Vera UI7 Basics Setup Manual

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Setting Up & Using A New Vera System (UI7 Basics)

Welcome to Vera! Getting Started

Last Updated: Sep 26, 2014 10:29AM UTC

Welcome to Vera Smart er Home Control
Congratulations on your selection of Vera for home or sma ll business automation and control. If you're
completely new to smart home technology, you'll be amazed by the conveni ence, the power, and
peace-of-mind that Vera provides. Whether you're automating lights, keeping tabs on your kids,
keeping your small business s afe, checking in on loved ones, saving on energy, maximizing comfor t, or
all of the above and more, Vera makes it easy.

You are about to enter an astounding wor ld of convenience and a dded security. Vera will enab le you to
keep an eye on your home or small business, and automate man y tasks like shutting off lights and
locking up when you leave. Vera can provide you with alerts when trouble is detected, and you can
check in on your home or small business from anywhere in the wor ld. Vera is an amazing ly powerfu l
platform that easily expands to do practically anything you could want it to do i n providing hom e
control, automation and security.

If you've got a new Vera to setup, just follow the easy steps in the Quick Start Guide, and then the
onscreen instructions that appear on your computer. Then, once you're up and running (or if you
already are) you can jump ahea d to the next a rticle, which begins by explaining how to use your Vera
system. (See Meet The Vera UI7 Dashboard.) The Vera Dashboard, shown below, is what you'll see after
your system is setup.

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The Vera Dashboard, shown above, enables you to contro l everything from your laptop or tablet from
practically anywhere in the world! Mobile apps let you a lso control everything from your smartphone.

This article is the first in a s eries of s upport documents tha t Vera provides to help you s et up a nd use
your Vera system. If you experience any difficulties a long the way, please do not hesitate to contact
Vera tech support for quick, comprehensive and friendly ass istance.

As with all the articles in t his series, the idea here is to provide some deeper background and gui dance
and help for s pecial circumstan ces, which is a long way of s aying you probably don't rea lly need to read
all these articles to get up and running, though we certainly encourage you to read everything!

Vera provides easy-to-follow Setup Wizards that make installation quick and simple. Follow the
instructions in the Quick Start Guide fo r fast access to this onscreen step -by-step guide.

Initial Setup of Your Vera
A Vera "system" consists of a Vera Controller, which forms the heart of the system, and one or more
Devices such as light controls, smart door locks, smart thermostats, motion sensors, video cameras,
alarms, door/window sensors, smart smoke and carbon mo noxide detectors, and more.

Vera Controllers are available by the ms elves, and as part of packages, known as Vera Solutions, that
combine several of the most commonly needed Devices with a Vera Con tro ller to focus, for example,
on saving energy, providing hom e security, or equi pping a small business.

Vera Controller and Vera UI7: The Heart of Y our Vera System
As you probably know, Vera works with a wide range of " third party" Devices such as Cameras,
Thermostats, Door/Window Sensors , Smoke Detectors and much more. What makes it a Vera System
are two cru cial components at the heart of your system -- essentially the central hardware and the
software:

 Vera Controller (hardware) - the information processor and communications hub of your system
 Vera UI7 (software) - the user interface and control system that determines how everything works

Vera UI7: Fun to Use, Yet Powerful and Easy!
Vera UI7 is convenient and powerfu l smart home control soft ware that runs your Vera system. Access
and control your system using a computer, or using mobile apps. You will need a computer runnin g a
browser for th e initial setup of you Vera system. The Vera Das hboard, which is the main control and
operation pan e l for your Vera system, will be accessible after completing the initial
setup. (Technically, Vera UI7 is firmware that resides on the controller itself. It is accessible from your
local LAN or W iFi network via a browser, mo bile apps, an d also from the Internet.)

Depending on your particular Vera Controller, Vera UI7 may come pre-installed, or you may need to upgrade your
controller from an earlier version.

Getting Started Setting Up A New Vera System
To get started you'll need to first unpack your Vera Controller and the Devices that came i n the
package (or t hat you purchased separa tely.) Identify what each item is, set the Devices aside for the
time being, and take a look at your Vera Con troller.

Since there are several models of Vera Contro llers available, the best way to identify the specific
connections you'll need is by looking at the Quick Start Guide that came with the Co ntroller and
following the Setup Wizar d.

Speaking generically for all the Co ntroller mode ls, however, here are the steps you'll follow:

First, using a computer browser vis it www.getvera.com and click on "Control" and then "Remote A ccess"
as shown below:

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Using the Login Screen to Setup a New Vera
Next, you' ll start setting u p your Vera Contro ller. Do not en ter a username or password here. Instead,
click on the button that says "I have a new Vera to setup!"

You'll next be asked to identify the Vera Controller model you'll be set ting up. Click on the drop down
list of model numbers to see a ll the choices. Each has a picture to help you quickly see which
Controller you have.

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Next you'll be remin ded to conne ct your Vera Controller to AC Power and your W i -Fi Router, with
specific details here depending on which Controller you have.

Here, for example, is what you'd see with the Veralite Controller.

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After the Controller is powered up and connected to the Internet, and its pane l lights are lit (or not lit)
as indicated in the instructions, click the Continue button. Note: The Controller will usually require several

minutes to initialize before the lights stop blinking, so please be patient.

Identifying Y our Controller
On the next screen you' ll be asked to enter the Serial Number and "M ac Address " for your Controller.
This information can be found on a label on the bottom of your Vera Controller.

Note: Vera values your privacy! The control software needs this information to find your Controller on your home
network, and Vera needs this information to supply the proper firmware updates for your particular Controller
model.

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After selecting Next the setup wizard will try to locate the Contro ller on your network, and assuming
you've entered the informa tion correctly, you should next see a screen that looks like this. (If you get
an error mess age, carefully check tha t you've entered the Seria l Number an d Mac Address correctly,
and try again.

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Meet The Vera UI7 Dashboard

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2014 08:05PM UTC

Vera UI7 is Vera's most capable and easy to use user interface (UI) ever. You use Vera UI7 to set up and
control your Vera system. Your entire Vera system may consist of many Devices. Vera UI7 brings them
all together. W ith Vera UI7 you never have to fumble to s witch between one device's app and
another's, because all are controlled and viewed from a single, easy interface. Best of all, Vera UI7
enables them to intera ct with each other too. Vera UI7 is the "front end" of your Vera system, t he part
that you see and interact with. This is the main screen of Vera UI7 is called the Vera UI7 Dashboard.

Easy, Powerful Contr ol of Your Home or Small Business
Vera UI7 is an extraordinarily powerful yet easy to use a pp for controlling your home or small business
premises. The Vera UI7 Dashboar d is bui lt around conveni ent ways to quickly che ck in and control many
things in your home all at once, such as turni ng off all the lights, locking a ll the doors, et c.

The Modes, highlighted belo w, make it easy for you to qui ck ly change a ll the settings in your hom e or
small business when you enter or leave or go to bed.

The Shortcuts, highlighted be low, enable you to adjust many related settings all together, such as to
adjust all the lights or lock all the doors.

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With Modes that let you change all your set tings at once, Shortcuts, and Dashboard Cards that provide
a quick overvie w of your e ntire system, using Vera is easy and simple, even for complete newcomers to
home automation. Vera UI7 a lso delivers the full power advanced users need, with the abi lity to create
your own custom Scenes. Whatever you want to do with smart home technology, Vera UI7 will make it
easy and fun.

