Yale IA-335 Sync Home Security System – 9 piece kit
Yale IA-335 Sync Home Security System – 9 piece kit , Black
Activity monitoring
| Weight: | 3.26 kg |
| Size: | 9 Piece kit |
| Dimensions: | 19.8 x 2.65 x 2.65 cm; 3.26 Kilograms |
| Model: | IA-335 |
| Part: | IA-335 |
| Colour: | White, Yellow, Black |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Yale |
| Dimensions: | 19.8 x 2.65 x 2.65 cm; 3.26 Kilograms |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | 9 Piece kit |
Bought this setup with one extra P.I.R
So easy to setup works great. Love the fob keyring. And the added extra of being about to set the alarm by phone with the app.
This is hopefully an interim review, having just installed the system a week ago. Bought this, a pack of 3 pet friendly PIRs and an extra door sensor and I have to say fitting them was a doddle. Took less than 2 hours.
First issue, though was that the App only works for Android 11 and later. Of course my phone was Android 9 and despite trying to update it, I ended up having to get a new phone from Argos. Also the bumf it comes with is a bit out of date (Amazon have probably had the stuff lying around for a bit) and needed a different App to the one in the instructions.
Next issue was that the keypad seems to be defective. It doesn’t arm the alarm properly and I cannot use it to disarm it, despite doing a couple of resets. So I think a new one will be on its way soon.
The Yale helpline people are excellent – there are clearly a lot of hidden features in the system that users will need to be guided through but that’s what they’re there for.
Just hope there are no false activations…
This was the final touch I needed for my Yale system bought earlier. This device is so easy to fit I find hard to believe people charge for doing the job. Within minutes of installation I had the device integrated into my system and checked that it was working. It gave me that little extra peace of mind. An all round good purchase, worth every penny.
Perfect but if kit, easy to set up however despite it saying it was already linked I went ahead and re-linked myself to be able to name which doors and rooms this is in. Phone app works brilliantly and alerts you straight away – this is perfect for when you are away from the house as traditional ones wouldn’t alert you to any issues.
Happy with this, looks very effective on front of house.
I set this up myself. I did have to call the help line, since elements of the system weren’t registering with the base unit, but a call to the help line was great and I was up and running quickly. The ability to switch on and off remotely plus reminders to arm and disarm are great features.
Quie good though the sensor downstairs not always works . If I do its test it works again for some time but sometimes loses its connection with the hub which is quite close
Bought to replace my aging Yale alarm. Great that the contacts etc are prelinked. Bought another door contact which was easy to link.
Setting and unsetting is easy with the app, as is defining your perimeter and internal items so you can do a part arm (if you have a pet inside). The fob is quite sensitive to touch and I’ve set the alarm just pulling it out of my pocket but don’t use it now.
Good product.
Once installed and set up it’s easy to use and (so far) reliable.
Installation is not as easy as you might imagine. The instructions are mainly annoying cartoons with very few words – probably to avoid translation into different languages.
The accessories all have anti-tamper devices which make installation a bit worrying as they tend to trigger error messages; and although this isn’t a problem, a few words of explanation in the instructions would avoid the anxiety this creates.
The siren is supplied with screws and rawl-plugs, but the holes for the case a so long it’s difficult to accurately locate the positions for the screws. So if you’re working high up on a ladder, holding a heavy siren which you don’t want to drop, you can easily mis-locate a screw position and end up with a problem. If only Yale supplied a simple printed template in the package for the screw positions, this issue could be easily avoided.
The door switch is OK, but clearly designed mainly for doors that fit flush into the frame. Annoyingly they’re not well suited to UPVC doors.
The app is a bit mickey-mouse, but it works.
I tried phoning the support desk a couple of times – but nobody could be bothered to pick up the phone.
After all that, I did manage to fit the system and get it working. The error messages have disappeared and I feel a bit more confident about using it now.
It was a fairly easy system to install. The motion detection works great on this as soon as the window and door sensor has been in broken the alarm go straight off. You have to buy some memory cards for the cameras, also so make sure your Wi-Fi covers to the cameras. Took me about 1-hour 30 minutes to install. Two downsides which one of them is the price dropped by my over 30% just after I bought this than the other downside is cameras can only be used or monitored by one person at a time
A major bonus is being Alexa compatible, as we now always set and disarm the alarm using Alexa – much easier than typing in a PIN number. I’d recommend a look on YouTube as there are some excellent videos about setting up Alexa to work with this Yale Alarm. I also found a great tip on YouTube to run a cable from the siren through the wall into a battery holder mounted inside the house. It can be a bit of a pain to drill the holes etc., but you have to drill holes to mount the siren anyway, so you’re already up the ladder. This means no having to climb a ladder in future years to change the batteries, just change them from inside the house – thanks YouTube 🙂 Setting up the sensors is very easy and made easier that you can have you phone with you when you mount them, so even easier.
Now, the minor downsides I have come across:
The app can only control one alarm system, and I have a second system in my holiday home, so I have had to set up the app on a tablet. Not a big deal but minor inconvenience.
No easy, or official way to wall mount the control hub. I’d have liked to put it where the old control panel was, but it just has to sit on a horizontal shelf.
