Hey, Integrator Pros!

Welcome to 2024! Our take on the “new year, new me” adage is “new year, new us.”  As we begin a year full of exciting new opportunities, we’re spicing up how we deliver insider industry tips and tricks to you. Now formally known as the Integrator Pro Insider, we’re cooking up knowledge snacks in this month’s newsletter in a variety of flavors for every palate. Whether you exclusively service residential, commercial, automation, or non-automation customers (or all of the above), we’ve got something for you to savor. Grab a plate and get your fill of the latest news, tips, tricks, and more! We bay-leaf you will become a seasoned expert this year. Happy 2024!  Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

A Newly Refined PCNA Palate

We’re spicing up the Professional Certified Network Administrator certification! On January 9, all PCNA kits will include a few new devices—Araknis® 520 Series Wi-Fi 6 Indoor Wireless Access Points, and an Araknis 220 Router. These replace the Araknis 510 Series Access Points and Araknis 310 Series Router, respectively. What does this mean for you? The PCNA course will now contain:

• New content on the benefits of using Wi-Fi 6 (e.g., 40% increase in data rate, 60% increase in battery life, seamless roaming)  
• Overview of WPA3 encryption standards 
• Update to password best practices, including a “Time It Takes a Hacker to Crack a Password” chart 
• Update of OvrC^® activities, including an updated user interface 

Note: If you’ve registered for PCNA and have not yet received your PCNA kit, the updated PCNA kit will be shipped automatically. If you’ve already received your PCNA kit containing the Araknis 510 Series Access Points and Araknis 310 Series Router, complete the certification with your existing kit.  Register for PCNA through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users>>  Control4® Portal Users>>  Control4 EMEA Portal Users>>  Why do fish prefer to live in salt water? Pepper water makes them sneeze.

You Herb it Here First – Exciting News Coming Soon for U.S. Control4 Partners

We’ve been working with Partners like you behind the scenes for over a year to develop new ways to better support you. We believe by helping Partners deliver exceptional end-customer experiences, we can help you build a stronger business. Now, U.S. Control4 Partners can look forward to an upcoming online announcement soon! On January 18, tune in to the Control4 New Solutions Premiere, where Snap One Leadership will announce the latest innovations from Control4 and how they’re reshaping the industry. Be sure to add it to your calendar. It’s going to be a pretty big dill.   What is a gymnast’s favorite spice? Somer-salts.

Araknis 920 Switches’ A-mace-ing Firmware Update

Firmware version 1.1.05 is packed with a special blend of new features, improvements, and fixes for Araknis 920 switches. This firmware release adds functionality for flawless B-960 MOIP operation, enables setting static routes from the management VLAN, adds functionality for future uplink modules, and provides general bug fixes.  Read more in the Tech Community What do spice lovers put on their pizza? Pepper-only.

No Need to Move Gingerly… Just Point and (Double-) Click

Aiming a PTZ camera has never been easy… until now! The new 3D aiming technology of the Luma® X20 PTZ puts perfect aim at your fingertips.

Luma View App: 1. Tap once on a channel view to reveal the icons.   2. Tap the PTZ icon to activate 3D Zoom. Zoom buttons appear below the camera image.   3. When 3D Zoom is activated, tap the channel’s image to center the PTZ on that location.   4. You can also swipe the image to pan the camera in that direction.   IPC Live View: 1. Double-click the channel screen to make the PTZ center on that point.   2. If you click and drag from left to right, the camera centers on that area and zooms in.   3. Click and drag right to left, and the PTZ centers on that area and zooms out.   NVR Live View: This operates like the IPC view. However, due to communication lags, we recommend you use the camera UI instead.   Note: If Smart Tracking is enabled, 3D Zoom does not prevent the camera from returning to its home position.  Why is salt salty? You would be, too, if you kept getting pinched.

Knowledge-baste

New or updated articles:

• Luma x00/x10 “View Snapshot” Feature Has Been Removed (new)  
• Luma Insights: Subscription Tiers and Pricing (new)
• How to Port Mirror on Snap One Switches (new)  
• How to capture logs on Control4 devices (new) 
• Troubleshooting Control4 Bus Ethernet Gateways (new) 
• Available B-960 MoIP Multiview Layouts in the Control4 Driver (new) 
• Chrome browser HTTPS certificate error – ” Your connection is not private” (new)

New and updated known issues:

• C4 Dimmer Max On Level Changes Adjust the Min On Levels (new)
• OpenVPN Connect App Not Connecting to Araknis x10 Routers (new) 

New and updated product documentation:

• Luma 420-IP-PTZ-25W Install Guide (new) 
• B-960 MoIP Installation Guide (new) 

Sweet Smart Skills

New or updated Smart Skills:

• Streaming Ryff Audio to a MoIP Receiver
• Configuring a Preset Circadian Daylight Program Using the Daylight Agent
• Connecting a Chime Video Doorbell to a Luma X20 NVR in OvrC (new)

Ginger is an old spice. Its roots go way back.

You Cayenne Do It! Snap One Training Opportunities

See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.  Events:

Stop by and visit us at booth 2L130 in Hall 2 (Residential and Smart Building) at ISE in Barcelona! Use code AVI002DW for a free expo-only pass. Click here to register How do spices increase work productivity? By having brainstorming seasons.

Decadent Drivers

Denon

• AVR-S670H
• AVR-S770H
• AVR-S970H

IC Realtime

• NVR-EL128 
• NVR-EL32 
• NVR-EL64 

Samsung

• QN98QN990CFXZA 
• QN85QE1CAFXZA 
• QN70QE1CAFXZA 
• QN55LS03BSFXZA 
• QN65LS03BSFXZA 
• QN75LS03BSFXZA 
• QN85LST9CAFXZA 
• QN83S90CAEXZA 

Bang & Olufsen

• Beosound Theatre 
• Beosound Level 
• Beosound Balance 
• Beosound Emerge 
• Beolab 28 
• Beolab 8 
• Beosound Theatre 48 
• Beosound Theatre 55 
• Beosound Theatre 65 
• Beosound Theatre 77 
• Beosound Theatre 83 
• Beosound Theatre 88 
• Beosound Theatre 97

See more drivers through your respective web portal:   Snap One Portal Users>>  Control4® Portal Users>>  Control4 EMEA Portal Users>>

“Open for Business” Experience Button Driver

To celebrate our commitment to support all kinds of automation projects, residential and commercial—and to celebrate the newsletter’s new name that reflects our commitment—we are offering our readers another free, newsletter-exclusive experience button driver.  Empower your commercial clients to easily open and close their business for the day right from the navigator on a touchscreen, television, or the Control4 app.

For example, in a restaurant or bar, you can program the experience button to turn on all the TVs, select the correct video sources, play streaming audio throughout the dining room, and execute a lighting scene to set the lights to just the right level. Then, at the end of the day, the same experience button can turn everything off.  You can even use the driver to open and close your storefront and showroom.  Download the driver here. Adding the Open for Business Experience Button to a Client’s Project:  1. Download the driver to your computer. 2. Open a client’s project in Composer Pro. 3. On the Driver menu, click Add or Update Driver or Agent. 4. Navigate to the open_for_business.c4z file on your computer and select it. 5. Click Open. 6. In System Design, select the room in the project tree where you want to add the driver. 7. Click the Search tab in the Items pane, verify that the Local checkbox is selected. 8. Type Open for Business in the search box and press Enter. 9. Double-click Open for Business in the driver list to add it to the room. 10. Click the Open for Business driver in the project tree. 11. Click the Documentation tab in the Properties pane and follow the instructions to program the experience button driver behavior. This driver is only available to Integrator Pro Insider readers. (It’s not available in the Composer Pro driver database.) After you download the driver and add it in Composer Pro the first time, it is available for you to add to any client’s project.   What is a monk’s favorite spice? Cardam-ohmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Some Sage Advice

Lets Taco ’bout, “Regain Those Luma Snapshots”

AWS (Amazon Web Services) hosts OvrC’s cloud services. At the end of 2023, AWS deprecated TLS protocols 1.0 and 1.1 due to security weaknesses.  Luma cameras from the x00 and x10 Series used those versions of the TLS protocol for the View Snapshot feature on the device details page in OvrC. Our Luma and OvrC teams have made every attempt to try and retain the View Snapshot functionality but were unable to do so. Therefore, the View Snapshots feature was removed from OvrC on December 21, 2023.    The new Luma X20 IP cameras, the Control4 Chime Video Doorbell, and the DS2 Doorstation all use the TLS 1.2 protocol – and are therefore unaffected by this change. Additionally, any camera using ONVIF protocol to deliver those images through the OvrC Pro agent will not be affected and will continue to function normally.  What do you use to pour spices into a jar? A fennel.

Luma Mints New Firmware

• AI improvements  
• An option to disable auto-logout in the web UI 
• A few bug fixes 

My pepper grinder told me a joke, but it was a bit too coarse.

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks!

We want to hear more from you. (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Hey, Smart Home Pros!

Oh, December. It’s impossi-bell not to feel festive right now. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or plan to join the festivities for New Year’s or Omnisoka, we sincerely hope you have a tree-mendous holiday season. Before we raise our final mistle-toast and get Santa-mental, it’s thyme to stuff your stockings with the latest news, tips, tricks, and more! There’s snow time like the present to branch out, glow up, and be your best elf. Happy Holly-days! “Deck the halls with boughs of” Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

Here’s a Couple of PCNA Santa Clues

Can We Get a Watt-Watt?

If you install an 800 series Wattbox® PDU with one of our Wattbox OvrC®-enabled UPS items, you may encounter sites where you need to adjust the voltage range for use with a generator. With firmware version 2.5.0.8 or later, you can adjust the voltage range of any WattBox 800 PDU in OvrC!

Read more in the Tech Community Note: This feature is not available for International WattBox PDUs. Compatible UPS items include WB-OVRC-UPS-1100-1, WB-OVRC-UPS-1500-1, and WB-OVRC-UPS-2000-1. Why does Santa always go down the chimney? Because it soots him.

