Devices Respond Well, PLM and ISY Do Not Communicate Status

[paws]

I am now on my third PLM (a 2412 followed by two 2413's) and am beginning to think the problem is elsewhere. After an initial trouble-free year or so I began to have a problem with the ISY receiving the device statuses. It has now developed to the point that on no more than 10% of the times that I log into the Admin Console does it display device statuses. I assume it is not a problem with the devices because none of them is displayed, yet they all respond to commands from the console and to programs. I certainly don't know how this stuff works, but it seems odd that I can see the statuses from the other side of the globe using Firefox on my phone, but not from within my own house on a networked computer.

 

Another, possibly related quirk: Often when I change a program, particularly enabling or disabling, the result isn't reflected in the program tree until I restart the console.

 

Lastly, and very doubtfully connected, every so often, maybe once or twice a month, the whole system just stops responding to the ISY. Generally cycling the power to the PLM brings it back to life (I actually had it on a telephone controlled X_10 module for this for a while), though my second PLM, after just a month of use, never did regain consciousness. This problem is hard to troubleshoot as it seems to happen a few minutes after I leave on a one month trip... once before it even had a chance to shut off the driveway lights after I drove out.

 

Various details:

 

ISY-99i Pro

Current PLM 2413S, sticker on back says "VI. B 1351"

Two access points (one is the PLM) within about ten feet of the breaker box on different legs

I powered down virtually everything in the house but the computer (on a filter) to test - still no status

Mixed X-10 and Insteon, about 50 Insteons, maybe a half dozen X-10's still in use

 

Hope this hasn't been addressed already - I browsed, but the comm issues seemed to be between the ISY and the devices. If it has, my apologies!

 

Jim

[Brian H]

Do you have an Antivirus program and what brand is it?

Some are known troublemakers if the ISY's information is not in their trusted zone.

I know I had to add mine to Zone Alarms Trusted Zone.

[paws]

Darn, you're good! I have the AVG free version. I turned it off and Presto! I had statuses! It is the LinkScanner Surf-Shield component. The help file describes how to add exceptions for Files, Folders, and URL's, but the (probably) needed one, the URL's, does not appear in the drop-down menu, so perhaps I got what I paid for: That may only be in the paid version. For now I'll just leave that entire feature turned off and maybe ponder a different antivirus. Have to wonder about AVG, anyway: Why would it occasionally let the exact same site communicate when it doesn't the other 90%+ of the time?

 

I cannot imagine why that problem would cause the PLM to lock up, but could it? One possible clue is that when it does freeze, it is often in the middle of a program, e.g., waiting for two minutes to turn the driveway lights back off. I don't know if that is in any way significant, though.

 

Thanks!

 

Jim

[Xathros]

I'm sure the PLM lockup is completely unrelated to the AVG issue as AVG does not sit between the ISY and PLM. If the PLM is locking, either its dying or is getting spiked by something else on your electrical system.

 

-Xathros

[Brian H]

Unless the PLM was doing something blocked by AVG and was in a never ending loop.

I would also think it could be what Xathros mentioned.

Time will probably tell if something else is in play here.

[paws]

Yes, I sort of figured it was unrelated. The spike idea is something I've feared. I have no idea what could cause it - our power tends to be pretty clean and there is very little lightning - so I hold out some hope that it was a tired PLM followed by a factory defective one. Probably a slim hope, but as you wrote, time will tell. Maybe I'll look into whole-house surge protectors next.

 

Again, many thanks! As always, an awesome knowledge base here!

 

Jim