The Vera Dashboard is where you:

• Set up and configure your Vera system

• Control and keep tabs on your entire home or small business system

• Add more Users to your Vera account

• Create Scenes to automatically trigger events, such as turning on lights when a door opens

• Set up Notifications about activity in your home or office

• Monitor and control your energy usage

Assuming that your Vera controller is already connected to your home network, your account is setup,
and you have completed the initia l Setup Wizard (adding Devices into your system), let's get down to
the heart of controlling your Vera system -- the Vera Dashboard.

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Login

To get to the Dashboard you must first Login. You can access the Login screen at the top of the
GetVera web site at www.getvera.com. Click on Control, then Remote Access. A new window will
appear with the secure Login screen.
We s uggest saving your login page as a bookmark for convenient access to your system.

After logging in successfully, you will be asked to se lect which Vera Controller to connect to. (If you
have only one Vera system, there will be only one choice.) Se lect Connect.

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It may take several seconds, or up to a minute to connect to your Vera Controller. Once the connection
is established, you should next see your Vera Dashboard.

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The Vera Dashboard

The Vera Dashboard is a web-based interface that provides the control center for things you want to control and monitor
with your Vera system. It can be accessed at home or via the Internet from any web browser or Internet-enabled phone.
It's secure too -- the Vera system uses the same security mechanisms as banks do for online banking.

After getting a system setup with several Devices installed and Favorites selected, here's what the Vera Dashboard looks
like:

Don't worry if your Vera Dashboard doesn't quite look like this yet, the next articles explain everything
you need to know about setting u p an d using your Vera Dashboar d.

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Main Controls: My Modes, My Shortcuts, My Favorites

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2014 08:06PM UTC

My Modes
Modes provide the fastest, easiest way to operate your Vera s ystem and to quick ly change settings on
many different Devices. After initial setup, your Vera system is always in one of the four Modes:
Home, Away, Night or Vacation. The Modes are pre- configured with 'typica l use' default settings for
maximum convenie nce, but as explained below, each Mode may be com pletely customized to make
your Vera System do what you want it to do..

 Switching between Modes is the main way to easily control your Vera System. The Modes provide very

powerful operating conveniences. Switch to Night Mode, for example, and your Vera System can automatically
lock all doors, dim all downstairs lights, set the thermostat lower and check to make sure all windows are closed.
All with a single click.

Selecting My Modes
Here's how the four My Modes choices are used:

Home is for when you're home and awake. Choose Home Mode when adding ne w Devices too.

Away is for when no one is home. Your system can save energy in this mode by shutting down heating or cooling,

while also making sure your home is locked up.

Night is used for late night (after bedtime). Night Mode can help keep your home secure, by locking
doors and checking security s ensors. Night Mode can he lp your home save energy by dimming or
shutting off lights and changing thermostat settings to reduce heating or cooling.

Vacation is for when you're gone f or many days. Your lights can switch on and off at various times to
make your home appear " lived in" (to enhance security by deterring burglars), whi le also maximizing
energy savings.

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Each Mode comes pre-configured with default settings for ea ch of your Devices, and you can customize
the settings for ea ch Mode (see Customizing Modes).

Select Mode with th e Dashboard or a M obile App
Modes are always selected manua lly from the Dashboard or a Mo bile App. Night Mode
does not automatically activate, you must select it. (Lights and other devices ca n change automatically
based on time r or s unrise/sunset times using the Scene feature. Scenes and Modes work together, as
explained later.)

Customizing Mod es
You can change the settings within ea ch of the four Modes by pressing on the right arrow button:

This launches the Co nfigure M y Modes men u, s hown below. Click the switch under each Mode from Default

to Custom and customize the settings for that Mode. (You can always return to the Default settings later just by
clicking again.)

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The settings that you can customize will depend on which Devices you have in your system. If you have
Lamp Dimmers, for example, you'll be able to adjust light settings for each Mode. (The system will only
offer settings for Devices that have already been included in your system.)

My Shortcuts
My Shortcuts are On/Off Controls for All Switches and Door Locks. These controls enable you to q uick ly
turn on or off all your light switches or lock or unlock all your door- locks:

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If a number is displayed over the Device icon it indicates ho w many of that Device type will be
controlled by this button. (In the example shown below, 8 door locks will be locked when "Lock All" is
pressed.)

My Favorites
The Dashboard My Favorites displays your favorites Devices for easy access, much like you'd pin
something to your b ulletin board. The more Devices in your system, th e more convenient this becomes.
You can quickly check the cameras, door locks, or whatever else is most important to you. C lick "Add

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Favorite" to add Devices to the Favorit es section.

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More Dashboard Features: Status, Dashboard Cards,
Weather & Notifications

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2014 08:07PM UTC

Now that you're familiar with the main controls of the Vera Dashboar d for quick ly operating your
system (My Modes, My Favorites and My Shortcuts) let's look at some m ore fea tures of your Vera
Dashboard.

Weather Widget
The weather widget disp lays the temperature and cur rent weather from the se lected location (use
Settings to change.) It a lso displays the local time i n 12 or 24-ho ur time format.

Notification Bar
The notification bar will show the most recent events tha t happened on your system. In the example
below, the notifica tion says the 4-in-1 sensor detected motion about one hour ago.

And in this second examp le below, a Do or/W indow Sensor just tripped 4 se conds ago.

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Dashboard Cards
Vera Dashboard Cards provide a quick overview of the current state of you r entire system. After setup
is complete, the left card will show the status of your Devices, and the right card will show the status
of your security sensors and if any of them have been tripped.

During the ini tial setup the cards will appear grayed out, as there are not yet any devices added to the
system:

Once you’ve paired your devices you’ll see the card colors changing to Green or Red. Green means that the status of
your devices is OK, and red indicates something requiring your attention, as shown below.

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Dashboard Card Status Indicators
The first Dashboard Card shows the status of a ll Devices in your Vera system, with green in dicati ng all
OK:

Red indicates one or more problems, and the Card will provide suggestions to resolve the problem::

The second Dashboard Card sho ws the status of the security sensors in your system, appearing green
when all is OK:

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The Security Status Card will appear red when a sensor has been tripped:

The status indicators will appear gray if there are no Devices to report the status of.

Energy is the third Dashboard Ca rd. The Energy card will only display informa tion if your system
includes Devices that measure energy consumption, such as smart switches and meter readers. (On
smaller screens you may need to mov e the view to the right to see beyond the first two Dashboard
Cards.)

Click the buttons just below the Dashboard Cards to navigate through the Car ds.

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Status Bar

The Vera System Status Bar will display at the top of the Dashboard when Vera is in the process of doing something
or if a Device is in need of configuration. In the example below, the Controller is waiting to "pair" with a new
Device in the middle of the Add New Device setup. (The Status Bar says it's time to Add new devices now.)

Yes, It's That Easy!
This completes the tour of a ll the Dashboar d basics. Between the Dashboard Cards and other quick
notifications, the My Modes and My Shortcuts methods of quick ly changing settings, and the My
Favorites display of your Devices, you should have everything you need to get started.

If you're comp letely new to Vera, we suggest at this point you start trying out these controls for your
Vera system ( if you haven't done so already.) The My Modes settings, in particular, provide a great starting point. (This
is where you quickly switch from being Home to being Away.)

