Requesting Help finding Mini Remote 8 Address to add/link it to ISY

[obchris]

I've added an ISY 944i/IR Pro to my home after being a more basic Insteon user for several years.  I have successfully added all my devices to my ISY other than the Mini Remotes which appear to require their Insteon address as part of the process to link them.  

 

My problem is, the Insteon address label on the back of the remote has long since rubbed off, completely illegible.   I was trying to see if I could query a device which the Mini Remote is now successfully manually linked to and then infer the Mini Remote Insteon address from the device links table, but I'm not advanced enough with my ISY and this links table to be confident.  For instance, if I pull up a device links table for a plug in dimmer which is successfully linked to the Mini Remote for which I can not find it's address, I'm not sure if the Mini Remote is one of the 6 links which show in the links table and if so, which ? 

 

When I then control this plug in dimmer from different controllers, this queried device links table does not seem to change, thus I'm unsure. 

 

If anyone can help me come up with a way to get a Mini Remote address via Insteon communications rather than a label on the remote, I would be truly appreciative.   Thanks in advance.   

 

Also, is there a diagnostic tool that would allow me to monitor all the Insteon and X10 signals in my house with the to/from addresses,  command, and other related communications detail somewhat like a packet sniffer allows me to do on my network?

 

Again,  thank you.

Chris

Edited October 26, 2017 by obchris

[Teken]

Hello Chris,

 

You need only press and hold the white (bottom set) button until the unit begins to flash red.

 

That will place it into programming mode. In the Admin Console select auto discovery.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited October 26, 2017 by Teken

[Brian H]

I believe the Auto Discover needs the six digit Insteon ID.

 

If it does not work.

You may want to try the Start Linking method. Then put the RemoteLinc 2 into the programming mode. With the Set Button.

If found. It will be added by its six digit Insteon ID.

[Teken]

I believe the Auto Discover needs the six digit Insteon ID.

 

If it does not work.

You may want to try the Start Linking method. Then put the RemoteLinc 2 into the programming mode. With the Set Button.

If found. It will be added by its six digit Insteon ID.

Doh, yes use the two swirling arrows icon. Was half asleep when I replied!

[Brian H]

I just tried the Start Linking method. It did not work for me.

 

Kind of a round about way, but I have done it with a ControLinc. That is the most ornery Insteon device I have ever seen.

If you have a new module is best . I added it to my ISY994i. Looked at its links. Manually linked the RemoteLinc2 to the module. Then looked at the modules links again. The mismatched link is the Remotelinc2 six digit Insteon ID.

[obchris]

HI everyone, and thanks so much for all the feedback.   I have come to the point that Brian H. is now advising.  Apparently the RemoteLinc2 will not link when initiating it from the ISY so I'm going to try this new approach.  I have a new Insteon On/Off 2635-222.  I'll add it manually to the ISY and see what links it has.  Then manually link it to the pesky Remotelinc2 with the mystery address.  Hopefully then when I query the 2635-222 afterward I should see a new linked address which should be the address of the Remotelinc2.    Certainly a round about way to get there but heck, if it works I'm game.  I'll let you all know how this goes.

 

By the way,  does any actual Radio Frequency or Power Line scanner exist which would also tell you what device ID is transmitting and what it is transmitting at any point in time... I'm thinking something like my old sniffer for when you had a crazy ethernet protocol issue to diagnose..    Thanks much.

[Brian H]

I have a low cost RF Spectrum Analyzer. I can see the RF bursts but not enough to decode.

I can coax my scanner to listen to the 915MHz but all I hear is bursts.

 

There is some data here. Though even when I was in the developers Group. NAD and all. I don't believe the information may have been there.

The update white papers maybe some help. I don't believe it was updated recently enough to cover I2CS. Insteon with Check Sum messaging

http://www.insteon.com/technology/

Edited October 31, 2017 by Brian H

[obchris]

Thanks very much Brian, that will be great to read through.  I'll let you know how I make out.

 

OK, on the RemoteLinc2, I finally got it licked...  My improvised plan from all your ideas was to take my new Insteon On/Off 2635-222, link it to my ISY,  show links, manually link it to the RemoteLink with the unknown address, compare the two link tables and voila, the new link should be the link for the remotelinc2.  Almost... The new 2635 had 5 links out of the box,  and none that were showing up were making sense. So, what I did was to manually link the 2635 to 4 different buttons of the RemoteLinc2.  Then there was no doubt, the four repeated addressess were the remote and the one hex digit was the button number.  This worked.  The addressess in the links table are not self evident.  There's a 4 byte address which I still am unsure of,  then the addressess in the device links table has a 2 byte address like AA , A2, or E2.  Not sure what that part is.  Then the next 2byte address is the button id followed by the 6 byte device id.  In my case the mystery remotelinc 2 ended up being 1c.43.33.

 

Thanks to Brian H. and Teken for all your advice and attempts to get me on track.  It's really odd that there's such reliance on such a ephemeral item like an address label. Being so imporant to making the Insteon devices work it would be good if they'd make the labels a bit more indelible.

 

I'm sure I'll be back soon to chat and seek some more advice... Thanks much.  .   Chris

[Teken]

Thanks very much Brian, that will be great to read through.  I'll let you know how I make out.

 

OK, on the RemoteLinc2, I finally got it licked...  My improvised plan from all your ideas was to take my new Insteon On/Off 2635-222, link it to my ISY,  show links, manually link it to the RemoteLink with the unknown address, compare the two link tables and voila, the new link should be the link for the remotelinc2.  Almost... The new 2635 had 5 links out of the box,  and none that were showing up were making sense. So, what I did was to manually link the 2635 to 4 different buttons of the RemoteLinc2.  Then there was no doubt, the four repeated addressess were the remote and the one hex digit was the button number.  This worked.  The addressess in the links table are not self evident.  There's a 4 byte address which I still am unsure of,  then the addressess in the device links table has a 2 byte address like AA , A2, or E2.  Not sure what that part is.  Then the next 2byte address is the button id followed by the 6 byte device id.  In my case the mystery remotelinc 2 ended up being 1c.43.33.

