Teken

Glad everything worked out as you hoped. Now, its time to move forward on other Home Automation aspects and spend more money! Ha . . .

I don't own a *Outdoor Module* so those who do should chime in. You will need to confirm how this device behaves upon power loss. Some of the firmware has changed over the years where the device initially at launch remained off when power was restored. Where as later versions of this device it returns to its last known state of either On / Off. You will really need to build in a few programs to act as a watch dog timer if this is mission critical. I've being doing this for a few circuits in my home and every time you think you've thought about all the possibilities or scenarios there is always something else that happens. Please test, validate, and confirm your set up and it goes with out saying having a robust Insteon network is paramount. Perform the 4 tap (beacon) test at the location and insure it passes. I am sure you don't want to be driving 325 miles just to find out you had poor coupling / bridging.

Yes, you will want to use a computer outside of your LAN. It should be noted many businesses and services will not allow a non 443 port to be used. This is also seen in IE web browsers for some government websites. Since this is for your own use and also via mobilinc this isn't a issue. I just wanted to call this out in case you decided to deploy more devices with secure connection. Have a great weekend! [emoji5]️[emoji4][emoji6] Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

Please ensure you double check using a normal PC web browser on port 543 that you see the padlock indicating the session is secure.

You will follow the same process for the HTTPS port in your router and for the ISY. For now just use port 443 just to see if it works if it does you can change it to like 543 and confirm you have portal access via secure connection. In the list of ports which Stu provided you will notice there are many . . . You can simply pick one that is not on the list say you see a (making this up) list for ports 9000 in use but there are no 9292 listed. You can pick that range for your HTTP access etc. Again, never apologize because this is part of learning and I am sure you will help out someone else down the line.

Please login to the Admin Console: Configuration -> System -> HTTP Port: 82

I am assuming you entered 174.xxx.xxx.xxx:82 correct? Keep in mind you must also enter port 82 into the HTTP section in the ISY.

You may select any port you wish so long as its not in use or going to conflict with a service using said port. The list Stu provided is a good start as to which port(s) to avoid etc. You can select port 82 for now for HTTP: and report back success / failure. Hang in there you're almost done.

The physical device has two control buttons to turn each outlet on/off. The ISY shows it as having two nodes one being top the other bottom.

Below are the technical specs of the dual band On/Off module. If your appliances fall with in those ratings should be fine. I've also included the specs for the outdoor module along with the dual outlet. I like the dual outlet because it provides an extra outlet for control. The only thing to note is that only the outdoor unit is outdoor rated. Where as the other two are not and not intended for extreme temperatures etc. Lastly, previous versions of the outlet relay had issues with large inductive loads causing the unit to either lock up or simply die. I haven't personally tried my compressor on the new dual outlet but might give it a try in the future because I really do like having control of two independent outlets.

This doesn't answer all of your questions but is required reading if you wish to learn the intimate details of such: http://cache.insteon.com/pdf/insteondetails.pdf

If ISP modem / router has been bridged this prevents a double NAT situation. Bridging a modem / router also allows you to install a more powerful router with more features. People also do this to extend their WiFi network to provide more coverage. The DNS based on your reply, is being handled by the ISP Modem / router.

Hello Brian, I would humbly suggest you purchase a few Insteon FilterLincs from Smarthome. This will help filter out the bulk of the media noise makers / signal suckers from your circuit. Keep in mind you may need a few because the largest unit only supports 10 amps. Building out your Insteon network will in the long run definitely improve the mesh network in the home. Enjoy . . .

Yes, it would have allowed you to ping the ISY / Modem. You then could have done one of several actions based on your circumstances. For the benefit of others I will describe a few scenarios which you should keep in mind. First, with this device you have the power to perform several actions and that is turn On, Off, Cycle power. This device also has a *dead mans switch* which allows you to program the unit to do the following which really helps those who have specific needs or environments. If power is lost to this web enabled switch it can be programmed to leave all outlets off upon power restore, turn all outlets on in a delayed sequence this is great for devices that take longer to come back on or draw a large current load. This insures you don't trip a breaker, or have something come back up out of sequence. The last option is the unit will bring up what ever outlet in its last known On/Off state. Now, one thing I have to mention is many devices for instances will reply back to a ping command. But, you soon realize in fact the system is still frozen or locked up. So even with a *Ping Alive* this is not a silver bullet in all cases, so keep this in mind. As many devices on the market either have the hardware / software stack tied, separated, or tied to one another with respect to replying back to a ping. It should also be noted many routers / modems also have features where if *Enabled* will not reply back to a ping. You need to be doubly sure this feature *black hole detect* is disabled or modified to allow these sort of ping alive attributes to operate as expected. My intent is to give you the best information and guidance so you know what can, can't, won't happen. Having said all the above, I would ask you to think about it for awhile and if you still believe these devices have value consider buying one. I can tell you from more than 25 years in the industry it has saved me hundreds of air plane / road trips just to cycle power from a locked device. At home it has saved me many times and for me was definitely worth the expense.

Absolutely, and also note the PLM should not be installed on the same circuit as other devices like computers, printers, UPS, etc.

Hello Brian, If you believe the PLM is offering a weak signal and its with in the two year warranty. I would ask for a cross ship and have it returned for a new one. There is really no reason you should have to live with a sub par unit given the amount of money you have invested thus far.

