Guy Lavoie

In most cases, we want Alexa to control a device like a switch directly (on/off), and that's easily done with no programming needed. When you want to do fancier stuff like take action or not, depending on status, then programming will usually get you there. An example of this is my own garage door (what is it about garage doors?). My garage isn't attached to my house, it's a separate building. It is also a zone on my alarm system. I can open and close it about 6 different ways, including asking Alexa, pressing a button on a keypadlinc, and in UD mobile. The thing with the great majority of garage door openers is that they're toggle devices. Momentarily close a contact to open it if it's closed, or to close it if it's open. So it's not an on/off device. When I ask Alexa (or the other methods) to open it, I want it to ignore the command if it's already open. Same with close commands. Add to that the complication that I don't want to allow the automation methods to open it during nighttime hours, or when the alarm is armed. I was able to do all that by programming.

That's right. I just tested it and you can't turn a scene on or off with a virtual switch. Think of it as a on/off status flag, that you can test in a program. It fills a nice function as a device that you can add to a scene (as a responder) so that you can then test the status of a scene in a program, to do additional things. It's been discussed recently that a scene doesn't really have a "status" because you could turn on a scene composed of several devices, and then change some of those devices individually, so would the scene still be "on"? Think of it as being able to detect a scene trigger command. For some reason, IoX doesn't make scene "control" or "status" commands available for testing in programs, they don't appear in your device list. This is thus a handy workaround. For your echo hub application, how about having it set a state variable instead, and look for the variable value as the trigger to have a program run a scene?

I'm afraid I'll disappoint you... You'll need a program to do this, to trigger a scene that updates the keypadlinc button. It's great that we can do this though, because it allows the button (especially when configured in toggle mode) to always be in the correct state for the next, alternate action. Seeing the status light is also a nice plus, for situations like yours where direct observation of the garage door isn't easy.

You would need to try it with a program, looking for the virtual switch status then triggering the scene.

Not sure if it's the same as with a eisy, but if in the admin console you go into "Configuration" and then "Portals", do you see portal integration as "online" and "registered"? Do your existing Alexa controlled scenes still work?

Are you looking for the "status" or "control" event in your program? As far as I can tell from experimenting, only the status change is detected for virtual switches (created by the "Virtual" plugin). Have tested it by doing something simple, like incrementing or setting a variable when the status changes? I use a virtual switch (that I turn on in UD Mobile) to set a variable that is then tested in a separate program to open a garage door, and turn off the virtual switch.

https://wiki.universal-devices.com/ISY_Developers:API:REST_Interface There are a few things that need consideration when setting this up, one of which is user authentication. This recent thread discusses it: It's the same command format for scenes or devices. Just the device ID format is different; use the scene id instead.

You would probably do best with a physical controller device (eg. a palmpad if you're using X10) that then triggers scenes. If you really want a phone app, then you'd need to find an app that allows you to configure buttons that could send http GET commands, and use REST interface commands to trigger scenes in your eisy. Alexa voice control is also a user friendly way of triggering commands.

Well you can't really have two physical switches controlling the same light (unless you wired two relay switches in parallel or something...). Sounds like you have one switch, the one that works, actually controlling the light. The second one would probably be set up as a virtual 3 way switch, controlling the first one. If that's the case, then it probably doesn't have any load connected to it. Thus turning that switch on or off remotely, such as through the admin console, wouldn't do anything. It won't receive the command and then retransmit it as if it had been manually activated. So that sounds normal.

Well it's not zwave (it communicates by wifi) but the Venstar T7900 Colortouch thermostat can control a humdifier, and also has a cool to dehumidify (with optional reheat) function, so you can do both. It has a plugin for eisy. I have one of these thermostats, though I'm not using it for humidity control functions.

Could you post an example? Screenshot? What device type is this?

Well, just wondering what you have as a test setup and yes, if there is any kind of zwave network that operational. You mention being able to control the switch from the admin console, so I'm deducing that actual communications are working. As for Insteon vs zwave, I'm actually still new to it all. I've only been a UD user since about August, and implemented Insteon switches throughout since that time. I haven't store bought a single new Insteon device; they're all from ebay or marketplace, though a few of them were still new in box. I even bought my eisy as used. I had been using X10 quite reliably for the past 25 years... So my experience has been that Insteon seems very reliable, fast, and versatile. Then again, coming from X10, anything would appear better. As for zwave, I have several zwave door locks. I also bought a half dozen inexpensive zwave appliance modules that are actually for the purpose of creating the mesh network, since the devices I really want to use (the door locks) are battery operated so they don't act as repeaters. I also have a zwave watercop valve. All this installed in the past couple of months so I can't really say much about long term reliability. I do find the zwave reliability somewhat iffy, though my sparse network might be a factor. But it's still a bit odd that it usually works, though sometimes querying a lock will fail to respond. It's as if the network itself isn't consistent.

I've actually done that by starting linking in the admin console, then pressing the button on the device. So both methods probably work.

Is your zwave setup currently just the eisy and that one switch you're trying to configure?

It's like the supermarket. Just when you pretty well have the layout of the whole store figured out and know where to get things, they rearrange the store.

Some aspects of the admin console aren't always intuitive.

What do you mean by "outdoor remotes"? Insteon battery powered mini-remotes? Those usually need to be restored, by relinking.

Well try clicking on them to send your changes after choosing your values. That's how I do it, as indicated in my first post.

What setting(s) are you trying to change? For example if you change the heat setpoint, do you then click on the "Heat Setpoint" button left of the edit field? The fact that those are buttons (and not just labels) isn't always obvious. "Write changes" is usually for parameter or configuration (option) changes, not regular things like setpoints.

That's also my main reason for using the eisy and those device protocols. Although we use Alexa a lot (esp my legally blind wife), I've also gone as far as "Alexa-proofing" my setup just in case it ever becomes unavailable, or internet goes down. All important functions and scenes can be triggered by alternate, local means. This includes keypadlincs and such. Also my reason for having smart switches instead of smart bulbs, though I have some Hue bulbs in lamps.

I think the main question is: how deeply are you using the if/then logic of the ISY, vs just using it for remote access via the portal? The strength of the conditional logic possibilities are what sets it apart from an ordinary hub. The multi protocol capabilities (X10, Insteon, zwave, zigbee and soon, matter) are another plus for a single box device. Only you can answer what it means to you.

I found that Alexa announcements are slow in general (even single ones), up to a minute in some cases.

The eisy isn't considered a "hub" in that sense. You can't just walk into a chain store and buy an eisy as a shrink wrapped product. Chances are that the product will work just fine, since zwave devices are designed around a common chipset.

What device models are they? My garage thermostat example is an insteon 2441TH, and the dimmer is a 2477D insteon switch.

For your first question, did you do a "synchronize" in UD Mobile after adding the new device(s)? From the main screen, click on the three vertical dots at the upper right corner, and click on synchronize.