Question on dual controllers, portal costs, and mobile app

[RayNut]

I've searched the forums for answers to a few questions, and haven't found them.  Specifically about connecting devices to multiple controllers, costs for the ISY Portal, and interfaces.

 

First off... I've owned an ISY-994i for about 4 years - and love it!  I've used it in mostly an X10 environment, and love the flexibility in programming it provides.

 

I recently jumped on the Alexa bandwagon, and consequently... have embarked on upgrading everything from X10 to Insteon.  I got the Insteon Hub, connected it to Alexa, and things have been working out great - except for the lack of programming capabilities of the Insteon Hub.  But I wanted to go ahead and get everything upgraded to Insteon and on the hub (I'm up to about 30 Insteon devices now), before tackling the import/integration into the ISY.

 

Now, imagine my dismay when I read in a forum that you can't have Insteon devices linked to more than one controller!?!?!  I'm not sure that's entirely accurate, as the 4 devices in my previous X10 environment (that I'd upgraded a couple years ago and have been working fine on the ISY) were imported into the Insteon Hub just fine.  And they are now controllable via the Insteon Hub application, while continuing to work with triggers in the ISY as well.

 

QUESTION #1:  SHOULD Insteon devices be controlled by two controllers/hubs simultaneously?  I know that it WILL work, but am I asking for problems later as I import the rest of the devices?  I'm not worried about the "confusion" aspect, as I intend to do all the programming and logic in the ISY, and just use the Insteon Hub for remote control from my phone.

 

I'm also considering whether to ditch the Insteon Hub altogether, and add ISY Portal functionality to my ISY.  I like that the Insteon Hub interface is FREE!  And I dislike that I paid $200 for the ISY, $80 for the PLM, and another $80 later when the PLM failed.  Now the thought of committing to a yearly subscription has me pondering the value.

 

QUESTION #2:  Is there any free-trial period available for the ISY Portal subscription?  Or any coupons or discount codes (perhaps for first-time subscribers, or long-time ISY users)??

 

I'm also not clear on what else the ISY Portal includes.  From what I gather, I know that I need this in order to get my ISY-994i "online".  But I'm not clear on whether it includes a mobile app, or whether I need to buy or subscribe to something else in order to get the Insteon Hub functionality I'm currently getting for no additional cost (over the price of the hub).

 

QUESTION #3:  Is there a mobile app that goes along with the ISY Portal?  Or what do I need to go along with the ISY device and Portal subscription to get remove control on my phone?

 

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.  I feel like I'm at a decision point right now on whether or not to continue with the ISY.

Edited January 2, 2018 by RayNut

[stusviews]

Q1. It's possible to run multiple Insteon managers and many are comfortable with that. The ISY prefers that it be the only controller, so put the Hub in a place where you can find it down the road after deleting all devices and scenes from the Hub. The ISY should be your primary and only Insteon manger*. The ISY does not have smartphone capability. See, also, response to Q3.

 

Q2. There's no free trial period for the portal that I'm aware of nor any discount for long time subscribers. IMO, $49/2 yrs is a low cost investment. You really won't be sorry. You can do much, much more with the ISY than the Hub (which is an entry level device).

 

Q3. You don't need a mobile interface once you have the portal, although the portal interface is crude compared with at-a-cost options, for example MobiLinc for iOS and Agave for Android.

 

* you can run the ISY and Hub concurrently, but it's not recommended unless/until you are very familiar with the Insteon protocol

 

Your questions are not specific, so the responses are generic.

[MWareman]

Insteon devices only send status to one configured PLM. That PLM can be connected to ISY, or it can be the PLM in the Hub. Status cannot be sent to both.

 

This is intrinsic to Insteon. X10 does not have this limitation (because status feedback is an afterthought) nor does zwave (where most devices are ‘controllers’).

 

Get ISY Portal and ditch the hub. IMHO - it’s an either/or choice between the Hub and ISY. Integrating both is an advanced thing.

 

On Q3 - Mobilinc on IOS or Agave on Android are the recommended mobile apps. You can also use a browser shortcut to the Portal in a pinch.

[Michel Kohanim]

Correction: everything we sell, including the modules, comes with 30 day money back guarantee. Also, the fee after the first two years is $12/year.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[stusviews]

Correction: everything we sell, including the modules, comes with 30 day money back guarantee. Also, the fee after the first two years is $12/year.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

And a bargain becomes better. Thanks Michel for your effort and dedication. Have a pleasant, prolific and profitable New Year as well as years to come.

 

Respectfully,

Stu

[ScottAvery]

I've searched the forums for answers to a few questions, and haven't found them.  Specifically about connecting devices to multiple controllers, costs for the ISY Portal, and interfaces.

 

First off... I've owned an ISY-994i for about 4 years - and love it!  I've used it in mostly an X10 environment, and love the flexibility in programming it provides.

