Merlin

@Techman I grabbed the error log and removed all the lines with -170001. Here is all that is left after removing the 170001 lines starting with the most recent reboot a couple of weeks ago. It looks like it's just the startup sequence / file loading. This is under IoX v.5.8.0. Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -5 Start Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/TMP Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/LOG Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/WEB Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CODE Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/D2D Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/MAIL Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/USER Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/USER/WEB Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/NET Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/SEP Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/OADR Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/BILLING Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/DEF Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/GLOBAL Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/GLOBAL/i1 Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/GLOBAL/i1/nls Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/GLOBAL/i1/editor Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/GLOBAL/i1/nodedef Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/f1 Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/f1/i1 Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/f1/i1/nls Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/f1/i1/editor Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/f1/i1/nodedef Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/DEF/f1/i1/emap Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/DEF/f10 Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:28 AM 0 -110022 ./FILES/CONF/INSTENG.OPT Wed 2024/03/06 04:55:28 AM 0 -110012 ./FILES/CONF/INSTENG.OPT Sun 2024/03/10 03:00:12 AM 0 -110026 ./FILES/CONF/BILLING/2024 So I assume this means it isn't seeing any errors. I have left the noise filter on the UPS, but it hasn't made any difference, and the the UPS wasn't filtered when it was working properly. Either way it shouldn't really matter. But yes, the PLM is still showing as connected under PLM Info/Status ("51.11.90 v9E / Connected"). Another note, while I do get [RF] update events from my motion sensor when I trigger it, I am still unable to query it directly, despite being powered directly via USB.

@Techman@IndyMike Hey folks. Another update. I'm no longer seeing the X10 messages in the event log. That said, I'm also no longer able to communicate with my Insteon network again, despite not seeing any obvious interference now. It was working fine for about 48 hours (no X10 messages and no issues communicating with the Insteon devices) but now its acting like it was before, just no X10 messages. To confirm, at this point I have made no physical changes, so the PLM and the UPS are still the only two devices on that circuit, and they are plugged into different ports on the same power receptacle. I finally received the 15A noise filter, so as a test, I installed the noise filter in front of the UPS power line just in case it was somehow generating noise I couldn't see. However, adding the filter did nothing to improve my ability to query devices in the Insteon network. As a test, I also tried unplugging the PLM and powering it back on on another circuit. No difference. In both case, the PLM still shows connected per PLM Info/Status. When I try to do a query, I just see this now... Thu 03/14/2024 11:26:26 PM : [INST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 4D 49 C4 0F 19 00 Thu 03/14/2024 11:26:26 PM : [INST-ACK ] 02 62 4D.49.C4 0F 19 00 06 LTSREQ (LIGHT) Thu 03/14/2024 11:26:34 PM : [INST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 4D 49 C4 0F 19 00 Thu 03/14/2024 11:26:34 PM : [INST-ACK ] 02 62 4D.49.C4 0F 19 00 06 LTSREQ (LIGHT) Thu 03/14/2024 11:26:43 PM : [INST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 4D 49 C4 0F 19 00 This example wasn't complete, but I've also seen them with 3 LTSREQ but still no update. But then I can also send a query and get only a single LTSREQ or none at all. I appear to see messages when lights turn on or the motion sensor triggers as I did before. I can generally tell when it isn't going to work since I get the "System Busy" dialog pop up on the screen showing a bar that crawls towards 100% when I do a query. When it works, it usually just updates immediately without the need for that dialog box. As an addition oddity, I'm now seeing weird things like this in the event logs... Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:51 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:51 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:51 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) Thu 03/14/2024 10:59:52 PM : [ Time] 23:00:00 4(0) This spammed the event log ~250 update lines for each of 10:59:51 and 10:59:52 and then stopped. Luckily it isn't doing that constantly. I just happened to notice it when I scrolled back a few pages when I was checking the event log (I have left it running all day to collect data). I see it happening for like 5 lines here and there, but it also goes for a while with no time update lines. So that seems odd. That is on the EISY side and not the Insteon side though. In any case, now that I'm not seeing the X10 messages I'm not entirely sure what I should be looking for. I know I can still power off each circuit one at a time and then run queries to see if that makes a difference. But I'm trying to avoid that given the impact on my family. Plus it seems non-deterministic since this does work fine occasionally and it will be hard to know if it flipping the breaker coincidentally happens when the network is working properly or not. Finding a time when everyone is gone and personal devices don't need to be running is a challenge. Thanks!

