This article will cover the following:
Wireless Security Overview
The Verkada wireless hub and sensors communicate over a proprietary sub-GHz wireless communication protocol. This custom protocol operates at 915Mhz (US, Canada) / 868Mhz (UK, Europe) and was built from the ground up to maximize security, range, and battery life.
Our wireless signals are encrypted end-to-end (AES-128) and through direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) technology we prevent signal jamming and other attacks which can impact competitor systems.
Wireless Specs
SKU | Description | Line of Sight / Typical Office | Battery Life | Power |
BR31 | Door | 1,000ft./200ft. | Up to 10yrs | 2x CR123A |
BR32 | Motion | 1,000ft./200ft. | Up to 5yrs | 2x CR123A |
BR33 | Panic | 1,000ft./200ft. | Up to 5yrs | 1x CR123A |
BR34 | Glass | 1,000ft./200ft. | Up to 2yrs | 1x CR123A |
BR35 | Leak | 1,000ft./200ft. | Up to 5yrs | 1x CR123A |
BX21 | Relay | 1,000ft./200ft. | N/A | 12/24v power supply |
Wireless Deep Dive
The BH61 wireless alarm hub supports up to 60 wireless Verkada sensors. The typical unobstructed line-of-site range is up to 1,000 ft. and up to 200 ft. in typical office environments. The hub comes with a built-in backup battery to keep the system powered up to 12 hours in the event of a power loss.
BH61 Hub Install
The BH61 is omnidirectional and performs best when ceiling mounted and installed as close to the center of the building/floor as possible for maximum coverage.
It's recommended to have 1 hub per floor of a building
Typical Office Environment would consist of:
5-7 walls, with materials consisting of drywall or wood
Coverage is 200ft. from the hub
The range is highly variable among building materials consisting of concrete or metal
Note: The BH61 alarm hub contains a dip switch on the front of the device under the white plastic cover. This dip switch must be set to the left for the device to power on.
Normal Operation - In normal operation, the LED signifies the following:
The BR31 wireless door sensor is powered by 2 CR123A lithium batteries and has a battery life of up to 10 years. Configurable door gap width up to 5cm / 2in to support different installation requirements. Optional configuration as a universal transmitter that allows you to use internally wired input terminals to convert signals from a separate two-wire sensor into wireless signals that can be received by the BH61 wireless hub.
BR31 Door Install
It is best practice to mount the magnet (left) on surfaces that experience movements such as the door and the door sensor (right) on stationary surfaces such as the door frame.
The magnet should be positioned near the top of the wireless sensor where the status LED and test mode button reside for ideal operation.
The range between the magnet and door sensor can be configured up to 2 inches, to configure the range go to Devices under the alarms site > hover to the right to select the three vertical dots > Edit sensor
When you click Edit Sensor, that will popup more configuration options for the BR31. Here you will be able to configure the sensitivity. Higher indicates that the magnet can be further away while low indicates that the magnet can be closer. Once changed, you will have to open and close the door to change its state so that the sensor will be able to reflect the change made in command.
Universal Transmitter Mode - Enable by turning on the slider and selecting the Normal State. This will then transmit any signal wired into the sensor back to the wireless hub.
Test Mode - Enable by pressing the top button. After 10 minutes in test mode, the device will return to normal operation. In Test Mode the Green LED will:
turn on when the sensor is separated from the magnet (Door Open)
turn off when the sensor is brought close to the magnet (Door Close)
Normal Operation - While in normal operation, the green LED will:
NOT turn on when the sensor is separated from the magnet
flash rapidly three times every 2 minutes to indicate low battery
The BR32 wireless motion sensor is powered by 2 CR123A lithium batteries and has a battery life of up to 5 years. The sensor uses passive infrared (PIR) to detect changes in infrared light with a 90° horizontal field of view and 35 ft / 10m detection range. Pet/animal resistant up to 80 lbs.
BR32 Motion Install
For ideal coverage, it is recommended to install the motion sensor 6 ft. / 1.8m from the floor in the corner of a room.
The motion sensor should be installed with the LED on the top, the proper orientation will also be denoted by the top arrow inside the back cover.
Test Mode - After installing the batteries, the motion sensor will go into walk test mode. After 10 minutes in test mode, the device will return to normal operation. In test mode the Green LED will:
turn on when motion is detected
turn off after 5 seconds pass with no detected motion
Normal Operation - While in normal operation, the green LED will:
NOT turn on when motion is detected
flash rapidly three times every 2 minutes to indicate low battery
The BR33 wireless panic button is powered by a 1 CR123A lithium battery and has a battery life of up to 5 years. Allows for custom alarm actions configurable in Command. Supports both wall/desk mounting as well as mobile use, with a built-in lanyard attachment loop. LED provides immediate feedback on whether a panic signal was successfully received by the hub.
