Question 1

Why does geofencing not work on my phone?

Accepted Answer

Geofencing technology is not 100% stable on some phones, so make sure to check if the system has registered that you left the estate.

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.
We detect the connection status for the cameras. Alarmhandler sends you a push message if nothing has been heard from a camera in 24 hours. Unless you're away on vacation, the cameras will usually detect something within 24 hours. If they don't you may want to check that someone did not unplug the power. If you're using the cameras without Alarmhandler, they might not be working at all - and you have no idea about it.
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

Why does Alarmhandler keep logging out when geofencing is enabled?

Accepted Answer

On iOS, if the app keeps logging out, it's probably because we've enabled geofencing and the app does not have sufficient permissions. Try this to fix it:

Uninstall app
Ensure background updates is turned on (under phone Settings)
Restart phone
Reinstall app and remember to allow app to send push notification (prompt appears just after logging in)
Enable geofencing (in the app under user settings) and give permission for the app always to have access to geo-position (prompt appears just after enabling geofencing)
Occasionally, we've seen that you may need to uninstall app, restart phone and install again for this to work (somehow iOS remembers permissions given or not given to an app even though it has been uninstalled once)

Question 5

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 6

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 top right in the Users screen (tap Menu-Users). From there enter the e-mail address of the new user and then tap either invite as inhabitant or invite as helper.

Inhabitants get control over the alarm like you have - but you may restrict their rights a bit after they have an active account. You do this by tapping the user name, then tapping the contact menu (...) top right on the user info screen. From there you may restrict the user rights by marking the user as a child.
Helpers don't get control over the alarm, but will be called in to assist an alarm that no inhabitants can handle. Provided that "call in helpers" have been activated under estate settings. This means that the alarm propagates to helpers after inhabitants to help you get a response even though you family is away on holiday.

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 7

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, it differs a bit on how the message is actually sent:

On iOS, the Messages app opens up with a pre-filled message, just tap Send
On Android, you need to enable SMS access for the Alarmhandler app and after that the app is able to send the SMS directly

Once the SMS has been sent, a "SMS sent" text appears just under the button you pressed.

Question 8

Does geofencing work with SMS alarms?

Accepted Answer

No, the geofence-based automatic control of camera surveillance does not apply to your SMS alarm, as the app cannot send SMS messages in the background. However, enabling Auto-ON is a good idea even though you have an SMS alarm as described below.

Alarmhandler does not receive or access the received SMS from your alarm, but it is able to detect if the SMS alarm goes off via sound detection. The sirens will be picked up by the IP camera microphone that will trigger camera uploads to our servers. This in turn will show up as an alarm in Alarmhandler. Of course, this requires that the IP camera surveillance has been enabled. If you sometimes use the SMS alarm control panel to enable the SMS alarm, your IP cameras might not be enabled. Therefore we suggest you turn on the geofence based Auto ON/OFF function for camera surveillance.

Question 9

Can the app tell what state my SMS alarm has?

Accepted Answer

If you only use the app to control the alarm and not the physical control panel, Alarmhandler always knows if the alarm is turned on or off. However, if the control panel has been used, the Alarmhandler app will only indicate the state of camera surveillance.
However, you can send a status request message to your alarm by hitting the refresh button top right. Shortly after, you should receive an SMS from your alarm telling you what state it has. Note that some older alarm types do not support this.

Question 10

Can Alarmhandler control SMS alarms for several estates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, just add more estates under settings and add the SMS alarm in use for the different estates. The app will prompt you for the different PIN code in use by each SMS alarm / estate. Alarmhandler acts as a kind of password manager for alarms, as you just need to remember the PIN code for the Alarmhandler app and not the PIN code for the different alarms :)

Question 11

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. Under estate settings, just add your alarm by selecting its type and phone number 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 12

When does the trial period begin?