So, I'm still waiting on the filters, but I happened to check the logs today and all the X10 messages are gone. I ran a few queries and the system is acting normally again. I don't know how long it will stay this way but I have changed nothing yet.

Hey folks, I'm still waiting on the XTB-F15+ for the UPS (it's shipped but will be a few days). In the meantime, I have discovered that maybe my original assumption that RF devices were working as expected was false. When I tested previously with the Motion Sensor II, it was sending motion events to the EISY. However, it doesn't appear that those events are always happening, nor does it appear that RF devices can receive updates from the EISY... at least not often. When I did the restore devices command a few days back, it left 9 of my devices with the 1011 in front of their names in the admin console (6 dual band/wired devices and 3 RF/battery devices). I had some extra time today, so I was trying to get some of those 1011's cleared out. But it hasn't taken on any of them. I wasn't entirely sure how to put the Motion Sensor II in connect mode, but I did hit SET on it, which flashed its lights, but I don't know if that wakes it up or not. In any case, it doesn't accept query commands or write updates from the EISY. My 2441ZTH Wireless Thermostat is RF/battery powered, but I have it connected to a 5V power supply which means it should be awake all the time per the manual. The thermostat is able to send updates with current temperature and humidity to the EISY, but I cannot query it from the EISY or write updates to the thermostat from the EISY. I also have a Leak Sensor, from which my monitoring program still detects heartbeats. Though I don't see one for today, so it may not always be able to connect to the EISY. I haven't tried to wake it up yet to write updates. So that suggests that it may not just be the X10 events/powerline noise that is the problem. That points back to the PLM being a problem maybe? Though it could also be a side effect of the powerline issues as some of the Insteon dual band devices may be needed to relay RF signals back to the PLM and cannot do so since they cannot communicate with the PLM over the power lines. That said, none of them are really that far from the EISY/PLM so they shouldn't NEED to be relayed. Speaking of powerline noise. I was also thinking that while I'm awaiting the XTB-F15+ filter, I could potentially confirm or rule out the UPS as a noise source by just unplugging the UPS from the wall outlet and see if that eliminates the X10 signal or communication issues for the EISY/PLM. I'm going to try to test that tomorrow along with moving the PLM around. Thanks.

Yeah, the UPS is sized to be future proofed against expansion, though it's only using about 1/4 of its capacity today. That said, the Insteon noise filter is only 10A, so I'd be more comfortable with the XTB-F15+ if I'm going to run a noise filter on the UPS for more than a short-duration test. They are comparable price-wise, so that isn't even a factor. I'll order one to be safe. If I find some other devices I need to filter, I'll look at the Insteon powerline noise filter and/or the Leviton 6288 DHC Noise Block Plug-In Module which I saw recommended in another post. Looking at Jeff's site, I'm curious if something like the XTB-ANR would be useful? Probably no way to know without putting a scope on my power lines to see what the signal to noise looks like at the distribution panel. It is too bad Jeff's XTBM is no longer being sold. I'd love to get an X10 signal meter to check each circuit to see what the noise levels and Insteon/X10 signals look like. All of the other X10 meters I've found (ESM1 and TesterLinc) appear be be long out of production.

Yeah, the PLM is not under the UPS. It does plug into the same 4 way outlet that the UPS plugs into, and they share the same dedicated circuit. I can certainly put a noise filter in front of the UPS as a test to be sure it isn't a device in that rack (UPS or other gear) that is introducing noise on the line. The UPS has a 1500VA/1000W capacity, though its nominal draw is at or below 200-300W with the gear I have in there right now. If you can recommend a good filter, that would be helpful. I've seen a bunch of powerline noise filters on Amazon, but I don't know what type/model/frequency ranges I should be attenuating. I don't have any issues with having the PLM on the garage circuit, other than the fact that stuff does occasionally get plugged into that circuit like battery chargers, power tools, etc. But for testing it wouldn't really matter since nothing is plugged into the garage circuit right now aside from the portable dehumidifier that I ruled out as a noise source earlier. The two circuits are also on two different phases, so that could also be something to test I suppose. I don't know how well the Insteon devices manage bridging, but prior to a few weeks ago, I never noticed any issues reaching equipment so I assume it isn't an issue. I get that... I work in tech and have a basic understanding of electricity, electronics, and cable signaling. Good enough to do basic electrical repairs and troubleshoot networking installs, etc. I'm just less familiar with the Insteon equipment, and assume they have a very high MTBF so everything should work as expected. Yeah... since this is a sinewave UPS, it cleans and filters the power coming in and going out for the stability of the equipment running under its power. So it should strip out any signals coming into the UPS, but pass any signals originating from UPS supported devices back out to the circuit untouched. But that is why the PLM is not under UPS power.

