Four Insteon switches work okay from ISY994, but not from Insteon controllers

[creeble]

I have four Insteon switches (one 2856D2, one 2477D, two 2476D) that seem to be controllable from the Admin Console and go on/off from Programs, but don't respond to Insteon controllers.  They all show up in the Admin Console with exclamation points.

Is there a way (through the Console?) to reset the "Membership" of these devices individually, or do I have to try a "Restore Devices" for the whole network of devices?  I have about 15 devices total, and the last time I remember doing that, it never completed.  But that was a long time ago.

[Guy Lavoie]

Sounds like missing direct links. Did you do any manual linking at some point? That's what the instructions in Insteon device packaging show you. If you did that, and then added them to your ISY/eisy, the linking process will usually allow you to choose to keep existing links, or delete them. If you deleted them (and I think that's the default), then that would explain what you're seeing.

Now the thing is this: when you set up a ISY/eisy, it doesn't create direct links between devices like the manual Insteon linking does. It always does it as scenes, in order to include itself as part of the scene, to be able to monitor status and control devices from the admin console or programs.

So I suggest that you re-establish those device to device links by creating scenes and adding the devices to the scenes as the appropriate controllers/responders.

[creeble]

Thanks Guy. I do not believe I set up the links to these devices with anything but the ISY console. I also believe that the links were lost when we had a power outage and the house went to standby generator; we weren't home when this happened but it seems like it's been broken since we got back.

What does the exclamation point on these devices mean? Again, I can control them directly via on/off in the ISY controller, but not through any of the scenes in the controller.

[Guy Lavoie]

Good question about the exclamation points. I don't know. Hopefully someone else will come along and tell us.

Have you tried the "restore device" on at least one or two of them? What happens?

[creeble]

Yes, tried "restore device" on them.  It seemed like it was communicating with them, but it didn't remove the "!" and didn't make them respond to controllers.

I suppose I can try "Restore Devices" for the whole network this weekend and cross my fingers.

[oberkc]

2 hours ago, creeble said:

What does the exclamation point on these devices mean?

Typically, it means "cannot communicate".  Try a query and see what happens.

 

[Brian H]

What controller models are you trying to use? Are they controlling the dimmers through the ISY994i? If they are through the ISY994i. You should be able to see the changes in the Administrative Console. When you try the Query you can get further clues with the Event Viewer in Level 3.

Only the 2477D is dual band. The others are power line only. Something else may have been effected with the power switch.

Try a factory reset on one of the switches and then a restore.

[Brian H]

Only the 2477D and 2413S PLM will receive Insteon RF commands. From Insteon controllers like a Remotelinc II. As the rest are power line only.

One other thing to think of. If older ones are using the original I1 protocol. A restore will use eight single bit messages and eight ACK messages back to write one byte of data into a modules link database. So it will take time for a restore especially if there is poor power line conditions and retries have to be done.

[creeble]

On 11/23/2024 at 3:44 PM, Brian H said:

Only the 2477D and 2413S PLM will receive Insteon RF commands. From Insteon controllers like a Remotelinc II. As the rest are power line only.

One other thing to think of. If older ones are using the original I1 protocol. A restore will use eight single bit messages and eight ACK messages back to write one byte of data into a modules link database. So it will take time for a restore especially if there is poor power line conditions and retries have to be done.

Don't RF-capable devices forward messages over powerline? I'm able to control one 2856D from my mini remote with no problems. It's the same scene that has the other 2856D with the ❗ 

I haven't tried factory reset yet, but will this weekend.

[Brian H]

Yes the dual band modules. Do receive the Insteon RF messages and send them back on the power lines.

The power line only devices. Have to be reachable by that dual bands power line communications message. The 2856D you can control it is receiving the commands. The ones even in the same scene that do not respond. Are not receiving the commands.

It sounds like you have a power line communications problem to the 24856D modules that do not follow the commands. Any new or moved electronic devices that maybe making power line noise or have become a signal sucker? You may try a test and start unplugging other electronics on the circuit the unresponsive 2856D is on. The 2856D is a plug in module. Try moving it to a different circuit and then see if the response changes. If you have any phase coupler to get the two incoming power lines. It may have failed.

You may want to hold off on the factory reset and see if anything else. Like a signal sucker, noise maker of failed phase coupler is the issue.