jwilliams

I unplugged the ISY and associated PLM. Everything is back to normal. That doesn't make sense to me, but it is what it is. KeyPads that weren't working are now working. Cross-links between devices that weren't working are now working. I am going to factory reset the ISY, put it on a shelf, and rest up for now. May make another run at it at a later time. Or, maybe not. Thanks for the info above. I read carefully and learned a great deal. I think I'll just hang out on this board in the coming months and absorb as much info as possible. Thank you for your help Lee and oberkc. Sincerely. Perhaps if I got better informed, my next ISY attempt might work.

Read further on tables, now understand better. PLM - links between PLM and all Insteon devices. Perplexed though as to why I can run a PLM links query and it shows the device I am having trouble with. Yet, when I try to run a device links query on that device, I get error messages telling me it can not communicate with it. Device - actual links stored in the device. ISY - those same links uploaded to and stored separately in ISY. So, if you make manual links outside of ISY ... there will be more links in the Device tables than there are in the ISY link table for that device. Now, if I could only read the links tables and make heads or tails of the code. Is there anything documented anywhere that would help me do that?

Maybe if I made an effort to better understand how the Links tables work, what they mean, how to read then, I could resolve my problems. Keep in mind, I'm not a technical person. So bear with me. There are 3 primary types of tables PLM Device ISY My simple english understanding of each PLM - shows the links between the ISY and each Insteon device in the network Device - shows the links currently residing in tables stored on the individual device ISY - Do not have a clue. Guessing that these are tables to describe relationships between devices that are necessary to run programs?

Lee, I'm confused. In your first sentence, you indicate "It [removing a device from ISY via the Admin Console] does not leave the links intact" .... which suggests it erases the links from the database, right? Then you indicate in the second sentence, "Adding them back to the ISY with 'remove existing links' does not result in physically clean device link database" ..... but why wouldn't it? If I removed it from the ISY first, the links got erased, as you indicate in the first sentence. And, if that's true, adding it back, while erasing existing links, appears to be a second swipe at cleaning out all the links. Not trying to be a pain, just trying to understand what's going on ... how I can best erase the mess that I created. Hopefully without pulling a bunch of switches out of the walls. Should it be this difficult to understand how the ISY works? There really needs to be a cleaner, clearer effort made it enable the user to examine, understand and manipulate all the existing links between devices. While we can attempt to read the links table, as I have encountered, that's not always possible. But even it is was, where's the documentation that tells us how to interpret the code that comes to screen? And why are we only able to do this on a device by device basis?

If you do a simple removal of a device via the ISY admin console, I assume it leaves the the links intact. But, if you add them back to the ISY, you can choose to do so while wiping the device clean of existing links. What if I were to remove all devices from ISY, add them back using the wipe existing links clean option, then remove them again? Wouldn't that accomplish the same thing as running around the house and doing a manual factory reset on all devices?

I need to back out of ISY as gracefully as possible and return to SmartLinc. ISY is simply not working for me. What's the best way to accomplish that? Remove each device through the admin console? Do a factory reset on the box? Thanks

No, I didn't. I attached it to a separate router in another room. As Lee predicted though, making manual links outside of the ISY has resulted in a royal mess. I am waking up this morning to all kinds of issues with KeyPads not operating correctly. I am ready to throw in the towel now on ISY and go back to SmartLinc. I'm going to open up a new topic to ask about the best way to accomplish that. We were happy with SmartLinc. The interface was simple, clean. Best of all, it was accessed through a webpage, so was device agnostic. (4 iPads, 2 iPhones, 3 Android devices ... all worked with ease). And the interface came with SmartLinc. I only needed the ISY to run a few motion detectors and thought the transition would be smooth. Unfortunately, after weeks of on and off effort, I now have a mess of a system. Devices don't operate properly, or at all. Tons of error messages when I attempt any kind of diagnostics. And I'm getting all kinds of pushback on leaving the SmartLinc interface. What used to work extremely well and serve all our needs, absent motion detectors, I have now destroyed by trying to install this ISY. Its been an extremely frustrating, painful, time consuming experience. Basically a wasted effort. I need to find the cleanest way possible to back out of ISY and get back to SmartLinc. 5 keypads 15 dimmers and switches 4 appliancelincs 1 inlinelinc 1 lamplinc 1 royal mess

