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**integlikewhoa** · August 3, 2017, 03:08 PM

Let me brake it down a bit. Homeseer builds software. The current software is "HS3" and is free to download and try on any windows, linux or RPi device for 30 days and then after (or before) you buy a license and only a license to keep you free to download software running past the trial period. There is sort of 3 different levels of software (all really the same but different features). The Pi version is HS3 but limited to 5 plugins. HS3 is the base version unlimited plugins (that you want to buy or free ones). HS3 Pro is "HS3", plus HS touch designer, plus any Homeseer made plugins (there is around 10 or so that are paid, but they may not fit you or be needed). There is also other Homeseer software like Zseer+ which is like 30 or 40 that is included. Basiclly not many plugins are made buy HomeSeer but with HS3Pro you get pretty much every homeseer software or plugin they make for free using your HS3 Pro serial#. If you dont want alot of what pro has you can get HS3 and buy the extras ala cart from Homeseer. Depending on what you need it maybe cheaper one way or another.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

What actually is the difference between the Hometroller S6 and S6 Pro? From what I gather, the difference is that Hometroller S6 Pro includes all Homeseer Plugins and the license for HomeSeer Touch. In looking over the plugins, most of the Homeseer Plugins are free on all hardware versions. Also what exactly does the license buy you with Hometroller S6 Pro. What is the purpose of the license?

Hardware nothing is different. Only software which I detailed above. Also if you buy a liscense on your own and use it on your own hardware, it is fully transferable to any device you want. If you buy a prepackaged hardware and software bundle from Homeseer that liscene is tied to that hardware to prevent you from resealing a S6 Pro without the software (which would make it unusable)

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

Is it better to get a Hometroller S6 or S6 Pro or go with a separate windows desktop computer with HS3 Software installed. Does the Homeseer S6 Pro allow for future updates to Homeseer as far as hardware is concerned and are there limitations to the Homeseer Hardware systems compared to a standard Windows Desk Top Computer?

So of that was anwsered above. Personally I went seperate. But for some its easier to just get everything at once. If you go seperate you mush know a few things. Like you want your computer to auto turn on if power goes out and comes back on. So you need to set bios up for that. You also want HS3 program and maybe other things to auto boot when windows boots. You need to setup that. So there are some small tasks that are done already for you if you buy a prepacked s6. But if you capibale of doing those on your own I think you can get a much better computer (hardware) and put your own together. Hardware upgrade in a S6 box can be done probley about the same as you building one. Its just the same as most other computers.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

I have one of the older RCS TR40 Serial Thermostats and am assuming if I go with the Homeseer Hardware route I will need the Hometroller S6 or the Hometroller Pro as they both have serial ports. Would this be a correct assumptions? Also, do custom scripts need to be created for the RCS Thermostat or does the RCS Plug-in eliminate that need?

You can use USB to Serial converters
https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Conv.../dp/B0007T27H8
If you running hardware without a Serial port. Also depnding on which computer you go with you might even be able to add internal serial ports like this. https://www.amazon.com/QNINE-Expansi...ort+card&psc=1

So I wouldn't worry about serial port so much. as 10.00 you can fix that.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

I currently have a desktop computer with the Homeseer Modem installed. I use it to send touch tone commands to a piece of hardware I have with a script. Can I do this with the new Hometroller Systems. I would assume I can and is this a correct assumption?

Yes.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

Is the scripting language for the Hometroller's the same as it is in Homeseer Version 1.7.3 and is there a scripting manual and tutorials on line. I didn't see them online, but I probably wasn't looking in the correct location.

i'm not sure I know nothing on old versions

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

I am currently running Homeseer Version 1.7.3 on an old Windows 98 computer if you can believe that. It is getting real tired and is very intermittent so it is time to make the big change.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

What is the reliability of the Hometroller S6 and S6 Pro? With my system now I have to reboot it every couple of days and then it crashes. How long can the Hometroller units go without crashes or needing reboots? I suspect it is more than a couple of days !!!!!!

