07-27-2021, 10:45 AM. As you add additional devices, this relay system continues to strengthen the reliability and range of the entire network in your home. Nest Hub. Its going to be really helpful if it happens, but its not here yet, and in the home automation space you cant count on anything which isnt actually available yet. My workaround was HomeSeer. The hub connects to your router, then is controlled via a smartphone app. I didnt expect this sudden exit without warning, but here we are. So your situation is definitely one of the most challenging. Smartthings is in the middle of a huge transition with a complete rewrite of their base architecture. Correct? NEW: Built In 700 series Z-Wave Radio with user-selectable Z-Wave frequencies. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon's store. I had an ISY, just another *hardware* layer as I viewed it as the GUI is not meant for end users, it is meant for developers. Universal Devices has been offering a hub, the ISY, for well over a decade that provides for the inclusion of Insteon devices as part of a home automation ecosystem that includes other protocols, providing an interoperability unlimited by an arbitrarily determined lowest common denominator. Its really good. 1 847 8.3 C++ insteon-terminal VS RadioLib Universal wireless communication library for embedded devices . I am adding a very large addition to my house right now and wish that I could still get the Insteon devices, but hopefully zWave is up to the task. But maybe it will be so flawless and I am wrong. Some can communicate to some models of Insteon devices using the Insteon PLM, like ISY. So, you can go with either one of the Insteon alternatives mentioned here to get the desired performance from the smart lighting installed in your home. Whats the alternative and is it even worth it to have a connected house these days? WIthout a Hub or PLM or USB the only thing that will work is the buttons for your light nothing else. I set up Homeseer on my computer and thought WOW! You have a lot of Insteon devices but you want a simple plug and play solution. Hence the word proprietary. And its not only the Insteon benefits. Unless someone can convince the now exited managers of SmartLabs to open source the proprietary code, no one can build a new Hub/PLM/USB controller. I just updated my Home Assistant and almost all my previous Insteon devices are not up and running on Alexa, I continue to feel a little better after two weeks of hell, tried to return my HOOBS 4 device today, It cost $22 to ship to Canada, in addition requires some form that has to be filled for Switzland, that I was unable to get filled out. I started out with HOOBS since most of our computer devices were MAC systems, though I also use two Window computers. If you are unable to log into the app, contact us at support@insteon.com and include a photo of the bottom of your Hub. For more detailed discussion I suggest trying one of the Insteon user Facebook groups or the sub Reddit on Insteon. So, for this reason, SmartThings is a good alternative to the Insteon unit when youre looking for comprehensive support. If you were trying to use it without HomeKit, I dont know what results you would get. My whole house is full of Insteon devices. Has anyone figured out a way to program individual insteon devices without the Insteon app? In what will probably be remembered as one of the most notorious smart home shutdowns ever . A lot of folks are mentioning you can buy an ISY-994, but seems it still requires an Insteon PLM . I couldnt find anything else that would let me control multiple fans in the same room without having a wall full of switches. This level of unethical move is par for the course for Insteon. My lesson is not to rely on a single provider for every single smart switch, outlet, bulb, and device in my home. I am truly great full to be where I am now. Any lawyers out there? or can you just use one of the options or devices above without the insteon Hub? The basic app just does basic rules, but by using the Shortcuts feature you can build much more complex logic. Tried to login today to add the new devices and are unable to do so. May I ask which Zigbee manufacturer you would recommend thank you again Ron, Thread can often confuse Border Routers for Hubs (Smartthings, Hue Bridge, Echos) and repeating devices, (smart plugs and devices that repeat). If you can wait, I think its entirely possible that within 30 to 60 days there will be some Products developed that simplify the whole process for people with a lot of Insteon equipment but who dont want to do all the technical setup themselves. Both protocols appear to have very good signal range, but Zigbee does offer a greater number of connections over Thread. Apparently I just use products and have not paid much attention to what was going on in the smart home world. The Hub is Insteon's latest smart home controller, and it is similar to other hubs, such as Lowe's Iris and Staple's Connect. We recommend you consider the Wink Hub 2 or Samsung SmartThings hubs. Since I am setting up my home automation from scratch, I was considering Home Kit since it is a little more secure. 7. . Or are there other things needed to complete the replacement of the Insteon hub no longer working? Does not make sense for me to invest in a jump hub for smart home technology that will soon be obsolete. I consider it all e-waste at this point. No. I have over 70 devices and I also had a hub go out early. It does not, however, fully support some older Insteon and ICON devices, discontinued . Different things will work for different people. It felt like they would go away. All were discontinued or converted from a free to a paid service, and courts held that the terms of service were legal and applied. However, if those schemes exist, my non-scheduled ones obviously are stored in that Hub, but I have no idea how to activate them or get them uploaded to Home Assistant. You can integrate your light switches and increase control over the smart solution for best performance. For me, that convenience is worth it. I know: the two products aren't directly comparable. 