Both the keypad and key fob would be much better if the alarm/part-arm & disarm buttons were coloured for ease of use in limited light. Not much of an issue as we always use Alexa anyway, but still….
Only the contact sensors are “devices” in Alexa, not the PIR sensors, so you can get Alexa to “Front Door open” but not movement it a room.
Overall the good points far outweigh the minor issues listed above, and I am convinced enough to upgrade my holiday home alarm system to this type.
Highly Recommended.
Found the setup extremely easy, and all of the sensors work perfectly. Detect motion very quickly and I’m even using a door switch on a rickety garage door which is working fine. The only downside is the keypad sometimes seems not to connect so doesn’t always set the alarm first time when leaving the house and sometimes accidentally set the alarm off while coming home despite numerous attempts to disarm. Requires checking on the app to make sure the system is armed or disarmed sometimes. My partner uses the key fob which works fine. All in all really happy with it and a lot cheaper than a subscription based alarm.
That aside, the alarm is great. I love the convenience of being able to isolate specific sensors whilst leaving everything else fully armed. And being able to expand on the number of sensors up to 40 is so reassuring when it comes to securing a property.
All in all, I’ve found this to be a great all round product. And not having to pay a subscription is a huge plus. The email notifications are basic, but I’m informed immediately if sensors are triggered or when the system is armed and disarmed. If you combine a system like this with some security cameras then you get the added bonus of looking to see if a sensor triggered accidentally (well done kids for forgetting to disarm the door) or if it’s something more malicious.
Yes I would recommend this product. I can’t comment on Tech Support as I’ve had no reason to deal with them. Yes, I’ve read the comments, but I won’t be judgemental simply on hearsay (but fingers crossed)
As I have an old, large house I went for the 14 item system with an extra key fob and pet motion detector – not cheap, but Black Friday came to the rescue. Fitting was straightforward but here come the “buts” which prevented me from giving 5 stars overall. Firstly, the instructions rely mostly upon pictures which are not always clear; that said, where there was some small print it advised that the pet motion detector should not be used if your pets climb on furniture – try telling that to a couple of cats. Secondly, nowhere did it say that the key fobs have a tiny locking switch. I thought that I had 2 duff fobs until I looked at them closely under a strong light and then bingo. On a similar note, nowhere did it inform you the motion detectors sleep for 2 minutes after you have activated the system which could lead you to think that there could be a problem, that is until you search the clunky help site. Lastly, the blurb makes much of the fact that the system requires no wiring because it relies on batteries; that’s good you think – until you open the camera and discover it needs a mains feed. Oh well, I’ll position it in accordance with Plan B.
Now, please don’t get me wrong; Yale have produced a very good system which is let down slightly by the quality and extent of the instructions/information which unfortunately, prevents it from being excellent.
When we moved I decided to analyse and see what are available in the market.
At the outset the monthly paid alarm systems are expensive in long run, cheaper Chinese products does not tend have good support/instructions and Yale stood out for me with the smart system what they offer and a long standing brand.
It does exactly what the monthly paid command center based alarm systems do – send you notification when there is movement in house (when armed), allows partial arming, device outside showing protected house and all this at one time low cost.
Installation super easy, no wires to run, clean instructions and tech support. Only difficult part is installing the siren box outside as I had to go high up the ladder on a windy day. Yale also offer installation support (engineers to come and install) at an extra support price.
I have tested the app several times now and really smart, you can arm, partial arm and disarm from a distance through your phone too (plus you can do the same with traditional keypad when you leave and enter) . There is lot of configurations you can play with. (don’t worry most of it comes with a default value) .
The motion sensors works perfect and really appreciate the walk tests I can do with my phone app.
Feel good that I decided for Yale after comparing with others. Not disappointed at all ..
Well done YALE.. !!
Had for a few years now and been pretty happy. Relatively east to set up, window alarm batteries last a long while and no “false” alarms, also pretty easy to use. Negatives are that the app doesn’t talk to yale smart camera app (why wouldn’t you integrate them Yale?), it would be great if arming alarm also turned cameras on. Also as many people found voice command on Alexa is rubbish and long winded. But playing around in alexa app I found a way to fix this and now it arms when I say goodnight or goodbye along with turning off lights etc. To do it create or go into a routine (e.g goodnight one) and add new action, head down to bottom for “customised” and you can enter text which matches a voice command e.g “ask yale smart living to part arm the alarm”. I’ve also set up a routine where action (when this happens/voice) is when I say “set alarm” and then the custom action is as above to giving a shorter voice command option. You can only add one voice command per routine though I think 😉
After deciding on key criteria (wireless, over 15 metres wireless signal detection range, integration with smart home, no monthly subscription, door chimes, ability to handle significant number of sensors (3 door contacts, 8 PIR for home and outbuildings), we settled on this unit. Some of the products we looked at from other vendors said “80 metre wireless signal range” but when you read their manuals, this was 80 metres “clear” i.e. when used in the middle of a field, and went down to 15 metres if you were foolish enough to use the product inside a building with actual walls in it!).
On unboxing the kit, it seemed quite straight forward so we went for it, and let it walk us through the smart installation wizard. The steps were fairly simple and within 30 minutes the system was up and running. Another 10 / 15 minutes of playing around we got the Alexa integration running, plus the Apple watch functionality working.