Hi @Michel Kohanim, The only transformers and power supplies on that circuit right now are the ones for the EISY itself and some of my network gear, which is all behind a filtering sine wave UPS and has been since before I moved from the ISY to the EISY 6 months back. There is only one other circuit in the area that I can use, which should be mostly clear of traffic, but is used sporadically for garage stuff. I do have an Insteon thermostat, but it is the 2441ZTH Wireless Thermostat which is battery+RF, so I don't think that would be relevant. As for the SwitchLinc's they are all v.45 so I assume those are fine. I only have one KeypadLinc (2334-222 (2487S) 6-button KeypadLinc Dimmer Switch v.44); I'm not sure if they are 2A or 2D but I don't see that in the model or name, so I assume it isn't one of those. Thanks!

I have a backup from December before these issues started happening. I haven't backed anything up recently since I wasn't sure whether this would create a corrupted backup or not. Either way it sounds like it may be better to wait on the PLM swap until I've at least had a chance to test all the Insteon devices, now that I know that I can disable them individually by pulling out the set button (I assume this also means "air gap" that was referred to earlier). I have access to all but 3 of the devices (the fan & micro modules are not super easy to get to as they appear to be in the walls/ceiling or maybe a j-box somewhere). I have never actually seen them myself. I am also pretty sure that not all the devices have a pull out set button (i.e., the 240V load controller we use for the baseboard heaters in our basement), so I'll need to look into how to disable those types of devices. That is all better than flipping breakers, though if the Insteon devices don't end up being the cause, I guess flipping breakers comes back on the agenda. I already have that open in another window and read through it before I started posting here. In fact, my PLM used to be plugged into a UPS, but as one of the first troubleshooting steps, I plugged its power strip directly into a power receptacle instead. I am pretty sure the power strip doesn't have surge suppression, but I'll need to confirm that.

Thanks. I've read through the instructions for swapping PLMs and have a new USB PLM ready to go that I picked up as a backup in case I need to replace my old serial model. However, given the issue with the X-10 messages and/or electrical noise, do you think that replacing the PLM first makes sense? I guess I am just trying to avoid making things more complicated or obfuscate potential problems. Of course, if I replace the PLM, at the least I'd know whether or not it is part of the problem; that would inform my next steps. Thanks!

It would be nice if there were a way to remove the PLM from the equation without having to switch to a new PLM and deal with remapping everything. That said, most of what you've said seems to be pointing there and it is the most accessible part of this. I also know the PLM is at least 5 years old at this point, which supports the idea that it could be starting to fail. I was hoping to avoid cutting power to the circuits in my home. But If that is what I need to do, I guess I'll do it. I just need to find a good time to do so. Too bad the Elk ESM1 X-10 scanner and TesterLinc are no longer sold. I'd welcome a tool to help me track this down. Assuming it isn't a bad PLM or Insteon device, it could be anything... a wall wart or misbehaving PSU, or a CFL or LED bulb, or who knows what.

I ran the device restore, which didn't really do anything to help, and now 9 of the devices show the little 1101 thing before their names in the admin console. Three of them are battery powered RF devices (Motion Sensor, Thermostat, and a Leak Sensor), though the Thermostat is technically DC powered. The other 6 are SwitchLinc v.45 dimmers, which seems weird given they're not battery powered devices. Though for the latter, it should be easy enough to write those multiple times until they eventually get through. So, some older Insteon devices came with X10 addresses by default. In that case, it should be fairly easy to isolate which one is causing the problem since I don't really have that many devices it could be. But does it have to be coming from one of the Insteon devices? Can non ISY linked devices appear in the event log? Previously you mentioned that the status request was a controller function, so can that be coming from one of the Insteon devices? Could it be coming from the ISY itself in response to an X10 enabled Insteon device that may or may not be misbehaving? At this point, this should be an inventory of the Insteon devices I have currently deployed. Can any of these be X10 controllers or more likely to be X10 enabled? Battery/RF (can't be X10, since not powerline right?): 2441ZTH Wireless Thermostat (USB + battery) 2844-222 Motion Sensor II (USB + battery) 2852-222 Leak Sensor Wired/Dual Band: 2472D OutletLinc Dimmer 2475F FanLinc module 2477D SwitchLinc Dimmer Switch x 15 2477S SwitchLinc On/Off Switch x 3 2477SA1 Normally Open 240V 30A Load Controller 2334-222 (2487S) 6-button KeypadLinc Dimmer Switch 2442-222 Micro Module Dimmer 2443-222 Micro Module On/Off 2663-222 On/Off Outlet I don't have easy access to the Micro Modules or FanLinc Module to do any kind of factory resetting, but I don't expect them to be a likely candidate here anyway.

