Why Transition from CDMA to 4GLTE

According to 4GAmericas.com, the annual global subscription and market share for 4G LTE is forecast to expand from 1.9 billion in December 2017 to 3.6 billion by December 2020. Cellular technology has shifted dramatically through the years from 1G to 2G, to 3G to 4G. Such aggressive changes in cellular technology can seem intimidating.

However, economical and future-centric alarm communication solutions are available through Alula. Transitioning from CDMA to 4G LTE will bring your dealership and customers into a future-focused mindset. This means you can meet the customer demand for high-quality Dual-Path IP and Cellular alarm communications.

Understanding 4G LTE

In March 2008, the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) instituted standards for 4G connectivity. Any type of 4G service is required to adhere to the specific connection and speed standards set forth in the regulations. According to these standards, mobile devices must have an apex point of 100 megabits per second. These standards were considered extremely high to the real-world when they were first publicized. However, they were designed as an end-point for developers in the technology world. Technology caught up to these bold standards, and improvements have been made to 3G networks so they can now be classified as 4G. Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is the pathway toward achieving 4G speeds. This standard of cellular communication is continually evolving.

The Wave of the Future

CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. CDMA is a network that supports cellular and data transfer. It is used by Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular. Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications is a cellular and data supported network. The GSM network is used by AT&T and T-Mobile, and currently, GSM technology is used by all LTE networks in the US. However, CDMA technology is not current enough or compatible with LTE speeds. SIM cards are used with newer versions of Sprint and Verizon phones so that they also work on the GSM networks. Since many newer mobile devices are not utilizing CDMA technology, you should consider transitioning from this network to 4G LTE.

As a tech-savvy security dealer, you need to provide your customers with cutting-edge and future-centric alarm technology that is compatible with the high speeds of the 4G LTE. According to Fierce Wireless magazine, Verizon confirmed that they plan to close down their CDMA 1X network by Dec. 31, 2019. This is even more of a reason to get ahead of the game and begin transitioning from CDMA to 4G LTE.

Get Ahead of the Game

You can get ahead of the game with the industry-leading alarm communicators from Alula. They use the newest 4G LTE standard from Verizon. These Dual-Path communicators easily connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi (WPS) or an Ethernet connection. They have been pre-activated for compatibility with Verizon’s current network. Your customers will get the highest-caliber technology with Alula devices that are compatible with most current alarm panels. These Dual-Path alarm communicators work with the most up-to-date cellular technology. They provide your customers with the optimal solution for future-centric alarm data transmissions.

If you want to provide your customers with future-centered security solutions that feature cutting-edge technology, then making the transition from CDMA to 4G LTE is vital to the success of your dealership.

How many zones can a Connect+ Translator card support?

  • The Connect+ can listen to a total of 96 zones, which are a combination of encrypted sensors and translated devices.  
  • The range and performance of encrypted sensors is better than for the translator, due to encrypted sensors having better transmitters in most cases, and the encrypted sensor receivers being optimized for range.
  • Translated zones are store in the panel. If a card is replaced the zones do not need to be re-enrolled. You would need to ensure the protocol is selected.

How many sensor Repeaters can I use?

    • Of all the security industry wireless protocols, only the GE wireless protocol enables the use of multiple sensor repeaters in a system.  
      • In a GE system, where  RE524X sensor repeaters are used, the signals will only go through one sensor repeater, and will be stopped at the next sensor repeater.  
      • The GE installation can be made in a “star” pattern, with for example, and East Wing sensor repeater and a West Wing sensor repeater.  Bucket brigade (daisy chain) type installations will not work.
    • All other security industry wireless protocols, such as Napco, Honeywell, 2GIG, DSC, are problematic, because the signals can loop from repeater 1 to repeater 2 to repeater 1 to repeater 2… forever.  
      • The evidence of multiple sensor repeaters infinitely looping are that the green LED (I heard something) and the red LED (I am saying something) flicker for periods more than say 5 seconds.
      • Even if only one sensor repeater is in an installation, it is possible for a neighboring installation’s sensor repeater to join the party and cause problems.

Activity (LED) Lights (CDMA/LTE Devices) – Board Button Configuration

LED 9 –currently not being used
LED 1 –

  • When solid the device is ‘Online’
  • When blinking the device if ‘Offline’

LED 2 – will blink intermittently
LED 3 – indicates signal strength (the lowest)
LED 4 – indicates signal strength
LED 5 – indicates signal strength
LED 6 – indicates signal strength (the strongest)

BAT-WIFI Board Button Configuration

1 Tap – Device will go into WPS mode and should search for nearest WPS activated Wi-Fi router in the area.
2 Taps – Device will indicate Wi-Fi signal strength [Device must be paired to a Wi-Fi]
3 Taps – Device will factory reset and lose connection to any Wi-Fi it was previously attached to.4 Taps – Device will force a firmware upgrade [Device must be paired to the Wi-F- router]
Should any pairing issues occur, press the SW1 button 5 times to factory reset and start the pairing process over.

Activity(LED) Lights (WiFi Devices) Board Button Configuration

LED 1 – is used for DHCP & Network connection diagnostics:

  • Solid: Indicates a connection has been made to ipDatatel. (The device is Online)
  • 3-Flashes: Indicates the device is not connected to the Internet or is not assigned an address from the router
  • 7-Flashes: Indicates the device is still working on “AP Configuration”, therefore is not connected to the WIFI Network.

LED 2 – Used to indicate keybus connectivity

LED 6 – (When not connected to a Wi-Fi Router)

  • Flashing: Indicates device is searching for a router in WPS mode.
  • Solid: Indicates the device has found a router via WPS Mode.

LEDs 3 to 6 – (When connected to a Wi-Fi Router)

  •  Displays signal strength, indicated on device startup and updated every 4 hours

BAT-CDMA-WIFI Board Button Configuration

1 Tap – Device will go into WPS mode and should search for nearest WPS activated Wi-Fi router in the area.
2 Taps – Device will indicate Wi-Fi signal strength [Device must be paired to a Wi-Fi]
3 Taps – CDMA Module Service Provisioning (OTAP)
4 Taps – Device will force a firmware upgrade [Device must be paired to the Wi-F- router]
5 Taps – Device will factory reset and lose connection to any Wi-Fi it was previously attached to.
Should any pairing issues occur, press the SW1 button 5 times to factory reset and start the pairing process over.

Connecting To A Wireless Network (WPS)

  • Tap SW1 the button 5 times (top left button)
  • Follow the router’s directions to turn on WPS.
  • Now tap the SW1 button 1-time to enable WPS mode on the device. LED 6 will blink as long as the device is in WPS mode.
  • Once the Wi-Fi device and the router are paired successfully, LED 6 will go solid indicating it has connected