The “strange” design decisions were:
on the hub, for the backup battery, there’s a switch that needs to be toggled in order to enable the battery. The toggle label, unlike every other switch I’ve ever come across, gives instructions for using the switch rather than showing the state of the switch. So, instead of showing On / Off with the switch being positioned under the relevant value (like everyone else does), it shows a left pointing arrow followed by the word “on”, indicating (I think) that you need to slide the switch to the left such that it’s NOT under the word “On” in order to activate the backup battery. That’s just plain daft, and even worse, until you switch it to On, you’ll get an orange light on the front of the hub and a beep every 30 seconds until you figure out what’s wrong, which is pretty annoying.
There’s a door chime function whereby the hub emits a chime sound whenever entry points are used. The chime sound (accessed from top left waffle button, settings, alarm settings, system settings, general configuration) was initially set to “No Sound”. I turned on the door chime for both door contact points and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t making a noise until I went searching on the net and found someone who’d turned it on. Questions are a) what’s the point of having a door chime function if you’re going to default it to “no sound” and b) if you’re going to be idiosyncratic enough to default it to silent, why hide the setting under five levels of menus? Another daftness.
the watch app stopped working overnight, so we couldn’t disarm the system from the watch. I can only assume that it timed out, but I’ll check that tomorrow and update the review if necessary. As things stand, having a watch app that can time out turns the watch integration into a novelty that is of no use in the real world. Edit: after digging around, I found that by going to top left waffle menu, settings, users, app security, and switching on “Enable touch ID”, the watch stopped needing the phone to log onto Yale before it maintained sync with the alarm, so the watch integration is now a useful addition to the ways to interrogate / arm / disarm the alarm, and it isn’t just a novelty any more.
Anyway, after spending a minimal amount of time setting the system up and then AGES figuring out the daftnesses, we’ve finished up with a system that integrates with the rest of the house, has a good range, and first impressions are very favourable.
The first thing we did on registering with the Alexa skill was to change the names of the devices to “Yale security”, “Yale front” and “Yale back” to simplify arming and disarming by voice. Now, by saying “Alexa arm Yale security”, the alarm is set and “Alexa disarm Yale security” causes her to ask for the pin and when you give it, the alarm is unset. Nice. We also did a routine which is triggered by the “arming of the system” event, which causes the “Messaging” action in the routine to broadcast “the alarm is now set” to all Alexa devices, as well as an “unset” equivalent, to let everyone know that the alarm isn’t set anymore.
Additionally, the chime function is an irrelevance if you have an Alexa device or two, since you can set up a routine that is triggered by doors opening. When the “Yale front” contact sensor is triggered, the routine broadcasts “the front door has been opened” to all Alexa devices and similarly a message for back door opening is in place. Lots better than a “dinkdink” noise coming out of the hub…
The Alexa integration means the keypad and fob provided with the kit are redundant, so we’ll just take the batteries out of those and stick them in a drawer somewhere. The rest of the kit is great, though, so I’d recommend this system to anyone who wants a flexible, extensible, alarm system that they can install themselves and integrates well into a smart home
The instruction manual is one of those where the person who wrote it assumes you have knowledge of the product, or just a mind reader to know what the various random icons mean without explanation. There’s a random graphic showing a pic of the hub, mobile phone and a finger pressing a button with text saying “Press button to test connection”… with an icon of a fridge freezer with a warning sign next to it. No explanation of what that warning is – don’t go and raid the fridge whilst pressing the button?!! There are two icons on the keypad, there is NO explanation in the manul what they are for, in fact there’s no guidance about the keypad in the manual apart from ‘changing you key pad PIN in the app’.
AS for the app, well that is not intuitive at all! One of those apps where you have to hunt around the menu to find what you need, rather than it being in a logical place.
When I set up the system, the app disconnected from the network then the tamper mechanism in the siren set the alarm off… I couldn’t disarm the alarm at all, just had to wait and re-boot the hub which took forever and some very delicate ears since!
Now it’s re-booted, everything is working fine, but mostly guesswork and I still don’t know what those two radio signal buttons on the keypad do! The app needs re-writing so it’s modern and intuitive.
Would I recommend the Yale Sync Smart Alarm? YES, because it does work and the physical kit was easy to install, just that the app and instructions are rubbish! Sort it out Yale and you’ll have a 1st class product to offer.
*Updated after a year of use*
Nov 2020 – Once into the installation I realised that some aspects should be easier. Do NOT remove the battery tab on the PIR’s, door sensors or keypads until you have positioned them, as the tamper alert can be very annoying. The installation instructions, as mentioned in many reviews, are basic and need more written guidance rather than just pictures (same goes for the help in the App). Having said that, the system is easy to install, completed in a few hours even with the additional PIR’s/keypads and door sensors I’d purchased, the longest time being installation of the Siren boxes. I found little guidance from the Yale site or the App for setting up sounds. For example, it turns out you have to head to general configuration-Door/Window Contact chime sound to enable sounds, even though in, say, door sensor under devices you have set up panel chime. Yale need to improve the help sections to link this information. Explaining that there is an on-off lock slider on the Key Fob might also have been useful. However, adding additional kit was a breeze, as was testing (Walk Test under Alarm Settings).