I don't own a Hometroller but my unit hasn't crashed. And I restart it for windows updates, and other things probley once a month or so. So my uptime might not be years at a time but it doesn't just quit on me.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

I don't have a lot of hardware and scripts running on my system right now but I do need the capability to work with Alexa and IFTTT and the maker channel. I will be using it with a robot I am working on to control lights, etc. I really need something that is reliable so that if I am away from home for several weeks that I can count on it to be there when I need to access it. I realize that for external access I am pretty much relying on the internet, but is much more reliable than my hardware.

I use windows RDC "Windows Remote Desktop Connection" to remote into my computer if I need to work on it. As long as internet is up and you have bios setup correctly the computer even after power out should be running and online to remote in to update any files or other things you have going. I use my server for Blueiris, plex, Picture backup, unifi controller, HS3 and a few other things all on the same headless server.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

Can I use my existing Ocelot controller and the Leopard 1 controller with the Hometroller S6 and S6 Pro? Are there plugins to use with these controllers or can my existing scripts run ok on the new controllers.

I have no idea what those are.

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

Finally, does the Hometroller S6 and S6 Pro have the capability for more than two serial ports or would I need to use some type of multiplexer scheme. If so this could be an area where a regular desktop system with a multiport serial card running HS3 Software might be the best way to go. However, I like the idea of the Homeseer Hometrollers running the embedded software. Seems like it would be more reliable overall.

Serial ports are talked about above. And S6 is no different then any computer running windows and adding HS3. If you build a computer you can choose any motherboard you want to have built in serial or not. If not you add a serial card to fit that motherboard.

**Kerat** · August 3, 2017, 04:04 PM

Homeseer Software and Hardware Combinations

Well done Jim. Though I am not entirely sure about the hometroller being married to the S6 device itself. I seem to remember Rich saying that you could move the HS3 install to a different computer in the event the hometroller fails.

Here I run HS3 standard for Linux on a Raspberry Pi 3. I have HS3 configured to auto start. I prophylactically reboot the server every 2 months on the first Monday of the month. The longest I have ever gone on that server it without rebooting is 76 days.

So I use prolific USB to serial adapters, to manage network equipment, and have had trouble with the install package on W7-W10. Let me know if you get stuck I can point you in the right direction.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**integlikewhoa** · August 3, 2017, 04:41 PM

Originally posted by Kerat View Post

Though I am not entirely sure about the hometroller being married to the S6 device itself. I seem to remember Rich saying that you could move the HS3 install to a different computer in the event the hometroller fails.

Unless I have read it wrong or something has changed as far as I know it it's tied. See the last post in this thread.

https://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=184573

Now with that said I'm sure if you talked to homeseer and your Hardware (S6) took a dump maybe they will make an exception with proof or something.

**Pete** · August 3, 2017, 06:57 PM

Welcome back Rick. I recall your name from the early days of Homeseer.

Here have two Ocelots from the 1990's. I have tested them with current third party HS3 plugin to work just fine these days. Works fine with the X10 TW-523 and better with Jeff Volp's dual phased TW-523 emulator.

Homeseer 3 talks fine to the CM11A, TI-103 and Volp CM11A emulators / boosters.

Relating to Insteon HS3 talks to the Insteon PLM's just fine.

Relating to Z-Wave HS3 talks to the old Z-Troller, most if not all USB sticks and now you have the ZNet with is a remote ethernet controller which you can put anywhere in the house via POE.

You can talk Zigbee via a 3rd party hub and a HS3 plugin.

I do a mixture here of controllers. Still utilize X10, recently shut down the Insteon PLM, UPB for light switches and Z-Wave and Zigbee.

Here still utilize a 1-wire network.

Thermostat is an older serially connected thermostat (uprgraded from the RC-80 to HAI Omnistat2).

Homeseer Touchscreens are using embedded Window tabletops new and old in wall with micropcs (low on the waf).

