Guy Lavoie

Well you'll need to wait until UDI releases the update that supports Matter. That should be very soon according to the latest announcement: https://www.universal-devices.com/2025-liftoff/

I'm referring to scenes, created in IoX, not programs.

Sounds like it's somewhat like z-wave, where a device can only belong to one network at a time. Some topologies, like Insteon, can be controlled by more than one main controller (ie: PLM) but each controller needs to be able to respect (leave) any links that aren't to devices it knows about. That's what the eisy does when you add a new Insteon devices and it gives you the option of leaving any existing links intact. Other networks like z-wave require you to remove a device from any other network in order to add it to a new controller. Zigbee might be similar.

I got my weekly test email just fine, today at noon.

This sounds similar to the problem I had with the i/o linc status being incorrect for my garage door. The sensor status indicated the door was closed, even after opening it. And a query would update it. A discussion of this in another thread brought up the fact that the i/o linc is powerline only (not dual band), and that the electrical noise of the opener motor might be inhibiting the status update that the module is sending out right after the door starts opening. As a workaround I tried adding a couple of query statements, sent a few seconds after the door is fully open and the motor stops (I timed the door opening and added a few extra seconds). It seems to have helped. I also added a lamplinc in the garage, as a signal booster and converter to rf signal as well. Interesting that we're both talking about a garage. These tend to be farther away and isolated (physically and electrically) from the rest of our living spaces, which might make any signal issues more relevant. If you have a spare lamplinc on hand, you might give that a try. Also, how is your motion sensor configured? Does it send both on and off commands, and what is the on time? On the ones I use, I have the time set to the minimum 30 seconds, and sending on/off commands.

Question: are you able to trigger scenes (created in IoX) with those Lutron switches? If you create a scene where a Lutron switch is a controller and an Insteon switch is a responder, does the Lutron switch control the Insteon one?

It would be clearer if you could post the actual program(s). Bring up the program, right click on the program name, and then "copy to clipboard" at the very bottom.

I've also been leaving the admin console open for days on end, at least when I was still actively implementing new devices and programs. After reading several posts about it not being a good idea, I'm avoiding doing that now. I'm not sure exactly how it might affect the operation of the eisy itself, but it certainly does end up freezing sometimes, which can be a cause of unneeded resource (cpu, memory, sockets) consumption.

First thing to try with any motion sensor related issues is try a fresh battery.

Great! Keep us posted...

Interesting. Could this in any way have affected UD Mobile in local mode? Earlier this morning UD Mobile wouldn't connect, and give me a "no proxies available" message. To get to connect I had to go into settings and re-enter my admin password, or so I thought. Coincidence or related? My question is: does UD Mobile need to be able to see anything external even if used in local mode?

It's not really about the feeling of abandonment, but about trading away known reliability for something new that has yet to make us feel as confident.

How do you think I feel about my 25 year old Ocelot controller, that's never missed a beat? It's like an old friend. It's still running a few things, like my solar pool heating. One of my projects is to make a PG3 plugin for it, so I can keep using the relay modules and other features. Right now I do that with X10 commands, not the best way. I've already tested serial communications with it from the eisy in Python. So it's just a question of getting it done.

WAF...there's a term I haven't seen in a while! In that regard, I think that voice control has been a game changer. Given how they like to have "people" do things on command! But seriously, my legally blind wife has finally found a benefit that really suited for her, by not needing to walk to switches, remember which one does what, etc. Also loves Alexa as a kitchen reminder, talking clock, temperature and weather source, etc. Home automation has also evolved beyond the geek only image it had 20 years ago, and is becoming mainstream, just like computers did with the internet. even my 88 year old mom has Alexa and a few smart plugs to turn on lamps. If you only need that level of control, then there is no need for the full blown controller. We need to recognize that.

I might add that an alternative to making this mod would be to use only external magnetic contacts (wired on series) connected to the screw terminals, and mount the open close sensor module itself nearby, but with no magnet near it. This would leave the internal reed switch open, allowing just the external wired ones to work.

That's the very first thing to check. If you have a spare device that was never added to a z-wave network, try adding that one first. If it works, that would pretty well indicate that this is the problem. To know if your eisy is seeing the adapter, in admin console, go to z-wave -> advanced -> z-wave information. Check that it says "Connected".

