Bumbershoot

I bought a used Venstar Colortouch t7900, and along with a couple of remote sensors and Nodelink, it replaces my Nest 2 beautifully, and it interacts reliably with my ISY. The Venstar Skyport app/website are well designed and easy for the non-techie in the house to use. I use a node server for geofencing, but the Skyport app now supports that as well with a recent update.

Mine are all approx. 156k. Firmware version (I'm on 5.0.16) might make a difference, as well as how many devices, programs, nodeservers, etc. I don't have any from the 4.x.x series firmware.

I don't believe it is, at least in the nodeserver. I just use the Wireless Tag webpage to set an arming/disarming schedule, which is adequate for my needs. You may do it with a Network Resource or a Kumoapp, but I haven't taken the time to explore doing it.

Yes, they have. I had a power supply fail in a Hub that a relative owns. Smarthome acknowledged the issue, and sent a free replacement for this unit (I think there's a link somewhere on the Insteon or Smarthome forums that explains the replacement program for these Hubs).

I find it useful to document devices in my ISY as well, using the "Notes" function (right click on the device, and select "Notes" in the AC). Probably not a time saver, though...

I don't think Polisy is built on Linux, but on FreeBSD. There are many similarities, but also a great many differences. You're right that knowledgeable users, if UDI allows them permissions on the box, shouldn't be stymied long by the differences from Linux. Casual users, on the other hand, may not like it so much. I would expect this FreeBSD installation to be very lean, with a very limited 'sudo' permission set. I know that if I was responsible for supporting it, it would lean and locked.

I'm experiencing problems with Polyglot Cloud similar to those that occurred earlier in the week. I can't get PGC nodeservers to install, delete, restart, display logs, etc.

I believe that Ecobee and Ring have cloud based API's, so moving them local probably wouldn't solve much, other than giving you a degree of local control (and I believe you're stuck with PGC for Ring). It would mean that you have more things you have to maintain - though that may be a good thing for some folks. Personally, I don't mind offloading server management to UDI when/where it's reasonable. I intend to use Polisy for nodeservers that don't have a PGC installation.

I'm using the 13 bit temp/humidity tags (5), along with the PIR KumoSensors (4) and Water/Moisture sensors (4). All work just fine with the ISY, either with Network Resources or through the nodeserver. BTW, if you're going to buy some of these things, then use this link: https://goo.gl/rXAGk9 @Jimbo, who maintains the Polyglot Wireless Tag nodeserver gets a discount on his purchases when this link is used. Whether you use the nodeserver or not, this is a way show him some support.

I have these in two freezers, one in the garage approx. 70' from the tag manager, and they work very well. I have others in the garden, maybe 150' from the tag manager. I have the tag manager stuck in a cabinet, so the range is likely impaired somewhat by it's location. I use the Wireless Tag nodeserver to put the data into my ISY, which vastly increases the usefulness of these little devices. I have about a dozen of them in my HA environment, using them to help manage irrigation, humidity levels, temperature, occupancy, even to know if anyone has been rooting around in my humidor.

This seems all good. Thanks again for all your excellent work! Looking foreward, I read the .NET Core 3.x is available on FreeBSD. If so, is it possible that NodeLink will have an install script on the Polisy?

The symlink to '/sbin' will have to be owned by 'root', won't it? Back in my sysadmin days, I did everything I could to keep other admins from using the 'root' account when it wasn't necessary. It probably doesn't matter that much on your average RPi, but maybe for consistency (Polyglot installs under the user account, not the 'root' account) the user account might be preferable? Do you know if 'dotnet' and it's supporting files will be included in the standard 'apt' repositories, going forward? I'm imagining that they will, which may make it somewhat more difficult for users to update the file(s) if they're located in a user directory.

Just an FYI: Interestingly, the config file in '/home/pi/node' was created with 'root' ownership/permissions. My usual practice is to keep things in user directories owned by that user, so I changed the ownership of '/home/pi/node/config.xlm' to user 'pi' to give my '/bin/systemctl' control file ('/etc/systemd/system/nodelink.service') permission to run. I could have also just eliminated the 'User=pi' line. [UNIT] Description=NodeLink Server Documentation=http://automationshack.com/nodelink.html Requires=network-online.target After=network-online.target [Service] Type=simple ExecStartPre=/bin/sleep 10 ExecStart=/home/pi/dotnet/dotnet /home/pi/node/NodeLink.dll Restart=always User=pi [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target

Now that all my devices are working, I get this error in NodeLink related to my RainMachine when the "Enable Weather Node" checkbox is checked: 22019-09-29 07:42:00 - ISY NodeLink Server v0.10.0 started 2019-09-29 07:42:00 - OS: Linux raspberrypi 4.19.66-v7+ #1253 SMP Thu Aug 15 11:49:46 BST 2019 armv7l GNU/Linux 2019-09-29 07:42:00 - Web config server started (http://192.168.1.5:8090) 2019-09-29 07:42:01 - ISY resolved to 192.168.1.20 (5.0.15A) 2019-09-29 07:42:01 - ISY Node Server config detected (profile 2) 2019-09-29 07:42:04 - Relay Server: Started on port 2405 2019-09-29 07:42:06 - RainMachine: Poll Error - ValueType 'System.Double' cannot be null. [rain1] 2019-09-29 07:42:37 - RainMachine: Poll Error - ValueType 'System.Double' cannot be null. [rain1] 2019-09-29 07:43:07 - RainMachine: Poll Error - ValueType 'System.Double' cannot be null. [rain1] 2019-09-29 07:43:38 - RainMachine: Poll Error - ValueType 'System.Double' cannot be null. [rain1] I don't have a rain sensor attached to my RainMachine, so I suspect this should be normal/expected? This error goes away when the checkbox is unchecked.