Luma^® NVRs Now Feature Myrrh Channels Than Ever!

You ask, and Snappy Claus delivers. For the first time ever, the Luma Surveillance line offers both 16- and 32-channel NVRs! The new high-capacity Luma 420 Series 16-Channel NVR and Luma 820 Series 32-Channel NVR both offer enhanced processing power, improved performance, and wider bandwidth capabilities – allowing for higher resolution cameras up to 12MP! Even simple things can turn a good install into a great one, so these NVRs also include integrated power supplies for cleaner rack mounting and wire management, and dual Ethernet ports for backup in the event of a network failure. Check out the Installation Guides for more product features and learn how these NVRs can make your install experiences sweeter. I hope I get a broken drum for Christmas – you can’t beat ‘em!

Meet Your Technical Support Agent!

Technical Support Agent Philmore Collins is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One™ technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our Partners.  Philmore is based in Greenacres, Florida, and supports our Control4® Partners. He’s been a valuable member of our Tech Support team since late 2022, working in the field and gaining extensive knowledge of our Snap One offerings and third-party products.  His teammates characterize him as being “very humble, kind, and always willing to lend a hand on anything that is needed.” “Not only does he ask great questions while troubleshooting a variety of systems with our Partners to help resolve their issues, but he does it with a positive attitude that our Partners can enjoy and have fun with.” When he isn’t offering top-notch support at work, he enjoys exploring nature trails, soccer, and gaming. His favorite video game subgenre is survival. What’s a snowman’s favorite food? Brrr-itos!

Knowledgebase

New or updated articles:

• How to Register a Control4 Controller in OvrC – Beta (new)
• OS 3.4.0 Lua Drivers Patch (Broker Error Connecting to Project) (new)
• How to Use an 800 Series WattBox PDU and OvrC-enabled UPS With a Generator (new)
• Spotify with Control4 Now Supports “Recently Played” (new)
• Control4 Remote Access Not Connecting With IPV6 Change On Certain Android Phones (updated)
• How to Set Up Auto Renewal For a 4Sight® Subscription (updated)
• Controller Will Not Register or Update Because Connected to Beta Server (updated)
• Connecting to a Control4 System on iOS 14 (updated)

New and updated product documentation:

• Luma Bridge Quick Start Guide (new)
• Luma Bridge Installation Guide (new)
• Luma 420/820 NVR Installation Guide (new)
• Luma 420/820 Hard Drive Installation Guide (new)

Smart Skills

New or updated Smart Skills:

• Smart Skills: Registering a Control4 Controller Using OvrC (new)
• Smart Skills: Configuring a Preset Circadian Daylight Program Using the Daylight Agent (new)

Why is everyone at the North Pole thirsty?  There’s no well.

Snap One Training Opportunities

See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.  A snowman turned to his friend and asked, “Do you smell carrots?”

Events:

Stop by and visit us at booth 2L130 in Hall 2 (Residential and Smart Building) at ISE in Barcelona! Use code AVI002DW for a free expo-only pass. Click here to register Santa Claus never pays for parking, it’s always on the house!

Drivers:

New Drivers:

• Epson
  • EB-L730G
• IC Realtime
  • IPFX-P4032X-IRW1
  • IPFX-P4032X-IRW2
  • IPMX-E40F-ADW1
  • IPMX-E40F-IRW1-AI
  • IPMX-D40F-IRB2
  • IPMX-D40F-IRW2
  • IPMX-D40F-W1
  • IPMX-B40F-ADW1
  • IPMX-B40F-IRB2
  • IPMX-B40F-IRW2
  • IPFX-B40V-IRB2
  • IPFX-B40V-IRW2
  • IPFX-D40V-IRB2
  • IPFX-D40V-IRW2
  • IPFX-E40V-IRW2
  • IPMX-B40F-W1-LED
  • IPMX-E40F-W1-LED
  • IPMX-W40F-IRW2

Updated Drivers:

• Samsung
  • QE75LST7TCUXXU
• Dish Hopper/ Joey
  • Updated commands for Android-based devices

See more drivers through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users Control4 Portal Users Control4 EMEA Portal Users A large icicle fell on my head last night. It knocked me out cold.

Tips and Tricks

Sleigh Cyber Security With These Password Best Practices

The best way to protect your systems from cyber threats is with a strong password. The longer and more unique your password, the more difficult it is to crack.  It’s easy to make a password that’s hard to crack: Make your password at least 12 characters long (longer is always better) Include caps, numbers, and special characters (most people use all lowercase letters) The challenge is to make a password that is also easy to remember.  Read more tips in the Tech Community What do you call an old snowman? Water.

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks!

We want to hear more from you. (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Hey, Smart Home Pros! In the U.S.A., November is primarily known for a few holidays. The first is Veterans Day, where we honor more than 19 million men and women who have served in the U.S. military. The second is Thanksgiving, where we give thanks for everything we have. The third comes the very next day: Black Friday, where we frantically buy more. We prefer Cyber Monday, where you can listen to the awesome sound system you designed while shopping online using the high-performance network you installed. In the spirit of giving, read on for the latest news, tips, tricks, and more! May the win be ever in your sales! Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

OvrC Early Access Beta For Control4® Partner Tools

What’s better than a pre-Black Friday sale? A chance to test the new C4 Controller Registration + Customer Handoff features in OvrC through an early access Beta, of course! If you are not enrolled in the OvrC Beta, you can register for it here. Reimagining the Control4 Partner tools in OvrC provides a more streamlined controller registration and customer handoff process – saving time and eliminating the need for “fake” accounts and shared passwords. You can also use temporary credentials in the Control4 app to validate your work locally or remotely. OvrC is not replacing Composer Pro – you can still register controllers in Composer Pro the old way, but you should consider trying out the new process in OvrC. (We think you will really like it.) I’m going to be spending $1,000 on Black Friday. It’ll be a grand day!

Araknis® 520 Router Bug Fix If you have experienced an SFP port shutdown during the boot process of an AN-520 router, you aren’t alone. Thankfully, we have a fix for that. Update the router firmware to version 1.0.04 through OvrC, or download the firmware and update the router manually. You can read more about what caused the bug as well as the firmware update instructions in the Tech Community. If you’ve seen one shopping plaza, you’ve seen the mall.

OvrC User Guide The OvrC User Guide is your go-to source for learning to use the platform and its newest features. As we continue to improve the OvrC platform and integrate more OvrC features into our products, you can rely on this guide to provide the most up-to-date information, all in one place.  I saw a man with one arm shopping at a second-hand store.

Meet Your Technical Support Agent!

Technical Support Agent Waldi Flores is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One™ technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our Partners.  Waldi is based in Friendship, Texas, and supports our Control4 Partners. It is no surprise that his teammates had plenty to say about him. “Waldi has proven to be a great asset. He is a fast learner and really hit the ground running.”  “Anytime Waldi assists our Partners, they report having great experiences. He can really handle his business.” “He has an upbeat attitude and it feels like he has been a part of the team for years.” When Waldi isn’t offering top-notch support at work, he enjoys hiking, playing soccer, riding motorcycles, and going to the beach.  On Black Friday, don’t buy anything with Velcro. It’s a total rip-off.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• How to Fix an SFP Port Not Initializing on an Araknis 520 Router (new)
• Control4 Device Must First Be Updated To At Least OS 3.3.1 Before It Can Be Updated To OS 3.4.0 or Later (new)
• Connecting an X10 camera to an X20 NVR including Control4 integration (new)
• How To Set Up An Email Notification To Send A Text Message (updated Verizon info)
• Recovering a Luma® x10 Series Device from an IP Address Change (updated)

New & updated product documentation:

• Episode® Home Theater Reference Series Speakers Install Guide (new)
• OvrC User Guide (new)
• Neeo FW v1.71.7 Release Notes (new)

Smart Skills New or updated Smart Skills:

• Registering a Control4 Controller Using OvrC
• Configuring a Preset Circadian Daylight Program Using the Daylight Agent

I bought a used TV. It had the volume stuck at full, but it was only $5. I just couldn’t turn it down.

Snap One Training Opportunities See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.

Automation Programmer Certification Wins Another Award You know how great this training is, so it probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that it’s won yet another award. AP earned the Smart Building Award for Best Training, handed out at the EI Live! exposition.  Make sure every technician in your company gets certified!

I spent 12 hours shopping on Black Friday. When I came back out, my windshield had iced over. I tried to scrape it clean using my store discount card, but I could only get 20% off.

Events:

Stop by our booth at the CEDIA Tech Summits in Newark, NJ, and Long Island, NY, to learn more about our latest products and what’s to come at the Snap One Partner Stores! Click here to register. CEDIA Tech Summit, Newark – November 14th, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CEDIA Tech Summit, Long Island – November 16th, 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Look at, learn, and evaluate the latest security technologies and solutions by attending ISC East, the Northeast’s leading security and public safety event! Stop by booth #825 to check out what Snap One has to offer. Register with our link and save up to $150! ISC East, New York – November 14th to Nov 16th I bought a vacuum on sale on Black Friday. It sucks!

Drivers: New Drivers:

• Marantz
  • CD50n
  • CD50n EU
• WAC Lighting
  • A1G10-DMX
• Sinopé
  • WL4210-C4
• Swidget
  • R1015SWA
  • S16001WA
  • SD3001WA

Updated Drivers:

• Pulse-Eight
  • Neo:X+
  • Neo:XMR
  • Neo:XSR

See more drivers through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users Control4 Portal Users Control4 EMEA Portal Users My local boat shop is giving a huge discount on all their galleons and brigantines… it’s the biggest sail event they’ve ever had.

