Starting over

[paulbates]

I've not been active for a few years, its best to say new life and new house. My 994I & Insteon devices worked fine for years and sold with my previous house; I left the new owner the email account, passwords, a google doc with basic info and recommendations.

I'm starting over from scratch and simply.

The owner/builder of my new house wired very atomically with switches galore, so I've been adding a few virtual circuits at a time. I've watched the Insteon business and manufacturing turnaround and it was easiest for me to wire switches in and link manually without a controller. I'm not motivated to leave Insteon's flexibility.

But, hey, its me.. relatively soon I'll want a controller.  The Insteon hub hasn't changed much capability wise, so it'll be an eisy and a new 2314U. I want to make sure I traverse the 994I to eisy gap successfullY. I read @lilyoyo's eisy questions doc from last December (Thanks, great job). I think I get it but will make a few assertions and hopefully I can get confirmation or corrections:

• Maybe new product names, but it's the same solution architecture: BSD under the hood, java app on a windows PC that finds the eisy on my (wifi) network?
• Same tabs device, programs, interface etc?
• Same basic Insteon device/network config capabilities, network crawl?
• UDI and Insteon still have as good a relationship as they've had in the past
• The I3 gap was successfully closed
• Anything else to know from the past 3 - 4 years?

Edited October 2, 2023 by paulbates

[Geddy]

@paulbates welcome back! Yeah, a lot has changed in the last several years, but much has remained the same. 

Make sure you skim through the Wiki User Guide for the eisy for filling in the blanks a little. @lilyoyo1 did a good job with the Q&A around the time the eisy was launching. 

IoX is just like the old ISY994 (and before that I guess ISY99 and maybe even earlier products, but that's before my time). Java based, using the IoX Launcher. That's been around a while though (2018) so you probably had that before departing the ISY994.

I3 devices should be mostly supported now, but I think some report that might still not be 100% integrated, but I guess UDI and Insteon are working out any remaining issues there and will have them fully supported in time.

@Javi has been leading the charge on the UDI developed UD Mobile app for both Android and iOS. 

Z-Wave and Zigbee are now supported with the ZMatter product with Matter still on the horizon. 

The node servers are major improvements and vast integration option that's really grown over time. You can see the current list of node servers here -> https://polyglot.universal-devices.com/

 

[larryllix]

9 hours ago, paulbates said:

I've not been active for a few years, its best to say new life and new house. My 994I & Insteon devices worked fine for years and sold with my previous house; I left the new owner the email account, passwords, a google doc with basic info and recommendations.

I'm starting over from scratch and simply.

The owner/builder of my new house wired very atomically with switches galore, so I've been adding a few virtual circuits at a time. I've watched the Insteon business and manufacturing turnaround and it was easiest for me to wire switches in and link manually without a controller. I'm not motivated to leave Insteon's flexibility.

But, hey, its me.. relatively soon I'll want a controller.  The Insteon hub hasn't changed much capability wise, so it'll be an eisy and a new 2314U. I want to make sure I traverse the 994I to eisy gap successfullY. I read @lilyoyo's eisy questions doc from last December (Thanks, great job). I think I get it but will make a few assertions and hopefully I can get confirmation or corrections:

• Maybe new product names, but it's the same solution architecture: BSD under the hood, java app on a windows PC that finds the eisy on my (wifi) network?
• Same tabs device, programs, interface etc?
• Same basic Insteon device/network config capabilities, network crawl?
• UDI and Insteon still have as good a relationship as they've had in the past
• The I3 gap was successfully closed
• Anything else to know from the past 3 - 4 years?

Hey Paul! Nice t see you again.

The polisy (now replaced by) eISY contains it's own nodeserver platform. Multiple node servers are available written by many users to talk to so many devices now, Lists of node servers are available inside the PG3 nodeserver included.

Also, I am not sure if you were present while the ISY Portal was launched. It's a cloud bridge between the vocal boxes that can set and reset variables, programs, and every other type of element inside ISY. It also allows an external access via it's portal from any IP address, quite safely. A great feature there is the ISY Portal can create psuedo devices from state variables that can trigger "Routines" inside amazon alexa boxes to generate vocal outputs. The Alexa or GH routines think say a MS is operating and can do almost anything a smart speaker can do. Logic inside the smart speakers is very basic though but ISY takes care of that end quite well as always.

Talk again.

[paulbates]

Thanks Geddy and Larry. That helps me figure out how to proceed. I like the familiar: stability, reliability, flexibility and what I know.

The node server and portal features were more important on the 994i at my 75 year old last house and there I used io_guy's server to manage comfort / humidity.

I'll get a few more virtual circuits going for scheduled exterior lighting control and go from there. 

[larryllix]

3 hours ago, paulbates said:

Thanks Geddy and Larry. That helps me figure out how to proceed. I like the familiar: stability, reliability, flexibility and what I know.

The node server and portal features were more important on the 994i at my 75 year old last house and there I used io_guy's server to manage comfort / humidity.

I'll get a few more virtual circuits going for scheduled exterior lighting control and go from there. 

Gotta' keep those raccoons out from under your porch!