GSM / Wi-Fi alarm system Navigard NV 8321W

The Kaliningrad company Navigard develops and manufactures more than a dozen models of security and fire alarm systems. Several models are intended for domestic use (self-protection), however, all of them can be connected to the control panel. I studied the Navigard NV 8321W alarm system , which combines low price and maximum features.





I found the Navigard stand in the very corner of the Securika exhibition a year ago. Alarms from this manufacturer interested me for several reasons: support for wired and wireless sensors, the presence of the manufacturer's cloud and applications for smartphones, the ability to connect to the Internet not only via mobile Internet, but also via Wi-Fi and Ethernet, TM support, low price.



To begin with, I will briefly describe the possibilities of signaling.



Up to eight groups (zones) of wired sensors (for opening, closing, two-zone, supplying voltage).



Up to 32 wireless sensors (433 MHz, own protocol).



4 outputs (manual or event controlled).



Two sections (it is possible to organize separate protection of two neighboring apartments or offices).



Two sim cards (only 2G), Wi-Fi (only 2.4 GHz).



Notification by means of a call, SMS, Push-notifications to a smartphone via the cloud, to the control panel of a security company.



Arming and disarming by means of a key-tablet TM, a radio remote control, an application on a smartphone, SMS, contact closure, contactless cards and key fobs, a numeric keypad.



Connection of up to three wired temperature sensors.



Connect up to two JPEG cameras.



Built-in backup battery.



MicroSD card slot for firmware, configuration, saving images from cameras, extended event log.



Configuration using a program on a computer, transferring settings to the alarm using a USB connection, a file on a MicroSD card, a file to FTP, transfer via the Internet.



A mobile application that works through the manufacturer's cloud.



The set includes a power supply 12 V 1 A, a remote key fob, a wireless door / window sensor, resistors.



The retail price of this alarm kit is 6,490 rubles, the version without Wi-Fi (NV 8321) costs 5,990 rubles. Navigard produces alarms with the same logic of operation, but with a smaller number of inputs-outputs and communication facilities at a price of 2500 rubles.



Additionally, you can buy wireless motion sensors (1350 rubles), temperature sensors (416 rubles), remote controls (332-757 rubles) cameras (2855 rubles).



On the front panel of the alarm there are 18 LEDs that display the status of zones, outputs, sim cards, power supply.





Without removing the back cover, you can connect to the outputs and remove the MicroSD card.





To install sim cards, connect sensors and everything else, the cover must be removed.





The alarm itself is made for Kaliningrad, wireless sensors and remotes are made to order in China. Their protocol differs from the standard "Chinese" protocol (just in case, I tried to connect exactly the same-looking Chinese key fob to the alarm, but nothing came of it).





The NV 105W wireless door or window opener is powered by a CR123A lithium battery.





The wireless motion detector NV 350W uses a rarer lithium battery ER14250 (1/2 AA).





The NV DOM 485-28IR camera transmits photos with a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels via the RS485 interface.





I connected one cheap wired door sensor, a temperature sensor, a TM reader, a camera, a remote control, two wireless sensors to the alarm and studied how it all works.





To set up the alarm, first of all, you need to connect it to the computer with a USB-MiniUSB cable (it is not included in the kit, but everyone will probably have such a cable) and install the NV PRO program on the computer.





Then you can install the NV HOME application from the Play Market or Apple App Store on your smartphone and configure the application's connection with the alarm through the manufacturer's cloud.



The application shows the signal level of the SIM cards, the presence of voltage in the network, the temperature (if a sensor is connected), the state of the Wi-Fi connection, the state of the alarm and all its zones. The app receives push notifications for alarms and other critical events.

From the application, you can arm and disarm the alarm, as well as control the outputs. The only setting in the application is the time for automatic shutdown of outputs.





Wireless sensors and remotes are convenient, but you need to understand that it will not be difficult for an intruder with the simplest electronic equipment to deceive them: for verification, I copied the remote control code into the Broadlink RM Pro + device and the cloned remote control was able to disarm the alarm, which means that the attacker too can use the simplest code grabber and clone the remote control. It is also as easy as shelling pears to “muffle” wireless sensors when entering a room - just keep pressing the button of any Chinese remote control and the alarm will not be able to recognize the signal from the sensors.



In order to exclude the possibility of such alarm deception, it is better to use wired sensors in critical places (at least one motion sensor in the corridor).



The safest way of arming and disarming is with “intercom” TM keys or contactless cards or key fobs (you will need a TM reader or an Em-Marin contactless reader with a TM or Wiegand26 interface). In addition, a numeric keypad with TM interface can be connected to arm and disarm it by entering a password. It is possible to configure arming / disarming with a signal at the input, but the button for arming cannot be used - there is no separate arming function without being removed by closing the contacts.



If you still want to use the radio remote control, you can set up the alarm so that every time someone disarms it, it sends an SMS or calls you.



For each of the two sections, the delay time for arming and disarming is configurable (from 0 to 250 sec with a graduation of 1 sec), you can turn on auto-arming in a specified number of minutes (1-160) after disarming.



During the arming delay, the alarm beeps in short pulses, in case of an alarm it starts beeping continuously (you can only turn off all sounds globally).



The NV PRO program configures many options for notification and interaction with the user's phone.



In addition to the main alarm notifications (you can enable calls, SMS, PUSH), there are dozens, if not hundreds of subtle settings: you can enable informational SMS for each zone separately, and independently for each SIM card, you can customize message texts, you can disable the Cyrillic alphabet in messages. There is a ban on control via SMS. There is a control of the specified output using a free call to the alarm number with call reset (useful for opening the gate). There are two types of even alarm notifications by call: free CLIP (the alarm rings the user's phone and immediately hangs up after answering) and informational ALARM (the alarm calls and plays a voice message from the SD card to the user or reports the event code by tones).





Each input is flexible.





Each output can operate in twelve modes. The simplest is manual control (from the application or via SMS).





All modes are visible in the screenshot.





Two JPEG cameras can be connected to the alarm, with the help of which, when an alarm occurs at certain inputs, the alarm takes up to 20 pictures with a resolution of up to 640x480 pixels, saves them to a memory card and can send them to the manufacturer's server (of course, they can be viewed there), or to user's phone number via MMS.





The quality of the images is not high, but they can be used to assess the situation at the protected object.





A snapshot in complete darkness with an IR camera.





In my opinion, it is more efficient to use a separate full-fledged high-resolution video camera, especially since it will not cost more.



The alarm is equipped with Wi-Fi, but none of the many LEDs show if it's connected. This can be found only in the mobile application or by sending SMS alarms with the text temp (in response, an SMS will be sent with the temperature, power status, GSM signal strength and Wi-Fi status).



It was quite difficult for me to understand the logic of setting up the alarm and its operation. There is no single instruction for the alarm - there is a separate instruction for the alarm, separate for the mobile application, and separate for the setup program. We managed to find out the meaning of some of the settings only with the help of technical support.



For those who will buy this alarm, I have written a short instruction on its initial setting.





The Navigard NV 8321W alarm can be installed in an apartment, country house, garage or office. It is inexpensive (and there are also cheaper options without Wi-Fi, internal battery, wireless zones, housing) and easy to use. The main feature of Navigard alarms is the abundance of fine settings. The main problem is the confusion of the documentation, the complexity of customization and the inability to customize it through a mobile application.



I hope the manufacturer will create a unified manual for private users and expand the capabilities of the mobile application.



© 2020, Alexey Nadyozhin



PS I would be interested to study other domestic home alarm systems. If you are a manufacturer of one of them, please contact me.