Z-Wave Devices: Integrating with Frontpoint for Home Automation

You probably already know that Frontpoint offers stronger, smarter, and simpler home security. But did you know that the system can also intelligently control an entire smart home—lighting, temperature, water meters, and more—from anywhere, at any time? It does it through a single, easy-to-use app that controls all integrated Z-Wave devices.

Frontpoint’s Z-Wave Hub communicates with you and a monitoring center via a 100% cellular connection that has built-in Wi-Fi backup, but individual devices use wireless Z-Wave technology to communicate with the Hub. This means that you can add a range of compatible products to your system to make it a comprehensive “smart” home.

Z-Wave is a low-energy wireless communications protocol that is specifically designed for home automation. It works by enabling smart-home devices to “speak” to each other through radio frequency waves. Z-Wave radio transmitters are embedded into home electronics devices and systems, such as lighting, home access controls, entertainment systems, and household appliances. And Z-Wave communication is “impervious to interference from Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies” like Bluetooth and ZigBee.

For an illustration of how Z-Wave technology works, consider a lamp equipped with a Z-Wave lightbulb. At its most basic, this integration allows you to turn the lamp off and on whenever you want, from wherever you are. But the capabilities of this integration go well beyond simple remote light control. For example, using Frontpoint’s app, you could program your lamp to turn on or off based on:

• When a door opens or closes, based on the time of day
• When the alarm goes off or when any sensor triggers a mobile alert
• When the alarm system is armed or disarmed
• When a motion sensor detects you getting up in the middle of the night
• Based on scheduled “scenes.” For example, a “vacation” scene could automatically turn lights on and off in a pattern that mimics normal activity to warn off burglars.

These are just some examples of the nearly endless customizations you can make to one smart device; similar options allow precise control of all connected equipment in a smart home.

By replacing traditional components such as lighting, climate-control devices, and various appliances with Z-Wave products, it is possible to control and monitor these household functions via remote, manual commands or customized, automated programs.

This control can be applied to a single device or group of devices, in a single room or zone, or throughout your entire home.

Frontpoint’s Hub can support up to 80 sensors and 232 individual Z-Wave devices. Every Frontpoint system uses the Frontpoint Hub and Keypad as the central command center. With its Z-Wave-ready technology, the Hub allows you to monitor your home security system and control all of your smart devices (including Alexa and Google Home devices) with a single app.

Frontpoint offers several Z-Wave products, including the security system’s various intrusion sensors and smart door locks. With the latter three devices, you can remotely control and/or automate your lights, door locks, and any small appliance you plug into the wireless light control.

Frontpoint’s Wireless Light Control provides another method for controlling your home’s lighting as well as small appliances. Just plug your lamps or other appliances (such as radios or TVs) into the device to easily control them from anywhere, at any time. Featuring one grounded outlet with a built-in Z-Wave transmitter, Frontpoint’s Wireless Light Control provides ultimate flexibility—if an appliance has an on/off switch and a standard plug, it can become “smart.”

And never worry about losing your keys again with Frontpoint’s Smart Door Lock. Lock and unlock your home with ease from the backlit keypad on the door or the Keychain Remote. Create unique entry codes for friends, family, service providers, and renters. And with Z-Wave built right in, you can easily unlock and lock the door via a command on your smartphone or through a customized event or schedule.

Whether you want to make your home look occupied when you’re away, come home to a brightly lit house and your favorite music playing at the end of a long workday, or let your pet sitter in and lock the door behind them when they leave, these Z-Wave devices and Frontpoint’s app have you covered.

Smart homes include products beyond home security components or on-off devices that are simply plugged into a traditional outlet. In fact, there are over 2,400 interoperable Z-Wave products available on the open market. GE, a manufacturer of Frontpoint’s Z-Wave components, is part of the Z-Wave Alliance—meaning that any Z-Wave device can interact with a Z-Wave control panel like Frontpoint’s Hub.

Adding a Z-Wave thermostat to your smart home security system, for example, will allow you to not only control the thermostat remotely but to also customize programs so your HVAC system runs more efficiently. Beyond saving money by turning up the temperature when you’re away from home, you can also use smart schedule activity patterns to identify the best energy-saving schedules and strategies.

Coming home from a winter workday earlier than usual and want to enter a nice warm house? Simply use the Frontpoint app to turn your thermostat up before you leave work, or rely on the location of your smartphone to do it automatically. By setting up invisible GPS boundaries called geofences, the system can execute certain commands automatically when your phone crosses the boundary. So, when you exit the geofence around your office, the system can click on the heat automatically.

When you integrate Z-Wave devices into your Frontpoint system, the ability to improve your comfort, convenience, safety, and security is truly astonishing. The potential goes far beyond controlling your home’s lights, locks, thermostat, fans, or window coverings remotely, or even setting up schedules for how these things operate.

For instance, you can program your home lighting so that if your Frontpoint Smoke and Heat Sensor detects a fire, certain lights will automatically turn on—lighting a safe pathway out of the house. Or you can install a door sensor on your basement door and program your system to automatically turn on your basement lights and send you a mobile alert when that door is opened. You could even set up a program that will allow you to arm your alarm system, dim your lights, and lock your doors by simply saying “good night” to your Alexa, Siri, or Google Home device.

This technology truly makes homes “smart”—and gives you amazing control of your property. Get your Z-Wave security system today!