Wes Westhaver

Thanks guys. I figured that the ISY994i was using a CAT5 ethernet cable for RS-232 communications but wanted to verify. As such, the rules for CAT5 ethernet cable lengths don't apply but the rules for RS-232 cable lengths do apply. I'm working out how I want to arrange my system now that my ISY994i has a Z-Wave board in it. Without the Z-Wave board it didn't really matter where I placed the ISY994i. But now I have to take into account the fact that the ISY994i needs to be placed in a way that promotes good RF signal propagation. The current placement in my basement is no longer optimal. I doubt that I'll exceed a 50' separation between the ISY994i and the PLM but I just wanted to get other opinions before I inserted a longer cable between the two devices. -Wes

Does anyone know if there is a limit to the length of the CAT5 cable connecting the ISY994i to the Insteon PLM? "The ISY994 Home Automation Cookbook" states: Port A is an RJ-45 connector used to attach your INSTEON PLM to the ISY. This allows the ISY to communicate with your INSTEON devices. Please use a standard Category 5e network patch cable (included) to connect your ISY to the PLM. I want to keep my PLM in its current location and move the ISY994i to another location using a longer CAT5 cable (to allow the ISY994i Z-Wave module better range with fewer obstructions.) So, is there a practical limit to how long the CAT5 cable connecting the two units can be? -Wes

@Michel Kohanim If bad sectors exist on the MicroSD card and they happen to contain user data then it's a loss no matter what method of backup is employed (File / Backup ISY or Card Imaging.) I suspect that ISY994i MicroSD card failures are going to be pretty rare. I base this on a post I found that advised that there is no way to do an orderly shutdown of the ISY994i, just pull the plug. This would be terrible advice if the ISY994i was writing to the MicroSD card. But since the recommended shutdown is "pull the plug" I have to assume the MicroSD card is strictly read-only unless a configuration update is being executed.

If I have a mirror image of the current MicroSD card then it should be: Burn .IMG file onto new MicroSD card. Insert the MicroSD card into ISY994i. Done This seems simpler/quicker. MicroSD cards are dirt cheap and I always keep spares around. I also have Terabytes of storage available where I keep my image files. Unless I'm missing something, a mirror image of the original MicroSD card should have the exact characteristics as the original MicroSD card. So there should be no need to worry about what special sectoring. And your password, timezone etc. are contained in the image.

I never paid much attention to the fact that the ISY994i had a MicroSD card but I've started to wonder what the life expectancy is of the MicroSD card. I've been employing Raspberry Pi's around my house for many years now and have learned that it is always a good idea to keep backups of their MicroSD cards in case one of them fails. The easiest way to do this is to make an image file (.IMG) of the entire MicroSD card. Would this be a good backup technique for the MicroSD card in the ISY994i? I know the ISY994i Admin Console has a "File / Backup ISY" option but making an image file of the whole MicroSD card seems like it would be a quicker way to restore the ISY994i to working order in the event of a MicroSD card failure since an image file contains everything on the MicroSD card including the formatting. Thoughts?

Interesting. I've not had any trouble with the admin console crashing or hanging. It just seems to be unable to retain the theme selection from one boot-up to the next. Any suggestions about how to enlarge the java memory size would be appreciated. BTW, I am using "Iced Tea Web" to run the admin console under Ubuntu. I know very little about Iced Tea Web other than from what I read here on the forum. As I recall it is needed to support java applications since my web browser of choice (Firefox) no longer supports java applications running in the browser.

Does the theme selection survive a system reboot on your computer? I can understand storing settings in a cache somewhere but shouldn't the cache persist between reboots?

Doesn't the admin console persist its settings to a file somewhere? How do the theme settings survive a system reboot otherwise?

This problem still exists in the latest 5.3.4 ISY994i firmware.

Thanks. I thought that might have been the case. What confused me was that I have two modules that are identical in their packaging (a Minoston MP22Z and a Minoston MP22ZD.) One is a switch (MP22Z) and the other is a dimmer (MP22ZD) and I assumed that they both were able to be controllers. I was surprised to see that the "Patio-DimmerPlug-StringLights" module is shown as a responder only but the "MBaRm-SwitchPlug-Heater" is shown as a controller & responder. So the switch can be a controller but the dimmer cannot even though they both have the same on/off button. Odd... I'm new to Z-Wave so I'm trying to get familiar with this technology.

Can someone educate me on what the different colors mean in the Tree at the left side of the Administrative Console? Why are some items displayed in pink and others are simply black?