From One Custom Integrator to Another

Custom integrator Naveed Kaymanesh from Sight and Sound Systems uses OvrC not just to reduce service costs, but also to create extra income. As the demand for ongoing customer support continues to grow in the custom integration industry, this Snap One integrator has turned the realities of troubleshooting, system monitoring, and software updates into a subscription-based service plan. “Most of the time we don’t even discuss OvrC or how all of it works, we just tell them that for ‘X’ dollars a month, we will be able to reset your router instantly or fix your TV’s Wi-Fi without scheduling a technician visit, and they get it. They get it right away.” Read more Black Friday at the Geology Museum gift store was rockin’ – there were so many great shales!

Don’t Let Your Customer Cut Costs on Devices It will lead to a less-than-stellar installation experience.

On Cyber Monday, I ordered both an egg and a chicken from Amazon. I’ll let you know.

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you. (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!    Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Hey, Smart Home Ghouls & Goblins! As the leaves turn orange and in the air there’s a chill, we invite you to get cozy and enhance your technical skills! We’ve brewed up tech tales like never before, with exciting new product features, KB articles, tips, tricks, and more. So, grab your wizard’s cap, wand, and favorite treat – it’s time to conjure the best installer on the street!  Eat, drink, and be scary! Holly “Queen of Halloween” Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

Sound So Good… It’s Frightening!

The Episode® Home Theater Reference Series (HTR) is our first-ever reference offering! Guided by our approach of “sound based on science,” the HTR series features:

• Timbre matched to other Episode speaker lines 
• Inverted ribbed surrounds to increase effective piston area and excursion to behave like an accordion, allowing stretching and greater linear cone excursion – all to prevent sound distortion at high volumes
• CSMs (Coherent Source Modules) that combine a dome midrange and aluminum dome tweeter for efficient response, higher dynamic range, and full-frequency reproduction
• Tonal Balance Controls for bass, midrange, and tweeter that optimize the speaker for the install environment
• Rigid MDF (medium density fiberboard) construction reduces vibration, prevents sound pressure level loss, and delivers cleaner sound
• And more!

Swing by your local Snap One™ Partner Store and listen for yourself! What sound does a witch’s car make? Broom, broom!

PCNA: Important Note If you registered for Professional Certified Network Administrator (PCNA) certification through either dealer.control4.com or dealer.pakedge.com and have not completed the coursework, go directly to snapav.com/shop/en/snapav/education and click View in the My Courses section to continue from where you left off. After you complete all the coursework, schedule your exam at snapav.com/shop/en/snapav/pcna. To keep up to date on PCNA news, visit the PCNA page in the Tech Community.

Lighting Compatibility Lab Do you wonder if a particular light is compatible with Control4® dimmers? Struggling in Composer Pro to find the optimal dimmer range levels for a light fixture?  Our Third-Party Lighting Compatibility Lab offers a free testing service for lighting designers, Partners, and lighting manufacturers. We have expanded our testing capacity at our Lehi, UT facility – most lights can now be tested within a week!  When you send in light fixture samples, we test them using several Control4 dimmers and create a detailed report with a graphed dimming curve. We also share the optimal settings we used to test your device. These can be used as a starting point in your customer’s environment. To get started, fill out a Testing Request and send us the light fixture. We will send you the full report and request a return label.    Here’s a sample test report, so you can see what you’ll receive:

Spiders and bats are key parts of the eek-o-system.

Patching Pumpkins or Pumpkin Patches? No tricks, just treats. The C4 Authentication Patch addresses an issue where some out-of-the-box CORE series controllers (CORE 1, CORE 3, CORE 5, and CORE Lite) do not connect to Composer Pro. Read more about why this happens, how to identify if you need the patch, and patching instructions in the Tech Community. Why did the ghost cross the road? To get to The Other Side.

Meet Your Wizard… I Mean, Technical Support Agent!

Technical Support agent Ian Weaver is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our Partners.  Ian is characterized by his teammates as a “quick learner who is geared up for success.” He never hesitates to offer his support and expertise to his team, and has built great relationships with our Partners. When Ian isn’t offering top-notch support at work, he enjoys the great outdoors: hiking, camping, paddleboarding, and paintballing.  How did the zombie become great at trick-or-treating? Dead-ication.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• Control4 OS 3.4.0 Release Notes (new)
• Using Luma x10 with x20 Guide (new)
• Luma X20 Articles, Videos, and Documentation (updated with a note that Control4 controllers must be on OS 3.3.2 or higher to integrate X20 cameras) 

New & updated product documentation:

• Composer Pro 3.4.0 User Guide (new)
• Composer Home Edition User Guide (new)
• Triad PAMP v2 Installation Guide Halo Remote Firmware v1.6.4 Release Notes (new)

Zombies don’t eat comedians because they taste funny.

Snap One Training Opportunities See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.

Training Events Across the U.S. and Canada! On October 19, stop by any of our 42 Snap One Partner Stores between 11 a.m.–3.p.m. for a great time with music, festive food and beer, and live demos. Aren’t sure where your local (but not low-cal) Partner Store is? Get the address here!

Snap One Partner Store Trainings: After Oktoberfest, the Education Team will take a break from training in local Snap One Partner Stores during November and December as we prepare content for 2024. Be sure to take some time to hang with your family and friends and enjoy life.  Webinars:

Streamlining Surveillance Installs with Luma® and OvrC® Remote Management – Oct 18th, 2:00 p.m. EST What do you call the ghost of a chicken? A poultry-geist.

Drivers: New Drivers:

• Somify:
  • POE Motor
• Denon/Marantz:
  • DRA-900H
  • STEREO 70s
  • AVR-X1800H
• Loewe TVs:
  • bild i.48
  • bild i.55
  • bild i.65
  • bild i.77
  • bild c.32
  • bild c.43
  • We.SEE 32
  • We.SEE 43
  • We.SEE 50
  • We.SEE 55
• Epson:
  • 2023 Projectors
• IDIS Cameras:
  • Generic Camera Driver for Fixed, MFX, and Fisheye
  • PTZ Cameras
• Planar:
  • SLM models
  • URL models
  • URP models

Updated Drivers:

• Silent Gliss
• Loewe Sl5s

See more drivers through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users Control4 Portal Users Control4 EMEA Portal Users What did the skeleton order with its beer? A mop.

Transferring Cameras from a Luma X10 NVR to an X20 NVR When upgrading a Luma NVR, don’t miss this one step: before you disconnect any X10 cameras from an X10 Luma NVR, log in to the camera’s interface and switch the Basic Network Settings to DHCP. After that, disconnect the camera and connect it to an X20 Luma NVR.  Learn more in the Tech Community. If you are using a control system, check out How to Connect an X10 Camera to an X20 NVR, Including Control4 Integration.

Check Your Potential Failure States Know what your project will look like if a particular lighting circuit fails.

Witches and warlocks go to Hogwarts to learn how to spell.   Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you. (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Avast, Smart Home Pros! September is here, and with it, International Talk Like a Pirate Day! That be the truth of it, matey! The 19th of September is a day that’ll shiver your timbers with all things nautical, piratical, and… um… something-else-ical.  International Talk Like a Pirate Day started as a joke in 1995, but gained traction in 2002 when it was covered by syndicated humorist and land-lubber Dave Barry. We on the Education Team will be celebrating, and if Technical Support answers the phone with “Ahoy!” at least you’ll know what’s up. So if some scurvy bilge rat asks if your company plans to celebrate, we urge you to tell them, “We arrr!” So grab this salty newsletter, pour a mug o’ rum, rest ye bones in your hammock, and let’s see what’s crawled out the bung, because this X marks the spot for new product features, KB arrrticles, tips, tricks, and more! Yarr welcome! Holly “Cap’n Gallows” Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

Plunder a Free Pass to GSX!

Global Security Exchange (GSX) is on the horizon and closing fast – September 11–13 in Dallas!  Be there as the worldwide security industry reconvenes to stay informed, connected, and prepared for what’s next. Join security professionals from every sector to cultivate the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to eliminate emerging threats.  GSX is presented by ASIS International, the world’s largest membership organization for security management professionals.   Board our deck at booth #3009 and hear all the latest scuttlebutt. What’s a pirate’s favorite letter? Arrr!

Brand Ho! Halo & Xfinity Voice Integration Off the Port Bow!

Xfinity Voice integration with Halo remotes is now live! The Xfinity voice integration for Halo Remotes enables seamless media selection and control using Xfinity’s existing voice service. Because the voice command is passed directly to Xfinity, your customers can expect the same performance, accuracy, and capabilities as their original Xfinity-issued remote. This functionality will not work automatically for most customers, so your action is required! You must first verify that the customer’s project meets these system requirements:

• Verify the Xfinity hardware is supported
• Verify the Xfinity hardware is running firmware v6.4 or later
• Control4 system must be running OS 3.3.3 or later

Once verified, the only additional step required is to update the Xfinity X1 driver in Composer Pro to v14 or later. Thankfully, we have the full Xfinity hardware compatibility and driver update process outlined for you in the Tech Community. Do pirates like to fight? Sword of.

New Micro-Cert Scuppers Centralized Lighting 2019 In a bold mutiny, the Control4 Centralized Lighting Micro-Certification has taken the helm for C4 centralized lighting certs. This online course features nine courses and a final exam, and covers the basics of a Control4 centralized lighting system. Topics include components required for a basic system, interpreting lighting schedules, Composer Pro design, and physical installation tips. Ye olde Centralized Lighting 2019 certification has walked the plank and gone to Davy Jones’ locker. If you are one of the old salts who previously completed Centralized Lighting 2019, you must complete this updated Micro-Certification for your certification and digital badge to fly from the yardarm.  For those who have kept their skills on the cutting edge, the new micro-certification provides a way to test out of certain modules.    How much do pirates pay to get their ears pierced? A buck an ear.

