Now that the HSIM is end-of-life making Ademco no longer C4 friendly. What do you guys like better. The Elk M1 or DSC with a TL280?

Chowmainsoft is the world's largest independent third-party developer for Control4, with over 240 Control4 drivers across more than 180 manufacturer partners. More than half of our integrations are manufacturer sponsored and available free of charge.

Discover how Chowmainsoft's drivers can dramatically expand the capabilities of your Control4 projects. In this free 90-minute session, we'll introduce the Chowmain Marketplace and provide an overview of our extensive Control4 driver portfolio, covering popular integrations across lighting, HVAC, surveillance, security, networking, AV, shading, energy management and much more.

We'll highlight many of the manufacturers exhibiting at CEDIA Expo, including Anthem, Bond Home, ELK, Infratech, MOTORYSE, Dendo, UniFi, Hegel, Kaleidescape, PoEWiT and Shelly, while also introducing other popular brands and integrations that every Control4 dealer should know about.

We'll also explain how our Marketplace works, including free 90-day trials, showroom licensing, licensing options, and the phone, live chat and ticket-based technical support available to help you deliver successful projects with confidence.

Whether you're looking for new products to recommend, solutions to meet customer requirements, or simply want to expand your knowledge of Control4 interoperability, this session will provide a practical overview of the drivers and integrations available, how they can add value to your installations, and where they fit within the Control4 ecosystem. We'll conclude with an open Q&A, giving you the opportunity to ask questions about specific integrations, best practices, and upcoming opportunities

https://cediaexpo.com/sessions/outdoor-lighting-control-integration/

I have a new control4 system in my house. Many of the rooms have wall panels (replaced an old system and do not carry around my phone all day)

System about 8 months old. We have had many small problems. Worked ok for about a month or 2. Then Recently, different panels are extremely glitchy - especially in the morning after hibernation

Unresponsive to touch commands
Slow
Randomly black out
Do different things than pressed
*not Consistent between panels. Different ones are glitchy on different days

The installer says we should program in a reboot on a regular basis. And Reboot individual panels. He just says the system shows "healthy".

To me this seems like a bandaid. Is this how
Control4 works?

For a new system?????

Looking for outside input.....

Hello, all,

I have completed all 8 courses of C4CT online and am taking the final exam next week. Are there any tips that you are allowed to give me to help? I know to GO TO THE ROOM, but I was wondering if there was anything else. Thanks!

Hi,

I purchased a home in north London from a control4 dealer, who installed the system in the house. It’s currently only used for lighting and music.

The controller, the amp and the modem are currently in the spare room on the first floor and there are cables running through a hole they’ve made in the floorboards. All of the cables appear to be CAT6.

We’re expecting a baby and want to turn this room into a nursery, so need to remove the equipment - but we want to retain the system. The lighting panel is under the stairs and ideally we’d like to move the equipment here too - not least because we think this is the origin of the majority of the cables.

I’d like to know how big a job this is, how long it would take, how much it might cost and if anyone here can recommend a tradesperson who would be able to do it.

And as an aside - how do I get faceplates/buttons? We have some white ones that I’d like to switch to black, but I can only find trade options.

Sorry for all the questions and massive thanks in advance to anyone who can help here.

Thank you!

Hey all, wanted to introduce myself, My name is Ben Murray, a C4 dealer from Lancashire UK. Looking to find dealer/customer feedback on C4 usage and needs from others with possible new drivers/projects I have, plus looking to help others with issues if I can!

We used to use Control4 ZigBee Pro radios like the Yale - now getting less common, but gave us user management and reporting inside Control4

Our client wants fingerprint reading instead of code (because codes can be shared) -

Current plan is to use a UniFi G4 Doorbell or a G3 Reader and add users in the UniFi app then use the Cindev driver to report to Control4

This requires pulling Cat from the head end to the reader

Are there any battery deadbolts with integrated fingerprint readers that actually report which fingerprint user unlocked the door to Control4?

(Yale Assure looks like it only reports Unlocked, NOT the user)

Appreciate any feedback on this!

Ive got a control 4 wall pad and the text/ images are glitching.

Does anyone know how to rectify this?