Jan 2022 – I find the app easy to use, and notifications to me and the second registered user are quick and informative, e.g. alarm armed, ac power outage, sensor activation alert. The app has been updated during this time, so I get told on the home screen if a sensor is triggered, e.g door open. None of the systems batteries have needed to be changed yet.
I bought this from Amazon in a Black Friday deal, and with the money saved, purchased an extra PIR sensor. I found the set up of the system straightforward. The instructions aren’t the best to be fair, but if you have a modicum of common sense, then they aren’t as bad as others have said. The only help I need was fixing the alarm box to the wall of the house, as I didn’t have a ladder.
Registering the product is recommended. The alarm can be set remotely or by using the included keypad. Zones can also be set, for example, the downstairs can be alarmed fir when you’re upstairs in bed. Our preference of arming the system is by way of the Yale Home Security smart phone app. It can be a bit flakey at times but with several updates it has become more stable. It offers the reassurance that if you leave the house and are unsure whether you’ve alarmed it, you’re able to check it’s status, and arm/disarm from wherever you are. You are also able to introduce guests or family members onto the app account so if you need family members to house sit or check on your property while you’re out, if they don’t have your key code, they can use the app. It is secure. We haven’t gone down the Alexa interactivity, so I can’t comment. But I don’t use Alexa for anything other than playing music and doing the shopping list. Not for lights, or security.
I’ve also noticed on another review, that the wall box beeps when the alarm is activated or deactivated, and would disturb the neighbours. I have to say, our alarm is silent when it is set. This may have been an option to adjust from within the app. The only thing that beeps is the internal box inside the property that only we can hear when the alarm is armed/disarmed.
I’ve recommended this product to others, with no negative feedback, so from purely personal experience, I’d recommend it again.
One of the sensors is duff. Sometimes responds and most times not. I first tested with tiny movements as the family held pillows over their ears in anticipation of the apocalyptic noise I pre warned them about. These tiny movements progressed into more of a MJ moonwalk, still nothing, finally doing jumping Jack’s, flying kicks and silver back chest beating… Nothing! Disarmed then rearmed and the thing went off nearly giving me a heart attack. However it then stopped responding again. Also the tamper disable feature doesnt work. This was all after testing with device walk through then checking sensors activated the alarm and screwing the sensors in place.
I await call back fron tech support before I update this review
update.
After waiting for 2 call backs from Amazon support, which did not happen (well one happened hours after the stated time I had already fixed the issues), I decided to call Yale directly. To cut a long story short, they pushed a firmware upgrade to my alarm which looks to have sorted various issues.
Some pointers.
You need to give the sensors 2 mins before you can move in front of them.
The external siren that does a series of beeps when you arm and disarm can be disabled but not via the app, Yale support have to do it (I didn’t want to alert the neighbourhood everytime I was coming and going).
The door sensor is designed for doors that close flush, alot of upvc doors have a ridge.
So after quite a bit of research I went for this kit plus some additional PIRs and door contacts.
INITIAL SETUP
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I use Android but I assume the app for the iPhone is similar. Installed it and set up an account (first one set up becomes then ‘Master’ account for your system). You enter the serial number for the control unit and then it runs you through a wizard to set up all the components you’ve got. As everything that comes in the bundles is pre-configured this is really easy – just take the plastic battery tabs out and it detects them.
Adding new devices is also very easy – I’ve added both new door/window contacts and a PIR, both took seconds.
One thing to bear in mind – you need to have the control unit permanently plugged into a spare network port on your router / modem so bear this in mind. I have a google wi-fi mesh system and I plugged it into one of the nodes ports and it worked fine.
CONFIGURATION
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Everything is done via the app. I have to say the app has had some negative reviews and doesn’t score very well in the app store but I have found it simple to use, easy to navigate (once you get into it) and stable. Perhaps they have worked hard in it since it came out but it’s by no means a terrible app.
I have manged to set up devices for zoning, named them, set the countdown timers, siren timings, LED control and various other behaviours without too much fuss.
NOTIFICATIONS
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APP notifications on your phone work fine and you get a little house icon whever something happens on your notification banner. You can set it so all notifications appear from the app.
SMS messages work great – I did a couple of test and configured it to send to two phones, they arrived pretty much instantaneously when the alarm when off. Understandably (as SMS messaging comes at a cost) you can only set ‘Burglar’ events to come via text message.
EMAIL messages I have had a couple of niggles with, there’ actually two places where you seem to set whether it emails you for ALL notifications or just when a ‘burglar’ event happens. I currently have one of them set to ALL and the other set to burglar and I am getting all events by email – perhaps a bit of a quirk.
GEO fencing notifications – simply put the system uses the location of your phone to work out when you have left the perimeter of the alarm system and if you haven’t set the alarm when you left it asks you if you want to via the app in case you forgot. NB: This requires a data connection as is the case for all APP based notifications .
OTHER POSITIVES
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Setting up user accounts is easy – all the family have access via their phones now. There is a keypad entry system as well but I expect this will be for emergency only’s when they have a flat battery on their phone.