Technical Support Seadog Ahoy! Technical Support agent Tim Bruening is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our partners. Based in La Plata, Maryland, Tim supports our Control4® Partners. In his first year at Snap One, Tim has already proven to be a valuable member of the Technical Support Team. His team characterizes him as “an intelligent and experienced individual that is always willing to help anyone in any way that he can.” It is no surprise his teammates had plenty of great things to say about him. “Tim is humble. He asks for help when it is needed and accepts suggestions when given.” “He is a great resource for the rest of the Technical support team.” “Tim is known to our partners as someone they can count on to do everything he can to help them resolve the issue at hand. We are very glad to have him as part of our Snap One family!” When Tim isn’t busy making positive waves in his department, he enjoys spending quality time with his friends and family, 3D printing, Linux programming, and making hardware modifications in his Homelab. He recently rebuilt his storage server, built a brand new server, and configured both servers in a Proxmox cluster to work in unison. He also repurposes old computers with Linux so they can be used as Magic Mirror displays. These displays are self-hosted video slideshows that can be displayed throughout a home! Why is being a pirate so popular? Once you lose your first hand, you just get hooked!

EDID Handshake Givin’ You the Hook? There are many install and environmental factors that can contribute to video not displaying on some TVs. In some cases, the culprit is HDCP or EDID handshake failures. We have seen reports that later Sony and Samsung TV models are displaying EDID handshaking issues through media distribution products such as MoIP, HDMI extenders, and HDBaseT matrix switches. Some Sony and Samsung TVs use a 5-second EDID handshake instead of a standard 2.5-second handshake, which causes the EDID handshake to fail. If your television is having HDCP or EDID handshake issues, you can add a Binary™ 260 Series 4K HDR In-Line Controller (B-260-HDMI-CTRL) or similar device to intercept the HDCP/EDID negotiation after the extender or HDBaseT receiver and before the television.  Read more in the Tech Community Where do pirates eat while they wait for their pegleg to get made? IHOP.

The OvrC® Public BETA Be Needful o’ More Swabbies! Do ye want to be a land-lubber, or to bravely explore new vistas OvrCs? Are ye prepared to board those UIs remotely? Make your mark and join the OvrC public BETA team! What has 4 arms, 4 legs, and 4 eyes? 4 pirates.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• Understanding OvrC Device Statuses (new)
• Understanding Quality of Service (Qos) (new) 
• Luma X20 Firmware Update Observation Mode (new) 
• Luma X20 Streaming APIs (RTSP/HTTP commands) (new) 
• Control4 DS2 Recommended API Settings (new) 
• How to Program Dynamic Custom Buttons for Halo Remotes (new)
• How to Move a Customer’s Existing OvrC Devices to Your OvrC Account (updated) 
• Installing Voice with Halo (updated) 
• Advanced Routing Concepts (updated) 
• Programming Tidal Albums or Playlists (updated) 
• Manual Gate Override When DS2 User Codes Are Being Managed Through Navigators By End User (updated) 
• Analog Audio Distribution Through 3rd Party Video Matrix Switches (updated)
• Which Network Ports & Hosts Does a Control4 System Use? (updated) 

New & updated reset & restore procedure:

• Visualint Line+ app APK not listed in the Play Store for Android devices (new)

New & updated product documentation:

• Vibrant Extrusion Family Guide (Updated to show that the 45-degree square extrusion supports 5- and 6-wire connectors)
• Episode HT-IR Speaker Install Guide (Updated with improved graphics) 
• Triad Product Guide (updated)

Why don’t pirates let their prisoners shower before walking the plank? Because they know they’ll wash up on shore later.

Pumping the Bilge Since SnapAV merged with Control4, we’ve been working to bring everything together into a single website under Snap One. We’ve made a lot of progress, but, as you might imagine, this is a slow and difficult process.  Each major consolidation milestone brings a new uptick in error reports (missing certifications, classes not found, etc.), so please be patient as we push forward. How do pirates communicate? Aye to aye.

Larn the Ropes, Mateys! New opportunities to upgrade your knowledge and skills are coming your way! See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.  Local Trainings:

Designing Vibrant Systems & Programming Automated Lighting:

• Carmel, IN, September 12
• Tampa, FL, September 12
• Cincinnati, OH, September 14
• Orlando, FL, September 14
• Fort Myers, FL, September 19
• San Diego, CA, September 19
• Austin, TX, September 19
• Fort Lauderdale, FL, September 21
• Houston, TX, September 21
• Irvine, CA, September 21
• Philadelphia, PA, September 28
• Troy, MI, September 28
• Rockville, MD, September 28

Webinars Lock in with Kwikset:

• September 13, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, 9:00 a.m. Eastern 
• September 13, 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Eastern 

How do you make a pirate angry? Spell it without a P.

Sails—er, Drivers: New Drivers:

• Samsung 2023 TVs- UK Models
• LG 2023 TVs- Global Models
• Samsung 2023 TVs- Canada Models
• Samsung 2023 TVs- New Zealand Models
• Yamaha R-N800A
• Yamaha R-N1000A
• IDIS Cameras- Camera Driver for Fixed, MFX and Fisheye
• IDIS PTZ Cameras

Updated Drivers:

• LG 2022 model year v207 (maintenance, add video mute)
• Silent Gliss v114

See more drivers through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users Control4 Portal Users Control4 EMEA Portal Users Why can’t pirates play cards? The captain is always standing on the deck.

Workaround for Android Users and Visualint Line+ app The Visualint Line+ app APK is no longer listed in the Play Store for Android devices. This is still being investigated. In the meantime, please use the file attached in this Tech Community KB article as a workaround. Thank you for your patience!   What’s a pirate’s favorite letter? They didn’t have one. Pirates were generally illiterate.

Quick Test for DMX Splitters (sent by Cameron B) Every DMX bus line must have a 120-ohm terminating resistor attached to the last device to prevent the signal from reflecting and causing interference. Most folks just add a 120-ohm resistor and call it good, but our DMX splitters make this even easier for you! As shown in the photo, our DMX splitters have a DIP switch for a built-in terminator. When a splitter is the last device in the DMX bus line, just flip DIP switch 1 in the red block to ON… and the bus stops there!

Why were pirates illiterate? They’d spend years at C.

Don’t Capsize Yer Camera! Customer claims, “Camera flickers to a fuzzy brown image often.”

How do pirates recruit new crew members? Pier pressure.   Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you. (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Hey, Smart Home Pros! August is upon us! Isn’t it hard to believe that we are already in the latter half of the summer? Did you know that the month of August was named after the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar? Apparently, Augustus was jealous that his predecessor, Julius Caesar, named a month after himself – July. Julius Caesar was notorious for making major changes to the calendar, so Augustus determined that, as emperor, he could as well. Since July had 31 days, Augustus wanted his month to match. So, he took a day from February, making it only 28 days. The month of August was born! I guess we should thank him for giving us more August and less February? While you may never have an entire month – or calendar system – changed to honor your legacy, you have plenty of areas to make a lasting impact as an installer. Whether it’s choosing the best products and install methods for the job, prioritizing organization and efficiency, or using Snap One’s™ Education resources to tackle any obstacle, we’ve got your back. So, arm yourselves with these new devices, tips, tricks, and more, and let’s end the summer triumphantly! Salutations to our conquering Partners! Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

Attend CEDIA for Free!

CEDIA is coming soon—sign up now using this link to get a free Expo Only Pass that lets you on the show floor!  Come visit us at booth #1512 and see all our new products. Or join a special training class—they’re going on all show long. See below for details, and sign up before the seats are all taken. To claim your Expo Only Free Pass, click the CEDIA Expo Attendee button at the top of the page. A Roman walks into a bar, holds up two fingers, and says, “Five beers, please.”

Halo Touch Down!

Time to cue the celebration! The Control4 Halo Touch Remotes have officially landed and are accompanied by a fresh new firmware version 1.5.4! Offered in black or silver and with a full color 3.2″ LCD screen, this heavenly duo is packed with installation- and user-friendly features. Key remote features include:

• Touch interface for the selection and control of devices, media, favorites, automations, and menu options
• Capable of media browsing, device control, and scene selection for Watch, Listen, Lighting, and Comfort (security and other experiences coming soon)
• New UI design language is more user friendly and customizable
• Sleep screen provides quick access to Watch, Listen, and Now Playing, while the Home button provides immediate access to room Favorites and a quick swipe for the room’s Main Menu
• New Voice button dynamically functions as a Siri Remote for Apple TV or Xfinity Voice Remote for the Xfinity boxes (Xfinity integration coming soon)
• Optional soft numeric buttons can be accessed through the touch interface
• Backlit buttons are easy to use in the dark
• Customers can take advantage of the “First Time User Experience” via their smartphone to install their Halo Touch in minutes
• Wi-Fi strength increased up to 5× over Neeo and supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
• Ultra-low power processor for extended battery life

Key Features of FW v1.5.4 include:

• Find My Remote functionality with driver’s new “Beep” programming action
• Adds individual settings for screen brightness and keypad brightness
• Toggle added for the docking sounds
• UI speed improvements and battery life improvements

Read more about additional enhancements, optimizations, features and fixes list in Halo Firmware Release Notes,  Read more about Halo Touch in the Tech Community and in your respective web portal: Snap One Portal Users>> Control4 EMEA Portal Users >> Halo Touch Black/Halo Touch Silver P.S.: Check out this personal review from Residential Tech Today!  When Roman paramedics gave someone an IV, did they call it a “four”?

OvrC Pro Shoots Trouble Several great troubleshooting tools—tracert, terminal emulator for SSH and Telnet, and more—are now available directly through OvrC on mobile and desktop devices for OvrC Pro sites. These features allow for in-depth, remote troubleshooting! A new tab called “Pro Tools” shows on the device details of the OvrC Pro device that is assigned to perform network scans.

• Trace route, or tracert, helps you understand the network and many connectivity issues. 
• Terminal Emulator uses the OvrC Pro agent as the on-premises device to open a terminal session and connect to a device using telnet (port 23) or SSH (port 22). This can interface with non-OvrC enabled devices for tasks like configuring switches that do not have a local UI or configuring the front panel buttons of a PDU.
• Scanned ports are now only visible on the Pro Tools tab of the Pro Agent performing the network scans.
• If you need to pull logs for tech support, they can be generated from the Pro Tools tab of the device that performs the network scans. Logs are generated without interruption to the OvrC experience and the OvrC user who requested the logs is emailed a URL where they can be downloaded. This can take up to 5 minutes.
• With these important features moving to the OvrC cloud, access to the local UI of the OvrC Pro agent is no longer needed and will be removed in a future update for security and privacy.

