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    How can I get started with Insteon?

    I was using z-wave at my home for quite a some time and invested much $$$, but one day all my devices decided not working...I spend quite a lot of time but failed.
    Now I think I need to start with Insteon.
    Can someone tell me what computer interface I should invest to work with HS2? I may be buying few lamp devices and appliance devices to start with and then will be using my old x-10 devices.
    Thanks,

    #2
    Definitely the ISY-99 from Universal Devices. I had Insteon for 2 years and it was 'ok' - now with this device is it almost 100% reliable and very slick - there is a good pluging in alpha for the ISY too.

    Jon

    (You will need a PLM from Insteon with the ISY - you can buy as a kit)

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks Jon,
      ISY-99 is a too high investment for a started like me?
      What is the basic Computer interface that HS2 support?






      Originally posted by nojstevens View Post
      Definitely the ISY-99 from Universal Devices. I had Insteon for 2 years and it was 'ok' - now with this device is it almost 100% reliable and very slick - there is a good pluging in alpha for the ISY too.

      Jon

      (You will need a PLM from Insteon with the ISY - you can buy as a kit)

      Comment


        #4
        It's the PLM. You can get these from SmartHome.
        💁‍♂️ Support & Customer Service 🙋‍♂️ Sales Questions 🛒 Shop HomeSeer Products

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          #5
          "support"

          Homeseer "supports" the PLM. However, support is a relative term.

          A programmer developed the plugin to support the PLM and Insteon devices. Due to problems with the PLC (predecessor to the PLM), the PLM, and the lack of developer documentation and (in my opinion) a bit of a tiff between Smarthome (the suppliers of Insteon) and Homeseer, this is supported ONLY FOR LIGHTING DEVICES. This is not being further developed or worked on in any way. Homeseer claimed that Smarthome didn't give them the proper information to program the PLC/PLM, and there were bugs in the firmware for the interfaces. Smarthome claimed that other software (mainly their own) worked just fine with the existing PLC/PLM's and didn't have the problems Homeseer was finding. The programmer and Homeseer eventually gave up on direct PLC/PLM support.

          Homeseer recommends the ISY-99 for full Insteon support. However, it is expensive, and duplicates a lot of Homeseer functions.

          In addition, Insteon hardware has been very unreliable (for me and many others). Bad batches of microswitches have caused many Insteon switches to stop responding to manual presses (for me, it's always the "on" portion of the paddle). They have a replacement program (only for devices bought directly from Smarthome, unfortunately), and claim that the microswitch problem is solved. However, replacement switches sent to me have also been failing, and they should not have been in a "bad" batch.

          If you don't have any Insteon installed, then I would recommend considering Z-wave. Homeseer enthusiastically supports Z-wave, sells hardware, and if you look at every beta notes, there is a lot of effort being put in to fix Z-wave issues that crop up.

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks for this information.
            I have a whole lot of Z-wave devices, unfortunately one day all these decided not to work. Tried many different ways, but failed.
            I guess I need to go back and should get more help.



            Originally posted by snedecor View Post
            Homeseer "supports" the PLM. However, support is a relative term.

            A programmer developed the plugin to support the PLM and Insteon devices. Due to problems with the PLC (predecessor to the PLM), the PLM, and the lack of developer documentation and (in my opinion) a bit of a tiff between Smarthome (the suppliers of Insteon) and Homeseer, this is supported ONLY FOR LIGHTING DEVICES. This is not being further developed or worked on in any way. Homeseer claimed that Smarthome didn't give them the proper information to program the PLC/PLM, and there were bugs in the firmware for the interfaces. Smarthome claimed that other software (mainly their own) worked just fine with the existing PLC/PLM's and didn't have the problems Homeseer was finding. The programmer and Homeseer eventually gave up on direct PLC/PLM support.

            Homeseer recommends the ISY-99 for full Insteon support. However, it is expensive, and duplicates a lot of Homeseer functions.

            In addition, Insteon hardware has been very unreliable (for me and many others). Bad batches of microswitches have caused many Insteon switches to stop responding to manual presses (for me, it's always the "on" portion of the paddle). They have a replacement program (only for devices bought directly from Smarthome, unfortunately), and claim that the microswitch problem is solved. However, replacement switches sent to me have also been failing, and they should not have been in a "bad" batch.