Of course, th ere's still much more to Vera tha n what we've already covered.

The next set of arti cles provide m ore detai l about using the Dashboard and the various options off ered
in the Navigation Menu on the left side of the Dashboard. Here you can explore the f u ll power of home
automation by learning ho w to create your own custom Scenes, monitor Energy use in more detail,
view all your Cameras and Devices, add more Devices, install plug-in apps, add more users to your
system, and change settings.

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Vera UI7 Dashboard Navigation - part 1

Meet the Navigation Menu: Dashboard

Last Updated: Sep 26, 2014 10:31AM UTC

Along the left side of the Vera UI7 Dashboard are the navigation tabs. Most of the time using your Vera
system you may only need the top Dashboard tab and the bottom Logout tab.

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Dashboard Tab
The top tab, which is the default whenever you login to your account, is simply called "Dashboard" to
indicate it is the home or main screen. Most of the time you are using your system this Dashboard will
include everything you need to monitor and control your system. It shows your Favorite Devices, lets
you contro l which Mode you are i n (Home, Night, A way or Vacation), offers qui ck Shortcuts to switch
lights and door locks, and provides you with notices and status updates for your entire Vera system.
(More details about this can be found in an earlier section, "Vera UI7 Dashboard Basics.")

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Logout / Login Tab
One important tab to know about initially is the bottom one, Logout. Click Logout when you are
finished controlling your system to exit the Dashboard. To use the system again you will have to Login
with your username a nd password. (When you are not logged into the system but leave the bro wser
open, this tab will toggle from Logout to Login.)

Note: Your Vera system keeps working 24-hours a day regardless of whether you are logged in to the
Dashboard. W hichever M ode you last set the system to, it will remain in that Mode until you Login again
and make a change. Your system r emem bers all the Settings and Scenes you create i n the Dashboard
(explained later) and continues using these s ettings after you Logout.

Control Vera with a Mobile App
Before we dive deeper into the Dashboard, here's one last importan t "basic": You can also control your

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Vera system using your iPhone, iP ad or Android phone or tablet. Using the Vera mobile app you can
control Vera within your own home, or from a nywhere in the world where you can connect to the
Internet. For more info and complete download details for each platform, vis it:

getvera.com/apps/

The Navigation Tabs
As explained in the next few sections, the other tabs below Dashboard inclu de Devices, Cameras,
Scenes, Energy, Apps and more. As your system expands to include mor e Devices you will probably find
some of these tabs more useful, such as the Cam eras tab which can quickly show you all the cameras in
your system. These ta bs are a lso useful for when you are adding new Devices or making other changes
to your system. The Scenes tab enab les you to unleash the fu ll power of hom e automa tion by creating
your own custom "scripts" in which one device can trigger other devices. In Apps you'll find additional
apps and plug-ins that can enha nce or control your system.

These tabs are ea ch covered in more detai l in the next few articles.

Devices Tab (pt.1): View and Control Devices

Last Updated: Nov 03, 2014 04:37PM UTC

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Click on the Devices tab to see all of the Devices in your Vera system, to control and organi ze your
Devices, and to add ne w Devices to your system. He re you can also confirm that they're working
properly, and set rules of behavior (s uch as notifying you wi th texts, et c.) for them, individually or in
groups.

View Devices
When you select Devices you will see ALL the Devices in your system. Unlike My Favorites on the initia l
Dashboard screen, ea ch and ever y Device in your system is included here. (My Favori tes on ly shows
those Devices you've designated as favorites.)

You can View Devices three different ways:

· By Device Type (Lighting, Door Locks, etc.)

· By Room

· Listed with detai ls about power, signal strength and mo re

The Device Type an d Room displays are designed to provide quick access to control the Devices, such
as to adjust light levels are change a thermostat setting. Here is what the screen looks like when
populated by a number of commonly insta lled Devices when viewing by Type is selected:

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List
When you click on List you'll see all your Devices organized by type, but rather than providing quick
access to controls (as in the Type view), the List view sho ws you severa l key technical detai ls about
each Device. This information includes:

· Battery or AC power stat us

· Signal strength (for wireless communication with the Vera Controller)

· Is it a Favorite?

Here's what the same set of Devices shown above looks like in List view:

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If you want to control set tings or setup for an y Device, you can do it from this List view by clicking the
right arrow

next to the Device you want to adjust.

Controlling Devices
When a Device ( like a cam era, light switch, sensor, etc.) is properly worki ng in your Vera system, you

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have control over that device's operation an d setup using a set of adjustments located next to the
Device in the Type and Room views of all your installed Devices. These adjustments are different for
each type of Device -- a thermostat offers temperature settings, for example, while a lamp dimmer has
a light level adjustment.

Let's use a Smart Switch as an example. Once you've included this device into your system via the
Setup Wizard, you will see its basic functions right away -- in the case of this device, the basic
functions are to turn it on or off.

You can add the light switch to your Favorites so it will display under My Favorites on your Dashboard's
main screen, for easy visualization and groupings, much like you'd pin something to your bulletin board.

You’ll also see a second button, which looks like an arro w pointing to the right, which will open up the

Control Pad for that particular device. Depending on the t ype of device and the device itself, there
will be several setup options that may be configured.

For the example of the SmartSwitch, here is what a configuration screen would look like. Again, there
will be different options available depending on ea ch individual device you're setting up.

Don't worry -- you won't have to adjust any of these technical parameters if you're no t comforta ble
with them. We will discuss these functions in a later se ction. In the meantime, you can see a t ypical
Control Pad screen be low:

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Devices Tab (pt.2): Add Devices

Last Updated: Sep 26, 2014 10:27AM UTC

Each Device must first be added to your Vera System for it to be recognized and controlled. This process
is what is meant by "Adding Devices." Technically, when you add a Device you are establishing a
communications link between the Device and your Vera Controller. Vera can use different methods of
communicating between the Contro ller and the Devices (including, most common ly, Z-Wave, Ethernet
and Wi-Fi). The process is similar, but slightly different for each.

Device Wizards
Vera UI7 makes adding Devices very easy by providing a Device Wizard to guide you through this
process . The Device Wizard provides s tep- by-step onscreen instructions for ea ch Device that can be
added to your system.

The Device Wizard is different for each parti cular model of each Device that can be added, so it is
important that you choose the exact model you are installing.

To launch the Device Wizard:

First click the Devices tab, then click on the gray " + Add Device" button to bring ne w Devices into your
system, as shown here:

If you next click on "Additiona l Devices" you'll see a list of Device categories, s uch as for Dimmers and
Lights, Thermostats, Sensors, etc. as shown belo w.

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The next steps, covered in more detail in the thermostat installation example below, will be to choose the category and
then click on the specific Device you are installing to begin the pairing process. But first let's discuss what's going on
during this setup procedure in a bit more detail.

Pairing/Including Your Devices
A bit of tech background info here might be helpfu l: Each Device in your Vera system must
communicate wirelessly with the Vera Controller, which acts as a central hub. Before this
communication can occur, the Device must be setup to "speak" with the Controller, so the devices can
recognize ea ch other using wireless signals. Each and every Device in your system must first go thro ugh
this process.

Most of the Devices you will add to your system use Z-Wave for wire less communications. (Cameras and
some other devices use other communication systems, including Wi -Fi.) With Z-Wave, the process of
setting up a link is called "pairing" or "including."

