Suddenly Everything Stopped Communicating

[ertyu]

After using my Insteon network for years it just stopped working the other day. Neither the ISY or the Controlinc could control anything. I've made no changes to anything on the network or anything electrical in the house. Power cycled everything, no change. ISY seemed to communicate with the PLM fine. Tried querying one device which worked a few hours earlier, nothing. After a few tries it worked once and then not again. Communication seemed very intermittent with all devices, perhaps 1 in 10 tries. The ISY was reporting communication errors with all devices. Tried a factory reset on the one device and relink it, again it only linked after a few attempts and then communication failed again. I'm not sure how to go further from here to figure out what is failing or going wrong.

[Bumbershoot]

Try find out if your PLM is functioning.  Use the menu "Tools | Diagnostics | Show PLM Links Table", then click the "Start" button.  When it finishes, if the PLM link count is very low, then you may have a dying or dead PLM.

[ertyu]

4 minutes ago, Bumbershoot said:

Try find out if your PLM is functioning.  Use the menu "Tools | Diagnostics | Show PLM Links Table", then click the "Start" button.  When it finishes, if the PLM link count is very low, then you may have a dying or dead PLM.

It consistently rattles off a list that looks like it properly corresponds to all linked devices.

[Bumbershoot]

3 minutes ago, ertyu said:

It consistently rattles off a list that looks like it properly corresponds to all linked devices.

I think the link count should be higher than the device count, especially if you employ Insteon scenes in your installation.

If you're sure it's not your PLM and you haven't added any new devices, possibly you have a failing device that's injecting electrical noise into your wiring.  I'm not sure what to tell you, but there are things, such as garage door openers motors that can wreak havoc.  You might try serially unplugging devices to see if the problem goes away.

[ertyu]

Ya, the link count is higher than device count.

In the past I've been able to use the controlincs to control things even if the ISY/PLM is unplugged, that's stopped working as well.

[oberkc]

I wonder if you have had an insteon device failure that results in a continuous blast of power line noise, interfering with everything....just speculation.  My temptation would be to shut off breakers and see if communication improves for those left powered.  

[ertyu]

Ok, color me even more confused. Unplugged and replugged a few insteon devices, removed the one module I've been playing with from ISY and suddenly communications errors were gone. Plugged that module back in and relink and it communicates fine now too. So the network and ISY seems happy again, but I seem to have screwed up my Controlincs in all the fiddling. Pressing any button just does the multi-beep and flash like there is communication issues and nothing happens. I've queried the device links and they seem fine and match what ISY expects. I've tried factory reset, but holding the button for that just beeps and flashes constantly as well.

[oberkc]

Controlincs, huh?  Those have not been available for a while.  

Does the ISY see the change-of-state for the various buttons when you toggle them?  Are the controlinc buttons parts of scenes, or are you using programs in response to the buttons?

Does removing the suspect module solve the controlinc problems?

[ertyu]

I'm not seeing any traffic in the device communications event viewer in response to button pushes on the controlinc. I just have them as part of a scene. Perhaps it's the controlinc that has failed.