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,182. 178.128.82.105 I tried HOOBS that was disaster, spent over 9 hrs and nothing worked. Home Assistant seems like a good option. My intention is to try to utilize a company such HomeSeer that also provides a cloud service, but also allows me the ability to have back up plan of home server availability to place the data on my home computer if no longer continue to provide cloud service capabilities or close up as Insteon. I guess I feel compelled to share my experience in all of this because I know there are a lot of frustrated folks out there who dont know what to do. HomeSeer has it back up and running 100% as before, if not better. Nor am I skilled enough at this time to develop them on home assistant at this time. I was intrigued by possibilities w/ the newer version and the API so updated to the 2245. Ive been running Home Assistant for about 6 months and love that I can integrate all my devices. The Hub/PLM/USB uses a closed, proprietary communication to tell your light to turn on. However, the exact features can vary and it may also depend on the specific features of the device being controlled. It is one technology that should survive. This device can be used with or without a hub thanks to the included wired leak sensor probe. 50 devices. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1331df3f47a06c Image courtesy HOOBS. but thats just me. 6 Best Switcheroo Alternatives For You To Choose, 5 Quick Ways To Fix Aera Diffuser Not Working Problem, 10 Best Google Home Compatible Devices List Review 2022, Is It Possible To Play SoundCloud On Google Home? I also discovered something new on Alexa, I can ask her to shut down all light and they all go off, except that items that HA list as switches do not. With Amazon, Im able to control them all from one place and setup routines to make them work together. And if you already have a Z-Wave hub but no smart speaker, you might be thinking how cool it would be to have voice control for your automations and smart home devices. I spent 6 hrs on my initial attempt to set everything up and three days in frustration on the forum not getting direct assistance. So their technical support only deals with their hardware. I have 50+ insteon devices no longer installed. You could still run Insteon Hub locally without relying on their clouds and servers. And the exact insteon devices and features that you will be able to bring into the new platform do vary. Great thing about the ISY, it works with zWave too. For all those that follow Home Assistant, today the newest version was released. Were we Android users, Id lean towards Google Home followed by Amazon Alexa as a platform, although SmartThings is still a viable and good option. Th ISY issues commands to the PLM. Of course voice control can be used through Amazon Alexa or Google. Cloud systems, like Insteon, are expensive to maintain and challenging to keep secure, so were likely to see more interruptions in platforms heavily reliant on cloud. Even a broken hub could be sold for money at this point since no more are going to be made and they can be easily fixed. I cant believe that more people arent mentioning the Universal Devices ISY994i. If your current routines are complex, like if statements with and and or and multi layer logic, then you will have to make a decision about which of the more sophisticated platforms you want to go to. I am about 70-75% back in operation though there are numerous issues that are frustrating me still on really a challenge for me to move forward or able to resolve. It turns out that there are ways to salvage your Insteon products and continue using them, at least to some extent, on other platforms who stepped up and provided integration for this protocol. Example if you go the Rasberry Pi what else is required besides the Rasberry? What would you recommend. Now they are useless, except for the locations that can still function as manual switches. Kevin, I appreciate your persistence in keeping this forum faithful to how these alternate solutions work with Insteon. If youre just looking for something to help with the management of your smart lights, then Lutron presents the best value. Theyve already announced strong matter support. It is all possible right now, albeit the GUI is not perfect. Ive been using it for years and it works great. Device support is provided by the underlying pyinsteon package. Hope this helps. DIYSmartHomeHub.com is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. "Sounds like Insteon", I said. I just also had the Hub layered in to make the Alexa connection. If so, you may want to consider one of the alternative systems Insteon customers are turning to now. You will have to use a different app for the cameras. While all their advice and thoughts are great, they amount to a GUI for you to control the Hub/PLM/USB. After evaluating other options, I went back to Amazon, bought 21 wifi devices in total to replace everything and it cost me only $235. Documentation may not be as accessible as for some of the other controllers so expect a learning curve at first. You can program a switch to switch for a fixed scenario, linking switch to switch. Home Controller with HS4 Software. My hub quit working and I mentioned it over this past weekend to my wife. (Explained), Lutron Caseta Vs Philips Hue (Differences Between Lutron Caseta And Philips Hue). ]So is it worth paying $5 a month for Winks service? That said, youre better off going with less expensive Zigbee ones, since any zigbee controller border router will become a matter bridge. That doesnt mean they wont do it, but it means we just dont know yet. The Plex add-on ecosystem isn't as robust as Kodi's, and a lot of Plex's best . The good thing here is that you can rely on many Insteon alternatives to substitute performance. Jun 8, 2022, 10:03 AM PDT. 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