One thing you need to know about Z-Wave is that the range for pairing n e w Devices is sometimes
deliberate ly limited to about 3-feet (1-m eter) between the Device and the Controller. This is done for
security. Mos t Devices can be paired from mu ch further away, depending on the Device. After pairing,
the actual working range fo r all Z-Wave Devices will be about 30-feet, depending o n obstructions. But
during the pairing process you sometimes must bring the Device to within 3 -feet of the Controller. (If
this is not possible, such as for a door lock that has already been installed in the door, then you'll need
to move the C ontroller to within 3-feet of the Device. All Vera Controllers offer battery opera tion or
add-on battery packs to make this easier.) You can a lso easily extend the range, when needed, by
adding a "repeater" (explained later.)

Adding Devices From Y our Vera Soluti on
If your system was purchased as a kit or Vera So lution that i ncluded a number of Devices along with the
Controller, then the initial Setup Wizard should populate the list of Devices t o add with those items
that came included with your kit, as shown below (this is an example only -- each kit has different
components):

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If you purchased your system as a kit then you have probably already gone through this setup process,
or at least part of it, during the initia l Setup Wizard.

If you didn't complete this process for all Devices in the kit duri ng the Setup Wizard, then each time
you return to this Add Device screen you will see a list of the remaining items in your kit tha t need to
be added.

Note: You do NOT need to go through t his list in sequence, and it is OK to skip some Devices no w and
do them later. You may even add another, new Device before you complete the setup for all the
Devices in the kit. Of course, if you leave Devices uninsta lled then you won't have the benefit of using
them.

Example: Add A New Thermostat
When adding a new Device that was not included in a package or kit, the first step is to select the type
of device you want to add. For this example, we'll use a Z-W ave controllable thermostat. Since
thermostats (and all other e lectronic things!) need power, load the smart thermostat with its supplied
batteries.

Click Devices, then Add Device. Next se lect Additiona l Devices, as shown below.

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You'll next find the Device you're adding from the list of compati b le Devices. Select the category the
Device is in, which in this case is Thermostats.

Click on the + button next to Th ermostats, and you'll see a list of thermostat models that looks like
this:

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Scroll down the list to select the specific model you are installi ng. For this example, we'll install the
Remotec ZTS-100 thermostat. C lick on it, and you'll see specific instructions for that particular
thermostat m odel.

Follow the Device Wizard instructions for putting the thermostat in to "Pairing" or "Include" mode.

For examp le, here's the Device Wizard sequence you would see for the Remotec ZTS -100 programmab le
thermostat m odel (this is an example only -- actual Device Wizard instructions will var y from mo del to
model.)

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If you were installing this thermostat and click Next, here's what you'd see:

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And the here's the last step in o ur thermostat exam ple:

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Each time you successfully pair a device, you will see a confirma tion message like the one below:

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Selecting a Name and Room for the new Device
Next you will name t he Device. Think of a name that will identify this Device in the future, when there
may be several of the same type of Device in the same roo m. So choosing descriptive names like
"Sensor on Left Window" or "Dimmer for Cou ch Lamp" will help you control your system mo re easily.

Next select which Room the Device is located in. If the th e Room does not already exist in the available
choices, create a New Room and then assign the Device to it.

When you are finished adding ne w Devices, go back to your list of Devices on the
Dashboard. The new Device (in this example, a thermostat) now shows up as a Climate device.

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That's really all there is to it as far as adding new dev ices into your system. You pair them using the
Device Wizard, they sho w up in your Dashboard and now you can monitor and control their activity -­from anywhere!

(Note to Experienced Users: The Add Device Wizard automatically puts the Co ntro ller in learning mode;
if you've done pairing previously with earlier software versions you'll see the fami liar slow blinking light
on the Controller as you run the Wizard. With the Add Device Wizards you do NOT push an y buttons on
the Contro ller. You on ly push buttons on the Device being paired.)

Installing Cameras
Another example of this process is shown in the Cameras article. Although similar, the pro cedure is
slightly different because cameras connect to your Vera Controller using wired Ethernet or wireless Wi­Fi, rather than the Z-Wave system most other Devices use. See Cameras Tab.

Selecting Gen eric Device
Vera updates the avai lable Device Wizards to keep up with the constantly expanding universe of
compatib le home automation, security and smart home D evices that can work with your Vera System.
If you can't find your particular model on the list of available Device Wizards, then choose the "Generic
Z-Wave Device" option at the bottom of the category list.

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Cameras Tab: View and Install Cameras

Last Updated: Oct 29, 2014 07:06AM UTC

Selecting the Ca meras tab provides you quick access to view all your cam eras.

If you only have on e or two cameras you may find viewing them as Favorites on your Dashboard just as
convenient, or even more convenient. If you have many cameras in your system, however, the Cameras
tab functions much like the tra ditiona l security desk, from which a single person may monitor a dozen
or even more cameras from one convenient vie w. To facilitate viewing man y cameras at once, you can
choose to view a small image for each camera.

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Adding A Camera
From the Cam eras tab you can also add a new camera to your Vera system. However, in t his example,
we're going to return to t he Devices ta b and use the Add Device selection to a ccess the Setup Wizards.
(This approach may offer a more a utomated, eas ier camera installation experience via a W izard.)

For this example, we're setting up a Vistacam PT security camera in a small business front office.

First select the Devices Tab and then select Add Device. If you don't yet have any cameras in your
system, the screen might look like this:

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If you received a camera with your kit and have not yet installed in, you'll find it listed here.
Otherwise, to install a new camera click Additiona l Devices.

Next select the Security Cameras category from the list.

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From the list, find the specific camera model being installed. In this case, for this example, it's a VistaCam PT.

You'll next be prom pted to pair the camera with your Vera Syste m in a series of steps.

In this example, you first need to hook up the camera to your Internet router. In a typical home WiFi setup, the

WiFi router also has several Ethernet ports in the back for a wired, Ethernet connection. Use one of these to connect
to the camera.

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Next connect the camera's power supply to AC power.

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Next, your Vera system will try to automatically identify the cam era on your local network. (The local
network is what the router creates to distribute the Internet to the various computers and other W iFi
devices in your home or office.) The system will take up to five minutes for this automated process.

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If the automa tic detection is successful, you'll be prompted to name the Camera a nd in dicate which
Room it is in.

Now, if you want to move the camera to a different location, you can s witch to a wireless Wi -Fi
connection. Skip to the "Switch to W i -Fi" section, below for more detai ls.

But what do you do if auto matic detection doesn't work? Vera provides a Manual Installation option just
in case the a utomat ed procedure doesn't work. C lick the "M anually install the camera" button to begin
this process.

Manual Camera Installati on
There are ma ny reasons why the automa ted installation process may not work, which is why Manua l
Installation is commo n ly needed.

A bit of technical background here: While most other Devices, like sensors and dimmers, communicate directly with
your Vera Controller, the camera signals go through your router first, and so the Controller must know how to find
the camera on your router. Your router may not allow discovery of other devices on the network, which is way
automated installation sometimes does not work. With manual installation you tell the Controller where the camera
is.

The Manual Install procedure gets a bit technical, but anyone can do it. At any point in this procedure
you can cancel out, and Vera tech support is always available to help you too. We encourage you to
first try doing it yourself, then contact tech support if you still need help.