 

I recently jumped on the Alexa bandwagon, and consequently... have embarked on upgrading everything from X10 to Insteon.  I got the Insteon Hub, connected it to Alexa, and things have been working out great - except for the lack of programming capabilities of the Insteon Hub.  But I wanted to go ahead and get everything upgraded to Insteon and on the hub (I'm up to about 30 Insteon devices now), before tackling the import/integration into the ISY.

 

Now, imagine my dismay when I read in a forum that you can't have Insteon devices linked to more than one controller!?!?!  I'm not sure that's entirely accurate, as the 4 devices in my previous X10 environment (that I'd upgraded a couple years ago and have been working fine on the ISY) were imported into the Insteon Hub just fine.  And they are now controllable via the Insteon Hub application, while continuing to work with triggers in the ISY as well.

 

QUESTION #1:  SHOULD Insteon devices be controlled by two controllers/hubs simultaneously?  I know that it WILL work, but am I asking for problems later as I import the rest of the devices?  I'm not worried about the "confusion" aspect, as I intend to do all the programming and logic in the ISY, and just use the Insteon Hub for remote control from my phone.

 

I'm also considering whether to ditch the Insteon Hub altogether, and add ISY Portal functionality to my ISY.  I like that the Insteon Hub interface is FREE!  And I dislike that I paid $200 for the ISY, $80 for the PLM, and another $80 later when the PLM failed.  Now the thought of committing to a yearly subscription has me pondering the value.

 

QUESTION #2:  Is there any free-trial period available for the ISY Portal subscription?  Or any coupons or discount codes (perhaps for first-time subscribers, or long-time ISY users)??

 

I'm also not clear on what else the ISY Portal includes.  From what I gather, I know that I need this in order to get my ISY-994i "online".  But I'm not clear on whether it includes a mobile app, or whether I need to buy or subscribe to something else in order to get the Insteon Hub functionality I'm currently getting for no additional cost (over the price of the hub).

 

QUESTION #3:  Is there a mobile app that goes along with the ISY Portal?  Or what do I need to go along with the ISY device and Portal subscription to get remove control on my phone?

 

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.  I feel like I'm at a decision point right now on whether or not to continue with the ISY.

 

As mentioned in another thread here, if your goal is to use Alexa, the Alexa App itself will have control widgets for devices you have added to your Amazon Connection on the ISY Portal.  The Portal subscription also gives you secure remote access to the ISY Dashboard which is a simple web interface with full control of all devices in your system regardless of whether or not you shared them with Amazon.

 

It is not as glamorous as the interfaces other flashy systems tout, but it is way more powerful.

[RayNut]

Thanks everyone for the responses - I appreciate it!  I thought I had read somewhere that Mobilinc was incompatible with the ISY Portal.  I just looked for it again, and see that it's the MobiLinc Connect MODULE that has to be removed (my misunderstanding).  Good to hear there are still mobile options available with the Portal.

 

I'm still curious... does anyone have any links to what the ISY Portal web interface looks like?  I understand it's not as glamorous as a full-featured mobile app.  But if it's quick enough to access for control within the home, that may be sufficient (along with the Alexsa skill).

 

Thanks for the info about the 30-day refund policy.  But before even doing that, I'd really like to just see what the mobile interface options are like (before deciding to invest the time).  Are these in a manual somewhere that I just haven't found yet?

[stusviews]

Most of ISY access is via the Administrative Console, which is, basically, a toolbox that allows you to add devices and create both scenes and programs. Although everyone has the same tools, each toolbox will appear somewhat different. As a toolbox, it's rarely used for control, rather the scenes and programs created by those tools are what's used (e.,g. tap a button or paddle, get a result). You can search for the ISY Administrative Console to view some typical snippets.

 

The portal is another toolbox that integrates with the ISY to provide voice control (fot both the Amazon Echo and Google Home devices), IFTTT access, a node server and secure off-site access. The portal itself is not the controller. Off-site access is what MobiLinc provides, too. The ISY portal opens the ISY Dashboard which is used for control. What you may want to search is MobiLinc and ISY Dashboad images.

 

Start here. It's much too extensive to list.

[MWareman]

I thought I had read somewhere that Mobilinc was incompatible with the ISY Portal. I just looked for it again, and see that it's the MobiLinc Connect MODULE that has to be removed (my misunderstanding).

Glad you got this sorted. There is a bit of FUD out there for sure. The official position was ‘does not work’ (even though it did) and is now ‘Untested’ usually followed by guidance to subscribe to Mobilinc Connect - but many, many on this forum are using it just fine.

[ScottAvery]

The ISY Dashboard view you can access remotely through the portal is the same view you get if you open the IP address of your ISY in your web browser (as opposed to opening the admin console).