Most of the Insteon devices conveyed with the house. The balance (4-5 devices) were added by me and ordered from Insteon directly. I've spoken to the previous owner, and according to him, the devices were all purchased direct from Insteon/SmartHome prior to them going out of business. Why would an X10 address be active on a used device? Because they may be older? Is there a way to add/remove an X10 address from an Insteon device? From my understanding, most of these devices were added in the mid to late 2010's and where possible, he only installed dual band devices, so I wouldn't expect any of them to use X10 protocols if it is age based. I've reviewed the error logs and real time event logs and didn't see any obvious errors. It could be that the system is showing problems but I am not sure what to look for. I have looked for places where it says something other than ERR (0) but beyond that, I am just looking for things that stand out or don't look like they should. Which is hard until you hide all the X10 messages, which fill 90% of the log file.

Sure. Is there any risk of doing this? I assume not, since I'm already having issues, but I don't want to corrupt what I have now if this doesn't work as expected due to PLM issues, or whatever is creating this sudden communication problem. I have purposefully avoided backing up the EISY since I discovered this problem; I don't see the value in backing up a configuration that isn't working properly. My last backup is over a month old, but it was working well at that time. I am not aware of any X10 devices, but I do have a "Smart" garage door (Chamberlain) which is internet connected via an internet gateway fob, but AFAIK it operates over RF only. I also have an Elk M1 Gold security panel which used to be connected to the ISY back before we upgraded to this EISY in October. But, I never migrated the Elk configuration or license. Not to mention, it is currently unplugged (and battery removed) until I can figure out how to deal with a faulty sensor that won't reset. That said, it communicated via ethernet, not X10 AFAIK. We only purchased the house last summer, so it is possible that there may be some other X10 device(s) in the house that I haven't discovered. There are a number of "smart appliances" in the house though, so I suppose there could be an X10 controller in an appliance or something. I don't suppose there is any way to get an idea of what kind of controller it could be based on the response (02 52 FF 80)? Not sure if that is an address or whatnot, or if address ranges are assigned by company like MAC addresses.

I have looked at the PLM Links Table output. There are 73 entries there. Which seems appropriate given I only have about 30 Insteon devices configured at the moment. I'm not entirely sure how to compare against the others, since when I bring up the Show Device Links Table or Show ISY Links Table, it just prompts me with a dropdown for every device I have in my ISY network. Not sure what I should be looking for, and what the difference is between what should be in the Device or Links table outputs. The motion sensor has a light sensor and motion sensor. It is Z-Wave and AFAIK cannot communicate directly with the Insteon lights. I have a program that monitors light levels and motion, and uses those to turn lights on/off or adjust brightness as needed. So it all routes through the ISY. I also note that if I flip a light on/off, the ISY gets the notification and removes the "!" in front of the device in the IoX admin console. But that doesn't mean it can communicate back. When I see an response to the INST-TX request, I typically get a single LTSREQ (LIGHT) after the first INST-TX request, but never see a reply after that. Mon 03/04/2024 12:44:12 AM : [INST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 56 3E BA 0F 19 00 Mon 03/04/2024 12:44:12 AM : [INST-ACK ] 02 62 56.3E.BA 0F 19 00 06 LTSREQ (LIGHT) Mon 03/04/2024 12:44:24 AM : [INST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 56 3E BA 0F 19 00 Mon 03/04/2024 12:44:33 AM : [INST-TX-I1 ] 02 62 56 3E BA 0F 19 00 I have powered the PLM at least twice over the last week or so as I have been trying to debug this issue. But that doesn't seem to do anything. It almost seems like the PLM can receive communication from the Insteon devices but is having problems being heard by them. As for the X10 messages, I am looking at it now and seeing them coming in like once per second. When I have looked in the past, it is usually less frequent (like once per minute or so) but has been there for at least several months. I assumed it was just a backup communication protocol used by the EISY and/or Insteon devices. Here is a 30 second snippet... Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:45 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:48 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:48 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:50 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:50 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:51 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:51 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:52 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:52 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:54 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:54 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:54 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:54 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:55 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:55 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:56 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:56 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:59 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:06:59 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:04 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:04 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:06 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:06 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:07 AM : [ Time] 11:07:08 1(0) Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:12 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:12 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:15 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:15 AM : [ X10] J/Status Request (10) Mon 03/04/2024 11:07:22 AM : [X10-RX ] 02 52 FF 80 I can move the PLM elsewhere, though I am limited by proximity to the EISY and the length of the USB serial cable. That said, even if I move it, there are only two circuits accessible from that part of my house. It is currently on an isolated circuit that is shared by my network/security/automation gear. Alternatively, I can move it to the general circuit used for stuff in my garage. That said, I would hope I don't need to relocate it, given I have never had any issues with communication previously in its current location and circuit. Thanks to you both for your feedback and advice!