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Click Manua l Insta llation to get started. You' ll see a screen that prompts you to enter information, as
shown below. Start by naming the camera.

Next select the camera type. You might also want to select the Room (a bit lower) or create a new Room.

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Next comes entering the camera's IP address . The easiest way to try to get this informatio n is to click
List Network Devices. This should display the tech details for the camera(s) on your network.

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If you see a listing here, then you're set: Just cut and paste the "IP Address" (or copy it precisely) into the form
where it says "Fill in IP address:" (in this example it is 10.0.1.21).

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Next, select the name of the roo m where the camera is installed, or add a new room name if ne eded.
(Note: Skip step 4, where the fields for the camera's username an d password are requested. These
ONLY need to be fi lled out if you have previously change d these va lues from the camera's defaults,
which is very unlikely.)

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Now click the "Next" button at the bottom of t he screen.

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You should now see the camera image. Click Next to complete the setup.

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You'll now see your camera listed amo ng the Devices (in the ex am ple belo w it's the only Device.)

What if "List Network Devices" Does NOT Show the Cam era's IP Address?
If List Network Devices does not work (a distinct possibility, depending on your rou ter) then you'll need

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to access your router directly to find out the Camera's IP address .

At this point, assuming you're not familiar with your router's control panel, you should contact Vera tech support.
We will guide you step-by-step through the process of identifying the Camera on your network and completing the
Manual Installation.

(If you happen to be very technically inclined and already know how to log into your router's control panel, and
possibly identify it from its "MAC ID" -- which you may find in the printed Camera instructions -- then you can try
to find the Camera's IP address from the router and enter it in the Manual Installation form. Contact tech support if
you need help.)

Switch to Wi-Fi

After your camera is working properly with the Ethernet cable, you can switch to a Wi-Fi connection to
conveniently move the camera to a more distant location. (Note the quality of the camera signal will depend on your

Wi-Fi router, the distance from it, and how the home or office is constructed. Whenever possible the use of a wired
Ethernet connection is preferable.)

To switch a camera to a Wi-Fi connections.
First select the Cameras Tab.

Next select the Camera that you wish to change the connection for by clicking on its image. (Note: You must
already have a wired Ethernet connection, and see the camera's image, before you switch to Wi-Fi.)

Click on the Settings button, near the top of the screen.

Click on the Switch to Wi-Fi option near the bottom of the screen (click the right arrow).

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Scroll down the next page until you see the “ Dis cover W iFi Networks” s ection. After a few seconds you

will see here a list of available Wi-Fi networks. Identify your network if more than one are listed (you
may also be seeing your neighbors' networks on this list.)

Click on the button next to your network's name.(If it's not listed, see below.)

Enter your “Network Password”

Click the “Save” button.

Wait 30 seconds.

Remove the Ethernet cable from the back of the camera.

Go back to the mai n camera page by clicking on t he Camera Tab on the main menu.

Wait up to 5 minutes for the camera image to re-appear on the camera p age.

What if your Wi-Fi Network does not appear listed?

Click the “Discover” button.
Wait for your network to a ppear. If it does, click on your n etwork and enter your password. Follow the
steps above to see the camera image.

If you network does not appear after clicking on the “Discover” button, then scro ll up on the camera

settings page to the box for SSID.

Enter your network name in the SSID box. This is the name of the network (Tip: The network name is
often printed on the bottom of the Wi-Fi router. You can a lso check oth er devices, such as your tablet,
that use the Wi-Fi network. Copy the name exactly.)

Enter the password for your Wi-Fi network and click “Save” button.

Wait 30 seconds.

Remove the Ethernet cable from the back of the camera.

Go back to the main camera page by clicking on the Camera Tab on the main menu.

Wait up to 5 minutes for the camera image to re-appear on the camera page.

Next: Creating Custom Scenes
That's it for Cameras. In the next article you'll learn all about taking advantage of one of hom e
automation's most powerful abilities: Creating your o wn custom Scenes in which you program your
Devices to interact, so that one can trigger another. Best of all, creating Scenes is very easy.

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Scenes Tab: Creating Your Own Scenes

Last Updated: Sep 26, 2014 10:36AM UTC

The Scene Wizard enables you to harness what might be the most powerful aspect of your Vera system: creating
custom Scenes (also called scripts) that define what will happen when a specified Trigger event occurs. For
example, you can create a scene to automatically turn the lights on whenever a door is unlocked, or fifteen minutes
after sunset occurs. Creating a new scene is easy. Click Scenes on your Vera Dashboard to get started.

Assuming you've never created a Scene before, you'll see something like this:

Next select the Add Scene button (in the upper right ) to begin creating your own custom sequence. You may see
some help info explaining the process, and Step 1 will appear, asking you to Select a Trigger.

As the Help screen shown above i llustrates, the process of creating a custom Scene consists of two
basic steps, s electing a Trigger that a ctivates the Scene, and selecting a resulting Action that will
occur. (You can have several Triggers and severa l Actio ns for the same Scene, and you can also receive
a Notification whenever the Scene activates. But for the example we'll show here, we'll keep it basic.)

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Selecting th e Trigger:

There are three types of Triggers:

 Device - The Scene will begin when a sensor or other Device in your system changes state, such as a door opens

or temperature changes.

 Schedule - The Scene will begin hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or according to whatever schedule you choose,

or can be based on sunrise/sunset times for you specific location.

 Manual - You'll create a new button that appears on your Dashboard, and selecting this button will start the

Scene.

Example: Turn on light when there's motion in the stairway
For the example shown in the next few steps, we're going to create a Scene to automatically turn on a
stairway light whenever m otion is detected.

In this example, the Device trigger method is selected. We click the right arrow button to the right of
Select a Device. We next see a list of our Devices. The list may be organized by Room or by Type, in
the example shown below Type is selected. Note that not every Device can be a Trigger Device, a nd
you will only see listed those Devices that can be used as a Trigger. (For example, if you have an a larm
siren in your system, you cannot use it as a Trigger because the siren is an output device.)

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For this example, we're going to use th e Motion Sensor section of the 4 -in-1 sensor, so we' ll select the
right arrow next to this Device.

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The Motion Sensor has several possible parame ters that can be used to trigger the Scene, including
whether it is armed or disarmed when motion is detected, and when t he battery level is low. For our
Scene, we're not really concerned about whether it is armed or disarmed (the question of "arming" is
for security applications) or what the battery level (that's a separate alert), so we'll se lect the third
choice in the list, "Whenever 4 in 1 sensor detects motion whether armed or disarmed."

We click to the next screen, see the Device Trigger is properly setup and also see the option to add
another trigger before moving on to Ste p 2. You can have several different things trigger the same
Scene, but for this example we'll just use the Motion Sensor. So we select Next Step at the bottom.

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Now we're up to S tep 2, which is telling Vera what we want to have happen when the Motion Sensor
detects motion.

Selecting What Will Happen
For this example we want a Device to turn on the starirway light. The Device is a Lamp Dimmer. So we
click the right arrow next to Se lect Devices. (Note: We'll have the opportunity later to create
Notifications whenever a Scene is triggered.)

