Unable to communicate with ISY-99: "XML parse error&quo

[mozman]

I have purchased an ISY-99i IR/PRO because of my endless frustration with HouseLinc2 and the reports of great customer service from the Universal Device community - here's hoping that those reports are true:

 

I installed the ISY-99i this evening, and had several crashes of the program from the get go. The admin console crashed when I tried to add a KeypadLlinc timer (2484DWH8). I did manage to add a few switches, but the console again crashed when giving some of them friendly names. I then added a KPL (which had links to a few more switches (unknown to ISY). This seemed to proceed satisfactorily, but after going through both progress thermometers, the program crashed with a "Socket timeout error". After each crash, I was able to restart the admin console; after the KPL add device crash, the console had the formerly unknown to ISY devices that are linked to this KPL.

 

I then tried to change one of the scenes in the KPL by dragging on of the devices to a scene (controlled from a KPL button), and after this crashed the console, I am now totally dead in the water - I can no longer communicate with the ISY. My ISY has a static IP address assign to it by my router (192.168.0.10), but removing this reservation from the router has no effect - upon power up, the ISY polls the router for an IP address (and almost always gets 192.168.0.10). Trying "http://192.168.0.10" produces no response in a browser (BTW, I could only get to the console via MS IE - Firefox 3.5.2 never worked.), and if I try to access the console with the java applet at UD ("http://www.universal-devices.com/99i"), I get an endless series of error dialog boxes, alternating between "XML parse error http://192.168.0.10/desc" and "Socket Open Failed java.net.SocketTimeoutException".

 

I have cleared my java cache multiple times (with all browser windows closed); this just causes the launch of the console to take longer while the applet is downloaded. I have tried to access the ISY from multiple computers (including one with firewall disabled). I also attempted a factory reset of the 2412S PLM (power up with the set button held for 10 seconds?), and have rebooted computers multiple times. I also have unplugged the 2412UH that is connected to the computer running Houselinc2, just in case the two PLMs were fighting.

 

Still no further communication with the ISY. PWR light is steady on; upon power cycling, RX/TX/Mem light up briefly, then RX blinks a few times and then nothing.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thx in advance.

[mozman]

While I was composing the original post, my ISY seems to have revived itself - it let me attach to it via the admin console. I immediately upgraded the firmware to 2.7.6, and the upgrade seems to have worked (folders!). However, when I tried to adjust a scene (dragging and dropping a switch onto it), both thermometers completed, but then I got a "Request Failed" error message, and now my ISY is (playing?) dead again....

[Brian H]

Did you also get a new 2412S PLM with the ISY99i?

 

The HL2 special one is known to give problems with anything but with HL2.

[mozman]

I am using the brand new 2412S PLM that came with the ISY-99i, not the old 2412SH that came with HouseLinc2. In fact, I pulled the HL2 2412SH from the wall, just to make sure my issue wasn't caused by a conflict between two active PLMs.

[mozman]

ISY still crashing repeatedly. I power cycle the device, which does seem to restore it to life, but at cost of 2 minutes (boot up) each crash.

 

Although I am salivating over the wonderful power and flexibility of the ISY programming, my first impression is that the error trapping and recovery of the ISY is pretty rusty, esp. considering that the device has to work with INSTEON devices (where failure is a constant that has to be expected).

 

I first thought the crashes only occurred when reading/writing links/status to INSTEON devices (possibly pointing to a problem with the PLM), but I've started to write programs for the ISY, and I have crashed the admin console by simply trying to save a one line change to a program. [The error message was "Socket Open Fail java.net.SocketTimeoutException".] Is it possible I have a bad ISY-99 unit?

[Brian H]

Do you have a firewall and if you do. What program is it?

[mozman]

I am using the basic Windows XP Firewall. Turning the firewall off has no effect on this problem, I still get "Socket Open Fail java.net.SocketTimeoutException" errors about every 2nd or 3rd action I take in the admin console. The ISY seems to reboot itself now after each crash (I don't have to power cycle it), but this still takes about 5-10 minutes. I have over 150 devices to add - I was willing to spend a day getting them loaded, but not several weeks!

[Michel Kohanim]

mozman,

 

I do apologize for the inconvenience. What you are experiencing is not normal and it should not happen. Before spending too much time on it, please give our tech support a call or contact us so that we can figure out what's causing all these issues.

 

SocketTimeout happens in the following cases:

1. Your PLM is defective and ISY is in the Safe Mode ... this explains why you have these problems more often when you are linking

2. You are on a wireless network with not so good of signal reception

3. Internet Connection Sharing on Windows

4. Firewall ... especially McAfee, Zone Alarm and Avast

5. Defective unit

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

With kind regards,

 

I am using the basic Windows XP Firewall. Turning the firewall off has no effect on this problem, I still get "Socket Open Fail java.net.SocketTimeoutException" errors about every 2nd or 3rd action I take in the admin console. The ISY seems to reboot itself now after each crash (I don't have to power cycle it), but this still takes about 5-10 minutes. I have over 150 devices to add - I was willing to spend a day getting them loaded, but not several weeks!

[mozman]

Michel,

Thanks for considering my issue. I will be calling tech support tomorrow.

Given that the SocketTimeouts occur even when doing things that don't seem to involve the PLM (changing the time in a program If clause, renaming a device, creating a folder for devices, saving program changes....), I think explanation 1 is unlikely. I am on a fully wired network, with each computer wired, including one with firewall disabled, so nix 2, 3, and 4 as well. Seems like I have a bad ISY unit....

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello mozman,

 

ISY goes into SAFE mode if it cannot communicate with your PLM and thus you will have all those socket errors if you have a faulty PLM.

 

Please also note that on some firewall software (McAfee and Avast), disabling them does NOT help since they still have resident programs that filter out the packets.

 

We'll be able to figure out these problems tomorrow and hopefully from then on you'll have a more enjoyable experience with your unit.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Michel,

Thanks for considering my issue. I will be calling tech support tomorrow.

Given that the SocketTimeouts occur even when doing things that don't seem to involve the PLM (changing the time in a program If clause, renaming a device, creating a folder for devices, saving program changes....), I think explanation 1 is unlikely. I am on a fully wired network, with each computer wired, including one with firewall disabled, so nix 2, 3, and 4 as well. Seems like I have a bad ISY unit....

[mozman]

I haven't yet received my replacement ISY-99i PRO from SH, but I decided to let the existing ISY spider my network overnight. (I used "Add new INSTEON device" with the "Add linked devices and preserve existing links" option, and selected a device that I knew would lead the ISY to about 40% of the house network.) When I checked out its progress in the morning, I noticed that the incidence of SocketTimeoutExceptions was much reduced. So, I continued to add more devices and rename scenes and generally set up my network on the ISY. Sure enough, SocketTimeoutExceptions continued to decline as the network got bigger. They have not gone completely away (and occasionally the admin console just completely shuts down and vanishes), but I only get these maybe once every two hours of using the admin console.

 

Weird, huh? Seems like my ISY, like INSTEON networks, gets more robust with more devices.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi mozman,

 

Quite weird and, as a matter of fact, it should've been the opposite (when all of ISY's HTTP tasks are busy, then you will get socket timeout exceptions).

 

By the way, do you have Network Magic?

 

With kind regards,

Michel