BR33 Panic Install
The BR33 panic button can be mounted above, side, below or can be worn as a pendant with the built-in loop on the mounting plate.
Normal Operation - During normal operation, the green LED will:
blink green at button press to signify that it has reached out to the hub and is awaiting a response
solid green LED at button press to signify that the panic message has been received by the hub.
flash rapidly three times every 2 minutes to indicate low battery.
The BR34 wireless glass break sensor is powered by a 1 CR123A lithium battery and has a battery life of up to 2 years. The sensor uses dual detection to reduce false positives by requiring both impact and successive shattering frequencies to trigger an alarm with a detection range up to 15 ft. / 5 m.
BR34 Glass Install
The BR33 can be mounted on the ceiling or wall with a line-of-sight distance of no more than 15ft /5m from the window(s) that you would like protected.
To avoid false positives, it is recommended that you install the glass break sensors in areas without excessive vibrations.
Protected Glass Types Chart:
Glass Type | Nominal Thickness (Minimum) | Glass Size (Minimum) |
Plate | 2.4mm (3/32 in,) | 14 in. |
Tempered | 3mm (1/8 in.) | 14 in. |
Laminated | 3mm (1/8 in.) | 14 in. |
Wired | 6mm (1/4 in.) | 14 in. |
Coated | 3mm (1/8 in.) | 14 in. |
Note: Minimum size for all types is 14 in. square; glass must be framed in the wall or mounted in a barrier at least 36 in. wide. Protected only if both plates in the unit are broken.
Testing the BR34 Glass Break Sensor - we recommend purchasing the Honeywell Intellisense FG-701 Microflex tester to verify sensor operation.
Place the Tester in "Test" and "Flex" mode.
In this mode, the FG-701 Microflex tester will listen for a "Flex" signal, which is a low-frequency thud before producing a burst of glass-break audio
Position the FG-701 within 3-meters with the speaker facing the BR34 glass break sensor that you would like to test
Hit the red start button
The simulator will "click" on and start an eight-second armed period
Generate the flex signal by carefully striking a nearby wall, table, surface or the Glass break tester itself
The BR34 Glass sensor will display a green LED when a Glass break is detected
Normal Operation - During normal operation, the green LED will:
turn on when the glass break event is detected. The light will go off after 5 seconds.
flash rapidly 3 times every 2 minutes to indicate low battery.
The BR45 wireless water leak sensor is powered by a CR123A lithium battery and has a battery life of up to 5 years. The sensor has a 2.1m / 7ft extended probe that allows for precise placement in areas at risk for water leaks.
BR35 Water Install
For ideal coverage, the base module should be installed in the open with as little obstruction from the sensor to the wireless hub as possible
The best practice is to install the probe on the floor where water will accumulate
Testing the BR35 Wireless Water Sensor - You can test the operation of the water sensor by shorting the two metal contacts at the end of the probe with a conductive material such as; water, a metal screwdriver, or your thumb (place the edge of your thumb on the farthest contact and allow the base of your thumb to touch the closest contact to complete the circuit)
Normal Operation - During normal operation, the green LED will:
turn on when water is detected. It will stay on as long as the water is detected
off when no water is detected
flash rapidly 3 times every 2 minutes to indicate low battery
The BX21 wireless relay is powered by an external 12/24 volt power source. The sensor allows you to control sirens or strobes when an alarm is raised. Optionally, the BX21 can be configured as a universal transmitter that allows you to use internally wired input terminals to convert signals from a separate two-wire sensor into wireless signals that can be received by the BH61 wireless hub.
BX21 Relay Installation
The BX21 can be mounted vertically or horizontally with the included screws or adhesive tape.
Connect the siren/strobe to either NC/NO and COM. Connect a power source to the positive and negative terminals.
Testing BX21
To test the functionality of the relay, use the included allen key to push the test button. When the button is held down the relay will output to the end device confirming functionality.
To configure the wireless output, go to your alarm site settings > Alarm actions > "Wireless Relay Outputs" > + Add Output
The ACC-CEL-LTE cellular backup module is a plug-and-play solution that is powered by a USB 2.0 connection to the BP41 alarm panel or BH61 wireless alarm hub. This module provides a multiple network LTE connection (AT&T and T-Mobile) with automatic failover to the best available network. An unlimited data plan for alarm signaling is included in the license.
Cellular Backup Module Install
The cellular backup module plugs into the BH61 wireless hub or BP41 wired panel via USB and is plug-and-play.