I had the same problem. My wife complained incessantly about the LEDs, even after turning them down to the lowest setting possible. I had to resort to a low tech solution. Using a piece of wood, a router, and some stain, I built and installed a little ledge above the keypad switch. It's actually decorative enough that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Then I took the top off the box of printer paper and hung it over the ledge at night so that it completely covered the Keypad. It's a pain to move the box top on and off the ledge when I need to use the Keypad. But it's either that, or a wife that will nag me to death.

Yeah, well ... it works now. Ironic that I can easily, manually link two KeyPads together such that they work in concert with a light. But, after 2 1/2 hours of trying to accomplish the same thing with an ISY, through both scenes and programming, I come up empty handed. When I look myself in the mirror, after weeks of on and off effort to transition from SmartLinc to ISY, I find myself asking ... why again did I find it necessary to inflict so much pain, for so little gain? The bottom line - it is far easier to install the KeyPads, establish all the links in a manual process, THEN add them to the ISY. And, don't monkey around with KeyPads once they're in the ISY. Unfortunately, that's what I'm discovering.

Yes, the KeyPad did add. But I tried to add with existing links. It failed to pick up one link and its corresponding device. That link was dealing with an ApplianceLinc tied to a button on the KeyPad. When I later tried to add the ApplianceLinc manually, it would not add either. Maybe I got those error messages because the ISY saw the links to the ApplianceLinc but was unsuccessful in adding the ApplianceLinc. If so, strange that the message would be so generic and not point to the more specific issue of not being able to locate and link a device that is linked to the KeyPad I was trying to add.

Thank you for the help Lee. But, I simply don't have the time, tolerance, patience to mess with the complicated ISY diagnostic process. I've already spent 2 1/2 hours trying to cross link these 2 keypad buttons to a light with scenes and/or programs. I'm past being fed up with it. While you're not supposed to do it ... I manually cross-linked the two KeyPad buttons outside the ISY environment. It now works. And while manually linking outside the ISY could cause problems down the road ... I just want the thing to work right now. When I encounter problems later ... I'll deal with it then.

Also tried controlling this situation through programming. It did not work. Turn lights on with one Keypad and off with another. The button on the KeyPad not used to turn light off remains lit. Even if 1. Scene established where both KeyPads are Controllers to light that is responder. AND 2. This program also written: IF Status 'Outside_RearFloods' is On THEN Set 'Deck_KeyPad / Deck KeyPad - A' On Set 'Guest_KeyPad / Guest_KeyPad - A' On ELSE Set 'Deck_KeyPad / Deck KeyPad - A' Off Set 'Guest_KeyPad / Guest_KeyPad - A' Off With just the scene, just the program, or even both running .... when I turn the light on with one KeyPad and off with another, the button on the KeyPad NOT used to turn the light off remains lit. Honest to god, I just don't understand how, why people enjoy going through the set-up process with this product. Its a nightmare.

Michael - your instructions in the users guide in setting up scenes are simply too simplistic ... especially as it pertains to cross-linking. Situation - Two KeypadLincs controlling Floodlights on InLineLinc. I need Button A of each KeyPadLinc to turn the lights on and off. When lights on, the Button A on each KeyPadLinc should be lit. When lights off, Button As are off. Would seem I should simply be able to establish a scene with each KeyPadLinc A as Controller (cross linking them) and InLineLinc as responder. Does not work however in situations where turn lights on using one KeyPad and off using another. When turn lights on, Button As on both KeyPads properly lit. But when turn off, the Button A NOT used when turning light off remains lit. How do I set up a scene cross-linking two KeyPadLincs such that buttons will go on and off properly in cases where one KeyPad used to turn on light, other keypad used to turn off light?

Power strip idea worked. Thank You.

Help | About = v3.3.9 I can't plug an ApplicanLinc and PLM into a single outlet. Not physically possible. Use power strip? Outlets each are plugged into now are in same room, on same circuit. Sure it will make a difference to park them next to each other in a power strip?