Checking for false alarms is a doddle (if you have CCTV as well) – Because you get notifications on the app / via SMS / Email etc… you know as soon as the alarm goes off. I have a couple of IP camera’s set up in the house and outside so I can quickly log on and make sure everything is OK, if it looks fine I can reset the alarm via the app. You can use Yale’s own CCTV systems which integrate with the app but these are quite an expensive option.
The control unit is really small – I took a picture of the new control unit Vs the older one I had. Dead easy to hide down the back of a cabinet it you want as you never really need to touch it.
The key fob is quite useful – you can disarm / part arm or fully arm with the keyfob. As a family we don’t need it but we’ve given it to our in laws so that in case they ever need to come round when we’re away they can use it to gain entry without needing us or having complex instructions.
THE ONE NEGATIVE
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The design of the door/window contacts is truly appalling. They are way bigger that they need to be, the magnet section is huge, the curved design limits how you mount it and add to that the fact you need to think about changing batteries in the future and they have put the screw to take it apart for that purpose in one end so you need to consider how to get a screwdriver to it. All this means you spend quite a bit of time working out how to make them fit your windows unless the opening section is completely flush to the frame (which they often aren’t).
I had to actually take one of the magnet sections of the door contacts apart just to make it fit with by timber frame windows, getting rid of the plastic case that holds the magnets entirely (see picture).
These sensors should be slimmer, shorter and less curved and they would be infinitely easier to fit.
SUMMARY
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It’s early days but so far I’m impressed with the system as a whole (with the exception of the poor design of the door contacts which lost it one star in this review) and non techies should not fear the setup which is simple and intuitive. I would certainly recommend.
NB. I haven’t set up Alexa integration yet but will update review if I do.
I bought this to replace a BT Home Monitor setup so that I could go subscription-free, ditch the need for a phone line and gain the ux of a mobile app over a nasty and hard to configure wall panel. I’m hoping to add the Yale door locks to the system later.
The good:
-Easy to set up. Everything in the kit came pre-paired to the hub so you just need to mount and turn on. Everything I added beyond that was simple to pair via the app.
-It worked first time and is configurable enough to meet my needs.
-After a couple of days, I’m generally very pleased with how it works.
The bad:
-The buttons on the keyfob – probably the most necessary buttons in the system – are black on black and flat, making them hard to read and easy to press accidentally. It’s too easy to dis/arm the alarm accidentally. The additional lock switch on the side is also hard to read, so knowing its position and status isn’t intuitive. Simple, firm, countersunk buttons with bright white on black print are required. I’ll probably mark the buttons with Tippex, assuming you can still get Tippex, but I’d really like to swap this keyfob for something better, which shouldn’t be necessary at the price.
-The rounded design of the door/window switches and magnet housings means that, particularly when used with the adhesive pads, you have to adhere the one flat side to your window/doorframe surface to ensure a good bond. This renders pointless and ugly the pebble-shape the two pieces are meant to form when married together. It might not be as pretty, but a square design on all sides would keep the design more compact, would be more flexible for positioning and would enable a more secure fit in any orientation.
Some features that should be added via firmware improvements, assuming Yale care and they aren’t things I’ve just missed:
-MAC address should be on the hub label rather than something users have to discover through trial and error via their routers. Also the network name is that of some obscure tech company from further up the chain, rather than a logical branded one such as “Yale Alarm” out of the box. It should also be possible to rename this.
-A static IP address should be assignable, rather than relying only on DHCP.
-A choice of door-open alert chimes, beyond the slightly alarming and piercing default would be of benefit.
-Automatic phone/paired device bluetooth alarm deactivation.
-Why can’t I log in to the web interface? It’s there but not for my eyes, it seems.
-The hub should be supplied and run with a USB PSU – bespoke transformers are hard to replace, inflexible and wasteful.
Compared to the BT VP1000 system and the confusing menus on its control panel, using the app on the Yale is a breeze. Having control over the notifications and setup without having to pay a subscription for last-century phone-call alerts or poking endlessly through an opaque maze of control-panel functions, is what sold me on this system and I’m pleased with what I got.
Alongside the door locks they already make, Yale need to make a CCTV doorbell (a la Ring) that can be integrated for remote answering and tied to the Yale door locks and alarm for remote opening/activation. It’d ideally be drivable via PoE, be IP address assignable and be ONVIF compatible so that users could tie the camera in to an existing surveillance system as well as to the Yale system. That’d complete the setup.
I’ve dropped a star here because the keyfob design is troublesome, the window/door switches/magnets should be squarer and because of the hub’s lack of user-configurable IP address.
In the last 30 years I have had a wired Yale alarm followed by a wireless alarm. But after a fair few years now I decided that as part of my ‘smart home’ conversion I would go for the new Smart home alarm from Yale. I would say the quality of the kit is up to the usual Yale standard. Installation is easy using the App.
The only real niggle is that the documentation that come with the kit is really not that comprehensive. Certainly not as clear as my previous alarms. Mostly it is OK, but for instance, the key fob documentation tells you to pull out the plastic tab to activate. Nowhere does it tell you about the tiny ‘lock’ switch on the side. It is small so took a while to work out why the key fob wouldn’t work. I even purchased a new battery as I thought that might be faulty. Oh well, I have a spare now.