This is another module that offers similar features and other extra's: http://dataprobe.com/iboot.html

Understood, and please understand the unit can do this either manually or automatically. Obviously if the modem was down the manual method would not be a option because there would be no connection to the device. I know the literature seems a little overwhelming but rest assured that is for the more advanced portions of the unit. Otherwise all of the basic functions are very straight forward. I have attached a screen capture of the ping tab. As you can see all it requires is the IP address of the device you wish to ping. At the bottom are the default attributes which (IF) met will start the auto reboot process. You can tailor the values that meet your specific needs. As I stated this is just one of many web based auto boot devices on the market today. This unit also has a iOS App so you can perform a limited amount of control from on, off, cycle. Should you require more insight or guidance please do let me know. As I am sure if this device is what you seek I and many others can help you move along. As an aside: I wanted to share with you a very simple code which Michel touch upon earlier. This simple yet effective code was provided by Xathros. This program will send you a e-mail when the ISY has rebooted and return the *Uptime* the system has been running for since the reboot. ISY Uptime - [iD 0265][Parent 012A][Run At Startup] If - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition') Then Send Notification to 'GMX' content 'ISY - Uptime Counter' Wait 1 minute and 30 seconds $i.ISY_Uptime_Counter = 0 $i.ISY_Uptime_Counter Init To 0 Run Program 'ISY Uptime' (Else Path) Else Wait 1 hour $i.ISY_Uptime_Counter += 1 $i.ISY_Uptime_Counter Init To $i.ISY_Uptime_Counter Run Program 'ISY Uptime' (Else Path) NOTE: This program will track the ISY Series Controllers operating uptime. It will increment every hour the controller is running. A e-mail will be sent upon the ISY being rebooted. This program is set to run at start up and this is how it knows the controller has been rebooted. The (init) value is set to (0) zero so it knows the system has been rebooted.

This is the unit I have been using at home and supporting in our Enterprise environment. There are many other brands out there but few offer so many features for the price point. http://www.digital-loggers.com/lpc.html

Should finance allow some of us have purchased a web based remote switch. This switch can be programmed to ping any network device based on your set criteria. Should that network device not reply in the allotted time the system can be turned on, off, or cycled. I've been using them for more than 15 years and has saved my bacon countless times! [emoji4][emoji5]️ Just something to consider for the future. [emoji74] Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

If the state of the modem / router is not known. I would highly suggest they hard reboot the ISP modem / router to ensure its fully operational. They will of course need to do that portion first and wait for the unit to be fully up before moving on to the next step. Which is to power down both the PLM & ISY. Most ISP modems / routers take about 3-5 minutes to come back up fully.

The most frequent problem is the ISY comes up before it detects the PLM. This causes the system to declare a PLM network connection issue. If someone can drop by to unplug the PLM. Remove power from the ISY, then plug back in the PLM. Once that is done they can apply power to the ISY Series Controller. Most folks tend to just unplug the ISY and leave it at that. In my experience if the power is coming on and off or brown outs are present this can cause the PLM to lock up. This is why I always suggest removing power from both devices and letting each device come back on line. If doing the above does not allow you to have remote access more than likely this is a network related issue. I am assuming you assigned the ISY a fixed IP address or locked it using a MAC reservation in the router?

Was there something you had in mind or envisioned? [emoji53] I am always happy to hear what others have considered or thought up! [emoji4] Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

My ultimate plan is to allow more *accurate* presence sensing and user identification for access control. With respect to the accurate presence it will be used for the GDO in hopes to make it operate 100% of the time. As the current geo location simply does not work at all for me. In another use case is where I have a office and a Insteon MS. Using the iBeacon I can craft a program that will disable the light timer until such time as I actually leave the room. This simple yet effective idea was proposed by another member here and this is something I look forward to deploying in my home. On the security front the iBeacon will be used as a form of two form authentication. It will enable and unlock a computer terminal and also bring it out of hibernation mode. But, only if its my iOS device which also allows me to preset power save features in the hopes of reducing even more energy with in my home. Those are the first three ideas I plan on deploying when Wes gets his beta trial underway.

For the most protection all three (common) SPD's should be employed. Type 1 which is considered a primary surge protector at the service entrance meter. Type 2 (secondary) at the service panel and Type 3 (secondary) point of use surge protectors. Both Type 1 & 2 SPD's will not protect the home against common in home induced surge / spike conditions which are caused by fridges, stoves, sump, HVAC, etc. They also do not protect equipment against what most people consider in band (normal) surge / spike conditions. This is why point of use Type 3 surge protectors must be used at the source. These devices have a much lower voltage rating that the Type 1 & 2 do not have. Their primary purpose is to protect the home against large surge / spike events. Keeping in mind none of the three types of SPD's will protect the home against a voltage sag / lull (brown out) condition. This is where a AVR power conditioner is used and should not be confused with a normal UPS. A typical UPS comes on when (voltage) power has been lost at the mains. Note, most cheaper AVR / UPS also do not compensate for frequency drift and the bulk of the mass produced UPS provide modified sine wave power and not pure sine wave power that comes from the POCO. I thought the above should be provided for a little more clarity for those reading the material.