Is there any way to extend Insteon signals over ethernet?

[dco43054]

Hi all,

 

New ISY owner. Been working through all the programming. Thanks to all who have provided information and examples.

 

I have a building that is a couple hundred feet from the house that is on its own electric meter. I do have my house network extended there, so it's like one big network. I run security cameras there. I'd like to put in some motion detectors that would work with the ISY as well.

 

Is it possible to bridge the Insteon signal into the Ethernet and then back out again at the other end?

 

I've looked and searched and didn't find anything, but thought I'd ask. If this has been asked and answered, would someone point me at a thread?

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

[elvisimprsntr]

That is what these are for.

http://www.smarthome.com/2443/Access-Po ... and/p.aspx

[elvisimprsntr]

Or buy IP cameras with motion built in.

[LeeG]

Insteon does not have devices to do that. It may be possible to use the RF aspects of Access Points to do that. Depends on what the RF signal has to pass through to get between the house and the garage.

[dco43054]

That is what these are for.

http://www.smarthome.com/2443/Access-Po ... and/p.aspx

Thx, saw those. Building is metal sided and 200+ feet away. This device says line of sight and 200 foot limit. Probably beyond the capabilities and I don't want to risk the $$ to find out.

[dco43054]

Or buy IP cameras with motion built in.

I have blue iris. I get motion alerts. I'd like to add motion sensors.

[elvisimprsntr]

Well then If it were me, I would pick up a second ISY. Maybe you can find someone selling an old one.

[dco43054]

Well then If it were me, I would pick up a second ISY. Maybe you can find someone selling an old one.

Yeah, thought about that. What I want to do is have the two locations linked together. If I did, I could do things like blink a light in the house if someone pulls up to the building.

[elvisimprsntr]

You're not the first to want two ISYs linked together. Search this forum for how others may have been successful doing that. Worst case scenario you would have to have a MITM computer to shuffle status/commands between the two using the REST API, i.e. a Raspberry Pi or another 24/7 machine. Or you could program one ISY to remote execute a script that affects the other ISY.

viewtopic.php?t=14713

 

I know there has been interest in a non authenticated REST API, which might allow one to use the network interfaces add on to affect a second ISY. Although I haven't tried, I would be curious if one could include the plain text credentials in a properly formatted REST API HTTP GET command. If it works in a browser, it should work for the network add on.

[MaddBomber83]

Well then If it were me, I would pick up a second ISY. Maybe you can find someone selling an old one.

Yeah, thought about that. What I want to do is have the two locations linked together. If I did, I could do things like blink a light in the house if someone pulls up to the building.

 

 

You can link one direction (on both devices) through your network using network resources.

 

The below code sets the state of variable 15 to 0. When this state variable changes any programs that use it in the IF statement will also run.

http://isy/rest/vars/set/2/15/0

The below code runs the Then Path of program 00E5

http://isy/rest/programs/00E5/runThen

 

The ISY REST interface is well documented in the Wiki.

 

Two ISY one 1 network with liberal use of State Variables and the REST Interface can communicate and run as a single system, with a lot of USER setup. UD is currently working on (really excited) integrating this into more of a SYSTEM setup (where you would sync two units together and they would essentially do all the REST stuff between them).

 

Note a limitation is that you must pre define everything. Due to the way variables are handled currently, you would have to write a lot of programs to have a thermostat's temperature synced between both ISYs. True and False conditions are very easy though.

 

 

 

 

If I may offer a different path forward? Do and/or the following:

- In your house circuit, add an underground rated cable on its own low amperage circuit and run it out to your unit.

- In your outhouse circuit, same thing.

- Or, add an outside circuit GFI box (like what most outdoor plugs are) to both buildings.

- As needed, place a post ~ 50 feet from each building with your GFI plugs and the AP on them.

- Testing environment would be to just use an extention cable from each location.

 

With the extension cables, you can test to see if placing an outdoor AP at each location is reliable enough and how close they would need to be. You can then make a cost determination on the hardware/effort for an ISY Network Solution vs an Insteon Powerline/RF solution.

[MaddBomber83]

I should also add, that if you don't currently have two APs and you don't want to spend the money to find out, then do you have any other Dual Band Devices?

 

 

As an example, I have a couple of the Insteon Weather Resistant On/Off Outdoor modules that are dual band (150 Ft open Air).

 

You could throw these on an extension cord and see what they do (or any other dual band device you have.

 

You can also take out any wired Dual Band device (like a Fan Link) and wire nut it on to a power cable and plug that into an extention cord.

[dco43054]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Without going into all the details, it's not practical to extend power away from the house and outbuilding as there is a neighboring property in between. I do shoot a wifi between the two overhead.

 

My ideal solution would be to have an Insteon device that would allow a bidirectional signal to travel over the wifi so at the remote end I could just pick it up and run some Insteon devices. I understand that doesn't exist, but that's what I'd love to have.

[larryllix]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Without going into all the details, it's not practical to extend power away from the house and outbuilding as there is a neighboring property in between. I do shoot a wifi between the two overhead.

 

My ideal solution would be to have an Insteon device that would allow a bidirectional signal to travel over the wifi so at the remote end I could just pick it up and run some Insteon devices. I understand that doesn't exist, but that's what I'd love to have.

Ask the neighbour to plugin a couple of Insteon dual-band modules or Access Points somewhere on a duplex receptacle you install by his panel to repeat the signals to/from your out-building. Take him out to lunch once a year.

 

I have seen Wi-Fi advertised up to about 20+ miles with the proper beaming antenna. Do AP units have a replacible antenna that could be made into a beaming arrangement? Two old Sat TV dishes with some weatherproofed APs mounted on them?

[elvisimprsntr]

It might be cost prohibitive, but I wonder if a pair of Insteon RF APs, a pair of 900 MHz cell phone signal boosters with outdoor antennas would do the trick. I installed a cell phone signal booster at my brother in laws house which is surrounded by taller buildings, the house is wrapped in chicken wire under the stucco, and has wire under the interior plaster. Basically a faraday cage. He couldn't make a phone call sitting in his living room. A $200 cell phone booster kit with omni directional antenna on the roof and presto! If you don't need or want the cell boost, then use a pair of directional antennas. The cell boosters are FCC legal.

[Xathros]

Given the situation and requirements, the best solution I see i a second ISY at the remote end. Currently, you will need to write programs to manage the devices at the other end. Depending on requirements this may be as simple as defining a few modes of operation for the remote end and having the home end set a remote variable to change the remote mode. In an upcoming release of the ISY firmware, we should be gaining the ability to more cleanly merge multiple ISY's making the integration more seamless.

 

This will work very nicely over ethernet.

 

I would be very happy to help with getting the 2 ISY's talking if you need the help.

 

-Xathros