Another example is how to activate and deactivate the alarm with the keypad. Nowhere in the manual does it tell you how to do this. I worked it out by trial and error. If you are interested, to arm you simply press the ‘lock’ icon followed by the PIN. I was used to entering the code and then pressing ‘OK’ on my old alarm. I see on youtube it says to simply push the lock button which doesn’t work. To disarm you press the ‘unlock’ icon and enter the PIN code. On my old alarm it was the other way around. Looking around on the ‘net things were not as clear as they should.
On testing I did have a funny with the siren tamper. I deliberately tripped the alarm and it went off fine. Then I noticed that I had a ‘siren tamper’ warning – this was definitely not the case. This also triggered a beep every 30 seconds on the hub which I could only clear by a reboot. As the siren is high up on the house I just set the tamper to off in the App. Otherwise I think this is a great bit of kit.
We purchased the Yale IA-320 Alarm with the additional 3 pack Motion Detector Kit AC-3PIR and the HD1080 WiFi Indoor Camera SV-DFFI-W as our previous alarm system had packed up after 15 years.
On unpacking I found all the components to be of very good sturdy quality and aesthetically pleasing to blend in with our decor. I personally found the set up procedure was pain free and I didn’t encounter any issues with registering any components to the base station and like wise with the physical installation of all components if you are competent with a drill you’ll have no issues just ensure you choose the correct fixing for your application, honestly there is nothing technically demanding about it.
The operation of the Alarm is simple and pleasing and depending on your home tech you’ll have a number of ways to arm/disarm the system. We use the application on the iPhone and Apple Watch, Alexa or the physical Keypad and all work perfectly but what I do like is the geofencing feature where if you leave the house without arming the system it will send you a message to warn you and gives you the option to set it also you can log into the phone app and monitor your system from there. We added the indoor camera for addition protection plus it gives you the option to open the camera viewer should you have an alarm trigger whilst you are away from home then you can check if someone is in your property or if it’s a false alarm, luckily we’ve not had to use that feature!
You can configure the system so that each different components activated or deactivated depending on how you set the alarm for instance when we put the system in part arm only the motion detectors and door contacts on the ground floor are activated allowing us to move freely upstairs without the alarm activating and then when we leave the house and put it into full arm all motion detectors and door contacts are active across both floors giving full protection, further to that you can set up the system to give audible bleeps from the external siren so once you are outside it gives confirmation that the alarm is set.
We did have an issue with the door contact so I contacted CS and the very next day we had the replacement in hand so kudos to the team for that quick response.
I have looked into the battery replacement when that becomes required and it is a very easy procedure and all batteries are readily available from local supermarkets and DIY stores so the downtime on the system can be kept to a minimum in-fact the system sends you a notification that batteries are running low so you can pre plan and get them in ready for changing.
All in all we are very pleased with every aspect of the alarm system thus far and if the complimentary service I’ve had with CS to date is anything to go by I don’t see any issues going forward.
We are just waiting for the Smoke/Heat detector AC-PSD to come into stock then we can complete our system
I have decided these three criteria because (1) I do not want to wast a lot of money for a small house and only two persons live on it. (2) I do not wast my time with a rubbish system and lose time, which is money. (3) I am new in the UK, and I do not know anyone who could turn the system off if I am away. I do not want to bother my Neighbors.
I came through this system in Amazon many times. What put me off not to buy it is negative reviews and 3.5 Stars. I kept searching and searching until I needed a system for critical security concern.
I bought this system one week ago ( I will return to update this review after six months ) and here are my comments :
Pors
(1) Reasonable Price compared to its features and quality.
(2) Easy to install for someone familiar with technology in General ( Total time of Installation & Testing & learning features was 6 hours)
(3) Endless of amazing settings makes you have 100% control over the system
(4) You can control the system from a keypad or your mobile. You can control this system from anywhere! Do not worry if you forgot to arm your home.
(5) Very Expandable, you can add devices as much as you need ( up to 40 ), which I found it give you the ability to design your system based on your need and cost.
(6) Multiuser setting. For Example, I can give the estate agent a separate password, and I can know if they ( for any reasons ) entered my home.
(7) Full ability to control notification by many methods, Email, SMS, or Push to your mobile.
(8) A lot of people comment negatively on Yale mobile application. I found it AMAZING, but you need an average mobile.
(9) Very high-quality material that you can feel it in every part of the system, Even the security stickers!
(10) As this system give you instant alert on your mobile, buying security camera which can be accessed by mobile will give you full control of your home.
(11) There is no subscription fees for their mobile application and online services.
Coins
(1) The person who is not familiar with technology will find this system complicated ! not because it complicated but because of its endless features.
(2) The guide (which is printed in high-quality material ) is not comprehensive. They have tried to make it simple; they do not explain all features of their mobile application in their simple guide.
Bottom Line: I would recommend it for any person who needs full control of a security system.
Update after 5 months : I could not say more than THANKS YALE! This system worth every penny spent.
Given the level of sophistication we wanted from a system we shopped around for a long time. ADT have had a smart home product for years but it’s super expensive and not that versatile. Even the other Yale system is missing the smart home integration elements we were looking at.
