I’ll try and skip most of the TLDR that brought me here.  But after last week's lightning strike, I have a backup ISY994i running with a restored backup which is mostly an accurate representation of my Insteon network. I have about a dozen switches that have been replaced since that backup was taken, but I can live with “adding” those switches and doing a replace command.

However I’m trying to do a restore devices command first, just to get updates written to my devices. But here’s the rub.  Many of these devices aren’t being “seen” by the admin Java app.  IIRC I had a similar problem years ago, and my solution was to bring the ISY/PLM near the devices in question, and that did the trick.  Of course that meant I had to have Ethernet nearby.  Back then a long cat5 cable worked.  But so did a WiFi repeater.  Unfortunately the GL-INET things aren’t passing my MAC address along so I can get my desired reserved ip address. It was just easier to take an old EERO router and use that as my “long cat5 cable”

When I say I used my backup ISY, I used one my dad gave me when he sold his Insteon house.  I used that ISY and the PLM he used together.  So I restored my backup to the ISY, then restored the PLM.  I’m wondering if the PLM is the culprit in the proximity issue.  I also have another PLM that I bought as a backup years ago when a PLM up and died on me.  I tried restoring to this PLM with my original ISY but that didn’t work.  My PLM prior to the strike is 100% dead (no lights when plugged in) and I think the ISY is also toasted (couldn’t read the backup without getting errors.

So I’ve got 3 PLMs.

My fried 2413S rev 2.4

My backup 2413S rev 2.3

My dad’s 2412S rev 3.1

Right now I’m using the 2412S PLM, for no reason other than once upon a time it was working with the ISY I’m now using.  How much better, (if at all) will the 2413S rev 2.3 work than the 2412S?  Is the Dual Band going to address possible proximity issues?

 

"Is the Dual Band going to address possible proximity issues?"
YES

 

So all I have to do is replace the current PLM with the new(ish) one, and do a Restore PLM?

Edited July 15Jul 15 by HTTRC

The 2413S is dual band the 2412S is power line only. So the 2412S would need other dual band modules to send RF to and from the older 2412S. The 2412S supplies unregulated 12V DC [18.5V DC] on the serial cable from the ISY994i and PLM. To also power it. ISY994i has components in it so only the higher voltage powers the ISY994i.

@HTTRC

You'll need to exactly follow the replace PLM procedure (see attached)

Replace PLM (ISY994).pdf