Cox Homelife door and window sensors

[coney27]

Hi guys hope someone can help me here.

I have Cox Homelife with many window and door sensors along with motion sensors. Ove the last year many of the door/window sensor batteries have died and I have not gotten around to replacing them until now. The problem is after replacing the batteries the sensors still read as if they are still dead and offline. The tablet reads "communication failure". Does anyone know the way or a trick how i can't get the sensors back online communicating with the rest of the system?

They appear to be Sercomm brand sensors.

 

[eggsan]

no experience with this particular panel, but are you still under contract with a monitoring service?

 

[coney27]

I am. Just trying to avoid paying atleast $50 for a service guy to come out and replace batteries when its probably something simple that I am forgetting to do

 

[eggsan]

understand, I will do the same. But normally, if the unit is under a service contract, the provider have full control over the system. It could be that system is blocked by the provider. Give them a call to ask. Good luck and stay safe.

 

[djernie]

I am. Just trying to avoid paying atleast $50 for a service guy to come out and replace batteries when its probably something simple that I am forgetting to do

did you try hitting that reset button in the top right corner. The little black button on the top right, it looks like a reset button. Also make sure the batteries you replaced with are good. I have had that happen before where my new batteries i purchased where bad. Just a few things to try, good luck.

 

[djernie]

By the way i use ring alarm, got rid of ADT, and i now pay 100 dollars a year for service, instead of 500. Also my motion sensors and door sensors are programmable as they work with alexa. So i put a motion sensor in my garage and i set up a routine, where as if it senses motion in the garage, Alexa announces, "SOMEONE IS IN THE GARAGE". I love it. Hope you get it sorted. Good Luck!

 

[coney27]

@djernie

This is the reset button? Sorry but I have no clue when it comes to this stuff. Do you suggest I hit the button after I have installed the new battery? Or hold the button down while installing the new battery? And yes all batteries are in working order.

 

[coney27]

By the way i use ring alarm, got rid of ADT, and i now pay 100 dollars a year for service, instead of 500. Also my motion sensors and door sensors are programmable as they work with alexa. So i put a motion sensor in my garage and i set up a routine, where as if it senses motion in the garage, Alexa announces, "SOMEONE IS IN THE GARAGE". I love it. Hope you get it sorted. Good Luck!

I was also looking into alternatives to Cox Homelife. I have the ring doorbell, which I hate, but was also turned off at the idea of purchasing close to $1500 worth of sensors after purchasing $1000 worth of sensors from Cox 4 years ago. Plus im in contract with Cox and it significantly decreases my bill just keeping Homelife. I do like the idea of DIY through ring and not being roped into using a tech through cox

 

[djernie]

Yes press that button for 60 seconds and see if it works after that.

 

[djernie]

I was also looking into alternatives to Cox Homelife. I have the ring doorbell, which I hate, but was also turned off at the idea of purchasing close to $1500 worth of sensors after purchasing $1000 worth of sensors from Cox 4 years ago. Plus im in contract with Cox and it significantly decreases my bill just keeping Homelife. I do like the idea of DIY through ring and not being roped into using a tech through cox

Yeah i understand, i hate the way all companies put in this contract crap just to keep you from leaving them. I was with ADT for 18 years and when i told them last month that i was done she said there may be a cancellation fee and i so no there will not be because i am no longer under contract to stay with you. Thank goodness. I only have sensors on doors not windows.

 

[coney27]

@djernie

So the circle thing you were referring to doesn't move and doesn't appear to be a button. There is the one button type thing in the bottom left corner that moves. Im assuming this is a reset button and will try pressing it after battery install.

Found this but still can't get it to pair.

 

[djernie]

ok cool, so if you followed the instructions on how to reset it, and it still didn't work. The sensor may be bad, have them replace it for free.

 

[djernie]

i see you said the tablet says communication failure. Maybe they are having trouble finding the wifi network they are supposed to be logging back onto.

 

[djernie]

i found this maybe you have to set something in the app to recognize the sensor.

 

[djernie]

If i was you i would call them and ask them how to sink the sensor back up once the battery is changed.

 

[coney27]

So just got off the phone with Cox tech support. Their only attempt at helping me was sending 2 reset signals to both the tablet and the Homelife router which were unsuccessful. I was hoping they could walk me through repairing the sensor back to the system itself after the batter was replaced but they were usless like i assumed they would be. I now have a tech coming out to the house on Saturday. I will watch intently on how he repairs the sensors back to the system and report back, as I believe I cannot be the only person with this issue and have found no help online.

The other issue I forsee running into was that I was advised by the cox support person that I own the sensors on my system so if they are "broken" I have to pay out of pocket to replace them. The only thing on the system that cox covers which is owned by them and that i lease is the tablet and the homelife router that has cellular back up.

Hoping the tech that comes out can just show me how to re set and repair the sensors back to the system

 

[djernie]

So just got off the phone with Cox tech support. Their only attempt at helping me was sending 2 reset signals to both the tablet and the Homelife router which were unsuccessful. I was hoping they could walk me through repairing the sensor back to the system itself after the batter was replaced but they were usless like i assumed they would be. I now have a tech coming out to the house on Saturday. I will watch intently on how he repairs the sensors back to the system and report back, as I believe I cannot be the only person with this issue and have found no help online.

The other issue I forsee running into was that I was advised by the cox support person that I own the sensors on my system so if they are "broken" I have to pay out of pocket to replace them. The only thing on the system that cox covers which is owned by them and that i lease is the tablet and the homelife router that has cellular back up.

Hoping the tech that comes out can just show me how to re set and repair the sensors back to the system

OMG that sucks, i see a lot of youtube post from unhappy users of cox system. It would just be helpful if they could walk you through it, as usual they just want our money . That's why i am glad i left that alarm ecosystem. I control my own system now. I do not own ring cameras, i am happy with my camera system that i learned about from this site. Keep us posted as to what they do this weekend for you.

 

[fenderman]

I was also looking into alternatives to Cox Homelife. I have the ring doorbell, which I hate, but was also turned off at the idea of purchasing close to $1500 worth of sensors after purchasing $1000 worth of sensors from Cox 4 years ago. Plus im in contract with Cox and it significantly decreases my bill just keeping Homelife. I do like the idea of DIY through ring and not being roped into using a tech through cox

You will not have to purchase 1500 worth of sensors. Ring contact sensors are 20bux .

 

[coney27]

You will not have to purchase 1500 worth of sensors. Ring contact sensors are 20bux .

It would cost me roughly $709 with the 14 piece kit

 

[djernie]

You will not have to purchase 1500 worth of sensors. Ring contact sensors are 20bux .

These consumer alarm companies always rip consumers off. VIVANT tried to get my aunt to sign up for there alarm and camera ripoff crap. The guy at her door said every thing is free and its about 3000 dollars worth of equipment. You just pay 160 a month. She said do you not see the cameras on my house that my nephew put up. I put up 6 dahua starlights and one PTZ, plus a computer from ebay to run blue iris. A poe switch, an amplifi router, poe cables for less than a thousand. I get so pissed when i hear how these consumer alarm companies rip people off.