lilyoyo1

I use the nest protect. I like them. They still work locally if servers are down. While I'd prefer locally based alerts, the ease of use vs server fails Trump's it being cloud based

I agree with Teken. The open/close sensor was not designed for security and should not be used for such. If a person wants security they should get a security system. Use the proper tools for the job at hand. Just like Teken says, commercial and residential are 2 different beasts. The avg consumer would rip their sensors out if they were changing batteries every 6 months.

Very true and sad. That's why I limit my zwave use

Make sure that the zwave switches you have support instant Status, otherwise you may not like the results

This is why I love the ecobee 3 so much. It allows you to do so much without having to have a controller tell it what to do.

You were clear. However you have to take into consideration each link that is not made due to having no controllers as part of a scene. With a large number of devices (including keypads) that can add up quickly. A small install would not matter but as you approach high numbers, it can matter greatly

I said all were responders and there are no controllers as part of large scenes. Only the ISY.

My guess is that the programs are firing to quickly and something is getting lost. If you haven't done so already, create a scene with all of those devices in it as responders and simply turn off that scene like Techman said.

I do the same as Stusviews. For my large scenes I avoid direct links and use programs instead. I create a scene and put everything in as a responder. I then write a program that activates the scene once the button is pressed. While there are downsides to doing it this way, the pros outweigh the cons.

Does your ISY detect all of your other devices?

I think that was for simplicity not in ndicative of their thoughts on any specific technology. Many of the most popular bulbs use zigbee such as hue and lightify. Those same customers are using their echos to control them so they went with their base

It's not a replacement but I didn't feel like going through details

I agree with Teken. While I thinkI will always use the portal, I would rather own the network module as that is most important to my setup

You have responses to your post on the smarthome forum as well

I like the look of the spot as well. I'm thinking about ordering one as well. Depending on some things, I may order the new fire sticks too.

Philip is actually wrong in this case. The parent company is smartass. Smarthome is the retail side of things while Insteon is the product that smartlabs created.

I don't use the plugins so I can't say definitively what will happen. However, I do not see an issue with using them together as the frequencies are different. I tried many types of outlets and the Cooper ones felt like a quality device. The GE and leviton ones feel like a cheap plastic toy. I like that the relay changing states was quieter and more solid feeling. Cooper outlets also support secure beaming which means it'll repeat signals to zwave door locks. I use fibaro zwave sensors. Those were first chosen due to style but they have some great parameters that allow me to track things I never imagined. For example, the motion sensors have glass break sensors built in. Whether my alarm is active or not, I can use it to sense whether someone is breaking in. Granted they have to break the glass but it's better than nothing. Sense they also have tamper alarms, I can be alerted if one were to fall etc. While I don't have kids, if I did, I would know if they were trying to be sneaky and remove them.

If you're not experiencing comm issues then it's not something I'd worry about. If all your devices are communicating then your phases are bridged. I use the insteon phase coupler because it also helps clean line noise. The Potential for interfere is there but it's generally fixable. People can say it's stagnant due to interference but thats fixable as others have stated. I wouldn't worry about it especially since you have a working system. From my experience insteon has been great for me. Zwave too for that matter but I feel like I have to work harder with zwave than with insteon

I guess it's my turn to chime in on here. There are no perfect protocols. Each one of them has pros and cons. The best way to minimize the consequences of any protocol is to properly plan your installation and being willing to invest in the time and money to ensure a proper running system. From my personal experience, insteon signal issues from the Powerline is overrated. Will some people have problems yes. But there are fixes. When it comes to RF, the fixes aren't as straight forward or easy to figure out. In my equipment room, I have a filterlinc. Do I need one? Probably not. But I have it there to be safe as I am aware of what could happen. I also have a coupler in my panel. Once again, not really needed for for a few dollars it was well worth the peace of mind. I'd say stick with 1 protocol for the majority of your things and then use the other protocols to fill in gaps. For example, I prefer insteon switches and zwave (fibaro) sensors. I use Cooper outlets for zwave repeating. I get a trip out of people stating insteon is bad because it's only them, so you'd be putting all your eggs into 1 basket. My point of view is while Zwave has multiple mfgs, you'll generally go with only 1 of them for your switches (unless you wanted different looking switches all over). With that said, that single mfg. can still go out of business putting you in the same boat as with insteon. In closing, you'll be fine with whomever you choose. Just be willing to invest wisely with time and money and you will be ok

When I built my house, I built it as if automation would not be used and put switches in accordingly. That way should I sell it, do away with it, or technology changes; I can always change at a lower cost than with home runs or custom style setups. I differ from Larryllix in that I prefer keypads. Each room has a minimum of 1 at the entry for controlling multiple things. Major rooms have 2 side by side. 1 for controlling the room and 1 status/control of various things. Some rooms have multiple keypads such as my dining room since it has multiple entrances. All of the other switches are still located in the proper places but the kpl allows me to control things based off of scenes instead of individual lights. For example, my family room has lamps with hue bulbs, 3 chandeliers,blinds and recessed lights. Regardless of what's on, hitting my relaxed button will turn off the recessed lights, dim the chandeliers to 15 percent, lower the blinds and change my bulb colors. Hitting my goodnight will set the recessed lights to 25%, close the blinds if they are open, turn on the steps and hallways to see to get upstairs. Everything is on a 10 minute timer and turns off by themselves. Double tapping the goodnight button does all the same but sets my bedroom upthe way I like to go to bed.

Under or else put 100%. That way during any other times it goes to 100 instead of 10

I have a kohler whole house with zero issues

The load will always turn on if you manually turn the switch on. The only way to prevent the load from turning on would be to disconnect the load wire and use the switch as a remote. That location would be a good place to use a kpl. Then you can still have the load as well as increased function because of the other buttons.

To expand on what Stusviews added, if you want other kpl buttons to turn off add those buttons to your scenes in the off position. For example if button b is turned on and you want button c off, add button c to the B scene and set it to off. In my example the light is for button B and the lamp is button C Kpl B Controller On Remote B Controller Kpl C responder Off Light responder On Lamp responder off