Mount the cellular module and position the antenna in a way that provides the greatest signal strength and minimizes obstruction.
Testing the Cellular Backup Module - You can test cellular failover capabilities by simply unplugging the Ethernet cable from the BP41 alarm panel or BH61 alarm hub
Note: Please allow the hub at least 30 minutes to charge its internal battery before testing
Unplug the Ethernet cable from your device
The hub LED should transition from solid blue to blinking blue, and finally back to solid blue
Initiate a trigger from any wireless sensor device and check if Command has received the event
Setup and Installation Best Practices
Building materials, obstructions, distance, and general RF interference are highly variable across different environments and from time of day. It is for this reason that we highly suggest you adhere to the following guidelines to ensure that your wireless system operates to the best of its ability.
Adding your Wireless Hub to Command:
Take the cover off of your alarm hub and plug the device into a PoE Switch
Go to All Products > Add Device and select a site. This will be your Alarms site
Enter the 12-character serial number beginning with DQ6 located on the bottom of the device or on the box that was provided
After activating your hub, follow the setup flow to configure your Alarms site, if you added it to an existing Alarms site you can simply exit out of this flow
Navigate to the Alarms Devices tab and verify that your wireless hub is reporting online and the LED on the hub is solid blue
Adding your Wireless Sensors to Command:
Place your wireless sensors right next to the wireless hub. We will be verifying that all of your sensors are properly communicating with your hub and reporting events to Command prior to installing the sensors in their final locations.
Adding your Wireless Sensors by SN:
Select the Devices page then select Add Device and select a site. This is the Alarms site that your wireless sensor will be associated with
Enter the 12-character serial number located on the sensor or on the box that was provided and select Activate
This will automatically associate the sensor to the Alarms site and the hub(s) in your organization
Note: Wireless sensors and hubs do NOT have to exist in the same Alarms site. Sensors will communicate automatically communicate with the closest physical hub that exists in your entire organization.
Power ON your Wireless Sensors
When the sensors are first powered on, they will automatically try to join the closest hub to report their status.
Pull the battery tabs from your sensor(s) to power on the device.
Initiate trigger event(s) as detailed in the Wireless Deep Dive guide above for your particular sensor (door open/close, motion detected, button press, etc.)
Validating Wireless Sensor Coverage
From this point, we should place the hub as close to the desired location as possible such as the center of the floor/building for maximum coverage.
The most recent sensor events will be time-stamped in the Alarms site Devices tab. You can monitor this page to ensure that sensor events are being reported to Command and the sensor's current signal strength
Relocate your wireless sensors to their desired install locations and send several trigger events (door open/close, motion detected, panic button press, glass break tester, and shorting the metal contacts on the water sensor)
If the events are being reported to Command, you can install the sensor in its final location and send one more event for good measure, otherwise:
If no events are being received, move closer to the hub to determine if the issue is related to signal coverage
If you find that events are being received when you move closer to the hub, perform a site walk to determine if there are any obstructions that could be dampening the signal
You can also choose to reposition the hub for better coverage and restart the testing
Finally, if the above fails you may want to consider purchasing an additional hub and license to fully cover your floor/building
Command Configuration:
At this stage, we want to verify our Alarms site settings and validate system operations by raising a few test alarms.
Place your Alarm Site in Test Mode
When the system is placed in test mode, the system and monitoring agents will still go through the Alarms flow but will NOT dispatch emergency services unless you explicitly request it.
Enable Emergency Dispatch
Enable Monitoring Test Mode
Configure User Call List and Notifications
At least one user with a verified phone number must be subscribed to receive a call from our monitoring agents. In the below example, Gary would be the first person to receive a call and Adam would be the second to be called if Gary is unavailable. Both users will receive SMS and email notifications when an alarm is raised.
Add Wired and/or Wireless Sensors as Triggers
All added sensors will be used as triggers
For some sensors such as door contact sensors and panic buttons, there are additional settings that can be configured. Select the edit icon next to the sensor to access these settings.
Arm the Site and Raise a Test Alarm
Arm the Alarms site from Command, and monitor the Activity Tab
Trigger your sensors and after the entry delay has elapsed, an alarm should be raised. Users on the notification list can resolve the alarm by spelling out their last name and phone number associated with their account to the monitoring agent. Command users can also manually resolve the alarm banner or by disarming their system.
You can expand the alarm-raised event to see all of the sensors that were tripped under the alarm period. You can select a specific event bubble to pull the camera footage for any cameras that are configured as a nearby camera on the door sensors.
Final Check
Under the Alarm site devices tab, ensure that all of the wireless sensors have populated at least one event.
