Easiest way to control a Kwikset zwave deadbolt?

[starmanj]

I am renovating a home and will install all Insteon devices. But wife wants a Baldwin deadbolt, and they only do zwave and zigbee. I don't want to buy a $500 Homeseer to control the deadbolt-- anyone know of the simplest way to manage the deadbolt remotely?

 

Thanks in advance!

Starmanj

[bpwwer]

I've seen a couple of threads about the Kwikset deadbolts on Cocoontech forums, but it seems that most people are using some type of HA software to control them. I just bought a Kwikset zwave deadbolt but was sent one with the wrong finish so I'm waiting for the right one. I already have HomeSeer so that's probably what I'll use, at least at first.

 

I am renovating a home and will install all Insteon devices. But wife wants a Baldwin deadbolt, and they only do zwave and zigbee. I don't want to buy a $500 Homeseer to control the deadbolt-- anyone know of the simplest way to manage the deadbolt remotely?

 

Thanks in advance!

Starmanj

[starmanj]

Hi Bob-

Does the Homeseer have the same programming capability of the ISY? I'm trying not to have two separate expensive HA controllers. Seems Homeseer can do Insteon but ISY can't do Zwave. Should I go for homeseer instead?

Starmanj

[bpwwer]

Hi Bob-

Does the Homeseer have the same programming capability of the ISY? I'm trying not to have two separate expensive HA controllers. Seems Homeseer can do Insteon but ISY can't do Zwave. Should I go for homeseer instead?

Starmanj

 

There's a lot of overlap between what a program like HomeSeer can do and what the ISY can do when you look at just Insteon device management/control. However, when you start wanting to do more and interact with other types of devices, that's when HA software becomes the way to go.

 

Your question comes up every now and then on the HomeSeer ISY Plug-in forum. Typical responses are things like voice response, control of other types of equipment like audio/visual (home theater) type stuff.

 

For one or two deadbolts, it's probably hard to justify the expense of HomeSeer, especially if you already have an ISY. There are less expensive alternatives. One option might be Elve from Codecore Technologies. I think the base package is reasonable, but post something on the forums first, while it does have some ZWave support, I'm not sure it supports the deadbolts yet. Also Premise is a free system with some open source type development actively supporting it. You can find more on the Cocoontech forms. Elve does have some support for the ISY (I wrote a basic driver but it's still considered an alpha release). I don't think Premise can work with the ISY, but I believe it can work with Insteon.