Read more in the blog post here. There are many marbleous statues in Rome, but most locals take them for granite.

Meet Your Technical Support Agent!

Level 3 Tech Support agent Jake Collignon is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our partners.  Born and raised in Houston, TX, Jake supports our Partners through our Control4, Control4 Premier, and Control4 Tier 2 call queues. It is no surprise his teammates had plenty of great things to say about him. “Jake joined the SnapOne Team in 2021 and has quickly risen through the ranks, showing a passion for our trade. He is a quick learner and has absorbed just about every training course we have to offer.” “He never backs down from a challenge, and is an invaluable resource in the C4 chat, helping others wherever he can.” “Jake is a skilled communicator and uses his smooth-as-butter voice to help partners feel comfortable while he addresses all their concerns. All these traits make Jake a natural at Technical Support.” When Jake isn’t busy supporting his team and our Partners, he enjoys watching professional sumo wrestling, trying new restaurants, and playing PC games with his wife. (Their current favorites are Overwatch 2 and Stardew Valley.) For ancient Romans, algebra was easy… X always equaled ten!

Does OvrC Show that Luma x20 Firmware Hasn’t Updated? Luma x20 devices run in a dual-firmware mode to protect the hardware (and your installs) from unforeseen glitches. Once the firmware has been applied to the first (operational) partition, the device goes into an observation mode to ensure the new firmware operates properly. Observation mode lasts for about ten minutes once the firmware update is completed. Once proper function has been verified, the device applies the firmware to the second (backup) partition and logs the new firmware version with OvrC. If the new firmware fails, the device restores the backup firmware to the operational partition. As of this writing, OvrC does not track whether a Luma x20 device is in observation mode. This means that, for about ten minutes in OvrC, it looks like the firmware update didn’t take, and that an update is available. If you try to update the firmware again while your Luma is in observation mode, the update will fail in OvrC but this will not impact the performance of the device. While in observation mode, you can log in to the device’s web UI to see the proper firmware version. Who thinks Roman numerals are confusing? I, for one.

Join the OvrC Beta Do you want to be on the cutting edge of OvrC? Do you want to be part of making remote monitoring even better? Join the OvrC public beta team! Roman senators only met once a week. That was enough forum.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• OvrC Pro Agent Features Moved to the Cloud (new)
• How to Program Dynamic Custom Buttons for Halo Remotes (new)
• How to Move a Customer’s Existing OvrC Devices to Your OvrC Account (updated)
• Josh.ai Articles, Videos, and Documentation (updated training process)

New & updated reset & restore procedure:

•  Araknis x20 Switches (new)

New & updated product documentation:

• Araknis 620 Switch User Manual (new)
• Araknis 620 Switch Quick Start Guide (new)
• Araknis 920 Switch User Manual (new)
• Araknis 920 Switch Quick Start Guide (new)
• Halo Partner-facing Installation Guide (new — content also available in Tech Community)
• Halo Firmware Release Notes (updated for v1.5.4)
• Halo User Guide (updated for Halo Touch)

PCNA 4U2C On July 26th, PCNA purchasing can finally be purchased through the Snap One website as part of our ongoing system consolidation.  This simplifies ordering, allows for better tracking, and (with us lowering the price for the course), makes the invaluable class easier and better for everyone! What divided the Roman Empire in two? A pair of caesars!

Bug Stomping Since SnapAV merged with Control4, we’ve been working to bring everything together into a single website. We’ve made a lot of progress, but, as you might imagine, this is a slow and difficult process.  Each major consolidation milestone brings a new uptick in error reports (missing certifications, classes not found, etc.), so please be patient as we push forward.

Snap One Training Opportunities  New opportunities to upgrade your knowledge and skills are coming your way! See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.  New Store in Fort Myers, FL!

Register now for the Grand Opening on August 24th. Local Trainings:

Designing Vibrant Systems & Programming Automated Lighting:

• Norwalk, CA: August 15
• Richmond, VA: August 15
• Seattle, WA: August 17
• Secaucus, NJ: August 17
• Charlotte, NC: August 22
• Denver, CO: August 22
• Boise, ID: August 24
• Raleigh, NC: August 24
• Cleveland, OH: August 29
• Salt Lake City, UT: August 29
• Dallas, TX: August 31

Webinars LG CI Product Overview:

• August 23, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, 9:00 a.m. Eastern 
• August 23, 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Eastern 

Networking Technical Training:

• August 16, 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:00 p.m. Eastern

LG 2023 CI Product Overview Webinar:

• August 23, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, 9:00 a.m. Eastern 

CEDIA Classes: We are offering the following classes at CEDIA this year. Times vary by day, so check the schedule:

• Color Mixing Mastery with DMX and Control4 Vibrant Lighting: This course helps you understand the structure, function, and planning process of a DMX linear-lighting system to run Control4 Vibrant Linear Lighting.
• Snap into Smart Surveillance with Luma X20: Get a taste of the newest devices and features, learn how OvrC makes easy to claim and configure your Luma X20 devices and then hand off control of that system to your customer, and see how Luma X20 integrates into Control4.
• Add Color and Ambiance with Control Vibrant Linear Lighting: Experience an easy method for designing a Control4 Vibrant Linear Lighting System that will thrill your customers. Learn tips, tricks, and best practices for deploying successful, dependable systems.
• Better Together: Araknis and Binary for Simplified Media over IP: Binary’s new 960 series and multi-gig Araknis routers and switches provide a successful media distribution system. This class teaches you to plan a MoIP system, configure multi-gig network devices, take advantage of advanced MoIP features, and integrate the MoIP system into a Control4 project.
• Turn a Yard Into a Light and Sound Garden: Episode Radiance provides the ultimate modular, all-in-one-wire outdoor audio and lighting system. Learn to design and install a Radiance system and integrate it into a Control4 project.

On a side note, while creating names for these classes, the Education Team inexplicably dived headlong into a Barry Manilow theme. Proposed class names included:

• Ready to Take a Chance with MoIP v3
• Could It Be Magic? No, It’s MoIP!
• Can’t Smile Without You on My Luma Surveillance System
• Looks Like We Made It Because Vibrant Installs Are Easy
• I Don’t Write the Songs, But I Deliver Them: MoIP Configuration Made Easy
• If They Had Luma X20 at the Copa, Maybe Tony Would Still Be Alive, and Rico Would Be in Prison
• MANDY – MoIP Audio Network Design and You
• I Made It Through the Rain: Installing Episode Radiance

Um… does anyone know the name of a good therapist? I hear the government is trying to ban Roman numerals… not on my watch!

New Drivers:

• Samsung 2023 TVs – New Zealand
• Samsung 2023 TVs – UK
• Samsung 2023 TVs – Canada
• LG 2023 TVs- Global Models

See more drivers through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users>> Control4 Portal Users>> Control4 EMEA Portal Users>> I Apollo-gize for the cheesy Rome puns.

OpenVPN on Araknis Routers 1. Go to Advanced > VPN > OpenVPN. 2. Create a new tunnel by selecting a Connection Type from the drop-down menu (UDP is preferred, though dual-WAN requires TCP). 3. If using an x20 series router, you can enable Redirect Gateway to route all internet traffic through the VPN tunnel. 4. Click Add a New Tunnel and Enable it. The Server IP automatically populates. 5. Click Apply.  6. Click on the tunnel you created and click Export Config (each time you export your config file, it follows the Connection Type you choose from the drop-down). 7. Send the config file to the individual who needs to connect with the VPN. The config can be imported to the OpenVPN app (available in the App Store, Google Play Store, or from OpenVPN when using Windows.MacOS has multiple third-party options for OpenVPN clients). Read More in the Tech Community!

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you. (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Hey, Smart Home Pros! As we start the second half of 2023—and July 2 was the exact middle of the year—you might want to take a moment to ask yourself, “Where did the first half of the year go?” Never mind that! Let’s celebrate how far we’ve come and look forward to another six months of awesomeness—and there’s a lot to anticipate!  July features a wide assortment of holidays, including International Joke Day (July 1), International Kissing Day (July 6), World Chocolate Day (July 7), International Chess Day (July 20), and Bagpipe Appreciation Day (July 27). For national holidays, we have Canada Day, Independence Day, and Bastille Day… and maybe one or two others I’ve missed. Why so many celebrations? Because when people have custom home and outdoor experiences, they want a good excuse to hold parties! Also, your awesome work turns even a half-day off into a refreshing staycation.  So, spend a few moments off your feet, enjoy some chess, chocolate, or a good smooch, and celebrate these exciting new product features, KB articles, tips, tricks, and more!  Happy Half-Year Holidays! Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

X20 Marks the Spot

The new Araknis X20 routers are here—and so is all the information you need to install them. Get the best features, and ensure your networks are ready for 2.5G internet (whenever it gets here!).  Documents:

• User Manual
• 220 Router Quick Start Guide
• 520 Router Quick Start Guide

Tech Community Articles:

• Araknis 520 Router IPSec
• Araknis 520 Router Access Command Lists (ACLs) Setup Example
• How to Configure Route Binding on Araknis 520 Series Routers
• How to Configure OpenVPN on Araknis Routers
• Setting up PPTP VPNs with Araknis Routers

I’m not sure I like this blender… It’s giving me mixed results. Tech Community, Now With 100% More Redesign

We’ve added a lot of love to the Tech Community, including a friendlier interface that makes the most important and most effective features easier to find.

• Search is the best way to find answers! No need to raise your hand—just ask, and we’ll provide them.
• Important links—like Known Issues, Device Resets, Contact Support and more—now sit right up in front, like the smart kids in class.
• Speaking of smart kids, we’ve added Education and Training links as well! We know you love our micro-certifications and webinars!