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Next we'll see a list of Devices in our system. This list may look similar to, or be the same as the list we
saw earlier, for the Trigger Devices. But in this list, only Devices that can perform some a ction (such as
sounding an alarm siren) will be shown. (So in this list, for exam ple, the 4 -in-1 Sensor no longer
appears, as the sensor cannot be told to do anything, because it is a pure "input" Device.)

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From this list we select the Stairway light dimmer, at the top.

A small menu appears asking what the dimmer shou ld do when triggered. We set this to 100% because
we want the stairway light to come on at fu ll brightness.

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Another optio n we can add to this Scene is to delay the Action. But that would be annoying, since we
want the light to come on immediately if someone is using the stairs, s o we'll skip this step.

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We're done and ready to move o n to na ming this new Scene and setti ng up Notifications for it, so we
click Next Step at the bottom.

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Now we're up to S tep 3, where we finis h up with a few more details. First is the question of which
Modes this new Scene will be active for. Do we want it to run a ll the time, regardless of whether we're
home or away or on vacation Tha t's what "When I am in any mode" means.

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We really only want this S cene to be active when we're home, s o we need to make a change from this
default setti ng. We click on the right arrow next to "When I am in any mode." We next see a choice of
which Modes to activate the Scene for, and select only Home here, and click Done.

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Next we can tell Vera who we want to notify whenever the Scene runs. We could choose to send an
email or text notification to any user. But realistica lly, such notifications are more useful for knowing
who is coming and going, or for security applications -- we don't want to notify anyone that the lights
have come up in the stairway. So we'll skip this step, and also skip the opportunit y to enter custom
Luup computer code here (that's strictly for advanced users!) and proceed to naming the Scene.

Naming Your New Scene
You can name a Scene anything you want, but the mo re d escriptive you make it the less confusing
things will be later on when you have ma ny Scenes. So avoid names like "my first scene" and go for
something that ex plains what it does, such as in this case, "Stairway Light On - W ith Motion."

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We're done! The ne w Scene, " Stairway Light Up when Motion Detected," now appears under Scenes on
our Dashboar d. As mentioned ear lier, it's easy to edit the Scene by clicking on the pencil icon to the
left of the Scene name.

Testing the N ew Sc ene
The new Scene will automatically be active in the M odes that were selected when it was created, in
this case Home Mode only. There's nothing more needed to do, it will happen automatically. At this
point we can leave the Scenes tab and return to the main Dashboard tab.

Before leaving however, we might want to test our new Scene using the Run button. To be clear, this
does not test the entire Scene, but rather, it tests the Action t hat is set to occur in the Scene. Think of
the Run button as a test trigger.

So in the example we've create d, instead of waiting for motion in the stairway to occur, we can test
our Scene by clicking the Run button ( looks like a "play" icon) and observing whether the stairway light
comes on.

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When we run the test it only lasts for a few seconds, during which tim e the R un button changes to a
check mark and "Success" appears if it runs OK. (If there's a problem, the error or fai l sym bol will
appear, as s hown in the legend underneath.) Then a few seconds later everything returns to the
appearance of the previous screen.

Note: "Run" is For Testing Only
To be clear: Clicking Run on this screen creates a quick t est of the Action in the Scene. You
do notactivate the scene from here. The Scene is automatically active for the Modes that were
selected when the Scene was created. In the above example, the Scene will be active whenever Vera is
in Home Mode.

Of course this was just one walk-through of S cene creation, and there are so man y possibilities! Scenes
empower you to aut omate your home to an extent never before imaginable. You can easily edit your
Scenes, and Remove the ones you no longer n eed or which don't work as you expected, so feel free to
experiment.

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Vera UI7 Dashboard Navigation - part 2

Settings Tab

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2014 08:18PM UTC

The Settings tab provides several useful features for changing the settings on your Vera Controller and
system. Generally speaking, you proba bly won't ever nee d to visit the Settings unless you want to
change somet hing that has already been set. Most of the Settings you find here have a lready been
populated with informatio n you previously provided when you set your system up. But if you move to a
different location, or did not finish the initia l Setup Wizar d when you first installed your system, or
need to upgra de firmware or har dware or need to restore your system to previous settings, this is the
place to do it.

Click on Settings and a num ber of sub-menu items will appear, including Rooms, Location, N et & Wi-fi,
Backup, Logs, Z-wave Settings and Firm ware. Let's look at each of these.

Rooms
The Rooms Settings simply lists the available Room names you've alread y created, and provides you
with the opportuni ty to edit these room names and/or create new ones.

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Select the pencil icon to make changes to any of the room nam es, or the garbage can i con to delete a
room.

Location
The next Settings item lets you change the location of your system. The Location informa tion is used
for showing you the local time and weather conditions at the top of the Dashboard. Th e more precisely
you tell Vera what the system's location is, the mor e accurate the weather info will be.

Note: You only need to enter the city or town to change t he location. The longitude and latitude
information is filled in automatically by Vera from the city name.

Net & Wi-Fi
The Net & W i-fi sub-menu includes features to help you troubleshoot your Internet access and local
network should any problem arise. There's also an option here to activate 3G (cell phone) backup of
your notifications in the event the Internet fai ls (this requires a Vera Controller with built -in 3G
capability, or a cellular accessory dongle for your Vera Controller.)

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Advanced users also have the option here to ma nually specify how Vera connects to the Internet.
Generally speaking if your system is working properly you probably should not change any settings
here, except if you wish to add the cellular (3G) backup service just in case your Internet Service
Provider has an outage.

Backup
Vera automati ca lly creates a backup of your system, typically on a daily basis. You don't need to do
anything here to create the backups, they are completely automa tic. When you click on Backup you'll
see a list of the most recent backups that have been created.

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From here you can restore your system to a previous state from one of these backups. This will only be
needed if something goes wrong, for example, you install some new piece of equipment and suddenly
nothing is working right and you want to get back to the way thi ngs were yesterday or last week. Under
normal operation, this should never ha ppen, but th e capability is provided here just in case.

Similarly, before making any major changes to your s ystem, such as when upgrading Firm ware or
upgrading to a ne w Controller, you should create a backup just in case anything goes wrong. That's
what the Create Backup button is for.

The Upload button enables you to drag a nd drop Restore files saved in a different location or from a
different device, adding t hem to your library of Backups. This can be very useful when upgrading to a
new Controller, as you can take a Backup created fo r the o ld Controller, copy it into the Backup Log
for the ne w Controller, and then perform a Restore on the new Controller. This will transfer all the
setup information, including a ll Devices in the system, from the old Controller to the new. (Ass uming
both are compatible with Vera UI7.)

Restore Z-Wave network
Z-Wave is a "mesh network" technology that uses the AC plug-in Devices in your system, such as Lamp
Dimmers and Smart Switches, as "repeaters" to re lay the signa ls from battery- powered Devices to your
Controller. The system is completely automa tic when you first set things up, figuring the best pa th for
each Device's signal to take to th e Cont roller. But after you move s ome Devices around, su ch as if you
unplug a Lamp Dimm er an d move it some where, pro blems may arise because a Device that was
previously being used as a repeater is no longer in the right position. That's the problem that the
"Restore Z-W ave network" option resolves.

Click the Restore button h ere o nly if you're experiencing problems communicating with one or more Z ­Wave Devices. For example, if a Door/Window sensor is no longer showing up in your system, and you
know the battery is in good condition, and it was working fine just b efore you ma de some changes to
your system, t hen in a ll likelihood the Z-W ave network needs to be restored.