Please disregard -- RainMachine is now working as intended on the new NodeLink. Thanks, and sorry for the problem. Network issue here...

This version is way faster to start. Of my devices: Venstar -- appears to connect and populate ISY data as intended WeatherFlow -- appears to connect and populate ISY data as intended Additional ISY Data -- appears to connect and populate the ISY as intended Relay Server -- appears to connect as intended RainMachine -- NodeLink does not connect to RainMachine -- RainMachine IP address and password are correct, and "Use HTTPS" status is correct (unchecked). RainMachine is up and running at the specified IP address, on the specified non-secure port (8081), with specified password. Other than the RainMachine, all appears to be good.

It's still working for me. I haven't changed anything in months in the specific rooms that I use this in, but it was still good as of earlier this morning.

Yes, should be no problem at all. Nowadays, neither. Use the ISY Launcher instead on either or both computers. Using the ISY Launcher may make life easier for you. By using it, you don't have to manually ensure that the ISY UI and firmware versions don't conflict, as the ISY Launcher manages this for you.

+1 for the Eaton. In my professional life, I worked with Eaton gear, and never found issue with it. I read this same article when researching home surge protectors, and installed one of these in my home in 2016. I consider it to be very cheap insurance.

That would be a sketchy marketing scheme, and they'd deserve what they're going to get in the market (oblivion) if they're doing something like that. Then again, for $5.00, maybe so. If you're provoked and persistent, please let us know what you find. Maybe this is a legit deal?

First Alert Hardwired Wireless Smoke Alarm with Photoelectric Sensor and Battery Backup, SA521CN-3ST Amazon has them in stock. I have one, and it works with the Smoke Bridge just fine.

I've read that people are using CAO Wireless Tags in their cars and mailboxes (I don't use them for this purpose, so I can't speak to their effectiveness), and there's a very useful Polyglot nodeserver that makes use of them. The range of these devices is certainly better than bluetooth, so they might provide what you're looking for. They can be used with 4.x.x versions of ISY firmware using network resources, but the nodeserver approach requires ISY 5.x.x firmware and additional hardware to run a nodeserver (usually a Raspberry Pi). I've had good success with these tags when they've been placed in my garden near the end of my driveway (maybe 150' from the tag manager), but I don't know how quickly they handshake with the tag manager when they come back into range, nor do I know how well the signal propagates from a car. Others may have better information.

There are some utilities provided with the lifxlan source code that allows for some mischief with the lights. I figured out that I can use the NodeLink relay server and a network resource on my ISY to call the Python scripts on my RPi. I haven't used them except occasionally, and I don't know how all the effects look. Here's a look at the directory containing the example scripts provided by the lifxlan source code install: pi@raspberrypi:~/src/lifxlan/examples $ ls -alt total 68 drwxr-xr-x 2 pi pi 4096 Feb 23 2018 . -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 911 Feb 23 2018 hello_world.py drwxr-xr-x 5 pi pi 4096 Feb 19 2018 .. -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 2414 Feb 19 2018 blink_all.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 2213 Feb 19 2018 blink.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 2175 Feb 19 2018 breathe_all.py -rwxr-xr-x 1 pi pi 1734 Feb 19 2018 broadcast_color.py -rwxr-xr-x 1 pi pi 136 Feb 19 2018 broadcast_off.py -rwxr-xr-x 1 pi pi 135 Feb 19 2018 broadcast_on.py -rwxr-xr-x 1 pi pi 907 Feb 19 2018 get_color_all.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 0 Feb 19 2018 __init__.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 1639 Feb 19 2018 multizone_breathe.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 2492 Feb 19 2018 multizone_chase.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 2270 Feb 19 2018 multizone_shimmer.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 1781 Feb 19 2018 rainbow_all.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 1815 Feb 19 2018 rainbow.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 1538 Feb 19 2018 sniffer.py -rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 986 Feb 19 2018 verbose_lan.py I recall that there's strobe functionality built into the LiFX mobile app, and it appears that people have produced the effect using lifxlan (maybe 'blink.py', or 'multizone_shimmer.py')? You might just be able to comment out the "sleep(1)" statements in 'blink.py' to achieve the affect. You'd have to try that yourself.

I use the LiFX nodeserver to manipulate a light that illuminates an architectural feature in the house that's centrally located. This is to inform occupants of any Elk zones that might be violated. Violating an Elk zone triggers a sequence of three or four programs that run, one of which changes the status of a LiFX bulb. Normally, the light is changed within about a second of the change of state in the Elk zone. This isn't as responsive as an Insteon linked motion sensor turning on a light, but more like a Z-Wave motion sensor turning on a light, maybe slightly slower. Here's a sample program that turns the light to a cyan color: ArtLightCyan - [ID 00BC][Parent 000A][Not Enabled] If 'Devices / dirNodeServers / LiFX / LiFX Controller / LIFX Art Light' Status is 0.0000% And Program 'ArtLightOnHours' is False Then Set 'Devices / dirNodeServers / LiFX / LiFX Controller / LIFX Art Light' On Set 'Devices / dirNodeServers / LiFX / LiFX Controller / LIFX Art Light' Hue 29696 Saturation 65535 Brightness 20000 Color Temp 3500° K in 0 ms Else Set 'Devices / dirNodeServers / LiFX / LiFX Controller / LIFX Art Light' Hue 29696 Saturation 65535 Brightness 20000 Color Temp 3500° K in 0 ms

I didn't expect it to work either, but I tried it after I upgraded to the 500 series dongle and it worked. Needless to say, I was pleased. I'm curious, do all Z-Wave devices on the network need to be plus for this to work, or just all the devices along the route to the ISY?