EVL4(MAX) Pre-Purchase Questions

[jimsmith21236]

Hi, new forum member here. Private DIY'er. In the past I set up & ran an Ademco Vista BPT128 panel using Alarmdecoder hardware interface + OpenHAB for semi-"smart" features, LAN-enabled reporting, etc., so I have a good familiarity with the ins and outs of DIY'ing.

I have reviewed the most recent ~20 pages of the forums here to glean a basic understanding of the EVL4 & related issues, features, etc. I still don't understand certain things:

1) Eyezon remote/cloud monitoring vs. local TPI LAN and/or HTTP interface: Is it possible to have full activation & use of both of these features at the same time, or does it have to be one or the other? I want my local OpenHAB or HomeAssistant server to be able to interact fully with the EVL4 while also subscribing to Eyezon remote/cloud monitoring.

2) Long-term fall back to permanent stand-alone operation? In the event I don't want to associate my EVL4 with Eyezon or any other remote monitoring service, does my EVL4 have to be manually "released" or "unlocked" by Eyezon before I have full control over it again? Or do I always have full administrative control over the device at all times? (Assume that I've covered the polling by creating a local LAN server to reset the polling timer via TPI interface to prevent the EVL4 from rebooting.)

3) Comprehensive written documentation of all of the EVL4MAx'es current feature set in one document?
I have gathered these bits and pieces by sifting through hundreds of forum posts but still have no confidence that I understand the full scope of the EVL4.

• There's some kind of private Eyezon-only API which Eyezon uses to manage the device remotely.
• There's a local LAN http/web control panel of some kind, accessible to the end user for configuring various settings.
• There is a rudimentary but ?? undocumented http:// or https:// interface exposed to the local LAN which can be used to harvest certain status info?
• There's a local-lan SYSLOG capability.
• There's a local-lan TCP-socket (TPI) interface but it is only for use by programmers, not usable interactively via telnet. --> Where is the list of 3rd party developer libraries or packages that are tailored to allow higher-level access to the features offered through the TPI?

• ?? Am I missing anything else?

4) The EVL4"Max" is "identical" to the EVL4, except it isn't, it actually has much more available memory, potentially allowing it to be carried forward with ongoing feature expansions and enhancements that the EVL4 and earlier cannot due to memory restrictions? How can I ensure that I am getting an EVL4Max board vs. an EVL4 if I am ordering from Amazon or eBay etc?

[GrandWizard]

1) Eyezon remote/cloud monitoring vs. local TPI LAN and/or HTTP interface: Is it possible to have full activation & use of both of these features at the same time, or does it have to be one or the other? I want my local OpenHAB or HomeAssistant server to be able to interact fully with the EVL4 while also subscribing to Eyezon remote/cloud monitoring.

All services within the Envisalink are always available.

2) Long-term fall back to permanent stand-alone operation? In the event I don't want to associate my EVL4 with Eyezon or any other remote monitoring service, does my EVL4 have to be manually "released" or "unlocked" by Eyezon before I have full control over it again? Or do I always have full administrative control over the device at all times? (Assume that I've covered the polling by creating a local LAN server to reset the polling timer via TPI interface to prevent the EVL4 from rebooting.)

I have no clue what you are talking about. You always own your hardware and nobody else has control of it.

Polling timer? I don't know what you are talking about.

3) Comprehensive written documentation of all of the EVL4MAx'es current feature set in one document?
I have gathered these bits and pieces by sifting through hundreds of forum posts but still have no confidence that I understand the full scope of the EVL4.

• There's some kind of private Eyezon-only API which Eyezon uses to manage the device remotely.
• There's a local LAN http/web control panel of some kind, accessible to the end user for configuring various settings.
• There is a rudimentary but ?? undocumented http:// or https:// interface exposed to the local LAN which can be used to harvest certain status info?
• There's a local-lan SYSLOG capability.
• There's a local-lan TCP-socket (TPI) interface but it is only for use by programmers, not usable interactively via telnet. --> Where is the list of 3rd party developer libraries or packages that are tailored to allow higher-level access to the features offered through the TPI?

• ?? Am I missing anything else?

Answers are in order of your questions.

- Envisalerts is run by manufacturer and is used for firmware updates and alerts
- Yes there is a full HTTP interface to the Envisalink
- No clue what you are saying here. Do you mean the hacks for DSC? They don't exist for Honeywell
- Yes there is a full SYSLOG client built-into the Envisalink
- Every company that integrates with the Envisalink has their own drivers/libraries. You will need to contact them about what they support.

4) The EVL4"Max" is "identical" to the EVL4, except it isn't, it actually has much more available memory, potentially allowing it to be carried forward with ongoing feature expansions and enhancements that the EVL4 and earlier cannot due to memory restrictions? How can I ensure that I am getting an EVL4Max board vs. an EVL4 if I am ordering from Amazon or eBay etc?

The Envisalink4MAX is the only product produced in the last 4 years. It says right on the PCB, "MAX".

If you don't order from our Amazon store-front or direct from Eyezon, you will not have any warranty on the product. You can buy from whomever you want but beware of scammers, there are a lot out there.

[jimsmith21236]

Polling timer? I don't know what you are talking about.

The current (June 9th, 2024, version 1.09) Developer Documentation for the Envisalink TPI suggests there is a polling function where the unit has to be re-polled within a fixed interval (20 minutes) or it reboots. Or maybe I am looking at the wrong developer docs and this applies to some other unit, not the EVL4? Seeing this, I was concerned that in true stand-alone mode (no internet and/or firewalled,) the EVL4 would spontaneously reboot every 20 minutes due to lack of polling.

Screenshot 2025-03-28 at 6.17.49 PM.jpg (234.62 KiB) Viewed 6125 times

Thanks for your other detailed replies.

[GrandWizard]

No, that's a very old leftover. I'll let them know about it.