This kit isn’t everything you need. we bought four extra door contacts, so we have the whole ground floor and upstairs windows covered with PIR and door / window contacts. AC-DC at 30 is quite expensive when you need four, especially given the tech inside is a transmitter with a magnet and sensor.
The installation process was a doddle. I have uPVC windows and French doors and I was concerned about how to fit the contact due to the angle of the frame. as long as you fix the part with the battery to the non moving part, the angle isn’t an issue.
In total the physical installation took me about an hour with the additional door contacts. The system set up, which has do be done on a phone / table iOS or Android took about 30 minutes and I’ve been refining preferences for the rest of the day.
I’ve set the alarm off (on purpose) and it was epic, the siren is super loud and the base station gives off a hell of a racket too. I have also integrated Alexa and my Philip’s Hue system so when it went off I had the Siren, flashing Red lights throughout the house, you’d think DEFCON 5 had just been raised.
The system sends push notifications for everything this could get annoying but you can choose for notifications to be on alarm or for each system trigger i.e. Tamper / set /unset / alarm. Additionally the system will also send an SMS to the main account holder in the event of an alarm in case you are out of mobile data range.
This is a great product, the app works well. I’m already having some idea’s for some further enhancements I will suggest but overall it does what it said it would do and more. I’ll update this review once it’s been in for a month with any additional usability comments.
If you’re looking for a new alarm and can’t decide I would have no hesitation recommending this product.
A lot of people are complaining about the app, but it works fine for me. They seem to have made a lot of updates to it recently as early adopters had more issues with it, but I guess these have now been fixed. Its easy to set up exactly what sensors are used for the different alarm types and whether they set the alarm off immediately or on a delay. Its all very configurable.
The only drawback for me is that I cant use the smart home features as it doesn’t work with Google Home. This is a bit odd as everything else seems to support both alexa and google these days. But hopefully they can add this functionality late
I have placed a lot of door/window sensors (around 10) and until now all the system works very well: at the moment the sensors never fail. The system seems robust and give you the safety that you expect from a professional alarm.
What is good:
– the sensors and the whole system is easy to install
– the sensors’s wifi works with a very good range (I have placed 10 door/window sensors and 2 PIR sensor in a two stories home and I have the full signal in all the sensor except one that has in every case a good signal)
– the system works well without problems
– the App is complete and allow to check all the sensor and the events
– the notification works fine (but the messages aren’t so clear to understand)
– the direct integration with Philips Hue is really great
– the outdoor horn is very powerful
What can be better:
– the App is quite slow to connect with the system and so if you need to stop the alarm you can have some thrill moments (better to use the key pad)
– not all the kind of sensors of the old system are available just now (for example the outdoor sensors)
– the alarm tele command seems not be effective all the times.
In conclusion: very recommended system and it will be updated and developed in the next future.
As a traditional “Bells only” non smart alarm it is definitely worth 5/5. It was quick and easy to install, all the fittings were provided. I purchased additional sensors so I have installed 5 PIRs, 5 Door /Window contacts, the external siren and the keypad. All of these took under 2 hours to install (ignoring the external siren – it was raining, that was done separately the following day). The ‘built in alarm’ in the hub is 100db of loud and more than adequate alone, the second one is more of a deterrent than something that’s required. I have successfully setup the part arm and full arm modes with ease.
Being able to set multiple pins is a great idea, obviously however the more pins you have the easier it is to guess and your alarm is only as secure as your weakest pin. I have a pin for myself and then 2 family members have different pins so if they need to disarm it they can, but I will also know who has been in my house if they do.
The only issue I have had is occasionally when using the App occasionally it says the ‘hub is offline’. Which means I cannot get notifications or remotely arm/disarm the alarm. This is easily fixed by turning the alarm off and on again physically, just a pain.
This is an issue with any smart device, whether it be blinds, bulbs, alexas, alarms or smart cars. Hopefully overtime this becomes less of an issue. This model is far superior than their old Yale Smart Home Alarm system and operates at a much better range and is more reliable.
Ultimately it comes down to this: If you want a “Bells Only” alarm this is great, if you want an “alarm with notifications” this is good but not bulletproof. If you want the most reliable service possible you’ll need to buy an ADT alarm with subscription and even then there is a slight risk of it going ‘bells only’. For context, my setup throught ADT would have been 800 installed and then 40 a month 930 more in the first year and then 480 a year more forever… So I’d definitely recommend this unless you’re a Jewellery store or bank.
4/5 would definitely recommend for most people. Would be 5/5 if the hub never disconnected, however overtime the server technology should improve this, I’d say my hub uptime is around 95% from what has been monitored so far.
Had some issues with setting up the account. Firstly I created an account and then could not login. I put it down to being a long password (20 chars)…. come on Yale, this is a security system 20 chars is not too long, and if it is tell me.
It happened setting up both my and my wifes account so no glitch.
Because of this, it did not show the accessories and no amount of paring fixed it. In the end fixed with with a google:
Settings -> System Info -> Press and hold SMS Balance for 10+ seconds until the ‘refresh panel’ box appears. That would have been impossible to figure out!
