Network Extension for Insteon and/or Z-Wave....

[BelWave]

Hello,

 

Stumbled across this today:

 

http://store.homeseer.com/store/x-P1902.aspx

 

It's a way to extend your Z-Wave network beyond the Z-Wave RF limitations.  In my case I need to reach a dock that is too far from the house in order to control the equipment room door lock.  I can extend CAT5 out there or receive WiFi coverage out there, but way too far for Z-Wave.  Insteon control barely reaches over the power lines to the dock and I am able to turn lights on/off, but there are no Insteon door locks available....only Z-Wave.

 

Any chance this device an be used with the ISY?  If not is a device like this on the "Road Map" for Universal Devices to offer one day?

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

[oberkc]

For your awareness, there is a morninglinc and compatible lockset for insteon.

[Xathros]

Hello,

 

Stumbled across this today:

 

http://store.homeseer.com/store/x-P1902.aspx

 

It's a way to extend your Z-Wave network beyond the Z-Wave RF limitations.  In my case I need to reach a dock that is too far from the house in order to control the equipment room door lock.  I can extend CAT5 out there or receive WiFi coverage out there, but way too far for Z-Wave.  Insteon control barely reaches over the power lines to the dock and I am able to turn lights on/off, but there are no Insteon door locks available....only Z-Wave.

 

Any chance this device an be used with the ISY?  If not is a device like this on the "Road Map" for Universal Devices to offer one day?

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

That looks very much like a RaspberryPi model B.  I wonder if one could pick up the zwave hardware to plug onto a $35 Pi and build our own.  Quite possibly something that could work with the upcoming "Virtual Nodes" on the ISY.

 

-Xathros

[BelWave]

For your awareness, there is a morninglinc and compatible lockset for insteon.

Hello Oberkc,

 

True, but only one way communication from what I read.  Z-Wave is far from perfect, but it does provide two way communication & status of the door lock when in range.  I won't install any remote locks unless they report status.  The KwikSet door locks come in a variety of forms & colors and as long as they are in good Z-Wave RF coverage they work very well.

 

Best,

 

 

Brad

[BelWave]

That looks very much like a RaspberryPi model B.  I wonder if one could pick up the zwave hardware to plug onto a $35 Pi and build our own.  Quite possibly something that could work with the upcoming "Virtual Nodes" on the ISY.

 

-Xathros

It's surprising that Z-Wave & Insteon don't have an Ethernet bridge like this.  It would add so much more to my home automation network!

 

So, no way to make this work with an ISY today?

 

Brad

[Teken]

That looks very much like a RaspberryPi model B.  I wonder if one could pick up the zwave hardware to plug onto a $35 Pi and build our own.  Quite possibly something that could work with the upcoming "Virtual Nodes" on the ISY.

 

-Xathros

 

HS has been using the RPi for several years now for low power controllers. I almost bit the bullet and purchased one but based on user feed back I quickly backed away.

 

There are several Z-Wave / Zigbee shields available now that would fit the GPIO.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Brad,

 

With 5.0 you can have 2 ISYs controlled by one (or both).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[oberkc]

Hello Oberkc,

 

True, but only one way communication from what I read.  Z-Wave is far from perfect, but it does provide two way communication & status of the door lock when in range.  I won't install any remote locks unless they report status.  The KwikSet door locks come in a variety of forms & colors and as long as they are in good Z-Wave RF coverage they work very well.

 

Best,

 

 

Brad

Indeed, they do NOT report status.  In fact, I have replaced mine with z-wave.  I just wanted to be sure that you knew they existed.  From your original post, I was not so sure.

[BelWave]

Hi Brad,

 

With 5.0 you can have 2 ISYs controlled by one (or both).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

Hello Michel,

 

I'm good with that.  Happy to order another ISY994iZW today and get this going!  Looks like I have v4.2.30 running now.  Where can I get v5?  Is it in BETA still?  Is there a configuration guide for combining two ISY's together yet? 

 

This functionality to expand Z-Wave (and Insteon) coverage beyond the main house would be a huge help!

 

Thanks,

 

Brad

[BelWave]

One more thing...Is this limited to only two ISYs?  If so, that will be a problem.  I need one extended down to the dock and anther extended out to a metal garage.

 

Brad

[Xathros]

Once we have V5.0 (Actually, you can do this now with 4.3.1 using the network module) you should be able to do this with any number of ISYs.

 

-Xathros

[larryllix]

Hi Brad,

 

With 5.0 you can have 2 ISYs controlled by one (or both).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

Hey!

 

New product for UDI! Ethernet to Zwave / Insteon bridge. No smarts, just a bridge controllable from a master ISY994i with Network module.

 

Have your home ISY994i control your lights and devices in your cottage or other remote buildings, read and control thermostats, detect leak detection devices and door locks over internet connections.

[BelWave]

Hey!

 

New product for UDI! Ethernet to Zwave / Insteon bridge. No smarts, just a bridge controllable from a master ISY994i with Network module.

 

Have your home ISY994i control your lights and devices in your cottage or other remote buildings, read and control thermostats, detect leak detection devices and door locks over internet connections.

