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    real 3way switches

    While I love the entire insteon product line and I have been replacing switches as I can afford them. A real 3way switch replacement like the TPLink would be well received by myself as I have 15 switches just at my front door for most of the lights inside and outside my house that are mostly 3way switches. Having to replace all the switches and abandoning the traveler and setting up all the control/responder scenes is a lot of work where a single 3way replacement would be all that is needed, also I had an insteon hub fail and no way to restore the configuration to a new hub and had to reset everything, it was not a good insteon day having to recreate all the scenes and controller/responders that I had.!. I have started to change just my 3way switches to the TPLink even though I hate them, but just due to the ease of automation and not having to replace all the switches they very attractive from an automation perspective. Bonus points for a thinner switch as my electrical boxes are all pretty tight with the larger smart switches. And if you made it was possible to get a dimmer triple the bonus points.

    If you develope these switches, I promise to replace all these tplinks!

    #2
    From an automation standpoint Insteon's way is the better way. You have much more flexibility and less limitations. If you simply want control then those simple ways of wifi switches are a better alternative.

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      #3
      I am just want to say that I need a very good information. Thanks for sharing that. Monkey Cool
      Last edited by Theodorabenedetto; 11-03-2022, 09:08 PM.

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        #4
        I do have to say that Insteon has been one of the only real always working three switch replacement options. Z-wave and Zigbee switches always give me trouble when I try to link them. Insteon's independent operation is one of its advantages.

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          #5
          Originally posted by silverton38 View Post
          I do have to say that Insteon has been one of the only real always working three switch replacement options. Z-wave and Zigbee switches always give me trouble when I try to link them. Insteon's independent operation is one of its advantages.
          I'm mostly confused as to requests for 'real 3-way switches' in wireless-mode home automation. While I get the desire to have a $2 off-the-shelf dumb switch control a $50+ automated smart switch, but that stops being a pure home automation solution, and more of a hybrid solution. But clearly this is doable with regular switches and micro devices, but the observation of the device status at the switch is lost (and hence "hybrid").

          It is trivial, though, to add a second smart switch, and have it also be a controller in the loop, so any change on either switch (or switches in multi-way installs) is reflected on *both* switches.

          If you are going to do the home automation thing, go all in, don't go halfway. And if the request for a remote-only switch is ever granted, then its possible there is a slight break in the extra remote.

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            #6
            Zooz makes such a device (ZEN26). I installed them in two circuits by replacing one of the mechanical 3-way switches and leaving the other mechanical switch in place linked to a Hubitat with z-wave. It used the existing travelers as you suggested. It worked fine, but frankly, it was odd having smart switches as one end of the room that you always pressed up for on and down for off and mechanical switches at the other end where up and down could be on or off depending on the state of the other switch (which is how normal 3way setups work of course).

            So - i removed the zooz switches and installed the i3 paddles. Yes, I needed 4 of them instead of 2 of the zooz switches, but now I have consistency.

            Just a thought.
            Andy

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