Hi folks, I switched from my ISY to the EISY last October and my EISY manages a mix of ~30 Insteon devices plus ~10 Z-Wave devices. Up until recently everything has been working flawlessly, but I recently returned from vacation (gone for a bit more than a week) and since returning, I've noticed that most of my EISY automations are unreliable or just not working at all. So I pulled up the IoX console and was spammed with a ton of "Failed Communicating With" messages from just about every Insteon device. My Z-Wave devices seem fine. When I tested what was going on, it doesn't appear to be 100% communication failure. For example, my lights still respond to my light level sensor and come on at dusk and go off at dawn, and they appear to respond to my Z-Wave motion sensor... however there is a delay. I assume they have to retry a few times before the command gets through. The first thing I did was to power cycle the PLM and reboot the EISY. Checking the PLM Info/Status, it shows as connected (v9E). To rule out an IoX issue, I also upgraded from IoX 5.7.1 to 5.8.0. It changed nothing, but I really didn't expect it to. Beyond that, I'm at a bit of a loss. It doesn't appear to be an outright PLM failure, given that the PLM shows connected and devices are responding, albeit it may take a few tries. I suppose it could be intermittently failing or something. It is an older serial PLM communicating via the USB to serial adapter after all. As it happens, I have a brand new in the box USB PLM ready to go as a backup if needs be, but I'd prefer to avoid pulling that out if I don't need it yet. Is there any way to confirm or rule out the PLM? I guess it is possible that there is something interfering with the communications, but we've never had that problem in the past. Plus, I don't see any errors like corrupt packets in the logs or in the event monitor (though I don't know if stuff like that is logged). Most of the devices are dual band devices so they should be able to use RF if the wired communication fails, right? When I do a query, I just see the INST-TX-I1 commands that don't get a reply. Interestingly, every minute I do see an X10 event and X10-RX event, which seems weird since I don't have any X10 devices; I assume X10 may be used by the EISY or as a backup for some device perhaps? In any case, as we didn't introduce any new electrical devices into the system while I was on vacation, or shortly before leaving. Nor did we move the EISY around or anything like that. So I don't know what could be causing sudden interference. That's usually things with motors, or regulating power supplies, or CFL bulbs, etc. Right? The only thing I can think of similar to that is that I moved a portable dehumidifier from our basement to the garage shortly before we left, but we've had that running for months without issue, and half the time it doesn't even need to turn on. Of course, I tried powering it off and then ran some Query commands, but the results are the same. So I don't think that was the culprit anyway. Most of my bulbs are LED, but I have tried running queries with all the lights off, and that didn't help either. I have tried querying random devices while watching the event viewer. The interesting thing is that sometimes the query results in 3 INST-TX messages without replies, and other times I will see an INST-ACK (LTSREQ LIGHT), but the EISY doesn't appear to acknowledge it. At least, the red "!" doesn't disappear and I don't see any changes in the status info for the device. In one case, I saw an INST-ACK and then 2-3 minutes later an INST-SRX / Std-Direct Ack from the same device towards the PLM. I don't fully understand the protocol but that sounds weird to me. Also, it doesn't appear to impact every device. For example, if I trigger my Insteon Motion Sensor II, it gets picked up right away with no delays; but it is an RF only device. At this point I am out of ideas. I welcome any advice. Thanks! P.S., I have looked at https://wiki.universal-devices.com/INSTEON:_Troubleshooting_Communications_Errors and tried several of the suggestions in https://wiki.universal-devices.com/ISY-99i/ISY-26_INSTEON:Troubleshooting_Flowchart but I haven't found anything that looks like a smoking gun.