Visit the Tech Community and try the new features right now!   Knowledge is knowing tomatoes are fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put them in a fruit salad.

Real Talk: OvrC Ask Me Anything Honest answers to real questions from integrators: Watch or listen to our Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session about OvrC. For 30 minutes, we discuss your concerns, evaluate your feature requests, and explain the direction OvrC is headed in. We dive deep into best practices and critical information that you, our valued Partners, need every day. Watch or Listen

I told a joke during my last webinar, but no one laughed. Turns out I am not remotely funny.

Meet Your Technical Support Agent! Level 1 Tech Support agent Kaitlyn Tokay is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our partners. Based in Charlotte, Kaitlyn supports you with our Clare, Binary, Episode, Luma, OvrC, Strong, and WattBox product brands as well as all third-party brands. As expected, teammates and Partners have a lot of great things to say about her.  One teammate said, “Kaitlyn has gone above and beyond. She really does try to make this the best place to work.” Another said, “On a Friday right before a long holiday weekend, [she] volunteered to stay late and help close down the phones. Thank you very much for the dedication and hard work!” And, according to one Partner, she’s “always on the ball!” When Kaitlyn isn’t impressing her teammates and our Partners, she enjoys the great outdoors through gardening, hiking, canoeing, and camping. And, of course, she loves spending time with her friends and family.

	A Plug Regarding X20 Plug and Play Remember, Luma X20 cameras are not quite plug-and-play with Luma X10 NVRs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make them work quickly! This article shows you how to do it. Jokes become dad jokes when they are fully groan.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• Araknis 520 Router IPSec (Gateway to Gateway) VPN Setup Example (new)
• Araknis x20 Router Access Command Lists (ACLs) Setup Example (new)
• How to Configure Route Binding on Araknis 520 Series Routers (new)
• How to Configure OpenVPN on Araknis Routers (updated)
• Setting up PPTP VPNs with Araknis Routers (updated)

PCNA Update We are continuing to work on making PCNA available for purchase on the Snap One website, and smoothing out the remaining wrinkles in your PCNA experience at the same time.  PCNA is still temporarily unavailable for purchase through the Snap One website. We expect testing and reintegration to be finished this month. Thank you for your patience as we work to make PCNA accessible to all Partners!

Snap One Training Opportunities New opportunities to upgrade your knowledge and skills are coming your way! See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.

Local Trainings Designing Vibrant Systems & Programming Automated Lighting:

• Las Vegas, NV: July 25 
• Marietta, GA: July 25 
• Nashville, TN: July 27 
• Scottsdale, AZ: July 27 
• Lenexa, KS: August 1st 
• Simi Valley, CA: August 1st 
• St. Louis, MO: August 3 

Webinars Introduction to Clare FusionPro and ClareVision:

• Clare FusionPro (Recurring Webinar Series)
• ClareVision (Recurring Webinar Series)

Why are skateboards a good investment? Because they’re easy to flip.

New Drivers

• McIntosh MX180
• Panasonic 2023 TVs
• Confio Puck

See more drivers through your respective web portal:  Snap One Portal Users Control4 Portal Users Control4 EMEA Portal Users

Tips and Tricks Known Issue Are your Intercom Anywhere calls not displaying video on AT&T? See this article.

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians! Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

Hey, Smart Home Pros! Oh, June. Nature is in full bloom. The warm-weather loving folks have all emerged from indoor hibernation and the faint scent of a nearby cookout lingers in just about every US neighborhood. The air is buzzing with summer excitement… if you’re located in the northern hemisphere, that is. The air is also buzzing with bees, mosquitos, fireflies, and plenty of other creepy crawlies in most places. (I like to think of this coexistence as a necessary price we pay to have the “great outdoors” to enjoy.) In all seriousness, kudos to you for getting out there, completing installs, and creating outdoor magic for your clients to enjoy all summer long! I hope you’re taking a moment to enjoy a refreshing beverage in the shade or AC, because we’re bringing the heat with exciting new product features, KB articles, tips, tricks, and more!  P.S.: Because we care, here’s a friendly reminder to pack your sunscreen and water. Happy June! Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

Triad Proves All Good Things Come in Threes

What’s better than the incredible sound and quality of Triad speakers? The convenient system design and installation features of the new Triad Passive Soundbars, of course! This built-to-order soundbar lineup consists of 12 total models across four separate series. Each series offers three different channel configurations, depending on your project needs. 

Key features include:

• 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 speaker configurations — These soundbars can be used as left, right, or center channels when mounted horizontally or vertically around a display.
• Easy Mount installation — The flexibility for vertical or horizontal orientation and the included Easy Mount brackets help you achieve perfect placement without moving the display or surrounding room decor.
• Perfectly matches the width of the TV — Triad soundbars can be ordered in 1/8″ length increments (up to 86″) to match the width of most TVs.
• Custom finishes — Select from six predesigned colorway combinations, customize cabinet and baffle finishes, and take advantage of paint and veneer matching.
• Serviceable design — In the unlikely event of an issue that requires servicing of the product, all soundbars are serviceable on site with replacement components to reduce downtime.Classic Triad voicing — Triad Passive Soundbars are timbre matched, so you can seamlessly integrate them with other Triad speakers for consistent tonal quality and high-end performance.
• Removable magnetic grille

If you aren’t already a Triad authorized dealer, you can apply online or at any of our Snap One Partner Stores! 

What do you call a potato that wears sunglasses? A spec-tater.

Meet Your Technical Support Agent!

Level 2 Tech Support agent Tony Ellis is this month’s TRUE G.R.I.T. Award winner! The TRUE G.R.I.T. Award recognizes Snap One technical support agents who provide top-notch support to our partners. 

Based in South Jordan, Utah, Tony supports our Partners through our Infrastructure queue, which covers such brands as Luma, Episode, WattBox, Dragonfly, and Strong, as well as third-party products and more! It’s no surprise that his teammates and Partners have plenty of great things to say about him. 

One teammate said, “Tony has been a solid resource, whether he is supporting the team, escalating issues, or creating technical documents to help the other agents. He maintains a great attitude, no matter how busy it seems to get.” 

A Partner described his positive experience with Tony by saying, “Tony was sharp, knowledgeable, and nice to boot—an asset to your organization. I hope I can get him again if I need help!”

When Tony isn’t busy supporting his team and our Partners, he shares his love for the mountains through summer hiking and winter snowboarding. He’s also honing his green thumb through his second year of vegetable gardening, which he candidly described as “educational.”  

Luma x10 App Version 4.6.2 Is Here for You! 

If you still support the Luma x10 line, you may be aware that some Android devices began to experience crashes when trying to open the Luma x10 app. This was due to the launch of Luma x10 app version 4.6.1 as a security patch update. On May 8th, version 4.6.2 was officially released to resolve this issue after passing internal validation. Snap One is continuing to monitor the situation. Read more details in the Tech Community. 

Note: This does not affect Luma x20 products.  

Did you hear about the robot that finally took a summer vacation? He really needed to recharge his batteries.

Knowledgebase

New or updated articles:

Luma X20 Activation and Default Passwords (new)

Installing HDDs in Luma 120 and 220 NVRs (new)

Using Luma x10 with x20 Guide (updated)

Recovering an Araknis x10 Series Router from Failsafe Mode (updated)

Understanding 802.1X and AAA Authentication (updated)  

PCNA Enhancements

Snap One Education is focused on enhancing our training programs to be more accessible to our Partners. On May 30th, the price for the Professional Certified Network Administrator (PCNA) certification was lowered from $1250 to $650.

What does this mean for you? 

• Previously, a $600 rebate was offered to those who certified within 60 days of receiving their PCNA kit. Since the price has been reduced to match the post-rebate cost, Partners no longer have to wait for the rebate to be credited to their account. Removing the rebate makes tracking cash flow easier, and eliminates the pressure of certifying by a specific date. 
• We still encourage candidates to keep a steady pace when completing the PCNA course and taking the PCNA certification exam. We have seen a higher pass rate for those who complete the course and attempt the exam within 60 days.
• PCNA is now more affordable! 

Note: PCNA is temporarily unavailable for purchase through the Snap One website. We expect this to be available in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience as we work to make PCNA accessible to all Partners!   

Snap One Training Opportunities

New opportunities to upgrade your knowledge and skills are coming your way! See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below. 

Technical Wi-Fi 6 Training (Domestic)

• Cleveland, OH: June 13
• Salt Lake City, UT: June 13
• Boise, ID: June 15
• Troy, MI: June 15
• Charlotte, NC: June 20
• Las Vegas, NV: June 20
• Scottsdale, AZ: June 22
• Fort Myers, FL: June 27
• San Diego, CA: June 27
• Irvine, CA: June 29
• Orlando, FL: June 29

Technical Wi-Fi 6 Training (International)

• Mississauga, ON: June 20
• Richmond, BC: June 22

Luma X20 Technical Training

• Eden Prairie, MN: June 13

Webinars

• Clare FusionPro (Recurring Webinar Series)
• ClareVision (Recurring Webinar Series)

Stay Tuned for the Scoop on Tech Community

We have some insider news for our loyal Tech Community readers! We have been reviewing your feedback and are making some major improvements to the Tech Community this month. Look for our official announcement in the coming weeks! 

What do you get when you combine an elephant with a fish?
Swimming trunks.

Tips and Tricks

A Tool at Your Fingertips

We know you need to make the most out of your time in the field, and that means having the information you need at your fingertips. In the Tech Community, quickly locate information on how to reset or restore a device through this handy Device Resets and Restores page.  

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks!

We want to hear more from you (Yes, you!) We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to shine a spotlight on you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!

Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!

What is the difference between a piano and a fish? You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish.