Accepted Answer

Once you’ve added a camera and it’s successfully connected to our servers, the 30 day trial starts. If you're happy with the solution, pay the received invoice to continue using the camera surveillance. 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 13

Does geofencing work if I’ve got multiple estates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when you enable “Auto on/off” Alarmhandler will setup geofences for all your estates e.g. your home and your office. Note: If you turn geofencing on while you’re at home, monitoring of your office will be  switched on as you’re not there.

Question 14

How do I enable geofencing?

Accepted Answer

Under Menu - Settings - User settings, please enable "Auto on/off". Your phone might prompt you to allow the app to access your geo-position and to run in the background. After that, the app will setup geofences on the phone.
Note: The prompt for permissions might cause the app to fail registering the geofences, if so try to disable the option and apply it again.

Question 15

Should everyone in the household opt in for geofencing?

Accepted Answer

The system works best if you enable “Auto on/off” on the phones of all persons living in the estate. You might also just enable it for the adults and skip the children. This means the system will alert the adults e.g. when children come home from school. Remember that Alarmhandler is a silent alarm, so there’s no harm in letting the children trigger it.

Question 16

How does geofencing work in Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

Alarmhandler uses the phone location to determine if someone is at the estate and automatically turn monitoring on/off.  The automatic on/off uses power-efficient geofence technology. This means the app stores a circular fence 100m from your estate on the phone and the app does not run in the background until the border is crossed. When crossing the fence, the app briefly awakens and makes a short call to the Alarmhandler servers. Based on how many persons are inside and outside the area, the servers switch monitoring on or off. When the last person leaves the estate area, the alarm is armed. When the first person arrives in the area, the alarm is disarmed. Only users who opt in on the user settings page are counted.

Question 17

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 3.99EUR per month. The subscription is paid 6 months in advance and cannot be cancelled for the current period. The subscription does not automatically renew, you'll be notified by email when the invoice for the next period is due. If you don't pay the invoice, the subscription terminates - no hard feelings :)

Question 18

Can I try Alarmhandler without a IP camera?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you may login using our demo account - see credentials on the login screen. As an alternative, you can try out Alarmhandler using your own account and mailing image recordings 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. 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 Settings-Your Estate-Your camera
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 19

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 20

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 21

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.

The alarm guidelines in the app has so far been updated for: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

Let us know if your country is not on the list, we do localisations based on the number of requests we get.

Question 22

Can we use Alarmhandler in our home owner association?

Accepted Answer

Many home owner associations are experiencing problems with burglary and searching for solutions. Alarmhandler is the only solution that combines neighbourhood watch concept with many types of alarms and IP cameras - everyone can participate and do not have to agree on a specific type of alarm. An IP camera can pick up your regular alarm siren and thus interact with Alarmhandler via the IP camera.

The solution is also suitable for large associations, where it can be a problem to keep a contact list of everyone. In Alarmhandler, everyone keep their own contact details up to date and can make their profile visible for others on the street. Problem solved! It's also possible to ask neighbours to become responders to your alarm by a single tap - but it's a good idea to talk to them about it first!

SMS based alarms are not well suited for neighbourhood watch groups, as the the alarms have to be individually re-programmed to delete a number when someone moves or when someone gets a new phone number. Alarmhandler solves this problem too, as it notifies everyone in the group using the central neighbour register and uses modern push technology instead of text messages to the notify neighbours.

Question 23

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 24

Which mobile phone can I use for Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

The app works on smartphones with IOS 8 or Android 4.1 or newer. 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 25

How does Alarmhandler validate user identity?

Accepted Answer

Users must validate their email by clicking a link in an email they have received. This way, Alarmhandler knows the user has access to the email address. User's with validated email can invite other users to the system. If you enter your address in Alarmhandler whilst you're at your estate, Alarmhandler can validate your address using geo-positioning. For users with validated physical address, neighbourhood watch features in Alarmhandler will be opened, eg. you can see other people on the road or in the appartment building who are offering to be "neighbourhood helpers".

Question 26

Can I use Alarmhandler when going abroad?