I already had a few of these on doors and just got some more as part of a lot I bought, so I thought I'd add some to windows now. I have several windows that open as two separate panes, so I thought it would be convenient to use the external sensor option on the modules to monitor both panes with one 2843-222. I want to get an "open" condition if either pane is open. These modules have two screw terminals to add an external set of contacts but upon reading the documentation, the screw terminals are in parallel with the internal normally open magnetic reed switch. This means that both window panes would need to be open to have an "open" condition. Hardly useful, especially with most magnetic reed switches being open when no magnet is present. So I looked around on the web for a modification to have the switches in series (surely, I can't be the only one wanting this!). I didn't find anything, and the Insteon support forum has been down for a while. So here is my own little mod to get this functionality. It involves cutting a trace, cutting one lead of the reed switch, and soldering in a wire. Dismantle the circuit board from the case (remove two screws) and turn it over to see the underside. Position it vertically, with the negative battery terminal at the bottom. Be careful not to break anything when sliding the negative battery terminal off the plastic mount. Step 1: Cutting a trace. Ignore the yellow wire for now. On the underside you will see one trace going from JP1 to the screw terminal on your right. Cut it near the screw terminal using an xacto knife or something similar. It's a good idea to verify that continuity from JP1 to the screw terminal is indeed cut, using a multimeter. Step 2: Cutting reed switch lead. Flip the board over to see the component side (with the screw terminals still at the bottom). Cut the top lead near where it enters the hole in circuit board, then bend it a bit, towards the center of the board. Because the reed switch is now held to the board by just one lead at the bottom, I put a small dab of hot glue to help in keeping it in place. Step 3: Adding a wire. Add a small wire (I use wire wrap wire) from the screw terminal that was isolated in step 1 (that's the yellow wire), through a hole, and solder it to the free end of the reed switch that you bent towards the middle in step 2. Don't go through the screw hole! There is a convenient smaller hole near JP1. That's it! Now, both the internal reed switch and an external switch (or several, in series) are in series and have to be closed to get a "closed" condition. If you ever need to use this modified module without an external sensor, now you'll need to put a small jumper wire between the screw terminals to bypass the missing external reed switch. Put it back together and enjoy.

Ah yes, the "use a bigger hammer" approach. Works as a short term solution, but will leave you unsatisfied over the long term, and cynical about the technology. As Paul said, the real solution is to try and work out the communications issues by testing, making small fixes or changes and observe if it improves, by not using the programming workarounds that you have added. Are your devices dual band? Are the ones that aren't reliable in an isolated location, where signal strength might be a problem. If you put other types of Insteon devices in the same area, so they also fail to respond? Sometimes, just adding something like a lamplinc to act as a signal booster/coupler helps. All things to consider. The Insteon support forum also has good suggestions, though it appears to be down, has been for at least a week.

Yes, and the learning curve is quite steep. There is little or no tutorial information, it's mostly just reference material. The way to learn for most (including myself) is to install a simple plugin, and reverse engineer it to try and understand what does what. So far I've done two simple plug ins, mostly as an exercise to eventually make a more complex one. I'm also learning python at the same time. It's rewarding, but consider it mostly as a hobby, if you're counting the time you're putting into it.

The currently installed firmware version will remain. I've factory reset a ISY994i with a 300 series Zwave card and it didn't cause any issues.

So the second scene did the trick. In my naming convention (to avoid going crazy) I'll usually give the scene a name (eg: "scn kitchen") for the scene where the keypadlinc controls the light, and "scn kitchen rev" for the reverse scene that updates the keypadlinc if the light is operated directly from the switch.

The networking module comes by default with the eisy. Not sure about the Polisy.

Did you create a second scene with the on/off switch as the controller and the keypadlinc button as a responder?

Well since 14.1 seems to be part of the promised January upgrade, I'll just wait until it's announced (and let a few early adopters dip their toes first). Maybe UDI will streamline the process too. I'm in no rush.

If I log into my eisy with ssh and do the unix command "uname -a", I get: FreeBSD 13.2 release p11