First time set-up. Can see ISY, but not switches....

[Argelius]

I've been researching and reading, but I am stuck.  New Insteon user here.

So, I have an ISY 994 and a PLM 2413S.  The ISY is connected to my router and the PLM which is plugged in.  On the ISY, only the blue power light is on. The PLM's green light is on.

In the Admin console, I'm logged in and the ISY shows up.

So, I select "start linking" in the console. When I push the button on the dimmer for a few seconds, it beeps and the green light starts flashing.    However, nothing ever appears in the admin console.  I've tried this with different switches, as well as power cycling everything.

Any ideas how I should proceed?

Thanks!

[paulbates]

Hi and welcome to the UDI forums!

There are a couple of things:

• If you are a new Insteon user, its important that the legs of your power system are bridged. There is a test for checking that in the instructions for the PLM. See the phase bridge instructions. If you didn't pass, you'll need more dual band devices on your network, or install the insteon signalinc bridge on your panel (or both)
   
• If you did pass the bridging test, but still not linking.. Try the "new insteon device" option from the linking menu. provide the insteon id of the switch xx.xx.xx and pick the switch type from the list

Let us know how that goes.

Paul

 

[Techman]

14 hours ago, Argelius said:

I've been researching and reading, but I am stuck.  New Insteon user here.

So, I have an ISY 994 and a PLM 2413S.  The ISY is connected to my router and the PLM which is plugged in.  On the ISY, only the blue power light is on. The PLM's green light is on.

In the Admin console, I'm logged in and the ISY shows up.

So, I select "start linking" in the console. When I push the button on the dimmer for a few seconds, it beeps and the green light starts flashing.    However, nothing ever appears in the admin console.  I've tried this with different switches, as well as power cycling everything.

Any ideas how I should proceed?

Thanks!

Take a look at this troubleshooting guide   https://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=INSTEON:_Troubleshooting_Communications_Errors

 

[Argelius]

Thank you, guys, for your help!

Problem solved:  doing the bridge test got everything communicating. Light switches are now showing up in the Admin Console Whoo-who!  

On to the next problem, which I suspect is an electrician/wiring problem.  So, the majority of the lights I want to control are triple-pole set ups (one set of lights controlled by two different switches -- my terminology may be off...).

Prior to starting the above programming process, one of the switches worked (manually) and the other did not;  the electrician said that's because I needed to program the second switch....

Anyway, I can now control the lights via the Admin Console -- but only via the switch that's was working manually. The one that isn't working manually also doesn't respond to the Admin Console (although it's successfully linked).

I provided the electrician, who seemed unfamiliar with the setup,  with a wiring diagram I found from Insteon for triple-pole set ups, so I'm wondering if he screwed things up.

Any thoughts on this one?  Thanks again!

[paulbates]

Its called N-way (N= 3, 4 etc). You can control N-way lights as you described them:

• You'll need an insteon switch in each location
• only one of those switches will control the actual load
• the remaining switches will simply be connected to hot and neutral and the red load wire capped off.
• All of the related switches need to be tied together by the admin console by creating a scene (under the linking menu) with all switches being added to the scene as controllers. That makes them all turn each other on and off so that they are in the same on/off/dim state at all times.. and the one with the load will actually turn the light on/off/dim.

That should do it. If the AC is having problem reaching any of the switches consistently, that's a sign that communications are not solid across your house. Either more dual band devices need to be deployed around the house, or a signalinc bridge is needed on your panel.. your electrician can install that as well. I installed a signalinc years ago and it really helps with insteon working across the house as well as how quickly things respond..

Paul

[stusviews]

Info only: Multiple switches controlling the same load are called a 3-way configuration. If there are 2 switches, the switches are 3-way because they have three connections, two brass screws (travelers) and one black screw that connects to the line at one end and the load at the other. If there's more than 2 switches, they're connected to the travelers from each end. They have four connections and are thus called 4-way switches.

An  Insteon setup uses the same Insteon switches in all locations and is referred to as a virtual 3-way configuration. As Paul described, all switches get line and neutral. Only one connects to  to load. They're linked by adding each to the same scene. They're controlled either manually or by controlling the scene, not the individual switches.