 

Thanks to Brian H. and Teken for all your advice and attempts to get me on track.  It's really odd that there's such reliance on such a ephemeral item like an address label. Being so imporant to making the Insteon devices work it would be good if they'd make the labels a bit more indelible.

 

I'm sure I'll be back soon to chat and seek some more advice... Thanks much.  .   Chris

 

*Best Practices* for me and many others has always been to place clear tape over the Insteon Address. Followed with taking a picture of the hardware and saving it in a secure location. In the past I would also take the PDF (Full Manual) and append the Insteon address, install date, and production / revision. Some have also added the same information into the ISY Series Controller in the *Notes* section.

 

Simply right mouse click on that node and enter the details you feel are relevant.

 

Rock On . . . 

[Brian H]

I have seen a few of the later modules. Using a much better label. Looks more like a plastic label and laser printing.

Many of the other Insteon Modules. If the label got damaged. You could use the Start Linking Method to add them.

 

I have a database for Insteon. Every new module I note the Model Number, Hardware Version, Date Code and Firmware version reported by the Administrative Console in my ISY994i. To a ID number I assign to it and put a sticker on the case.

Edited November 1, 2017 by Brian H

[Brian H]

The original RemoteLinc had its six digit Insteon ID number inside the battery compartment. On the lower bottom inside case.

I saw many posts on where is the ID as the manuals never gave a clue where it was.

 

I also got a few of the short lived X10 replacement modules. That where actually Insteon modules {they accepted X10 at that time} with the original labels removed but still had the Insteon firmware in them. Most added to my ISY-994i with the Start Linking method. Only the ControlLinc  had to go the indirect manual link to a module. Then compare links in the module to what the ISY994i thought should be there.

[obchris]

*Best Practices* for me and many others has always been to place clear tape over the Insteon Address. Followed with taking a picture of the hardware and saving it in a secure location. In the past I would also take the PDF (Full Manual) and append the Insteon address, install date, and production / revision. Some have also added the same information into the ISY Series Controller in the *Notes* section.

 

Simply right mouse click on that node and enter the details you feel are relevant.

 

Rock On . . . 

 

Wow, for the first time in a long while I feel like a nube.. Yup, in every other area of my life, years and years in IT have trained me well and I follow all sorts of Good Documentation Practices, exactly like what you suggested.   For some odd reason, I was lulled into passivity with Insteon in the past as I acquired devices and pre ISY,  the direct linking never needed the address.  In the past year adding the insteon hub so I could get smartphone app control and also some basic Alexa capabilities,  then adding the ISY have changed the landscape dramatically.   

 

I'd already created the library of the device PDF's but I really like, as one mode of documenting the addresses and details,  appending the full manual pdf with the details of each such device in my installation.

 

You can trust that I'll be busy with my Brother label maker this weekend.   I need to also verify if I use the device notes function of the ISY,  can that be exported or accessed via the backup file of the ISY.  If so, that's kind of elegant as a backup to the PDF.

 

Thanks again for all your help and patience with a ISY Nube... I've worked my way through my first few programs which is kind of fun.  I'm trying to get rid of all of the old manual direct device links so everything is in the ISY and easy to now see exactly what's up.

 

Cheers & have a great weekend...   Chris

[obchris]

I have seen a few of the later modules. Using a much better label. Looks more like a plastic label and laser printing.

Many of the other Insteon Modules. If the label got damaged. You could use the Start Linking Method to add them.

 

I have a database for Insteon. Every new module I note the Model Number, Hardware Version, Date Code and Firmware version reported by the Administrative Console in my ISY994i. To a ID number I assign to it and put a sticker on the case.

 

Thanks Brian,  all great ideas.  I'm going to do something similar now that I have all the info.  Honestly, it's really almost unforgivable that I'd not had the documentation.  I've been in IT for many years and in so many other technical areas of my life I'm obsessive about documentation and then iterative versions/copies for backup.  As I noted to Teken, I think I was just lulled into complacency with my early experience with Insteon being all direct link based.   Getting my house in order for doc.. is on the agenda for this weekend.

 

Thanks again for all your help & have a great weekend.    Chris

[Teken]

Wow, for the first time in a long while I feel like a nube.. Yup, in every other area of my life, years and years in IT have trained me well and I follow all sorts of Good Documentation Practices, exactly like what you suggested. For some odd reason, I was lulled into passivity with Insteon in the past as I acquired devices and pre ISY, the direct linking never needed the address. In the past year adding the insteon hub so I could get smartphone app control and also some basic Alexa capabilities, then adding the ISY have changed the landscape dramatically.

 

I'd already created the library of the device PDF's but I really like, as one mode of documenting the addresses and details, appending the full manual pdf with the details of each such device in my installation.

 

You can trust that I'll be busy with my Brother label maker this weekend. I need to also verify if I use the device notes function of the ISY, can that be exported or accessed via the backup file of the ISY. If so, that's kind of elegant as a backup to the PDF.

 

Thanks again for all your help and patience with a ISY Nube... I've worked my way through my first few programs which is kind of fun. I'm trying to get rid of all of the old manual direct device links so everything is in the ISY and easy to now see exactly what's up.

 

Cheers & have a great weekend... Chris

Hey Chris,

 

Don't be too upset with your self. Having been in the same field for many years, at work there is always a SOP, Best Practices, Validation, Dog Food Testing, etc.

 

One would think these daily tasks always translate to home life.

 

They don't . . .