How does Control4 connect to Ajax?

Through a Chowmain driver installed on the Control4 controller. It reads the hub's arm state, detector events and alarms, and can arm and disarm, so the alarm becomes a device in Control4 programming.

Do I still need the Ajax app?

It stays installed for hub settings and for the photo series from MotionCam detectors, but daily arming, disarming and alerts can run entirely from the Control4 app and keypads.

Can I add Control4 to an Ajax system I already have?

Yes. The integration is a controller, a network drop and programming. Nothing about the Ajax hardware changes, and the reverse, adding Ajax to an existing Control4 home, is one visit.

Does the alarm still work if Control4 is off?

Yes. Ajax runs on its own hub with battery backup and Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIM channels. Control4 adds automation on top; it is not in the alarm's path.

Control4 Scenes When Ajax Arms | Rivas Technology Group

What can your home do when Control4 and Ajax are one system?

A Chowmain driver puts the Ajax hub inside Control4, so the alarm and the automation share one app. Here is what that enables in a South Sound home, and how the install goes.

With a Chowmain driver the Ajax hub lives inside Control4. A Goodbye scene arms the alarm, drops the thermostat and turns off the lights. An intrusion event flashes the exterior lights and alerts every phone in the household. Rivas Technology Group installs both platforms and programs the link in South Sound homes.

By Ivan Rivas, Owner and Sales Engineer · 2024-12-03 · Updated 2026-09-17

A small touchscreen control panel on the wall beside an open front door, with a rainy front garden outside and shoes on the mat

Why put the alarm and the automation on one system?

Because a security event is more useful when the house can respond to it. Kept separate, an Ajax alarm sends you a photo and a Control4 home waits for a button press. Joined, the same event turns on every exterior light, starts the cameras recording, shows the entry on the nearest touch panel and sends a notification. No one has to write a rule in two apps. How the driver itself works is covered in Ajax and Control4: how the driver works; this post is about what the house does with it.

The homeowner sees one interface: arm and disarm from the Control4 app or a keypad, with alerts arriving in the same place as everything else. Control4 interoperates with 25,000+ third-party products (Control4), and the Chowmain driver is what makes Ajax one of them.

What does the integration let you do?

Four things most clients ask for first.

Arm and disarm from the automation. A "Goodbye" scene arms the system, drops the thermostat and turns off the lights; "Home" disarms and brings the house back. Geofencing in Control4 can trigger the same scenes as you leave or arrive.
Respond to an alarm. On an intrusion event, flash the exterior lights, raise interior lights to full and pause the audio. Send the notification to every phone in the household.
Protect the perimeter. An Ajax outdoor motion detector can turn on the floodlights and start recording. That happens before anyone reaches the door.
Use security data for comfort. Detector motion states feed occupancy logic. A room that has been empty for an hour can go dark and cool on its own.

What does Ajax bring on its own?

A verified alarm that works whether or not Control4 is present. A MotionCam delivers its first photo within 9 seconds of tripping (Ajax MotionCam). Detectors reach the hub over the encrypted Jeweller radio at up to 2,000 m in open space, with a check-in every 12 to 300 seconds (Hub 2 manual). Hub 2 Plus reports over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIM channels (Hub 2 Plus).

Ajax cameras can be viewed from Control4 touch screens and mobile devices, and smart locks integrated with both systems give you automated locking routines tied to the arm state. Hardware carries a 24-month warranty from date of sale, batteries excluded (Ajax warranty).

How does the installation go?

One visit for most homes that already run one of the two systems. We install or update the Control4 controller, load the Chowmain driver, pair it with the Ajax hub, and program the scenes with you in the room. That way the "Goodbye" button does what you expect. If neither system is in place yet, the alarm goes in first and the automation follows, because the network and the hub are the foundation. Our own team does the work in homes; nothing here needs a wall opened in a finished house.

What drives the cost?

The number of scenes and devices to program, whether a Control4 controller is already installed, and how many Ajax detectors and cameras the home needs. A driver and programming on an existing home is a small job. A new alarm plus a new controller is a larger one. The instant quote gives a range in minutes, and a walk-through gets you a written proposal.

Need it installed?

Rivas Technology Group is a Control4 Authorized Dealer, listed on Control4's integrator map, and an Ajax Systems dealer, listed on ajax.systems for wireless intrusion protection, outdoor solutions and video surveillance. We install from Kent across south King County and Pierce County. Start on the home security page or the Control4 page, or book a walk-through below.