Issues connecting with Insteon devices

[smorgasbord]

Upgraded my ISY-994i to eisy and things mostly work. However, on reboot I often get some pop-up error messages in the Admin Console:

 Cannot communicate With  <<name of the sensor (6-digit Insteon address)>>. Please check connections.

This is an intermittent problem. It happens to both battery powered and wired devices, including dual-band devices. My home isn't large, I do have an Access Point setup to bridge the electrical.

Could I have a bad PLM? It's several years old (2413S). I have an older EXICOMM 5010K that I think is actually 2412S. When I upgraded from ISY to EISY I followed the steps (used a new cable bought with the EISY) which did not involve backing up or restoring anything on the PLM.

Am I right to suspect the PLM? If so, what's my best fix? There are new ones being sold somewhere, right? 

TIA

 

[paulbates]

It's never a bad idea to suspect a PLM 🤪. Seriously, the age of the PLM matters. Can you shoot a picture of the back with all numbers/IDs/stickers shown and post back here?

Also, I would:

• Unplug the PLM, wait 10 seconds and plug back in
• Repeat the eisy power on/off.. did it report the same problems?
• Run the "4 tap test" on your access point or other plug in devices. Go look at your Insteon devices and see how they respond to it. Keep track of which is on which power leg, that will help with the next recommendation below.
• Start keeping track of the devices it reports in the messages, look for commonalities like which power leg they are on.

 

[smorgasbord]

I did the unplug/replug PLM, but note I did it when upgrading to the EISY also. This time when rebooting the EISY I got a different device as not connecting (an IOLinc, which is dual-band).

Also, I almost never get the same problems - different units are reporting as not connecting at different start ups. Sometimes while running, too, iirc.

I have an outdoor outlet that I use as my bridge, not an Access Point, sorry. I just did the 4 tap test on it and the PLM was blinking green only.

Some of the devices reporting as missing as battery powered (motion sensors). 

The Admin Console has options for backing and restoring the PLM. I've never done that. Should I reset the PLM? Not sure how the EISY uses it or anything it might hold, settings-wise.

Here's the back of my PLM,

Edited 2 hours ago by smorgasbord

[paulbates]

That's an old PLM... 21st week of 2016. And if memory serves me correctly, 2016 was in the era of bad capacitors = bad PLMs. 

I'd order a new one and replace it on your terms rather than when it dies at an inopportune time 

You have a backup from right before you set up your eisy? When you get a new PLM, I'd restore that backup to the eISY, and then "Restore PLM" from that backup.

Also, if your PLM is with in 15' of your eisy, you can get a USB PLM

[smorgasbord]

OK, some final questions then

• From where should I order a new PLM - shop.insteon.com? My PLM is within 5' of the EISY, but I already have the proper cable. Is the USB PLM somehow better/future proofed than keeping the serial?
• I do have a backup from my ISY, but I've made major changes to the programming since then. I'm unsure as to the order of backing up and restoring, here's my best guess, using the Admin Console:
  1. Backup my current EISY programming
  2. Restore the last ISY programming to the EISY on the old PLM 
  3. Backup the PLM to a file using the Admin Console
  4. Replace the PLM with the new one
  5. Restore the PLM from the file
  6. Restore the EISY programming

Does that sound right? 

 

[paulbates]

22 minutes ago, smorgasbord said:

From where should I order a new PLM - shop.insteon.com? My PLM is within 5' of the EISY, but I already have the proper cable. Is the USB PLM somehow better/future proofed than keeping the serial?

I would order it from Insteon. I think the USB is cleaner, but if you have the cable and your eisy is already configed for it, serial probably makes sense.

 

22 minutes ago, smorgasbord said:

I do have a backup from my ISY, but I've made major changes to the programming since then.

This is the procedure

You would back up the eisy first. If your PLM is dying there may be some polluted links in the eisy's Insteon tables that will get backed up with it... usually fixed with individual "restore device"s based on which ones have problems.

Also wireless devices have to be put in set mode and restored individually

[Techman]

@smorgasbord

When you get you new USB PLM ( a better choice as ther's less to go wrong) be sure to exactly follow the replace PLM procedure, see attached.

Replace Modem (eisy_polisy).pdf