            If you don't have any Insteon installed, then I would recommend considering Z-wave. Homeseer enthusiastically supports Z-wave, sells hardware, and if you look at every beta notes, there is a lot of effort being put in to fix Z-wave issues that crop up.

            Comment


              #7
              While my preference is for UPB it's most unusual that Zwave would just stop working one day. It's got to be something common to the entire setup or you had one heck of a power surge and it killed them all.
              Marty
              ------
              XPpro SP3 /w HS Standard 2.5.0.80, HSTouch Server - 1.0.0.70, HSTouch Client 1.0.0.73 HSTouch Android - 1.0.0.2, HSTouch iPhone - 1.0.0.2
              Playing with HS3 a bit but it's just play at this point.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by snedecor View Post
                Homeseer "supports" the PLM. However, support is a relative term.

                A programmer developed the plugin to support the PLM and Insteon devices. Due to problems with the PLC (predecessor to the PLM), the PLM, and the lack of developer documentation and (in my opinion) a bit of a tiff between Smarthome (the suppliers of Insteon) and Homeseer, this is supported ONLY FOR LIGHTING DEVICES. This is not being further developed or worked on in any way. Homeseer claimed that Smarthome didn't give them the proper information to program the PLC/PLM, and there were bugs in the firmware for the interfaces. Smarthome claimed that other software (mainly their own) worked just fine with the existing PLC/PLM's and didn't have the problems Homeseer was finding. The programmer and Homeseer eventually gave up on direct PLC/PLM support.

                Homeseer recommends the ISY-99 for full Insteon support. However, it is expensive, and duplicates a lot of Homeseer functions.

                In addition, Insteon hardware has been very unreliable (for me and many others). Bad batches of microswitches have caused many Insteon switches to stop responding to manual presses (for me, it's always the "on" portion of the paddle). They have a replacement program (only for devices bought directly from Smarthome, unfortunately), and claim that the microswitch problem is solved. However, replacement switches sent to me have also been failing, and they should not have been in a "bad" batch.

                If you don't have any Insteon installed, then I would recommend considering Z-wave. Homeseer enthusiastically supports Z-wave, sells hardware, and if you look at every beta notes, there is a lot of effort being put in to fix Z-wave issues that crop up.

                What snedecor writes conforms closely with my experience and understanding.

                But one can put a more positive light on the potential for INSTEON if what separates past history from what a new INSTEON user would encounter -- Although there is no arguing with the conclusion that being an early adopter of INSTEON has been more than jist a bit trying ....

                Originally posted by snedecor View Post
                and the lack of developer documentation
                This problem hasn't gone away. Smarthome is now taking pre-orders for a two-way RS-232<--> INSTEON " SeriaLinc 2410S" interface for which there is no information whatsoever that I can find on what the 2410S actually does on either the code.insteon.net or insteon.net/SDK developer-only sites --much less the public parts of insteon.net, smartlabs.com and smarthome.com. Buy it and _then_ find out what it does? From SmartHome? ROTFL

                Originally posted by snedecor View Post
                "this is supported ONLY FOR LIGHTING DEVICES. This is not being further developed or worked on in any way."
                Last weekend I added a pair of INSTEON motion detectors to my INSTEON-PLM setup through a a user-contributed script. Yet again HomeSeer users share their creations to fill a gap.

                Originally posted by snedecor View Post
                "Smarthome claimed that other software (mainly their own) worked just fine with the existing PLC/PLM's and didn't have the problems Homeseer was finding."
                And then abandoned the PLC and reissued their supporting INSTEON software in a version _only_ runs with a PLM and requires the computer running 24x7. So despite their protestations, SmartHome _also_ gave up on the PLC and its driver. But this history has no real significance to folks that join the party late and use a PLM (except insofar as it relates to the credibility of SmartHome as a source of credible assessment of their technology-- and except that the special-PLM version it released for the software has now _itself_ been recalled for swapping out with yet another version with (presumably) fewer bugs ;-)

                Originally posted by snedecor View Post
                "However, replacement switches sent to me have also been failing, and they should not have been in a "bad" batch."
                D*** ! And I thought I was dreaming ...

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