Replacement for Insteon grounded on/off modules

[RonV]

I'm looking for a recommendation for an alternative replacement for the Insteon grounded on/off module. Now that I have moved over to HomeSeer I'm no longer locked into the Insteon ecosystem.

[kenm]

What communication technology do you want to use? Z-Wave, Zigbee, WiFi, or something else?

[RonV]

I was an Insteon only person until they went dark, so I’m not familiar with any of the newer technologies, other than WiFi of course. Just need it to be well supported and reliable. I would like to standardize as much as possible moving forward.

[kenm]

In that case, I'd recommend Z-Wave. The modules are a bit more expensive than the equivalent Zigbee modules, but it is well supported by HS4. You'll want to start with either a USB interface that plugs into your HS machine or a Z-Net Interface that talks to HS4 through Ethernet.

How big is your house and where is your HS machine positioned in the house? If a reasonable size and your machine is somewhat centrally located, a USB interface will work fine. The Z-Net has the added advantage of being able to be positioned for optimum coverage even though the HS machine isn't centrally located.

Z-Wave is a mesh-type network with a maximum of 4 hops between device and interface. Each hop can be approx 100 ft line-of-sight, but of course that drops significantly with obstacles in the way. Newer 700 series devices, which I'd recommend, can do a greater distance, as long as there's not an older device in the path.

If you can provide specifics for your need right now, we can help with interface and module selection.

[RonV]

Thanks for this information, the house is about 2,000 SqFt single story, and the HomeTroller Plus is centrally located. I initially need to buy about 5 plug-in on/off modules for the landscape transformers. The plastic casings on the Insteon units disintegrated when I tried unplugging them from the wall, very dangerous, so I want to replace them all. Is the USB stick on the HomeSeer site one of the newer devices?

[kenm]

I single USB interface should work fine for your house.

Yes, the G3 is the 700 series chip.

https://shop.homeseer.com/collection...b-z-wave-stick

[RonV]

I just ordered this along with some Z-Wave plugs, see link. I'll see how they work out. Thanks again for your help!