Hey, Smart Home Pros! Q: What has four candles, can’t actually be eaten, but can still be any flavor you imagine?  A: The imaginary birthday cake I just handed to you! The Smart Home Pro Tech Newsletter turns FOUR YEARS OLD today! As we reflect on the past year and those before it, we are grateful for all the support and feedback we have received from you. Your enthusiasm has been a driving force in helping us grow and improve our newsletter. We are working hard to bring you even more insightful articles in the Tech Community, exciting news, and the latest trends and developments in the industry. We strive to be your favorite source of practical tips for personal and professional growth. As we blow out the four candles on our birthday cake, we look forward to another year of growth, learning, and bringing you the best content possible. Stay tuned for the (real) sweet treat: exciting new product features, KB articles, tips, tricks, and more!  P.S. Sorry I lied about the cake. If it had been real, it would have been Black Forest. Happy May! Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

The A-May-zing New MoIP Firmware 4.0

If you have an existing Binary MoIP system in the field or plan to install one, this announcement is for you! Firmware version 4.0 is packed with fantastic new features and improvements. To reap the benefits of this update, some action may be required on your part to verify your network and control system are configured properly. This update may not be compatible with every project scenario.  Here’s the cool stuff: Ryff to MoIP The Ryff to MoIP feature is the first step in creating a unified A/V over IP distribution platform at Snap One! This new functionality, available in Control4 Smart Home OS 3.3.2, enables Ryff audio streams (formerly Control4 Digital Audio, recently branded as Ryff) to be sent over the network and output through any Binary MoIP receiver—without adding any physical audio cabling. In detail, Ryff to MoIP:

• Enables sending audio from a Ryff-enabled device over the IP network to a MoIP receiver (MoIP Video RX or MoIP Audio RX) or SWAT amp. 
• Eliminates the need for analog audio cabling to bridge our wireless audio distribution solution with our video distribution platform. 
• Enables a Control4 controller’s audio to be output either from its physical audio output (analog, digital, HDMI) or via MoIP.  
• Makes installation easier and faster, and enables decentralization, all by enabling a more cohesive multi-room A/V system

Read more about this feature in the Tech Community. OvrC

• Moves the MoIP configuration from the local interface to OvrC’s MoIP System Management, found under the MoIP controller’s Configure tab. All configuration options are now only available in OvrC.
• Provides MoIP endpoint status: MoIP transmitters and receivers now appear as individual devices within the OvrC device list, providing real-time status and notification support.
• Simplifies making changes to the MoIP system, since all configurations are now available in OvrC. MoIP is now much easier and more convenient.
• This transition to a new technical architecture in OvrC means it is now possible for Snap One to add additional features in the future that would not have been possible otherwise, such as increased network visibility, health status, and more.

Network Configuration In order to work properly each managed switch in the network must have the following settings:

• IGMP snooping must be enabled and set to v2. 
• Unregistered multicast behavior set to drop.
• MRouter / Router Auto-learn enabled.
• Fast Leave disabled.

The core MoIP switch must have:

• Querier state enabled and set to v2.

Edge switches must have the following settings:

• Querier state disabled.

Read more about MoIP network configuration requirements here and in the Tech Community.  Important Notes:

• A new MoIP driver, the latest Control4 Smart Home OS, and updated MoIP controller firmware are all required. 
• The MoIP Client Control App is no longer available in MoIP 4.0. If your client requires this feature, do not upgrade to MoIP 4.0
• The total number of streams is limited to the number of physical streams a Control4 controller is capable of.
• The jobsite must be OvrC compatible. If you cannot use OvrC at the location, do not upgrade to firmware v4.0.
• There are currently two known issues with Araknis x10 switches and Pakedge MS switches: (Firmware updates are in development to resolve these issues.)
  • With Araknis x10 switch firmware v1.3.10 and earlier, IGMP Querier auto-election is currently unavailable. Set all edge switches to Querier Disabled to avoid issues.
  • With Pakedge MS switch Firmware v1.03.0 and earlier, in a multi-switch MoIP topology, MoIP traffic between switches may not traverse as expected when using an MS switch as the core switch.
• The MoIP controller local interface now only displays the general status of each endpoint, as well as the ability to change sources on receivers.

How do pickles celebrate their birthdays? With relish.

Meet Your Technical Support Agent! You may have spoken to Nathan Aarhus if you’ve contacted Technical Support. Nathan is a Level 2 Tech Support agent based in Waukesha, WI. Nathan supports our Partners through multiple queues, including Control4 and Tier 2. Nathan recently won the TRUE GRIT award for Snap One Technical Support, which recognizes tech support agents for offering top-notch support to our partners! It’s no surprise that his teammates had plenty of great things to say about him. “Nathan Aarhus is an amazing agent. His calls often are riddled with jokes–he is always able to get a laugh from the partner. He is no doubt someone who loves to master his craft. He often seeks advice to improve his support techniques, and is always nitpicking his own work. He actively makes changes to squeeze out every drop of excellence.” When Nathan isn’t busy being a total rock star, he enjoys tinkering, kayaking, and hiking.

May-jor OS 3.3.3 Update! OS 3.3.3 is taking the cake with resolved bugs, updated UI on the Control4 user interface, and improvements to Intercom Anywhere.  Read more about the update here. You make life so funfetti.

May the Options Be Ever in Your Favor If you do not have access to an Episode Hybrid Amplifier but still want to install a landscape audio system, you can use an ESA-70V2CH series amp with an EA-AMP-SUB-1D-500R/300R. For Radiance installations, you may use any 70V/8Ω amplifier as long as you use the Radiance DSP settings. Read more in the Tech Community.  Statistics show that those who have the most birthdays live the longest.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• Recommended Amplifiers for Landscape Audio (new)
• Using the Daylight Agent with CCT-Capable Lights (new)
• SunBrite URC IP drivers (new)
• Networking Best Practices for Binary MoIP (Media Over IP) (updated)
• Binary MoIP Articles, Videos, and Documentation (updated)
• Using Luma x10 with x20 Guide (updated)
• Obtaining App IDs for creating Universal Mini-Drivers (updated)
• Zigbee Devices Will Not Identify (Verify Zigbee Server & Zap Coordinator Are Online) (updated)

No Need to Fear, The Archive Is Here! We know that you love product education. We also understand that making time to attend scheduled webinars is tough. That’s why we archive webinars in case you miss them! Last month, the Episode Radiance webinar covered great system design and install tips—check it out!

Snap One Training Opportunities We have new opportunities to upgrade your knowledge and skills coming your way! See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.

• Technical Wi-Fi 6 Training
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL: May 16
  • Sacramento, CA: May 16
  • San Jose, CA: May 18
  • Tampa, FL: May 18
  • Austin, TX: May 23
  • Norwalk, CT: May 23
  • Houston, TX: May 25
  • Secaucus, NJ: May 25
• Webinars
  • Best Practice Wi-Fi Design and Optimal Access Point Selection
    • May 11, 6 a.m. PST
    • May 11, 9 a.m. PST 
  • Intro to ClareOne (Recurring Webinar Series) 
  • Clare FusionPro (Recurring Webinar Series)
  • ClareVision (Recurring Webinar Series)

	People always tell me to act my age… but I’ve never been this old before!

Boldy Go Where No Smart Home Has Gone Before What do you do with a few leftover Gen 1 lighting devices, a couple of mini TVs, a pair of bookshelf speakers, an old digital picture frame, and a spare Control4 EA controller? If you ask Chris Alldredge, an Instructional Designer on the Snap One Education team, the answer is: you build a spaceship simulator console for your grandchildren! Chris explains, “I had all of this old gear lying around that I didn’t know what to do with. One day, I had the thought that it would be fun to turn the otherwise useless space under the stairs in my basement into a spaceship that my grandchildren could play in when they visit.”

After laying out the spare devices and creating a design for the console, Chris also found some additional buttons and toggle switches online to add to the fun. “Some of the buttons and toggle switches are actually connected to the contacts and relays on the controller to add cool functionality—like firing the torpedoes and phasers. ”Two HDMI media players provide the video and spaceship background audio ambience to complete the immersive experience. “I found a strip of cheap LED lights that my youngest daughter left in her room after she moved out,” Chris says, “So I decided to add that to the design.” Chris had to create custom IR drivers to control the LED tape lights and toggle the digital picture frame on and off.

With a little imagination, Chris designed, built, and programmed the spaceship console using all of the skills that technicians in our industry use to create wonderful, custom smart home experiences for their clients everyday. “My grandkids have gone on many adventures in the spaceship. It’s fun to see something that I built inspire them to use their imaginations,” Chris says. You can watch a short video of the spaceship console in action.

It’s Movie Time! To celebrate the Tech Newsletter’s fourth birthday, we are giving you another experience button driver that you can use to delight your clients. Add the Movie Time Experience Button driver to the Navigator in a client’s media room or home theater and give them a “movie theater-like” experience. You can program the experience button to close the shades, dim the lights, and select the client’s favorite video source. Download the driver here. Adding the Movie Time Experience Button to a Client’s Project: 1. Download the driver to your computer. 2. Open a client’s project in Composer Pro. 3. On the Driver menu, click Add or Update Driver or Agent. 4. Navigate to the movie_time.c4z file on your computer and select it. 5. Click Open. 6. In System Design, select the room in the project tree where you want to add the driver. 7. Click the Search tab in the Items pane, verify that the Local checkbox is selected. 8. Type Movie Time in the search box, and press Enter. 9. Double-click Movie Time in the driver list to add it to the room. 10. Click the driver, labeled Scenario, in the project tree. 11. Click the Documentation tab in the Properties pane and follow the instructions to program the experience button driver behavior. This driver is only available to Smart Home Pro Tech Newsletter readers (it’s not available in the Composer Pro driver database). After you download the driver and add it in Composer Pro the first time, it is available for you to add to any client’s project.

