EISY Can Communicate with Devices, but Not Vice Versa

[DerekL]

Hello:

I have a home with several dozen Insteon switches, a few motion sensors, one door sensor, and many powerline filters. The system has worked well for nearly 10 years. Initially I started with an ISY 994, replaced a serial PLM, and then upgraded to an EISY and a USB PLM, and all of this was successful.

I had functionality issues recently, and swapped to a new USB PLM. I did not follow the instructions. Panicking with the headless EISY. I may have reset the admin account by holding the power button. Have since been able to get back in to the admin console with the default password. I have since followed the PLM replacement instructions multiple times including swapping to another new PLM. The first recent replacement PLM was a V2.1 that I had spare from eBay from before. The replacement that I am trying now is rev 2.7. I bought more than one thinking it would be an easy swap and to keep the others in spare, so I can trial additional rev 2.7s.

The EISY firmware and UI is v5.8.4.

The EISY can successfully control all the wired devices. However, the EISY cannot read back when I manually use the switches. It can read the status after manual control if I use query from the admin console. I have not been able to successfully get any EISY functionality from the battery devices, and have temporarily disabled them to speed up restore PLM / devices. However, I have one motion sensor directly linked to a light switch that still operates with that switch appropriately

PLM/Info Status shows connection. PLM link table seems well populated (146 links). I checked a few device link tables and they list the current PLM.

I have restored the EISY from backup, then restored PLM, then restored devices. The EISY still cannot see when the switches are manually operated.

I have tried factory resetting a 2477D and then admin console restore device, and also tried factory reset the same switch and then admin console start linking. This has not yielded favourable results. 

Attached is the most recent log from restoring EISY then PLM then devices. It seems that there is good communication with only 2 NACK, and few Hops Left issues.

I'm open to any suggestions on next steps.

Thanks in advance,

Derek

 

ISY-Events-Log.v5.8.4__Fri 2025.01.10 10.39.04 PM.txt

[paulbates]

Try picking a device that's not working and perform a restore device, retest

[IndyMike]

@DerekL, I went through your Event Log and agree with your assessment (thanks for posting) - things appeared to go rather well during the update.  You have good communication, and the two devices that experienced NACK errors were corrected by the ISY.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story.  The link table shown below is what I pulled from one of my device that is linked to the PLM ONLY.  No scenes whatsoever.  As such, it has the Minimum number of links for any Insteon device.  

1. Link 0 @0FF8 is a responder link to the PLM @53.BC.3A.  This is group 0.
2. Link 1 @0FF0 is a controller link to the PLM @53.BC.3A.  This is group 1.  When I activate the device manually, this link is used to communicate back to the PLM.

In going through your event log, I found many devices that had only 1 responder link to your NEW PLM.  The result would be exactly what you are observing - you can control the device, but the device isn't communicating changes back to the PLM.  This should not happen.  The following devices are a few that show this error (there are many).

If you perform a link table read on these devices they should show only 1 record (or 2 if you count the last 00 record).  Furthermore, a compare should show that the ISY believes the link table is correct.  If this is the case, the only thing I can think of is that you restored the EISY from a bad backup.    Restoring again from a different backup would hopefully correct things.  The alternative would be to factory reset/re-link all affected devices (a rather large task).

If you believe that your backup is valid, I would encourage you to open a ticket with UD.  They may be able to look at your backup file and determine where things are going awry. 

Minimum Device Link Table

 

Edit: After reviewing your log a bit more I've realized that the EISY did not write Any controller links to Any of the 65 devices in your installation.  That's rather bizarre.  None of your devices can control anything else.  

At this point any recommendation I might have would be a SWAG and a waste of your time - please open a ticket with UD.

Edited Saturday at 04:24 PM by IndyMike

[DerekL]

Thanks for looking into this. I will open a ticket.

[DerekL]

@IndyMike, based on your message, I went to an earlier backup and restored. Things appear to be working now.

I was avoiding that backup as it was much earlier (it was actually the migration to the EISY). Going forward, I will have to be more habitual with backups.

Thanks, so much for your help!

[IndyMike]

@DerekL, happy to hear that your earlier backup is working better.  That rules out a hardware or (current) firmware problem with your EISY.

I would still encourage you to submit a ticket.  It's possible that your more current backup could be recovered.  It is also possible that the backup was saved under a firmware version that had an issue - this would be a new item.  In either case we (as a community) and UD learn when documented issues like this arise.

 

[DerekL]

@IndyMike, thanks again. Good point about the learning opportunity. I will go ahead and submit the ticket.

[CoolToys]

@DerekL, dumb question but you said you replaced the plm without following the directions.  Did you go back and start as if you got a new PLM? Swapping PLM's causes its own set of issues.  Also have you tried a few device resets or "writing changes" to a couple of devices to see if that helps?