Accepted Answer

Mobile data plans can be expensive when going abroad, but Alarmhandler works even if you turn off the data on the phone. The app will operate in offline mode - but you will not receive push messages and thus not asked if you can help if an event occours. Instead, the Alarmhandler will use your response team and coordinate efforts. You can turn on the data and press the sync button the top right of the status screen to keep you abreast of the state of your home from time to time if you want.

Your property must be located in one of the countries that can be selected when creating an account in the app.

Question 27

How do I get discount from the insurance company?

Accepted Answer

You should contact your insurance company and ask if you're eligble for a discount after installing Alarmhandler. The insurance companies have different requirements before granting discount on your home insurance.

Question 28

How does the automated control center work?

Accepted Answer

One reason that Alarmhandler will always be considerably cheaper than the established alarm services is that we use an automated control center. An alarm control center's job is to monitor the health of alarms and to coordinate efforts when an unforeseen event occurs. Also check How does event handling work in Alarmhandler? How does Alarmhandler monitor my IP camera?

Question 29

How does Alarmhandler monitor my IP camera?

Accepted Answer

When motion or sound is detected, the IP cameras will contact our servers with recordings. If the alarm is turned OFF, then nothing is stored by the system except a time stamp when we last heard from the sensor. If Alarmhandler does not hear from a camera within about 24 hours, something could be wrong and the owner contacted with a push message. He will be notified of the problem and a checklist to run through.

However, if you're away and no one is at home, there would normally not be any motion or sound detection. This means that your cameras will be reported as "lost" by Alarmhandler. To avoid this, you need to switch off monitoring of your camera. Do this under Settings - Estate settings - Camera settings.

The lost sensor event can also be caused by a problem with your WIFI / Internet or a power outage.

Question 30

How does event handling work in Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

Alarmhandler has a number of rules it follows depending on which type of event. Alarmhandler supports 3 types of events

Burglary (A)
Fire (A)
Connection to sensor lost (N)

Acute event types are marked with (A): Alarmhandler immediately ask residents if they can handle the event, and after that also neighbouts and friends. For Non-acute events (N): Alarmhandler only notifies residents during daytime about the problem. These events are of such a nature that the assistance can wait a little. For instance, if the power was lost duing the night in your summer house, you will be notified about this in the morning. For all events types, the inhabitants are first notified about the event and asked if they can handle it. It is recommended to do this to the extent possible, so that you only draw on response team when really needed. You can also choose to turn off the use of your personal response team completely during times when you know that you are close to home, to avoid calling for help unintentionally. If you delegate the handling of the case to your response team, Alarmhandler will notify all persons in parallel and then determine who is available and amongst those chose the one that is closest to your home. We recommend that you reward the person from your response team that have helped you out, e.g with a bottle of good wine - then they will probably do it another time too :)

Question 31

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 We have previously supported ftp, but almost no new cameras support this protocol anymore so we've stopped supporting it. Alternatively, if you have a camera that can submit recordings using https post protocol, this is also possible. 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.

Question 32

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.

Question 33

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 estate
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 34

What does last updated timestamp mean?

Accepted Answer

It indicates when the Alarmhandler last heard from one of your cameras. If you go offline (eg flymode) so you can see when the app was last connected with a Alarmhandler server.

Question 35

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 not 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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

How do I restore my subscription?

Accepted Answer

You can always come back to us by logging into your account with your email and password and pay the last overdue invoice. Then the account will be reopened from the date of payment. You will not pay for the time you've been away - we will adjust the invoice period after we have received your payment.

Question 40

Can I pause my subscription?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 41

If the alarm goes off, how will my helpers get access to my estate?

Accepted Answer

In the same way as if you have one of the traditional alarm companies - you install a key box which can be unlocked with a code you send to the helper. Or you can contact one the contact persons for the estate that either have a key to the estate or know the keybox code. In Alarmhandler, tap Menu-Users and the persons marked "contact person" are the ones you should contact by tapping their phone number.

Question 42

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 43

How do I select a PIN code?