Finally, on this page you also have the option to restore your system to its default settings. This is like
wiping the Controller clean and erasing all the custom settings you created.

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Logs
Unlike Backups which are r ecords of your system's settings, Logs are complete detailed reports of
everything going on in your system. You will probably never need to access any of your system's logs,
but if instructed by Vera tech su pport to help resolve a tech issue, you may need to make a copy of
your logs on a standard USB thumb drive or external hard drive.

Plug the USB drive into th e USB port on the back of your Vera Controller to store logs onto the USB
memory device. Note that the drive will be comp letely erased prior to creating the logs.

Z-Wave Settings
These are settings that should only be touched by advanced users, as they cover ma ny of the techn ical
details regarding Z-Wave communications between your Vera Controller an d your Z-Wave Devices.

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The one section here that an "ordinary" user might need to know about is the "Repair" tab, which can be used to help
repair a Z-Wave network in which pieces of the system have been moved around. Please see "Restore Z-Wave
Network," above, for a more detailed explanation. Clicking on the "Go" button herer will initiate a restoration of the
Z-Wave network.

Firmware
The Vera UI7 soft ware resides on your Vera Controller in the f orm of "firmware" that remains in the

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Controller's memory. Periodically Vera will offer u pdates to this firmware as bugs are resolved and as
new Devices become avai lable to use with your Vera system.

Updating the firmware is an advanced operation that non-ex perienced users should only undertake
when instructed by Vera tech support or customer support. You will be supplied with a URL (Internet
address) for downloading the new firmware. Copy and paste that address into the blank fi eld on this
page, click "download" and follow the instructions.

Setup Wizard
When you first installed your Vera Con troller, the Setup Wizard proba bly launched automatically to
guide you through the entir e insta llation process for your Vera system.

This menu item lets you re- launch the Set up Wizard at a ny time later. So, for example, if you
previously got halfway through the S etup Wizard, then star ted using the system without finishing,

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here's how you can get back to where you left off. Click on Next to re-start t he Setup Wizard and pi ck
up where you left off.

Apps Tab & Plug-Ins

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2014 08:18PM UTC

One of the most powerful features of the Vera platform is its ability to work with third -pa rty A pps and
Plug-Ins. These can expand your Vera's abi lity to do a ll kinds of things , and to work with many, many
different Devices.

What's the differenc e between an App and a Plug -In?
Technically Apps are like mini-programs that run on your Vera Controller, and Plug-Ins are extensions
to Applications (Apps). Typically an A pp makes your Vera system do something it would not have
otherwise done, while a plug-in helps Vera connect to a particu lar device (similar to a PC "driver.")
However the distinction can sometimes seem blurry, so for conveni ence and to avoid confusion, Vera
groups both A pps and Plug-Ins together here in this one-stop-shopping "Vera Apps Store". (Most are
free, but some do charge.)

When you first select the Apps tab you'll see a sub-menu with "My apps" at top, showing the apps (and plug-ins)
that are already installed. Here's an example:

You may discover items here you didn't realize were installed, especially plug-ins for Devices in your system that
were installed automatically because they enable these Devices to work with Vera..

Installing New Apps and Plug-Ins
Select "Install apps" from the Apps sub-menu. You'll see a long list of available apps and plug-ins that fill many,
many pages.

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You can scroll through these listings at your leisure, looking for something useful or interesting. For this example,
however, let's do something more focused: We want to install a Nest thermostat and have it work with our Vera
system. So we'll use the "Search app" capability. We type "Nest thermostat" into the Search field.

We see the results in an instant, and see that yes there is a plug-in to use the Nest thermostat with Vera.

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We click on Details and see it's available and can be easily installed by clicking the Install button.

Another Example: Apps that do things
Here's another example that shows how apps can extend the capabilities of what Vera does. By looking through the
list of apps, we see one called Thermostat Min Max. This sounds interesting, because we have children in the house
who sometimes set the thermostat ridiculously low in the summer. We click on the Details, and see a description.

Click Install and that's all there is to it, the thermostat can now be limited in range to whatever you set.

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Develop your own Vera apps
If you're an advanced user and have your own ideas for apps, or are a Device manufacturer and want to develop a
plug-in to make your new Device work perfectly with Vera, this section is for you.

Vera apps are written in a scripting language called Lua, and this page provides advanced users with the ability to
test and then use custom written code on the Vera platform.

For those who want to make other Devices compatible with Vera, the "Create device" option at the bottom shows
how this is possible using the Device's IP address and MAC identification.

Of course this capability is provided for advanced programmers and engineers. (Most Vera users will never go near
this page!)

"Ordinary" users, however, can easily choose from a wide variety of new capabilities by perusing the available Vera
apps and plug-ins. These help make Vera the most flexible, capable, and compatible smart home platform, and make
it easy for you to customize your system to include many unique Devices and functions.

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Users & Account Info Tab

Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 05:32AM UTC

The Users & Account Info Tab in cludes the A lerts section, explained below, where you can setup
notifications about anything and everything in your Vera s ystem.

Assuming you followed the instructions in the initial Setup Wizard successfully, when you click on the
Users & Account tab you should find m ost of the info rmation here already filled out. If you bypass ed
the Setup Wizard, had prob lems with it, or n eed to make changes (s uch as if you move to a new
address), here's the place to do it. If you need to a dd a new User to your system, this is also the p lace
to do it.

Let's clarify some basic termino logy at this point so there is no confusion between what preci sely is
meant by "Account" and "User":

 Account - The Account is your log in information for accessing Vera using a web browser or mobile app. Note

that one Account may be able to access two or more Controllers located in different places. For example, y ou
might have one system at home, and another at your business, or another at the home of a family member you
look after. That's why the next step after you login with your Account info you are presented a list of Controllers
your account can connect to.

 User - Each person who is authorized to use the Vera system is a "User". Each member of the household is

usually a user. Several Users may be authorized to unlock the doors, for example, and in the event of an
emergency the system may send notifications to several Users.

Select User Info to create or change a User's settings.

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To receive email or text a lerts to be notified of events that o ccur in your home, su ch as door lock
activity or a m otion sensor being tripped, you'll first have to setup your email address and phone
number (if not already done) in the User Info section. Note that each method of communi cation -- text
messages to your phone, and email -- m ust be verified first before you can start receiving notifi cations.

To verify each, you will be sent a code. Just copy that code into the fie ld where re quested.

When you're done e ntering your email and phone settings, click Save Changes.

Change password

Click here to change your own password, if you so desire.

Alerts
The Alerts tab provides a very powerfu l capability of your Vera system: the abi lity to notify you when
anything happens. What you choose to be alerted about is com pletely up to you, it can be only for the
most critical situatio ns, such as a suspected intruder due to a motion sensor tripping, to receiving an

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alert every single time a door or window is opened, or a lamp dimmer setting is changed, or a
thermostat temperature changes, or anything else.

Getting notified each time your door is unlocked is a popular Alert, because you can use it to keep
track of when kids come home from school, or when employees enter and leave, or whether an elderly
relative has made it home safely.

In addition to enabling you to specify Alerts you wan t to receive, this page also shows you the mos t
recent notifications that have b een sent out.

Other Users
When you select the Other Users you'll see of everyone else who is currently authoriz ed to use this
system. You will not see your own User account listed here, that informa tion is access ible from the User
Info sub-tab (see above).

