RISCO Lightsys Panel Disabled by someone remotely?!

[GeddyMortgage]

Hi all,

Had a RISCO Lightsys2 for a while now, always been great until recently noticing it had stopped giving us status update emails.

Logged into the app and was met with this message saying im not authorised to access the site and that i should contact my installer?!

App screen image - https://ibb.co/km1rkMn


Obviously gave them a call, they said all the places that could help with this (risco technical etc) are closed till the 5th Jan, but they did also say that there is an outstanding bill for the GSM service this alarm uses (it uses GSM as a backup incase the WIFI goes down).

To be completely honest I didnt even know where was an arrears, but even in the result of there being one...I really can't understand why the entire panel has been made entirely inaccessible by me? Fair enough not allowing it to be function via GSM if i've not continued to pay for that service.... But see the attachment below, it's saying the site has been disabled when I try to login via my desktop computer too. Meaning they've blocked my WiFi access to it too?!...Which didn't feel right...?


Desktop RISCO cloud image - https://ibb.co/2sjknxr


Am I being crazy or am I right to be confused here? as mentioned above.... do they have the right of access to disable my site from wifi access too? that bit isn't a paid for service. Id be surprised if they have that level of access... if they dont then the problem must be something else?...

If the above isnt the problem, then my last train of thought is as follows - for those of you that use risco, youll know you need to pay a separate annual subscription to use their app, as far as I know I have paid that and it expires september next year. though I have paid for that with my applewallet which has a different email to the one I use to loginto my risco.... do you think that could be related? or just a coincedence?

Im wondering if that last bit is important as my last panel at my last property used the older ELAS login stuff and the email for THAT was the same as my apple wallet email. So I wonder if perhaps ive been paying a RISCO app subscription for my older panel which is now not in use. Or does the RISCO app subscription not work like that, is it for all sites? or just one site? If so maybe I need to re-direct it to my new site.

Subscription in apple wallet - https://ibb.co/tKBH2x2


any light shed on this'd be really appreciated, or even better if anyone knows how I can get it back online without being stuck into a GSM thing in future, that'd be great.

P

 

[secureiam]

You need to take this up with Nova.

Unfortunately can't speak for what agreement you have with Nova.

However Risco as a per site subscription for the app and has done for about a year now.

The GSM module will have a sim and this may be a contract with Nova, that I can't comment on either.

As for releasing the panel so it's free of contract, you would have to contact Nova/ Risco. You may be able to transfer elsewhere once it's released.

 

[GeddyMortgage]

Yeah cheers, as said I am a little confused to the avenues of whats being paid for here.

The GSM Module i believe did have a contract with Nova. But in absence of continuing that GSM contract i'm surprised to see the panel not be accessible via WIFI either.... surely just GSM should not function any longer.

RE: Risco per site subscription for the app, yes, I have paid that via my apple wallet... Though as I said above im not sure now whether that has gone against my old secuplace panel I.D in a previous address or against my newer lightsys2 one here. Im not sure how to confirm that as I currently can't login to my one here as said above..

 

[GeddyMortgage]

You need to take this up with Nova.

Unfortunately can't speak for what agreement you have with Nova.

A company called Security Point UK have nicely responded to one of my email enquiries... and said the following below, does this look correct to your experienced eyes? as when I called Nova earlier they didn't suggest any of this.

 

[GeddyMortgage]

The GSM module will have a sim and this may be a contract with Nova,

Also incidentally do you know how to check whether the lightsys2 is connected to your wifi and is using that over GSM?

 

[secureiam]

The message you got in the app suggets you don't have an active subscription with Nova and that's the last company for that system.


Light sys didnt have a dedicated WiFi module so you would have an IP module connected to a WiFi bridge unit if it was WiFi connected.

It should also be in your contract, as for using the alarm, you should be able to use it just not the app but may depend on programming

 

[GeddyMortgage]

The message you got in the app suggets you don't have an active subscription with Nova and that's the last company for that system.