Agreed, but I wasn't going to go that far with the idea publicly until it was a reality.  You might have Z-Wave manufacturers or even UD not want such a critter to exist as it might cut into controller/ISY sales!     I'd suggest UD should still make it and just charge a premium for it.  Maybe put it in the same housing as an ISY, but call it an ISY-Slave.  Make it cost $50 or so less than a full feature ISY, but it allows you to extend your "core" ISY to your detached garage 300 yards away or to your vacation home in another state!

 

Brad

 

 

 

Brad

[larryllix]

Agreed, but I wasn't going to go that far with the idea publicly until it was a reality.  You might have Z-Wave manufacturers or even UD not want such a critter to exist as it might cut into controller/ISY sales!     I'd suggest UD should still make it and just charge a premium for it.  Maybe put it in the same housing as an ISY, but call it an ISY-Slave.  Make it cost $50 or so less than a full feature ISY, but it allows you to extend your "core" ISY to your detached garage 300 yards away or to your vacation home in another state!

 

Brad

 

 

 

Brad

That was the idea. I didn't think a ISY sale could cut into ISY sales. The PCB with all the necessary hardware and most of the firmware is already being built.

[G W]

Sounds about like getting the ISY and the Wink to talk to each other.

 

Hummmmm.... Now that's an idea.

[larryllix]

Sounds about like getting the ISY and the Wink to talk to each other.

 

Hummmmm.... Now that's an idea.

I owned two Wink Hubs that I returned. They would not talk to any of my future end devices, only Hubs via Ethernet.

 

When I purchased the units I thought perhaps it might talk directly to Hue bulbs or MiLight bulb or MiLight strips. I didn't see the point in sending Ethernet messages over Ethernet only to have the Wink Hub send more to another Hub via Ethernet. Their advertising hype implied it could control all kinds of devices via it's built-in seven hardware protocols but when I went to set any of them up it asked me to link to their hubs via Ethernet WiFi.

[G W]

@larryllix That's all true if you purchase hub-based hardware.

 

If you buy Z-Wave, Zigbee or Bluetooth hardware then you can directly control them with the Wink.

[larryllix]

@larryllix That's all true if you purchase hub-based hardware.

 

If you buy Z-Wave, Zigbee or Bluetooth hardware then you can directly control them with the Wink.

Philips hue bulbs are ZigBee but the Wink only pairs with the Philips Hub via Wifi/Ethernet. Wink has no setup option to pair with most bulbs or end devices.

[G W]

Philips hue bulbs are ZigBee but the Wink only pairs with the Philips Hub via Wifi/Ethernet. Wink has no setup option to pair with most bulbs or end devices.

That's because the bulbs weren't in the database of bulbs. One added they can be controlled.

 

It's much the same as the ISY. New Insteon devices need to be added before the ISY can control them.

[larryllix]

That's because the bulbs weren't in the database of bulbs. One added they can be controlled.

 

It's much the same as the ISY. New Insteon devices need to be added before the ISY can control them.

Maybe I read this incorrectly and despite what their tech help told me. Only the Hue Hub was in their fixed list and no Hue bulbs could be paired with. There was a few updates that came frequently. Perhaps bulbs were in the works.

 

I know their hype pages imply you can pair with almost anything. Have you actually paired the Wink Hub with Hue bulbs directly without the Hue Hub?

[G W]

I don't own any Hue bulbs as they just can't produce good color.. There are a few over on XDA that are using them.

[larryllix]

I don't own any Hue bulbs as they just can't produce good color.. There are a few over on XDA that are using them.

If you are using the app you and actually attempt to do a Hue connect you will see there is no direct "bulb" access unlike the hype they spout. I found the same thing with most other products. They don't have the firmware to directly access them, hardware yes but not the firmware, right, permissions or whatever it takes.

 

Anybody can download the Wink App from the Google Play store and try to connect to a multitude of devices. You will need to set up an account. Mine is still functioning. Every item I tried resulted in "Plug in the device, Now press the link button on that unit's hub".

 

Now you have your ISY possibly talking Ethernet to the Wink Hub, talking to another Hub via WiFi, talking to an end device via it's interface via it's hub. Too many hubs to go wrong for me.

 

Yes the Hue bulbs suck for colours. The MiLight strips and bulbs produce beautiful colours for 1/4 the price but cannot produce pastels, so far.

[G W]

Most of us are bypassing the Wink accounts and using the Wink directly. Cloud only devices are for iXxxxx types.

 

The Wink is very powerful, but their Cloud system limits it.

[larryllix]

Most of us are bypassing the Wink accounts and using the Wink directly. Cloud only devices are for iXxxxx types.

 

The Wink is very powerful, but their Cloud system limits it.

I was not using the cloud either as I don't like cloud dependence or security leaking. But I did get sucked into registering when I first got it. The Wink Hub was my saviour until I owned one and realised that all foreign (to their protocol) devices needed individual hubs to function. Too bad, 'cause with all the hardware in that device it could be the peripheral centre for anything non-Insteon. Would have been a perfect addition. I was really hoping I had badly missed something and you had the answers.

 

Maybe after some time they will gather the needed permissions/knowledge and actually make use of it's capabilities. Then I will be back to having one. Keeping my fingers crossed or even somebody else to "top it."

[G W]

Like I stated already, that has been done.