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You can edit the details for each User listed by clicking on the pencil icon to right of each name.

Adding a New User
Here is also where you can add a new User to yo ur system. Select the Add User button on t he right to
get started.

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For each User you add, you'll need to decide their level of access to the system, as an Administrator,
Guest, or s omeone who can on ly receive notifications but has no control over the system.

For examp le, in a typical fami ly, the parents might both be Administrators , the young children might
be Guests to allow them to adjust lighting or lock doors but without changing any of the setups, and a
neighbor might be made a notifications -only user who gets a lerted if a sensor trips.

To receive no tifications by text a nd/or email, the User must validate the emai l address and/or phone
number by receiving a code num ber and entering it where requested, as shown here.

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Tech Support
This sub-tab makes it eas y to contact our support team an d keep tra ck of any issues you may be
having.

Unit Settings
The Unit Settings let you configure th e date and time format along with the Timezone. It will also
allow you to select the City for t he Weath er Widget, and the temperature format you prefer (F/C). You
can also renam e your Controller (unit) here. At the bottom of this page you'll a lso find information that
can help you identify your Vera Controller on your ho me net work.

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Logout
This is how you can exit from your Vera Account when you are finished using the system. Note: You
may prefer to leave a com puter or tablet logged in all the time, so you can quickly adjust and check
your Vera system. There is no n eed to Logout, unless you're concerned a bou t the security of a shared or
public computer. Many Vera users keep a tablet in t he living room logged in a ll the time for qui ck and
easy access to Vera.

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Add Cameras and Other Devices (UI7)

Adding Devices to Your Vera System

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2014 01:48AM UTC

Your Vera System can eas ily be expanded. Whether you started building your Vera System with a Vera
Solution that came with several devices in a kit, or with a Vera Controller an d individual Devices
purchased s eparately, expanding your system is simple.

The range of new Devices you can expand your Vera System with includes cam eras , sensors, locks, on­off switches, dimmers, thermostats an d more. Here are some of the principal types of Devices tha t are
commonly used to expand smart hom e and monitoring a pplications:

Cameras

Inexpensive IP (Internet Proto col) cameras have revolutionized security and communicatio ns by
showing live video from one location to another via the Internet. Most of them work via Wi-Fi, and
some are designed for outdoor use.

Lighting controls

It's easy for Vera to control ligh ts that have ha d Z-Wave control added to them. There are many
inexpensive Z-Wave s witches and dimmers that you simply plug your lights into before plugging into the
wall. There are a lso wall switches and dimmers that are powered by Z-Wave.

Door Locks

There are numerous locks on the market, an d just about all are Vera compatible. You can set different

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electronic keys for different people, lock or unlock doors remotely, set up tim ers for
locking/unlocking, et c.

Sensors

There are a wide range of Z-Wave sensors available on the market that can send out informa tion to
your Vera Controller, which can then alert you or make o ther devices react accordingly. For example,
a motion sensor can turn on a light, an d a da ylight sensor can tell Vera to change th e thermostat or
open a motorized shade.

Thermostats

Heating and air conditioning are two of the most expensive drains on a home's energ y profile, and
simple management of home climate can dramatically reduce your energ y bills.

There are ma ny more types of controllable home au tomation Devices on the market, a nd many more
coming. You can use pra ctically all of them with your Vera System. However, for some of these
Devices, Vera makes it incredibly easy to set them up, using custom Vera Device Wizards.

The Vera Device Wizards
There are currently over a thousand different Devices that are compatible with your Vera System, and
this universe keeps expanding. Among these, Vera has s elected several dozen of the most p opular and
robust Devices you can use with your Vera System, and created Device Wizards to guide you through
the setup and insta llation process.

Note that a D evice Wizard is not required to add a new Device to your system, and in fact Vera UI7
includes a "generic device" option within each category (sensors, therm ostats, cameras, etc.) to
accommodate practically any home automation Device.

By expanding your system with a Device for which Vera offers a Device W izard you'll be assured of the
fastest, easiest installation. Each Device Wizard in cludes custom photos showing exactly where buttons
need to be pressed, and explaining every single step of the "inclusion" process to get the Device
communicating with your Vera Controller. (See Devices Tab - Part 2 for mor e about this process.) Of
course all the Devices included in Vera So lution pa ckages, such as the Vera Sta rter Solution an d Vera
Energy So lution, have Vera Device W izards.

The next set of arti cles provide m ore detai led informatio n on many of t he specific Vera Device Wizards
that are avai lable in the various Device categories (Alarms, Thermostats, Energ y, Dimmers and Lights,
Security Cameras, etc.)

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VistaCam PT Wireless Camera

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2014 01:48AM UTC

The VistaCam PT S tandard Defi nition Pan and Ti lt Wireless Camera is a compact Indoor IP camera that
provides both pan an d ti lt functiona lity for enhan ced flexibility. It supports both wired and wireless
installation. Works right out of the box with Vera controller and the Vera UI7 Device Wizard
installation:

Adding A Camera

Open a bro wser and launch your Vera UI7 Das hboard.

Select the Devices tab on the left menu.

Next select Add Device. If you don't yet have a ny cameras in your system, the screen might look like
this:

If you received a camera with your kit and have not yet installed in, you'll find it listed here.
Otherwise, to install a new camera click Additiona l Devices.

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Next select the Security Cameras category from the list.

From the list, find the specific camera model being installed. In this case, it's a VistaCam PT.

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You'll next be prom pted to pair the camera with your Vera Syste m in a series of steps.

You first need to hook up the camera to your Internet router. In a typical home WiFi setup, the WiFi router also has
several Ethernet ports in the back for a wired, Ethernet connection. Use one of these to connect to the camera.

Next connect the camera's power supply to AC power.

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Next, your Vera system will try to automa tica lly identify the camera on your local network. (The local
network is what the router creates to distribute the Internet to the various computers and other W iFi
devices in your home or office.) The system will take up to five minutes for this automated process.

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If the automa tic detection is s uccessful, you'll be prompted to name t he Camera and indicate which
Room it is in.

Now, if you want to move the camera to a different location, you can s witch to a wireless Wi -Fi
connection. Skip to the "Switch to Wi-Fi" section, below for more details.

But what do you do if auto matic detection doesn't work? Vera provides a Manual Installation option just
in case the a utomat ed procedure doesn't work. C lick the "M anually install the camera" button to b egin
this process.

Manual Camera Installati on
There are ma ny reasons why the automa ted installation process may not work, which is why Manua l
Installation is commo n ly needed.

A bit of technical background here: While most other Devices, like sensors and dimmers, communicate directly with
your Vera Controller, the camera signals go through your router first, and so the Controller must know how to find
the camera on your router. Your router may not allow discovery of other devices on the network, which is way
automated installation sometimes does not work. With manual installation you tell the Controller where the camera
is.

The Manual Install procedure gets a bit technical, but anyone can do it. At any point in this procedure
you can cancel out, and Vera tech support is always available to he lp you too. We encourage you to
first try doing it yourself, then contact tech support if you still need help.

Click Manua l Insta llation to get started. You' ll see a screen that prompts you to enter information, as
shown below. Start by naming the camera.

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Next select the camera type (VistaCam PT). You might also want to select the Room (a bit lower) it will be installed
in, or create a new Room.