Serial connectivity here changed in the Homeseer 2 days from direct serial 9 pin RS-232 ports to Digi USB hubs and Digi 8-16 port serial devices.
It's one wire from the Homeseer box to the Digi USB port. In addition added Lantronix serial and USB servers, Quatech serial servers and a few el cheapo USB to serial devices. Mostly everything used (except for Quantech) works well in Linux.

Weather is via Davis / Cumulus and currently migrating to using a Meteostick and going to WeeWx.

Irrigation control started with MCS with version of HS1 and still is using MCS with HS3 but now indirectly running on a little linux appliance.

Audio integration went from the AB8SS / 1 AMP to a Russound two zoned AMP setup with a micro serial server for Omni control and Homeseer control

Here still utilize Microsoft SAPI / speaker dot exe's for my voices. Currently implemented on the Ubuntu Mothership running an Oracle Virtual box with four instances of speaker dot exe. (kind of virtual mixing). (Amazon Echo(s) are around)

Homeseer changed a bit relating to programming from HS1 to HS2 then to HS2.5 and is now very different in HS3.

The hardware today is using embedded Windows 7 versus earlier hardware which ran on Windows XPe and Linux Ubuntu Lite or Jessie.

Here have always just ran the Homeseer 1,2,2.5 on Wintel. By the time of Homeseer 2.5 I went to running it on Microsoft Standard Server 2003.

With Homeseer 3 I personally started running it before release on Windows 2003 server.

With the release of the Zee which I purchased I started to run it on a RPi running Wheezy.

Going to HS3 / Zee-2 went to a RPi2 running Wheezy. Later switched over to HS3 Pro running on Ubuntu 16.04 64 bit and also switched over to running HS3 Zee-2 on a micro computer (64 bit Ubuntu).

You have a lot of choices here purchasing hardware or software.

Homeseer Zee-2 includes a RPi3 / Jessie / Homeseer 3 lite (5 plugins). It only runs in Linux and not available for Windows.

Homeseer 3 Standard is just the a la carte version of Homeseer with no plugins.

Homeseer 3 Pro includes Homeseer touch designer and released Homeseer plugins.

Hardware wise you have:

1 - RPi3 / Zee2 combination with Homeseer 3 lite (5 plugins) Rich has now made HSTouch server part of the main HS software so it is not considered a plugin anymore
2 - S6 and S6 Pro are just running Homeseer 3 Standard or Pro
3 - SEL and SEL Pro are just running Homeseer 3 standard or Pro.

Here in the early Homeseer 2 days purchased an HAI Omni Pro panel. Homeseer 1 and 2 had a serial plugin for the panel. That said "Tink" came to Homeseer from HAI many many years ago.

Personally take Homeseer 3 for a test drive on a laptop running Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10.

It is managed totally by the web GUI these days. HS2 still had both a web gui and client. Totally different than V.1.7. In Linux it utilizes mono. Not all Windows Homeseer 3 plugins are available in Linux.

IFTTT, MQTT, Google Voice and Amazon Alexa is available. Microsoft SAPI (TTS / VR) are levels above first generation. Kinect integration is available.

You can also run Homeseer 3 windows plugins remotely connection to your mothership running Linux.

See how you like it.

**Rick Bonari** · August 4, 2017, 12:17 AM

Thanks everyone for the help !!!!! I am wondering if I could get someone to comment that is running the Hometroller s6 or s6 pro. I would rather have everything packaged together (hardware and software). Don't have alot of time to mess with all the complications of interfacing HS3 software with a separate desktop computer and all of its issues.

Also was wondering if the ocelot and Leopard 1 work with the hometroller s6 and s6 pro.

Does the RCS plugin work with these controllers or do you need to write scripts?

Where can I find a tutorial on HS3 scripting and examples. Would I be correct in saying that homeseer V1.7.3 scripts are not the same as HS3 Scripts.

Will the Hometroller s6 and s6 pro be able to keep up with future HS3 Software?

Thanks again for all your help !!!!!

**jon00** · August 4, 2017, 02:15 AM

Hi Rick,

Please be aware that the Homeseer PCI modem is not supported in HS3 (there are no drivers either) and that the Way2Call modem is the only option now. These can be found cheaply on ebay from time to time.

