against jamming as the wireless network is not used. Jamming means someone is transmitting interference signals so that the wireless transmission stops working. Unfortunately, there is often some distance between the location you want for your camera and your router which is connected to the Internet. This means that cabling the connection is a pain and therefore most people go for a wireless connection, albeit there is a jamming risk.

Question 48

How to connect IP camera to Alarmhandler

Accepted Answer

In order for Alarmhandler to detect activity in your estate you need to connect IP cameras to Alarmhandler. In the app, tap + on the main screen and choose “Ip camera”. A short camera setup guide is shown informing you to

connect the camera to your local network, more info about this here
ensure your phone is connected to the same router as the camera is connected to
setup the camera configuration, check this info

After the setup guide has finished, you'll notice a new camera has been added om he main screen. The system has created a mail account for your camera on the Alarmhandler servers. Tap the cog icon to the right of the new camera to see the email address created for the camera and make sure you upload recordings to this address when you are configuring the camera. It's a good idea to give the camera a name corresponding to the location where you've placed it. The camera details also show when the last report to Alarmhandler was received from the camera. This field would be empty for a newly created camera account. You may also want to read more about how Alarmhandler monitors the connection to your cameras and tip on where to place your camera.

Question 49

How do I connect IP camera using WPS?

Accepted Answer

To connect an IP camera on the your local wireless network using the built-in WPS buttons on the camera and your router, do the following:

Press the WPS button on the camera for a few seconds, an LED will then normally start flashing to indicate that WPS is enabled, e.g. on D-Link cameras a blue LED is flashing
Then press the WPS button on the router for some seconds to initiate pairing. If there's no WPS button or you don't have access to the router, you can start WPS pairing from the router utility:
- On D-Link routers, the WPS function is available under Setup Wireless Settings. Press the button "Add Wireless Device Using WPS" and choose that you have a "Push button configuration"
- If you have an Apple Airport Express, start the Airport app that provides access to the router setup. Once the app is started, select the Airport device and then click "Add WPS printer" from the Base menu (though the camera is not a printer)
Soon thereafter (5-10 seconds) the WPS activation LED stops flashing on the camera and instead a data send/receive LED starts flashing. This means that the connection is established, e.g. for D-Link cameras a green LED starts flashing.

Normally, it takes about 5-10 seconds to "pair" a new device to the router using WPS. For a combination of certain cameras and routers, WPS does not work. This results in a time out for the pairing - and the camera will not connect to the router. If this happens, it sometimes helps to restart the router and repeat WPS pairing. If the problem persists, you should connect the camera to the router via a network cable and then manually configure WLAN settings on the camera.

Question 50

How do I setup a D-link camera to work with Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

Here's some screen shots on how to fill in the detection and mail screens on D-Link 9XX series of IP cameras. Before you do this, you need to add the camera in the Alarmhandler app. Do do so, select + on the main screen and select "IP Camera".

First get your camera connected to your local network - see also information on how to connect using WPS and without WPS.
Then we need to know the IP address of your camera on your local network. We suggest using the FING app which scans your network and lists the connected devices along with the IP address.
Then connect to your D-Link camera using a browser. This works fine in browsers like Safari and Firefox, but D-Link cameras do not like Chrome (but you may be able to fool the camera to accept Chrome by turning on Developer Mode and choose to use a device like an iPad - this makes the camera think its Safari that is trying to connect).
Login to camera. D-Link cameras are normally password protected, which means your browser will prompt you for username and password. Username is admin and password might be empty, admin, or something you've specified earlier. In case you don't know, you need to reset the camera by pressing a pen or other small object into the reset port on the back.
After you're connected, you can navigate to the setup tab, then Motion Detection and configure the camera as follows:
After your configuration has been saved, tab on Mail and configure the camera as follows:
After your configuration has been saved, tap Test to test sending an image using the specified mail connection.

NOTE: We've tested Alarmhandler has been tested with D-Link DSC-930A, 930B, 932, 933 and 942. Please let us know and perhaps send screen shots if you've tested with other cameras, then we can include those in a guide.

Question 51

Can I use an outdoor IP camera with Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

If you want to monitor the rear of your estate, you can mount an outdoor IP camera and connect it to the Alarmhandler.

Indoor and outdoor IP cameras use the same technologies, either detecting differences in images or difference in the detected body heat. Outdoor cameras normally use PIR detection = body heat detection. This can be adjusted so the sensor does not to pick up eg. animals in the garden. PIR detectors are generally reliable, whether used inside or outside, as long as they are properly set up.

Use of IP cameras without PIR is also possible outdoors, but since most are intended for indoor use, you should mount them in a protective enclosure (eg glass dome) and adjust sensitivity such that shadows from the sun, etc. do not trigger detection.

Question 52

How do I pay for Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

At Alarmhandler the first 30 days are free so you can try the service of before you buy your subscription. After 30 days trial has expired, you can see a banner appearing in the bottom of the app. If you're happy with the app and want to support the continued development as well as use the premium features such as camera recording, then tap Upgrade to Premium in the Menu. From there you can do an In App Purchase from Google and Apple.

Question 53

What is the Acceptable Use Policy for Alarmhandler (AUP)?

Accepted Answer

In order to ensure that other customers are not inconvenienced by another customer's high usage of the service, Alarmhandler.com has established the following policy for acceptable use of the service (AUP):

Maximum 5 IP cameras or old phones across all of your estates
The service receives no more than 1 connection per camera at a time
The service receives no more than 1 image or video from the camera per second
Image or video transfer to Alarmhandler should only occur upon abnormality detection by the camera - the system is not intended for continious recording

By violation of the AUP, Alarmhandler can suspend or terminate access to the service, see also our terms of service.

Question 54

I forgot my password, what do I do?

Accepted Answer

In the login screen, click "Forgot your password?"
In the "Reset Password" screen that appears, enter your email and click "Send"
Check your mail, possibly under spam / advertising, you should have an email from Alarmhandler titled "Reset your password"
Click the link in the email, which will open a browser window where you can select the new password
In the "Enter Password" screen, enter the password and click the "Update password" button
The bottom of the "Update password" screen displays "Your password has been updated"
Now you can log on in the app or on the website with your email and your new password