Unable to link Motion Sensor II with 2466SW Switch

[Dave 914]

I have successfully installed Insteon products before, so I have a basic understanding of how to set it up, but I've run into a problem setting up a new installation. I am unable to link two Motion Sensor IIs with two 2466SW switches (one motion sensor per switch) using a Hub. The Hub and the switches are on the same circuit breaker. All four devices (2 switches and 2 motion sensors) are within 15 feet of the Hub and Wifi Router, with only one very thin wall separating the devices and Hub/Router. Wifi signal at the motion sensors is excellent. Wifi signal at the switches is excellent to good as well, though as I understand it the switches do not use wifi. The house is only abut 800 square feet, so all devices are very close to each other. At most there is 50 feet of house wiring from the Hub to the breaker box to the switch.

When I installed (and after I reset) the switches they will not connect to the hub automatically. I need to enter the 6 digit code on the front of the switch into the App to install it - and then it will only install when - while the hub is looking for the switch I briefly press the "Set" button on the switch - after which the Hub will instantly find the switch, check the communications, and install it on the Hub. Both switches worked this same way - unable to automatically Link to the Hub, and would not install until I entered the code, then pressed the Set button while the Hub was searching for the switch. This doesn't seem like a proper way to link the Switches to the Hub, but after a day of trying everything I could think of, this is the only method that worked.

So I've installed two 2466SW switches and two Motion Sensor II (one for each switch) on the Hub. Both switches work properly with the light, and can be properly controlled from the App on my phone. I've installed both Motion Sensor II units and both provide a red dot on the icon of my phone when motion is sensed - turning off the red dot after 30 seconds. So the two switches and two motion sensors seem to be properly connected to the Hub, and working properly as independent devices. I am not using any repeaters or other Insteon devices, but all four devices seem to have good connection to the Hub and work properly as independent devices.

The problem is that try as I might, I am unable to link the units to turn on the switch when motion is sensed. When I try to set up a Scene to turn on the light when motion is sensed, I get the message "An error occurred putting [switch] in linking mode. Try again?". It retries several times with no success, then continues with the installation (it seems one should be able to cancel out of creating the Scene at this point, but that does not seem to be possible). I am unable to go beyond this point. I have re-tried this process at least 20 times. It seems the switches simply are either not discoverable to the Hub, or are not able to be put into Linking mode by the hub - either when the switch is initially installed, or when the switch is added to a Scene. I have tried pushing the Set button on the switch while the Hub is searching for the switch while creating the Scene (same as I did to install the switch), but this does not help the Hub find the switch to create the Scene. When the Scene setup is (improperly) complete, it shows the switch as the Responder and the Motion Sensor as the Controller, but the scene does not work.

The switches are to control LED porch lights. I read somewhere that LED lights might interfere with the Insteon system. Could this be the problem? If so, is there any work-around?

I have installed and removed the devices, reset all devices and the hub, removed and reinstalled the App and my Insteon account a dozen times. I've also tried two separate Hubs. The Hubs and Switches were all ordered at the same time, so are probably from the same production batches (if one switch or hub is defective, maybe the other is as well?). I've spent many hours trying to get this to work, but a Scene will simply not properly install. As stated above, the two switches and two motion sensors seem to work fine independently with the App, but they will not link together and work as a "Scene".

Can anyone please suggest what I may be overlooking? Is there a possibility the switches or hub may be defective (I've read quite a few threads about this) since the switches apparently cannot be found by the Hub? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions anyone may have.

Thanks for any suggestions anyone may be able to provide.
-Dave

[lilyoyo1]

Insteon devices do not use wifi so having good WiFi signal in a given area doesn't mean much.

The fact that you are having the exact same issue with multiple devices tells me that it's either your setup or how you're trying to link devices.

Since battery operated devices go to sleeps lI would try to put your motion sensor into linking mode prior to adding it to your scene.

[SeanM]

Another thing to be aware of here is that the togglelincs (#2466xx) do not have RF communication...meaning they are powerline only....while you motion sensor (MS) is RF only. The Hub does both.That means when the motion is triggered an RF command gets sent to the Hub from the MS and gets re-routed along the electrical line wire of your house to get to the switches.

If you only have the motion sensors, the toggles and Hub, and you got everything added to the Insteon application, that would indicate that the Hub is on the same phase as the switches, which is good, but based on the feedback from the app there is some sort of interference on that electrical phase preventing the linking command from making it to the switch.

Some options:

• If you think it is the LED's you can unhook the load and try to create the scene. (usually for florescent loads but might be an issue on LED) If this works hook the load back up after the scene is created and test. Maybe also report back to this thread so others can be aware of this issue.
• If you have a long enough Ethernet cable, or extension cable, you could try plugging the Hub into a different outlet. This could create more issues if the new socket is on a different electrical phase though.
• If you have an Insteon plugin module you could try placing that into different outlets and see if it will let you "jump" the noise. If you have two that would be best as you can do the phase detection test and/or plug them in outlets between the MS and the switches to create better signaling.
• Switch these out for the 2477S version (decorator style) which communicates along RF and powerline and will probably not have this issue.

[Dave 914]

So I finally had the time to order new switches and get back to this project. Apologies for the delay, but the subject house is a few hundred miles away from where I live, so I don't get back often.
I ordered 2477S switches in the event the 2466 switches were the problem. I also replaced the LED porch light with a temporary conventional socket and filament bulb. I am still unable to set up a scene where the motion sensor II will toggle the switch to the on position. When trying to set up the scene I get the same error message "An error occurred putting Back Porch Switch into linking mode - Retrying 1 of 3, etc. Switch failed to link to Motion Sensor Back" At the end the message is "Failed to Link"

This is a simply 1,000 square foot 1950s-era house with no exotic wiring, large electric motors, or strange appliances. No florescent fixtures and the only LED porch light has been removed. The Hub and switch are on the same circuit, therefore the same phase. I've tried to link the units with the motion sensor 3 feet from the Hub in the event there is some type of RF interference. I have spent many, many hours trying to get this to work, with no success. I can control the lights with the app, and the motion sensors indicate motion on the app. But I can't get the switch to respond to the motion sensor.

In setting up the Scene on my Android phone I do the following as directed:

Create Motion Sensor Back Controller Link

1. Press and hold set button until LED begins blinking (green) - I assume this is the set button on the Motion Sensor rather than the switch?

2. Tap set button. LED begins double blinking (green) - again, on the motion sensor and not the switch?

3. Tap Next button

It is at this point that I receive the "An error occurred putting Back Porch Switch into linking mode" error. It retries several times, then quits. I've also tried this manually putting the 2477 switch into linking mode by pressing the link button until the light blinks. This doesn't work either.

I expect I'm overlooking something, but I can't figure out what the problem could be.

Any suggestions?
Thank you
-Dave

[Dave 914]

To clarify my previous post - when I try to create the scene, the "link" light on the 2477S switch does start to blink, so it would at least appear that the hub recognizes the switch and tries to link with it. But for some reason it seems that the motion sensor and switch can't link properly.

[Dave 914]

FINALLY have this system working properly! After trying everything other possible solution - multiple times - I removed the switches and wired them into the home electrical system right beside the Hub, programmed the scene, then moved the switches 15 feet to their final position. The scenes now work properly. I have no idea why the scene programming wouldn't work over a distance of 15 feet - especially when the Hub was able to properly communicate with both motion sensors and both switches. It's a mystery, but at least it works now. Thanks to all for your input and suggestions. -Dave