New or updated drivers: New Drivers:

• Onkyo: TX-RZ70
• Integra: DRX-8.4
• Pioneer: VSX-LX805/  VSA-LX805

Updated Drivers:

• Onkyo: TX-NR5100/TX-NR6100/TX-NR6050/TX-NR7100/TX-RZ50
• Integra: DRX-2.4/DRX-3.4/DRX-5.4
• Pioneer: VSX-935/VSX-LX105/VSX-LX305/VSX-LX505
• Pulse-Eight: ProAudio1632/ ProAudio64/ ProAudio48/ ProAudio32/ ProAudio16/ ProAudio8
• Steinway Lyngdorf: TDAI-3400
• Tyba: Tyba Turn

See More Drivers Here

Tips and Tricks Security Incident and Best Practices for AN-300-RT-4L2W Router Tips and Tricks Security Incident and Best Practices for AN-300-RT-4L2W Router Around April 6th, 2023, an external botnet targeted and attacked a vulnerability in the remote support features present on some legacy Araknis AN-300-RT routers. While modern best practices encourage disabling open ports and changing default passwords (required through laws like the California IoT Act of 2020), there are still many systems in the field that do not follow these more secure methods. In this specific incident, a broad brute force attack was able to compromise some legacy Araknis AN-300-RT routers that had open Local UI ports. This setting was disabled with the ports closed by default when the AN-300-RT shipped and would have been manually enabled by the installer to open the port for remote access. Araknis AN-300-RT routers that do not have this setting enabled to remotely open the Local UI are not impacted by this specific incident. Read more about the incident, symptoms, and best practices you can follow to defeat bad actors.  Note: We have no evidence of any further compromise to Partner or End-Customer networks and have no evidence that any customer data was accessed or breached. Moreover, we have no evidence that this attack targeted other devices on customers’ networks.

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you (yes, you!). We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to highlight you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here! You know what goes up and never comes down? Your age.

Hey, Smart Home Pros! We’ve all heard the popular expression, “April showers bring May flowers.” The symbolism behind this statement suggests that even the drag and dreary moments we tolerate in life will play a vital role in the abundance of our future. While I fully support this sentiment, I think April unfairly gets a bad rap. Personally, I love the rain. April also hosts holidays like Passover, Easter, Earth Day, and my personal favorite: April Fools’ day. More importantly, this April brings another tech newsletter full of exciting content! So grab your rain boots, and make a splash into these exciting new product features, KB articles, tips, tricks, and more!  P.S. Cue “Singin’ In the Rain” sung by Gene Kelly. Happy April! Holly Bechtler Technical Writing Operations Specialist

April Just Got a Lot More Radiance It’s that time of year when clients want to improve their outdoor living spaces for the spring and summer, and you’re tasked with finding the most efficient way to make their dreams come true. Lucky for you, the Episode Radiance line has your back! This all-in-one solution not only combines audio and lighting into one system, it only requires a single, two-conductor wire, thanks to the MB-1 audio+lighting processor. The Episode Radiance line consists of 17 SKUs, including the patent-pending audio+lighting processor (MB-1), black or white bollard style speakers and subwoofer, speaker blanks, light modules, and a variety of mounts. The system is modular so you can build the perfect system for a variety of job sites! Key features include: Speakers and Lighting:

• “Twist-to-lock” technology allows you to mix and match lighting modules to speaker bollards, blanks, or mounting accessories to create a custom outdoor ambience—all without additional screws, wires or tools. 
• Lighting patterns are adjustable. Choose between uplight, downlight or both with the flip of a switch. Note: Radiance lights cannot be dimmed and do not support color modifications.
• Radiance speakers radiate sound in a 360° pattern for even dispertion. The speakers are 70V with tap settings ranging from 2W–16W. The Radiance subwoofers are 8Ω, with power handling up to 500W.
• IP66 certified and UV protected for durability.

MB-1:

• The MB-1 is a passive audio and light processor that combines the signal from a lighting transformer and amplifier along a single, two-conductor wire to carry both signals to Radiance speakers and lights.
• Maximum audio load rating of 500W. Plan for 400W to allow 20% headroom. 
• Maximum lighting load rating of 300W. Plan for 240W to allow 20% headroom. 
• The MB-1 is only compatible with Radiance lights and speakers.

Tip: This system pairs well with the Episode Hybrid Amplifiers due to built-in presets that allow for EQ optimization specific to the Radiance speaker line. Check out the Radiance Quick Start Guide for a great visual overview of the installation of each component. Radiance products are available for purchase in the US and Canada today, and will be available in all other regions in June! It started raining coins outside today. I guess it’s just climate change.

This Daylight Agent Is Like Clockwork One of my favorite characteristics of spring is more daylight! If you’re working with Correlated Color Temperature (CCT)-capable lights, you will definitely want to check out the Daylight Agent! This feature supports circadian health as it warms and cools white LED temperatures to mimic the rising and setting of the sun.  How it works for you:  In Composer Pro, you can create, modify and review (test execute) Daylight programs that ramp the color temperature and brightness for a group of lights. You can base this on the customer’s location by using actual sunrise and sunset times. You can also add custom points across the 24-hour timeline to more closely align color temperatures with customer routines and schedules.     How it works for customers: The Navigator on T3/T4 touchscreens or the Control4 App for Android and iOS is the primary interface for controlling the behavior of the Daylight agent. The Lighting interface has a new tab for Daylight and a new icon on the Lights tab to indicate if any lights are currently following a daylight program. The user interface allows customers to create their own daylight programs or edit existing ones. The new Daylight tab allows customers to switch between existing programs and start or stop each program. Requirements:

• CCT-capable lights.
• Drivers with CCT control and implement the brightness_on_mode_preset and color_on_mode_preset functionality.
• Smart Home OS 3.3.2 or later.
• T3 or T4 touchscreen, Control4 App for Android or iOS version 323.03 or later. 

See more details in the Tech Community. What’s the worst part about April fools? Jokes without punchlines.

Meet Your Technical Support Agent! You may have spoken to Donovan Matthews if you’ve contacted Technical Support for Networking or Control4 assistance. Donovan is a Level 1 Networking Tech Support agent based in Charlotte, NC. Donovan recently won the TRUE GRIT award for Snap One Technical Support, which recognizes tech support agents for offering top-notch support to our partners! His teammates characterize him by his tenacity and willingness to step in and help others. Because he seeks to understand the “why” in every scenario, he is well versed when assisting partners and fellow teammates. He even helps train new agents. When he isn’t helping his teammates and our partners, Donovan enjoys hiking with his wife and three dogs, writing and composing music, building custom guitars, and analyzing film scores. He is even composing music for a video game!

I Can See Luma X20 Cameras Clearly Now, the Rain Is Gone The rain may not technically be gone yet, but the workarounds required to add Luma X20 cameras to OvrC are! Last month, we highlighted some workarounds needed to claim Luma X20 cameras connected to an NVR on OvrC. We are happy to inform you that a recent OvrC update has resolved this issue! You can now install your entire Luma X20 system (even with the cameras connected directly to the NVR) and OvrC will claim the cameras automatically. Thank you for your patience! It wasn’t until recently that I understood the weather bureau is more of an umbrella organization.

Say Halo to the 1.2.3 Update! On March 23rd, Halo Remotes automatically downloaded the 1.2.3 firmware update. This update focused on network reliability and stability improvements, as well as a number of other experience improvements. Key features and bug fixes included:

• Added a Room Off confirmation toggle  
• Improved stability of Wi-Fi connections to address persistent “Network Errors” in most configurations 
• Resolved scenarios where the Halo screen stays on (doesn’t go to sleep) or is blank (doesn’t wake up properly)  
• Fixed ‘Add Rooms’ and ‘View Queue’ on the Now Playing page when Sonos is the source  

Read more in the official firmware release notes here. Find more Halo remote documentation here.  What’s Mr. T’s favorite month? April, fools.

Knowledgebase New or updated articles:

• Advanced Routing Concepts (new)
• Create a Z-Wave Mesh Using Z-Wave USB Dongle (updated)
• OS3 – Mobile Device App Error Codes and Messages (updated)
• Halo Remote Does Not Connect to Wi-Fi After a Channel Change After Deep Sleep (new)
• Halo Remote Does Not Reconnect to 2.4GHz After a Deep Sleep (new)

Spring Cleaning and New Growth! You may have had the pleasure of taking automation courses at the Control4 headquarters in Draper, Utah, over the years. This facility hosted many classes since 2004 and provided countless opportunities for our partners to become Control4 certified. As the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” However, the best part about endings is new beginnings! Snap One recently relocated our Utah office to Lehi, Utah. This move has given our Education team a great opportunity to build a new Control4 training facility from the ground up! Our teams have worked diligently to create an upgraded space just for you. And in case one new classroom isn’t exciting enough, stay tuned… a second classroom is in progress!

Snap One Training Opportunities We have new opportunities to upgrade your knowledge and skills coming your way! See the full training calendar here, or check out the links below.

• Technical Wi-Fi 6 Training
  • Carrollton, TX: April 11
  • Simi Valley, CA: April 11
  • Denver, CO: April 13
  • Van Nuys, CA: April 13
  • Marietta, GA: April 18
  • Elk Grove Village, IL: April 18
  • Eden Prairie, MN: April 20
  • Nashville, TN: April 20
  • Carmel, IN: April 25
  • Seattle, WA: April 25
  • Portland, OR: April 27
  • Cincinnati, OH: April 27

• Intro to ClareOne (Recurring Webinar Series) 
• Clare FusionPro (Recurring Webinar Series)
• ClareVision (Recurring Webinar Series)

I once tried to catch fog, but I mist.

New or Updated Drivers:

• Bowers and Wilkins:
  • CDA-2HD
  • CDA-4D

See More Drivers Here

Tips and Tricks Using Luma X10 with X20 Do you have a client with a Luma X10 NVR who has upgraded to Luma X20 cameras? Or maybe you have a client who has upgraded to an X20 NVR but still has X10 cameras. We’ve outlined the configuration steps you need to take for both scenarios here. What comes up while the rain comes down? An umbrella.

Time to Share Your Tips and Tricks! We want to hear more from you (yes, you!). We’d love to keep this section going, so if you have a cool idea, whether it’s easy or advanced, send it our way! We’d love to highlight you and share your ideas with our awesome community of technicians!  Sharing is Caring: Submit Your Tip Here!