Accepted Answer

When using the Alarmhandler to control your IP cameras, you must 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 44

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. Turn on "Record everything" under Settings in the app - this makes the system record whenever the camera detects motion and sound regardless if the "alarm" is ON or OFF. Then check the Overview screen in the app, you see a warning that recording is enabled - then try to move into the desired field of view for IP camera and see how film clips appear in the app - with a delay of some seconds. By enabling recordings to the system, the system will record movements regardless of whether the alarm is on or not. This will produce alot of recordings making "Delete all recordings fast" also found under Settings very useful. 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.

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 45

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 your neighbours are home, 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 46

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 do not monitor the connection to the cameras. Alarmhandler sends you a push message if the service loses contact with your cameras! Note: this feature depends on the camera regularly detect sound or motion.
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.
The camera recording services do not offer any event handling. Alarmhandler has a configureble 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 47

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 group a number of cameras (for an entire estate) and turn all cameras ON/OFF at the same time. Alarmhandler does this.
The apps will not monitor the connection to the cameras. Alarmhandler sends you a push message within a few minutes, if the service loses contact with your cameras - the camera producer apps do not offer this service.
The apps only offer one user account per camera - multiple users cannot control detection etc. With Alarmhandler, a group of users can be set up and given access to turn detection ON/OFF. Another group called helpers can defined to just receive notifications, but not control the alarm - this is eg. suitable for neighbours and friends to be notified in case you’re on vacation.
The apps do not offer involvement of others than the system administrator to handle an event. Alarmhandler first notifies all inhabitants, and in case no-one takes action, it will notify neighbours and friends to find the closest available helper.
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 48

Why must I supply my address to use Alarmhandler?

Accepted Answer

In the app, you can supply the address where the system is installed. This is required in order for Alarmhandler to find the nearest person in case of an emergency - if we didn't know where the alarm is installed, this would not be possible.

We also need your address for billing purposes, so you'll be asked to enter it when you're paying your first invoice via our homepage. 

Finally, if the address provided can be validated by the app using geo-positioning, additional neighbourhood watch functions are opened up. You can now see other people on the road or in your appartment building who have offered to help other Alarmhandler users in the neighbourhood.

Question 49

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 50

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 an alarm. There is a 2 minute grace period, meaning that if you turn off the alarm within 2 minutes after the break is detected, the system will automatically close the incident as a false alarm - and no helpers will be called in.

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.

Question 51

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.

Question 52

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 53

Is Alarmhandler for a DIY alarm?

Accepted Answer

Compared to installing and programming a SMS based alarm, Alarmhandler is much easier to get going and is a real DIY alarm.

It requires some experience using a screwdriver to physically install the cameras. You will need a bit of IT knowledge to connect the cameras to Alarmhandler. IP cameras can be tricky to configure.

However, it's relatively easy to self-install Alarmhandler if you are a doing-it-yourself type. And with Alarmhandler it's 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.

Question 54

Can Alarmhandler extend my existing alarm?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you have an alarm with an indoor siren, 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 55

Is Alarmhandler suited as alarm for single family home?

Accepted Answer

Yes, however Alarmhandler is a very cost effective alarm for since 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 56

Is Alarmhandler suited as alarm for apartment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Alarmhandler is ideal as alarm for apartment. 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.

Alarmhandler also has a neighbour watch function that allows you to share contact details with other inhabitants in your apartment building.

Question 57

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 58

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 59

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 60

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 61

Why cant I pay the subscription from the app?

Accepted Answer

As we use Paypal for payments and Apple does not allow payment in apps using this service. But our website is adapted to mobile devices, so it's easy to pay by phone or tablet. Directly from the menu of the website you can login, and then tap the pay button at the bottom next to the outstanding invoice. After this you'll be taken to the Paypal payment page. After you log on to our website, all communication between your device, our server and Paypal course secured with encryption.

Question 62

Are IP cameras sensitive to network jamming?

Accepted Answer

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 63

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 Menu-Settings, and then tap the "Add camera" in the “Ip cameras” section. Then specify the type of 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 under "Ip cameras" on the Settings screen. The system has created an mail account for your camera on the Alarmhandler servers. Tap 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 64

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.