The Ocelot/Leopard is supported but uses a 3rd party plugin. Details here: https://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=180135

There is a basic Homeseer Ocelot plugin but that only supports I/O and no longer supported by HST.

Scripting is different and you will have to get your head around references rather than house codes. Whilst VBScript is still supported on Windows HS3, the preference is to use VB.NET scripting which is supported on all Homeseer OS platforms.

The scripting reference is here: http://homeseer.com/support/homeseer...lp/default.htm

If a plugin is in the HST store (under Win OS) then it will be will be compatible with the S6. Details here: https://homeseer.com/homeseer-plug-ins/

**Rupp** · August 4, 2017, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

Thanks everyone for the help !!!!! I am wondering if I could get someone to comment that is running the Hometroller s6 or s6 pro. I would rather have everything packaged together (hardware and software). Don't have alot of time to mess with all the complications of interfacing HS3 software with a separate desktop computer and all of its issues.

Also was wondering if the ocelot and Leopard 1 work with the hometroller s6 and s6 pro.
Rick as far as I know neither of these are supported using HS3
Does the RCS plugin work with these controllers or do you need to write scripts?
There's a HomeSeer RCS Serial plugin for HS3 but I'm not sure if it's been tested in a long while.

Where can I find a tutorial on HS3 scripting and examples. Would I be correct in saying that homeseer V1.7.3 scripts are not the same as HS3 Scripts.
Absolutely. HS3 scripting is a lot more complicated
Will the Hometroller s6 and s6 pro be able to keep up with future HS3 Software?
This hardware should last you a very long time
Thanks again for all your help !!!!!

....

**jon00** · August 4, 2017, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by Rupp View Post

Also was wondering if the ocelot and Leopard 1 work with the hometroller s6 and s6 pro.
Rick as far as I know neither of these are supported using HS3

Rupp,

I'm surprised you don't know what plugins are available in the HST store. The GTS CPUXA Ocelot Plug-in clearly states:

Ocelot Plug-In for HS3

Description:
Plug in for Applied Digital Ocelot/Leopard.

**Pete** · August 4, 2017, 09:54 AM

Relating to the Ocelot 3rd party plugin for HS3 I tested it to work with Linux around March of the year 2017.

The author did made the necessary changes to the plugin such that it would work in Linux just like in Windows.

**Derek** · August 5, 2017, 09:58 AM

Homeseer Software and Hardware Combinations

Originally posted by Rick Bonari View Post

Thanks everyone for the help !!!!! I am wondering if I could get someone to comment that is running the Hometroller s6 or s6 pro. I would rather have everything packaged together (hardware and software). Don't have alot of time to mess with all the complications of interfacing HS3 software with a separate desktop computer and all of its issues.

Also was wondering if the ocelot and Leopard 1 work with the hometroller s6 and s6 pro.

Does the RCS plugin work with these controllers or do you need to write scripts?

Where can I find a tutorial on HS3 scripting and examples. Would I be correct in saying that homeseer V1.7.3 scripts are not the same as HS3 Scripts.

Will the Hometroller s6 and s6 pro be able to keep up with future HS3 Software?

Thanks again for all your help !!!!!

I have the S6 pro. What would you like to know?

I use UPB for lighting, zwave for door locks, garage door controllers and a few sensors, and it's integrated with my russound system and blue iris for cams and ranchio for irrigation. It ties in nicely with my HAI Omni 2 security system (I moved all the programs from the Omni to HS3 so it's my primary automation controller) It also integrated with my harmony tv remotes and DIRECTV DVRs. I also use nest thermostats and smoke/co2 devices. I use wall mounted iPads for HS3Touch clients and have amazon Alexa (echo) integration.

I've had it running about 2 years as a dedicated device. I run my blue iris server on a separate pc. Just recently started having lockup issues randomly at night, but I believe it's related to a plugin update and not the hardware.

Only drawback I see is I'm down to about 1gb hard drive space and may eventually need to explore upgrading the ssd.

Hope that helps

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