This is what im finding confusing. I've paid for a subscription via my applewallet. the RISCO app directly asked me for that. So I need to have both a subscription there AND one with Nova for the app too?

I found this FAQ on Security Point's website - which also confused me - It suggests the simcard and risco cloud services are linked.... But in my case i've already paid for the subscription directly via the app?

https://spuk.freshdesk.com/support/...t-pay-alarm-sim-card-for-risco-cloud-service-

Maybe im just being dumb but this seems overly convoluted...I paid £1300 odd for the install and now i've got to pay for 2/3 lots of subscriptions per year for it to send me emails?

 

[GeddyMortgage]

Light sys didnt have a dedicated WiFi module so you would have an IP module connected to a WiFi bridge unit if it was WiFi connected.

It should also be in your contract, as for using the alarm, you should be able to use it just not the app but may depend on programming

Yes, it has an IP Module, and a Wifi Bridge (Vonets) and that's been pointed at the SSID of the router, cloned its password etc.

But how can i see if thats all working? Ive had a quick look in the DHCP table but couldnt see it.... but could that be because the site has been disabled? would it still attempt to connect to the internet in that case? or must the problem lie elsewhere?

 

[sparkymarka]

That link above with Q and A suggests it’s a GPRS SIM card ….eg connection on the IP Side via this …

 

[GeddyMortgage]

I was under the impression that's how it was setup by the installer yes. I specifically asked for both a GSM module and an IP module so it would do both and revert to Simcard in the result of a burglar cutting the internet cable or something like this.

But I guess the question remains as to why I cant access it via wifi, maybe because its been disabled remotely, or because I havent managed to get it connected to wifi.

It'd be nice to know if there was a straight forward way to see if its connected to wifi. - I can run an ethernet cable directly to it if I need to. If I open the panel will the alarm start to sound as per tamper?

And does anyone even know if it will even try to connect to the internet if its been remotely disabled by the installer?

 

[secureiam]

It’s irrelevant because the panel is set up to access the cloud to use the app.

The panel should work manually but no cloud access.

With risco it’s possible to use the WiFi and if that connection drops for any reason to switch to gprs. You can also use the gsm module separately but if the SIM card is under nova contract, then the chances are it won’t work in any respect.

I have no idea on what is happening between you and Nova I can’t see the system being released if money is owed. As for no one to sort it until the 5th Risco may be shut but someone at Nova should be able to help.

 

[GeddyMortgage]

yeah, all accurate, cheers.

Nova did get through to someone from RISCO today and managed to un-disable it. No ones sure what had happened entirely as Nova said the GSM stuff should be entirely separate but hey ho, it is back online.

However, after all this I do want to definitely make sure i'm connected to wifi should I decide to not want to use the GSM stuff in future.

What is the best way of checking this? I can see the Vonets WiFi bridge's mac address in my router's "attached devices" But when I ping that local I.P address it's just timing out. Would that suggest that the vonets is working as a bridge but the panel isnt currently functioning via Wifi?

 

[secureiam]

If I was to disable my customers for non payment I log into the engineers portal and disable it, it’s a really simple process, but nova would need their admin or risco admin to do it. Appears that must have been the case.

disabled by accident would seem unlikely, disabled for unpaid bill is a possibility, you pay nova, nova pays risco for the accounts when due, it’s possible but couldn’t confirm it that nova didn’t renew your system with risco due to bill being due and risco disabled there end, but that’s all guess work.

the alarm company logs into the panel and programs it accordingly, you would need an engineers code to change the programming.

I can’t comment and don’t believe an end user can check, it may show online and by what method your connected if you log into the user portal for risco cloud.

 

[JohnD]

I love the idea of an alarm system that can be disabled remotely without the owners knowledge or consent.

 

[secureiam]

The alarm wasn’t disabled ? Just the app?