AJAX Hub

Composing a complete alarm system always starts with choosing the right Hub. AJAX will have a choice of 4 different versions in 2020. The differences between these versions are reflected in the number of products you can connect wirelessly, the backup network connection 2G or 3G or 4G that is supported, and the support of the Wings protocol, which we will tell more about later.

What exactly does the AJAX Hub do

The AJAX Hub is the headquarters of the security system and wirelessly controls all linked detectors via the Jeweller protocol. The maximum distance the Hub can bridge with the detectors without AJAX Rex is 2000 meters. By default, the Hub checks the status of each detector every 36 seconds. For even more security, this time can be reduced to as little as every 6 seconds. Via the AJAX application on your smartphone, you can set up everything the Hub should do for you.

Enormous range of 2000 meters

Through the AJAX app you can see exactly what the signal strength of each detector is. If the distance between the detector and the AJAX Hub is too large, resulting in a weak Jeweller signal, place a range extender in the form of an AJAX Rex in your system, increasing the range by another 1800 meters. It won’t surprise you that a Rex isn’t often sold, thanks to the enormous distances you can cover by default. A Rex is only recommended for very large houses with hundreds of meters of land.

What is the difference between AJAX Hub 1 and 2?

The AJAX Hub 1, also called AJAX Hub only, is suitable for all detectors without a camera built in. At the time of writing, the AJAX MotionCAM motion detector is the only detector that requires an AJAX Hub 2. All other products are compatible with the standard Hub.

What does the Hub 2 have that the standard Hub does not have?

The Wings protocol. This is a different wireless signal than the Jeweller signal that each Hub has, and also developed by AJAX itself. Thanks to the wireless Wings signal, long distance photos can be sent wirelessly from the detector to the Hub, and the Hub is able to display this photo on your smartphone in seconds.

More memory, more possibilities

The standard Hub is capable of executing up to 5 scenarios. An example of a scenario would be to automatically turn on the alarm system at a fixed time, or turn on the lights using an AJAX Socket. Thanks to more memory, Hub 2 can execute 32 scenarios, and Hub Plus even 64.

What can the standard Hub do?

For most users, the standard Hub is sufficient, it offers more than sufficient possibilities for 99% of the users. The standard AJAX Hub does not allow you to pair AJAX cameras yourself, but you can of course choose a camera of any other brand if you want to save images or watch them live. An AJAX detector with a built-in camera can also only transmit images at the moment of detection. You cannot request a photo or video of the location if there is no detection resulting in an alarm. So if you want to be able to view images at any time, you need to install a different brand of camera anyway. In principle, it doesn’t matter which brand of camera you choose, because all brands have their own smartphone application. There are 4 brands that make it possible to view the images of that brand of camera in the AJAX app, but that offers little or no added value is our opinion. So just choose a camera with the right price/quality ratio for your budget. Of course we will gladly advise you what we think is the best to buy.

AJAX Hub in black and white

Because the Hub does not come into view, the colour is not so important. The Hub must be provided with power and a fixed internet cable, which comes from your router. Usually this will be positioned in the meter cupboard.

Ultimate security in communication

The AJAX Hub is permanently connected to the Internet, and is connected to the AJAX Cloud. The AJAX application on your smartphone is also constantly connected to the same AJAX Cloud, thanks to the internet on your smartphone. If, for whatever reason, the internet at home is switched off and the AJAX Hub is disconnected from the AJAX Cloud, there is no problem. Because your smartphone is still connected to the Cloud, the Cloud will notify you that the connection from the Hub to your home has been lost. It’s then up to you to see what might be going on. If you want to avoid receiving this notification of a lost Internet connection at home, in addition to your fixed Internet connection to the Hub, you can also choose to insert a SIM card from any provider into the Hub that takes over when the fixed Internet connection is down. Fortunately, in Europe, it is not common for your fibre optic or wired Internet to be offline, so the SIM card is only a backup for very limited periods of time. Always remember that even if the internet is offline, the system will still function. If someone wants to break in while the internet isn’t working, just sound the siren. This makes the AJAX alarm system more reliable than any other brand of alarm system. Even alarm systems that work with wired connections/connections often do not have the possibility to be notified immediately if a connection fails. Many alarm systems are connected to a fixed telephone line which sends a call to the alarm company in case of a burglary. If the telephone line has been rendered unusable, intentionally or otherwise, the burglary report will not come in.

Video AJAX Alarm system

Transfer settings and devices from an AJAX hub 1 to an AJAX hub 2 / AJAX hub 2 plus?

If you have already an AJAX alarm system and you just want to renew the Hub to a new model. Then it is easy to have all the settings and the linked products directly on the new Hub. In the video below you can see step by step how to do this. https://youtu.be/zGwBTvciKCI