Wish list

[map]

Being new to Insteon, I may not be aware of all the products and features, but these are my thoughts of what is lacking:

1) On Android to have more than one profile/account to connect to two different locations/hubs.
2) Ability to turn off the IP camera without unplugging it.
3) Android app: one button: "Home today" which will turn off door, motion sensors alerts and cameras (as configured) and "Monitor" to turn them back on. Useful for people that travel between two homes/locations.
4) Simple and inexpensive temperature and humidity sensor. I know that there are thermostats, but that's an overkill. I need to monitor temp and gets alerts on low/hi temp or humidity.
5) A plug in module for Yale real living locks. They only offer ZigBee and Z-Wave mudules.
6) Inteon plug-in (on/off dimmable) modules are very touchy and unreliable, they cannot communicate with the hub located in the same room. Dual mode? Give me a break. They are plugged in to the same electrical circuit and are in line of sight. Do not know what is up with it. Wish they were more solid (like the rest of the devices in the family)...

Thanks for listening to the voice of a customer who is otherwise impressed with the product line.

Comments are more than welcome.

Cheers.

[TFitzpatri8]

Are you sure there's a communications issue? If you are having trouble adding devices to the Hub, with the process failing on step 3 of 10, you may have a Hub that was loaded with a corrupted version of software. You can fix that yourself using the instructions here: http://support.insteon.com/customer/...es-through-app If devices are still having trouble talking to each other, a very quick 4-tap of the Set button on a single dual-band device will put it into an RF test mode. Other devices that can hear the RF signal will blink red (if they are on the same side of your split-single phase utility feed) or green(if they are on the opposite side). If they blink, they can hear. If one doesn't blink, that can be because you are actually using a single-band device, or because furnishings or appliances (particularly big, metal stuff) are blocking or reflecting the radio signal.

[map]

Thanks. This is regarding item 6) above.

I had almost identical problem at another location where I have Insteon installed. There it was more consistent and the troubleshooting with Tech. support concluded it was a range issue (which while convincing was not pleasing to me since we were talking about 30 ft range). I was then able to relocate the hub (between the two plug in modules and it works ever since).

This new issue is different. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for it. A cannot believe it is range or communication problem caused by the environment / distance. There may be some malfunction, but then it has to be in both plug-in modules.

Corrupted software on the hub? Why would 2 cameras, 2 door sensors, and 2 leak sensors work just fine with the same hub? So, the procedure does not seem to apply. Besides, I am able to delete and then add the same plug-in modules. When I re-add them, both devices are being discovered/found (before I can press the Next button) and the communication tests 10 out of 10 succeed. It works for a while and I can control the lights and then the indicator in the app goes yellow after a few seconds of spinning.

Will try your suggested RF test. Do you know if the hub will also blink if I do that test from one of the plu-in modules? But why RF, if the hub and one device are plugged in to the same electrical circuit, shouldn't they talk successfully via the powerline?

[stusviews]

How have you determined that the devices are on the same circuit as the Hub?

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It is the same room and the outlets are less than 10 feet away. I do not have too many breakers on the panel, so while I did not prove it by turning off the breaker, I am pretty confident it is the same circuit. l also tried to relocate the plug-in to another lamp/outlet in the same room with mixed results - it worked first, but when I left the place and used the remote access to the hub, the two plug-ins were with nothing but yellow dots.

[stusviews]

Outlets and switches can be 3 feet apart and yet be on different circuits. A single duplex receptacle is capable of supporting two circuits. Being "pretty confident" is inadequate.

[map]

I can prove it one way or the other, but what difference does it make for the case? Here is why:

- even if it is on two circuits, the Insteon powerline communication is inadequate. BTW, It is a small house built in 2008 and the breaker box is on the other side of the wall (outside).
- besides, it does not say anywhere in Insteon documentation that the devices must be on the same physical electrical circuit for the powerline communication to work
- the hub and the plug-in are in direct line of sight (10 ft away from each other) with no obstacles - why wouldn't RF communication take over if powerline is having issues?
- I have 7 other devices under the hub control spread around the house (including crawl space) and there are NO issues with them. Only the two plug-in dimmer modules.

Unless, of course, I have defective pieces.

[TFitzpatri8]

Older generations of Insteon dimmer modules were single-band power line. What is the model number on the back label of the two devices that will not link? None of the oher devices that you listed as using successfully are single-band power line, so that could be the difference.

[map]

It is not an "older" generation. On the label I read:

LampLinc Dimmer
Dual-Band #2457D2

Here is the info from the kit which I bought at costco:

Lamp Dimmers (2 included in kit):
A full-featured plug-in lamp dimmer that can be remotely controlled by any INSTEON controller. Features an adjustable ramp rate, preset dim level and local control. Dual-band technology receives power line and RF commands, and doubles as an Access Point.

• Control a light remotely, turning it on and off and adjusting brightness levels
• Full local control (Dim/Bright, On/Off)
• Incorporate a lamp into multiple lighting design scenes in minutes
• Transmits and receives INSTEON commands via powerline and RF
• Doubles as an Access Point

BTW, what is the last bullet supposed to mean? Anyone knows?

[TFitzpatri8]

You know the RF features are working on the Hub if it can communicate with the door sensors and leak detectors, which are all single-band RF. I would use the test procedure I outlined earlier to check the LampLinc RF operations. This is a user-to-user forum, but if there's a problem, the Insteon folks also offer free tech support you can reach via methods described here: http://Insteon.com/support.html

[stusviews]

I can prove it one way or the other, but what difference does it make for the case?

Being on the same circuit or not makes all the difference when troubleshooting.

[map]

Thanks, all. Does anyone remember how to reset dimmer module to factory settings? I tried to follow the instructions listed in "local programming" section of its manual and cannot navigate to the factory reset. I remember there was a simpler way to do it. Like unplug and plug in the module while holding some button...

Also once I remove the plug-in devices using the android app, I still see their schedules. But there appears to be no way to delete the schedules. Any ideas?

Obviously, deleting the account and resetting the hub the last thing on my wish list.

[BLH]

The latest hardware revision 2457D2. Use a flow chart of set button sequences listed in the users manual.
http://www.insteon.com/pdf/2457D2.pdf

I have the same model but not the latest and did not follow the flow chart. So you may want to try unplugging it for ten seconds.
Hold the Set Button and plug it back in while still holding the Set Button.
It will start beeping. Hold the Set Button until the beeping stops.
Release the Set Button.

[map]

Thanks! That's what I was looking for. This procedure was given to me by tech support a while ago, but I lost it.The flow chart method for some reason does not work as advertized.

[BLH]

The earlier hardware 2457D2 and 2457D2X {power line only version} modules do not use the flow chart and unfortunately the manual for the older version is not on the Insteon Manuals page.
I did manage to download it from a web search.