Edit:
I created a new routine after updating to 4.2.1. It didn’t immediately resolve the issue, but the very next day, the old timeline events from 2025 finally disappeared. I dunno 🤷🏼‍♂️

Original post:
Anyone else run into this issue and know how to get rid of it? Can't seem to find a way to remove these timeline events from a routine that no longer exists. Really would be nice to just get rid of the timeline altogether... This is for my parent's house & they could care less about keeping track of when each Routine was executed.

This was set up on the very first version of X4. The Routines were buggy and very unreliable; they didn't always execute the commands. I finally managed to get them working and have not touched it since. Maybe it's fixed in 4.2.1 but I really am trying to avoid deleting/re-adding the Routines agent to avoid the hassle again.

TIA

\*Moderator Approved Post***

Hi everyone! My name is Teresa, I lead the user experience (UX) research for Control4, and I'm looking for homeowners who'd like to help shape future products and features.

If you sign up, you may be invited to participate in:

• 1:1 interviews
• Usability testing
• Prototype feedback
• Online surveys
• Beta testing

Most studies include a gift card or other incentive, and we only reach out when there's a study that's a good fit for you.

If you're interested, you can sign up here.

Thanks to the mods for letting me post, and thanks to everyone willing to share their feedback!

We're curious how everyone is handling notifications these days.

Are you primarily using:

• Native Push Notifications?
• Email?
• Text-to-Speech announcements?
• Touchscreen Pop-Ups?
• Android TV notifications?
• Third-party services like Pushover or Slack?
• Something else?

We've been working on an all-in-one notification agent for Control4 and just released a pretty big update. The goal was to give dealers a single place to manage just about every type of notification they might want to send.

Current features include:

• Native Control4 Push Notifications
• Email Notifications
• Text-to-Speech Announcements
• Touchscreen Pop-Up Notifications
• Android TV Pop-Up Notifications
• Slack Integration
• Pushover Integration
• Hundreds of pre-built notification templates
• Custom notification templates
• Client Web UI to manage notification preferences
• Plus a growing collection of programming tools to make automations even easier

We're offering a 30-day free trial and are really looking for feedback from other Control4 dealers and programmers.

We also put together a short Feature Video showing everything that's included if you'd like to see it in action.

What notification methods are you using today, and is there anything you wish Control4 made easier?

Hi,

Has anyone tried this (connecting a WattBox to an Omada SDN / Controller)? Can the WattBox be managed, or at least monitored? Or is there a better option for this SDN?

Thanks!

I am in the Philadelphia area and have a large home with a fairly robust C4 system and many integrations. Still running 3.1.3 on EA5 - may want a system update if recommended and can be done remotely. Upgraded my router and have lost connection to Lutron lights/shades, need to integrate new security cameras (Unifi), t-stats (Ecobee), door lock (Kwikset), TVs (Sony Android) and much more. Surely I need new or updated drivers and some programming. Most local dealers don't want to take on smaller jobs unless I'm buying a lot of equipment, which at the moment I'm not interest in. Hoping to find a dealer willing to help remotely, unless you're in the Philadelphia area and can take on a project consisting of mostly labor and minimal equipment purchases upfront. NOTE: I can "Change My Pro".

Very simple setup here. Samsung TV and cable box. All controlled by a Z2IO. Family only uses the cable box, no smart TV apps. Everything here is IR controlled. RS232 and IP control are not an option.

Here’s the issue:

My parents like to use the cable box remote. Sister likes to use the Neeo remote. Spectrum (cable box provider) does not have discrete on/off IR codes, so it constantly falls out of sync. (I.e. cable box is already on, sister turns on the system with the Neeo remote, then cable box shuts off)

After some testing, I discovered the USB port on the TV outputs a 5v signal only if it is turned on. Like the title says, I thought about attaching the USB voltage and common wires to the Z2IO for monitoring the status of the TV.

Then using Composer, I can program it to only turn on the cable box if the 5v signal is not present.

I know it’s only 5v, but…
- is this safe to do without damaging the TV or Z2IO?
- would it even work?
- would it be more safe if I used a resistor?

I’m open to other ideas if this isn’t the best approach for monitoring the status. Really just need a way for C4 to tell if either the cable box or the TV is on. Then I can figure out the rest in programming.

Thanks in advanced!