@DAlter01 It looks like we are both understanding items #1 and #2 but #3 is still a bit of a mystery. According to the quote I posted at the start of this thread, the Polisy box will look for an ISY box on your network. But I still don't know why it looks for the ISY box or what Polisy will do with the ISY box if one is found. I'm starting to think that the Polisy box will use the ISY box to gain the ISY software functionality but if that is the case, why wouldn't you just run the optional ISY process on the Polisy box ("ISY on Polisy") and get rid of the old ISY hardware box? Is this offered as a way to quickly adopt your existing investment of time, money and configuration into Polisy by allowing you to keep your old ISY box but manage it via the Polisy box? So, how far off the mark am I? -Wes

I've been confused by the lingo also. So far I've seen ISY referenced in three configurations: "ISY" (ISY software on a dedicated hardware box) "ISY on Polisy" (ISY software hosted on a Polisy hardware box) "ISY on Polisy" (ISY software on a dedicated hardware box connected to a Polisy box) (via Ethernet LAN?) I understand the first two implementations, but that third one is unclear to me. -Wes

Exactly! I get so frustrated when company's don't take the time to explicitly state why you need their products and/or services. A good 30k overview is all that is needed to pull a potential customer into your arena and hold them there. I am also frustrated when a company offers products with overlapping features and doesn't take the time to create a features comparison table so that a potential customer can cut to the chase and decide which product most closely meets their needs. Both of the above can be created and posted to a website easily and doesn't cost much in terms of time and effort and yet these two very useful items are neglected. -Wes

Thanks for the answers. I guess I need to spend some more time looking into Polyglot and node servers. So much of this stuff is super obvious to the old veterans but is clear as mud to the uninitiated like myself. I have a background in software and hardware development so the technical side of things isn't the problem, it's the unfamiliarity with this technology and understanding the problems it seeks to solve. I don't mean to be critical but when a potential customer can't make heads or tails of what a website is trying to sell then the website is failing. I think it is unfortunate that people who are newbies like myself aren't listened to when they say that a website is failing to convey an effective sales pitch and therefore is losing sales because a company's products and product features aren't being described in terms that address a potential customer's needs. The usefulness of a newbie's input is fleeting because no one remains a newbie forever. So a company must think of each newbie that reaches out as a tool to measure its effectiveness at communicating with potential new customers. Grizzled veterans are useless in this regard. They're great to have around because they are loyal customers and they have the battle scars to prove it. They can help others who have entered-in but they too have difficulty remembering what they didn't know when they started and so they often talk over the heads of newbies. Engineers and techies are horrible marketeers but they can improve if they take the time to acknowledge that newbies (annoying as they are) provide the best insight to how your products are being viewed by people you want to convert into customers. I apologize for the rant. I've just seen way to many companies with great ideas and engineering that don't flourish because of their inability to convey those ideas effectively to potential customers.

Thanks guys, I updated my ISY994i to the 5.3.4 firmware, installed the Z-Wave daughter-board and paid the $1.00 activation fee. I purchased a single Z-Wave Outdoor Dimming Plug and was able to add it to my ISY994i and control it via several scenes and a scheduled program. So now I have the beginnings of a Z-Wave and Insteon hybrid system. I'm feeling much better about the future of my home automation endeavors now that I see a way forward even if Insteon goes away. Thanks again for your patience in answering my many questions. -Wes

I visited the Polisy sub-forum and couldn't find anything that addressed my question. Now I'll admit that I may have missed it somehow but can you provide a link?

But why is it looking for "whatever ISY your using"? What does it do with the ISY?

I'm still trying to understand the vagaries of these UDI devices and their related documentation. I just read this on the UDI website: "Note: once Polisy is up and running, it will automatically look for your ISY on the network. As such, it’s best to make sure your Polisy and your ISY are on the same network. Also, please makes sure your ISY firmware is 5.3+." So, if Polisy is able to replace the ISY, why is the Polisy looking for an ISY on your network? What does it do with the ISY? What if you don't have an ISY, what happens then? -Wes

The pinned item at the top of the sub-forum says "test build". Where's the latest stable release? Is 4.9 considered the latest stable release?

OK. I just purchased the Z-Wave add-on board. Apparently I got the last one in stock according to the UDI website. Before it arrives I will need to update my ISY firmware? I am currently running version 5.0.16B. Can you tell me where to find the latest stable firmware?

Are you talking about a USB dongle? If so, is this what you are refering to: https://www.getzooz.com/zooz-zst10-s2-stick.html And this plugs into the Polisy box to provide an interface between UDI and Z-Wave modules?

Unfortunately I don't know what nodeservers are. Again, a certain level of familiarity with UDI systems is assumed.

Meaning the ISY hardware will no longer be needed as the ISY functionality will be moved to the Polisy box?

Forgive my many questions (I'm tech savvy but very unfamiliar with the UDI world.) Are you saying that the add-on board available from UDI for my ISY994i is already out of date? Should I be looking for a replacement or upgrade to my ISY994i along with replacements for my Insteon stuff? Also, the shiny new blue Polisy box, is it a replacement for the ISY994i or an addition to the ISY994i? I read a lot of the messages here in the forum and it seems that (like other technology forums) the regulars are so familiar with the tech that they speak in abbreviations and outsider newbies like myself have a very hard time parsing the info presented. Frankly the UDI web site also suffers from the same malady. They've been dealing with their own technology for so long that they have forgotten how to explain clearly what their products do in a way that is understandable to a newcomer.