AJAX Alarm System Reviews Series: Hub v2.0 2019 [2/15]

It’s been three years since Ajax Systems released a Hub in 2016. After that, we’ve also seen the enhanced Ajax Hub Plus version coming out, which has main features were a Wi-fi support, system scale increase, and a second backup SIM card slot. Here you can see a video or read an article dedicated to the Hub One and Hub Plus. Now it’s September 2019 – Apple announces new iPhones, Ajax Systems releases Ajax Hub version 2.

And maybe that was on purpose, maybe not, we don’t know, but what we know is the Ajax Hub version 2 is in our office, and we’re going to glance through the updates we have and compare it to the Hub 1 and a Hub 1 Plus.

The Looks And The Box Contents

The box is white, independent of the device color. Ajax probably returned to its origins, so it looks the same way as the Ajax Hub 1 Box. Although similar to the Hub Plus box, Ajax has added a supported cellular standards marking on the box front in the bottom left corner, and they have also changed the description markup on the back, where the main features are highlighted.

The visual appearance remained the same, the Hub 2 looks 100% identical in comparison to a regular and a Hub plus versions, and we thought – why would they change something that works well, yet? And so they didn’t. Although what is different is located under the back cover, which slips off pretty hard as well as in the previous generation, and you have to put some effort to uncover the insides.

In the manner of Hub Plus, we have a double SIM-card slot, along with the location of all other inputs and buttons, which didn’t change either. Power button, power, and LAN inputs, tamper button. Besides the Hub, the box contents include a few dowels and screws, along with power and the LAN cables.

Comparison Table

Characteristic

The Hub Hub Plus

Hub 2.0 Connected Devices

up to 100 up to 150

up to 100 Cameras / NVRs

up to 10 up to 50

up to 25 Users

up to 50 up to 99

up to 50 Groups

up to 9 up to 25

up to 9 Battery Life

up to 15 h. up to 16 h.

up to 16 h. Photo-fixation Devices Support

No No

Yes Wi-fi Support

No Yes

No Scenarios

up to 10 up to 30

up to 30 Sim-card Slots

1 Slot, 2G 2 Slots, 3G

2 Slots, 2G

Even though the visual appearance remained the same, what we are really curious about is the filling, the specifications, and this is where the Hub 2 reveals itself. The new and exclusive function it has – a new MotionCam sensor support, and, if you haven’t heard about it, that’s a device, based on the infrared sensor, and is basically a combination of the built-in 640×480 pixels resolution camera and the infrared sensor.

Triggered by the movements, the infrared sensor launches the camera to take a series of photos, after which it sends them to the Hub and to the phone, then via one of the internet channels, which is a wired LAN cable or one of the SIM cards. We’ll definitely make a video and an article about the MotionCam in conjunction with Hub 2.0 right after we get our hands on it. So yeah, Ajax Hub 2 point zero has LAN-input, as well as 2 2G-able SIM-slots, working in parallel and replacing each other in emergency cases. That’s what is meant by the 3 communication channels inscription on the box’ back.

Speaking of updates – we got all-new Ajax Wings radio-transmitting tenhnology support here, that guarantees that photos, taken from the MotionCam, will be delivered even if the internet speed decreases down to 5 kb/s. What else is new, but not exclusive – the scenarios support. This feature comes with a firmware update and will also be available on older devices a bit later. So what is it? Well, at the release moment, this is a set of work algorithms for the Ajax Relay, WallSwitch, and the Ajax Socket.

These scenarios are getting activated when you arm your system, after which it’s automatically able to lock or unlock contacts on the Ajax Relay or turn the Ajax Socket on and off. Of course, within firmware updates, more scenarios will be added. Hub 2, as well as Hub Plus, supports 30 scenarios, while a regular Hub is capable of only 10. Hub 2 supports up to a 100 simultanious devices connected, up to 50 users, up to 9 groups, a third-party cameras or the NVR’s connected amount reaches up to 25 devices, the battery lasts 16 hours with the electricity grid down, and that’s the only device that supports MotionCam at the moment.

• To activate and control your systems, download Ajax System’s app for free here for iOS and here for Android

For the ones who have ever faced Ajax Systems devices, the activation process wouldn’t cause any difficulties, as it happens the same way it is with the Hub 1 and Hub Plus. And if you haven’t faced it, or just want to remind yourself, we have a video for you with a complete Hub One and Hub Plus distinctions, activation, connection, and sensors pairing process. But to be exact, there will be a few materials featuring Ajax Hub 2 activation and MotionCam pairing, so stay tuned.

Conclusion

That’s an awesome device, probably even a revision model, taking into account a really slight price distinction with a regular Ajax Hub, and we don’t know yet what the exact numbers will be, but the difference won’t be more than 5-10%. What we’re really excited for is a Hub 2 conjunction with a MotionCam device, and for a Hub 2 Plus version.

And soon, we’ll release a video featuring MotionCam 2 Plus Ajax Hub 2, so subscribe, click the bell icon, and stay tuned for updates.

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