Now working I am happy with this. Yet to fit the siren, but in principle this works well. Arm via the app and easily configure upstairs and downstairs so can be used at night. Disarm via the app or keypad (with pin), also allows multiple pins for guest and other household members. Push alerts are almost instant.
Hue light go from green to red when arming, and you can pick the rooms. Can also set the whole house on red when there is a trigger.
The beeps from the hub are pretty loud when arming downstairs at night, which can wake the kids and would be good if you could set the level.
Also the motion sensors don’t seem to be very sensitive, but guess if we were burgled they would set off as a significant amount of movement would be required.
Hoping the batteries will last well, as will be a pain to remove the sticky pads (purchased separately). Also hoping the outdoor siren does not been when arming (seem to have been mentioned in some reviews). Will have to wait and see on that.
Also not yet tried the geo-sensing but have it set up for myself and my wife on the app, was pretty straightforward.
If the app was improved from an information and usability perspective (however it is functional), I could see this being the go to DIY alarm for the smart home. It does however require some investment from Yale (much like Philips is doing on an ongoing basis with HUE)
1. Kit & Setup
There is a hub, siren, keypad door sensor and two x PIR (NOT pet friendly) sensors. Everything is wireless except the hub which needs power and an ethernet connection. It does have battery backup however. Power and ethernet cables are provided. I purchased another door sensor separately and have two additional PIR sensors on the way.
Setup was very easy. Plug the hub in, connect to broadband router, start taking battery isolation tabs out of equipment and mount them in place. It shouldn’t take more than half an hour to mount two PIR sensors to the wall via screws and then sticky tab a door sensor and a keypad.
It’s worth noting at this point you can mount door sensors either by sticky pads or screws. I will be fixing the keypad via screws but for now I used 3M command strips until I have a final location. The casings of the devices do not appear to have fixing holes, but if you open them up there are fixing hole locations that just need to be easily punched out. It’s a nice feature so you can decide whether to screw or sticky-pad the devices in place. All fixings come with the devices, just take note of the fixings for each item as they can differ a little depending on the device.
I’m an android user and found the Yale Home app on the Play Store straight away. It doesn’t get great reviews but this is likely down to the teething issues early on. It seems quite stable and has worked fine for me so far. There are a few steps to get setup but it’s really straightforward. Some of the options you’d like to see often are buried fairly deep in the app, so hopefully that will be sorted soon. An example would be the device check. If you want to see the status of each device you need to go to Menu>Settings>Alarm Settings>Devices. Really it should just be at the top level of the menu for quick access. Once you’ve done the walk test with all devices in place you’re good to go as everything comes paired already.
2. General Use
This is really easy to use. I have not got Alexa and I don’t plan on bringing her and her microphone into my home, but it all works fine without her. The app is configured as standard to sit in the notification bar. Although it may be annoying to some, you’re reminded every time you look at your phone whether your house is armed, disarmed or part armed. I generally like my notification bar clean but I’m happy with this. It means when I am about to put my phone down and go to sleep, I am reminded that I need to set my alarm. I open the app, swipe to arm, hear the beeps of the internal siren/hub and then I can rest knowing downstairs is safe.
So quick summary:
Pros:
Easy set up – both kit and software
Easy to use
Hub acts as internal siren – surprisingly loud
Stylish and simple looks
Cons:
Early days for software – teething issues
Not sure if external siren can be hardwired as I don’t fancy changing the batteries every couple of years
Only last night I had a door contact sensor issue. Everything was in place physically and I hadn’t faffed around, but it was showing as an issue. In the device menu there wasn’t a problem though. Maybe an app issue as nothing happened after we part-armed the house
That’s it for now really. Will try to update as my experience with this product develops.
UPDATE: 19/09/2020
It’s 4:40am and the smart hub is beeping loudly every 30 seconds. It has been doing this since yesterday afternoon when it was disconnected from the mains and put on battery backup.
Apparently there is no way to disable the beep, even during sleeping hours, hence why I am awake now.
I search online for the fault that comes up on the app – barely any results.
There should be an override to this audible beep and maybe persistent push notifications from the app. It just needs charging but it won’t stop beeping until it is fully charged. It is so loud I cannot sleep through it.
As the app is poor anyway and the system isn’t anything special, I will be looking to get rid and try another brand.
Registration was easy and although the app is lacking functionality it has been fairly consistent and reliable (android). I had an issue that others have mentioned regarding entry/exit timer sounding on the external siren – very annoying to neighbours – and there is no support in the app yet to disable it – however after contacting Yale Customer Support they changed this for me remotely within 24hours and it’s now fine. They assured me that this change is coming to the app soon.
It connected to my Philips Hue as advertised and worked as expected. I haven’t tried Alexa functionality and probably won’t to be honest. I’m perfectly happy arming and disarming mostly via keypad, but also by the App.
I do still have an issue with part-arming however which means it’s basically useless at this time. I wanted to alarm my garage whilst I am still in the house using part-alarming, however in order to do it I have to set one of my “Entry Zone” sensors in the house to “Home Omit”. Unfortunately the side effect of this is that when I fully-alarm the system, it is no longer set as entry zone and the alarm will sound straight away when it detects an event. As soon as I can specify a version of “Home Omit” that has an entry zone timer for full-alarm instead of siren I’d be happy to give this product 5 stars.