Learn how Xfinity Home uses zones in coordination with armed modes and zone configurations to determine how your security system responds when a sensor or detector is triggered.
What is a zone?
A zone is an area covered by an individual sensor or detector and given a descriptive name by the technician at the time of install. For example, "Front Door."
Each zone’s status is displayed on the Dashboard or Device screens on the touchscreen using the sensor-specific term, for example, open or closed for Door/Window Sensors rather than the generic term (faulted or unfaulted) used here.
| Sensor/Detector (zone) | Unfaulted | Faulted |
| Door/Window Sensor | Closed | Open |
| Motion Sensor | Still | Detected |
| Glass Break Sensor | Clear | Detected |
| Smoke Detector | Clear | Detected |
| Carbon Monoxide Detector | Clear | Detected |
| Water Detector | Clear | Detected |
Faulted is a generic way of describing a status that could trigger an alarm. For example, Front Door expects to be closed if the security system is armed; therefore, an open (faulted) door may trigger an alarm.
You may also see Bypassed if the zone is being ignored so that the system can be armed without a faulted sensor trigging an alarm. For example, you may want to leave a window open (faulted), but still arm the security system. For more information on bypassing sensors, see the Managing Sensors and Detectors section in Getting Started with the Xfinity Home touchscreen.
Connection Problem indicates the sensor is not connected to the touchscreen. See Fixing Xfinity Home Trouble Messages for more information. How quickly or if an alarm is triggered depends on the zone configuration and the armed mode. For example, if Front Door is set to Entry/Exit (configuration) and the system to Arm Away (mode), an entry delay starts when the door is opened, giving you time to enter the home and disarm the system. However, if the Basement Door zone is set to Perimeter, an alarm is triggered as soon as the door is opened. Zone configuration is assigned by the technician at time of install. See Zone Configuration by Sensor/Detector Type for more information on zone configuration. See Arm and Disarm Your Xfinity Home System for more information on armed modes.
Zone configuration by Sensor/Detector type
Sensors and Detectors (zones) come with a default zone configuration, but during installation, the technician can assign other functions to a zone in order to customize your system to fit your individual needs. The available zone configurations are dependent on the Sensor/Detector type. Click a link to learn how the system responds to a zone configuration.
| Sensor/Detector type | Default configuration | Available configurations |
| Door/Window Sensor | Entry/Exit | Perimeter 24-Hour Inform Audible 24-Hour Silent 24-Hour Trouble Day/Alarm Night |
| Motion Sensor | Interior Follow | Interior with Delay Interior Follower Arm Night Interior Delay Arm Night 24-Hour Inform |
| Glass Break Sensor | Perimeter | 24-Hour Inform Audible 24-Hour Silent 24-Hour Trouble Day/Alarm Night |
| Smoke Detector | 24-Hour Fire | |
| Carbon Monoxide Detector | Audible 24-Hour | |
| Water Detector | 24-Hour Inform | Audible 24-Hour |
Zone configurations
Zone configurations are the rules that the Xfinity Home system uses, in conjunction with the armed mode, to determine how to respond to a sensor’s status. Zone configurations are assigned by the technician during installation. The sensor’s configuration is displayed on its Device Settings screen. See View Device Information from the Xfinity Home touchscreen.
Entry/Exit
Assign to zones used as entry and exit points.
- Tamper Armed: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: Initiates entry delay; triggers alarm if entry delay expires.
- Faulted Arm Stay: Initiates entry delay; triggers alarm if entry delay expires.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate alarm.
Assign to Sensors on windows and exterior doors.
- Tamper Armed: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Stay: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate alarm.
Assign to motion sensors monitoring movement inside the home. Alarm is only triggered when the system is Armed Away. If faulted after the Entry Delay has begun, you are allowed to pass through the area protected by the Motion Sensor in order to disarm the system.
- Tamper Armed: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Stay: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Night: No action taken.
Assign to Motion Sensors used as home entry and exit points.
- Tamper Armed: Arm Away - Follows entry delay; triggers alarm if entry delay expires. Arm Stay and Arm Night - Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: Initiates entry delay. Triggers alarm if entry delay expires.
- Faulted Arm Stay: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Night: No action taken.
Assign to motion sensors monitoring areas of low traffic such as attics, basements, and garages.
- Tamper Armed: Arm Away and Arm Night - Triggers immediate alarm. Arm Stay - Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Stay: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate alarm.
Assign to motion sensors used as home entry and exit points that should be active when the system is Armed Night.
- Tamper Armed: Arm Away and Arm Night - Initiates entry delay; triggers alarm if entry delay expires. Arm Stay - Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: Initiates entry delay; triggers alarm if entry delay expires.
- Faulted Arm Stay: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Night: Initiates entry delay; triggers alarm if entry delay expires.
Assign to zones used for notification purposes.
- Tamper Armed: Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: No alarm; system stays armed.
- Faulted Arm Stay: No alarm; system stays armed.
- Faulted Arm Night: No alarm; system stays armed.
Usually assigned to a zone containing an emergency button. Sends a report to the Central Monitoring Station and provides an alarm sound at the keypad as well as an audible external alarm.
- Tamper Armed: Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Away: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Stay: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate alarm.
Usually assigned to a zone containing an emergency button. Sends a report to the Central Monitoring Station, but provides no keypad display or sound.
- Tamper Armed: Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: Triggers immediate silent alarm.
- Faulted Arm Away: Triggers immediate silent alarm.
- Faulted Arm Stay: Triggers immediate silent alarm.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate silent alarm.
Sends a report to the Central Monitoring Station and provides an alarm sound at the keypad as well as an audible external alarm.
- Tamper Armed: Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Away: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Stay: Triggers immediate alarm.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate alarm.
Assign to zones that should generate an alarm when the system is armed and a trouble icon on the touchscreen when the system is not armed.
- Tamper Armed: Displays trouble icon on touchscreen.
- Faulted Unarmed: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Away: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Stay: No action taken.
- Faulted Arm Night: Triggers immediate alarm.