Patent ID: 8132008

Claim:
A method for registering a security panel with a server, the security panel having a processor, memory, and a network interface having a unique MAC address, the security panel configured to communicate over a network with the server, said method comprising: contacting the server utilizing a network address or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) stored in the memory; sending the server a dealer identification (ID), a line number, and a unique account number to register the security panel with the server; wherein the dealer ID, the line number, and the unique account number are programmable identifiers stored in the memory; receiving from the server an encryption key to encrypt additional communication exchanged between the security panel and the server; encrypting the unique MAC address using the received encryption key; sending to the server the encrypted unique MAC address that allows the server to validate the identity of the security panel, and a request for a server password; and receiving a validity response and the server password from the server.