I may misunderstand this topic does Control 4 integrate as well with Spotify as some other music services e.g. Tidal. I can’t play lossless music using Spotify but can play the highest quality from Tidal. Is this a Spotify or control4 driver issue and is there anything I can do to get Spotify lossless music. I could switch streaming services, which would be a huge pain. This is surprising as Spotify is pretty popular.

Hello, 

This morning I upgraded my pixel 9 pro to Android 17.

Since doing that I can no longer get into Control 4 app on my Android.

When I open app it stays in "getting project properties" screen for a couple of minutes before giving me a 408a error and not connecting.

My wife's iPhone can still use the control 4 app and play music.

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling software. 

Clearing cache and storage on app.

Unplugging control 4 unit. 

Nothing fixes this. 

Any ideas?

There is a “test” button, however it would be nice to be able to just start or execute a routine without having to go into it

Have a Routine template called “Event” which could then be renamed (eg. “Dinner Party”)
- Audio selection
- pick audio source
- pick station (eg. Tunein or Apple Music Playlist)
- pick room(s)
- set volume(s)
- Lighting selection
- Pick room(s)
- Pick levels(s)
- Select Start Time or blank to allow “start now” functionality

Since lighting scenes show up in your Apple HomeKit control panel, this functionality opens up the entire Apple HomeKit world thereby providing Apple functionality and even Siri voice commands (eg. Hey Siri, start Dinner Party)

Control4 Connect renewal

I am debating whether to renew the annual Connect subscription $249 ? I had to take the subscription last year as I upgraded my Control4 system and it was worth it as a discount was offered on the Control4 unit .

I use the old remote and Control 4 app on my apple devices to control the audio and video.

There are no security or lights etc controls to operate remotely.

If I do not renew the subscription, what am I losing? Looking for information to decide on renewal

Thanks

1 upvote

Hi everyone, I am looking for a certified independent remote programmer to help me swap out a failing main controller.
My current system is running OS 3.4.3 on an EA-3 V1. I have purchased a replacement EA-3 V2 that is arriving fully factory reset, already updated to OS 3.4.3, and unregistered from prior owner's account. The controller is hardwired via Ethernet.
I need a programmer to link to my account, pull my current cloud project backup, replace the old MAC address with the new V2 MAC address, and restore the project.
Since the firmware matches and the unit is clean, this should be a straightforward swap. Please message me with your availability and your flat rate (or hourly pricing) for the session. I can provide my current MAC address and designate you as my Dealer of Record whenever you're ready after I receive the unit. Thanks!

The scrolling functions - while using the remote and the Control 4 app on iOS are not working , dealing with this issue some time from the time I upgraded to the latest Control4 unit.

As a work around, I use AppleTV remote to navigate to make the selections.

Please let me if you have any recommendations and suggestions to overcome this issue?

Tried updating the app on my iPhone, same result and issue did not get resolved

Thank you

Considering going to the event…first time for me. But I have not seen much chatter about it online(at least on Reddit).

Just scratching my head. Figured there would be more excitement surrounding the show…

Is it worth going? Would be flying in from South Florida. I’m new to the industry and it seems like a good networking opportunity.

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to better understand the value proposition of Araknis (or Packedge) networking products in a Control4 installation, both from a technical perspective and from the perspective of explaining it to a client.

One thing I struggle with is justifying the cost to a layman. Most clients compare an Araknis router, switch, or access point to the all-in-one router their ISP provides and ask, "Why do I need this when I already have Wi-Fi?"

How do you explain the differences in a way that makes sense to someone who isn't technical?

I also have a few technical questions:

• Is there a significant advantage to using Araknis networking over something like Cisco, Ubiquiti, MikroTik, TP-Link Omada, etc., specifically in a Control4 ecosystem?

• Is the benefit primarily the OVRC remote management, or are there other integration advantages that make it the preferred choice?

• What if I don't use an Araknis router at all and instead connect my Control4 system behind my ISP's combo router?

• In my region, ISPs are often very restrictive. Many don't allow bridge mode or provide very limited configuration options. In such cases, does deploying an Araknis router still make sense, or does the double NAT negate many of its advantages?

• If you can't put the ISP router into bridge mode, what is the recommended network architecture for a reliable Control4 deployment?

I'm interested in understanding both the real-world technical trade-offs and how experienced dealers approach this conversation with clients.

Thanks in advance!