Re: Compass Software

["Joe Lucia" <joe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I doubt Honeywell cares who has the software since the CSID secures the
hardware (if used properly).

If I own my alarm system, I expect to be able to Program my alarm
sytem.  If software is Required to program it, then the software should
be readily available.

I put a Vista 20P in with wireless sensors with a non-alpha keypad
(keypad is also the wireless receiver).  What I didn't realize until
after it was all installed was that  I could not configure the wireless
zones without an alphanumeric keypad because of it's Menu-Mode
programming.  I HAD to use the software to program my wireless zones
(maybe someone else knows how to do it without the software, but I
couldn't find it in the manual).  For this reason, the software should
be available to the user/owner/whoever is programming the panel,
regardless of their profession or skill level (if it's your panel, you
should be allowed to screw it up, and pay for a service-call afterwards
to have a professional fix it).  You just don't sell hardware to
someone and then tell them they can't have the software to program it
or you are going to charge them extra to make-it-work (unless it was
known up-front before purchasing the hardware).  Just because you are
not an Alarm Professional doesn't mean you can't do it as-good if not
better then an Alarm Professional.  I don't have a Computer Sciences or
Electronics Degree but know a lot more about computers and electronics
then any fresh graduate from DeVry does (which maybe isn't saying much
about myself).

Of course, if the software was NOT required to program the panel, then
it should be Sold/Given to professionals without necessarily being
available to the general public.  The only reason to prevent just
anyone from downloading the software without some-sort of  login is to
prevent a lot of unnecessary Technical Support to End-Users trying to
download their own panel.  In this case, If the End-User can get to the
(free) download software and find a modem that works with it, then they
are probably worthy of having it.  It's a way to let Honeywell filter
out the unwanted non-pro's from calling tech-support.  If they didn't
password-it then they would get flooded with homeowners thinking they
can download the software and change user codes on their panels with
the software.

In no way am I condoning giving out the username/password (publicly)
for Honeywell's Dealer Support area, but at the same time I think the
individuals who are competent not-professionals should be able to have
a crack at it as long as they realize they can't call Honeywell for
Tech Support.

So, if you want to give out a username/password, do it in a PRIVATE
message to prevent people who wouldn't be going there in the first
place from going there just because they have a username and password
now and want to hack.