Is Insteon going out of business?

           According to reports, Insteon has gone out of business and has abruptly shut down all of its cloud services. The Insteon app makes use of Insteon servers to process requests, but the app proves to be worthless. Schedules, for example, are stored on the hub and will continue to be processed.

But it is not all doom and gloom. One of Insteon’s most fascinating characteristics was its ability to interact with other systems.

           So, questions like what are the best alternatives to the Insteon Hub home automation platform? What hub works with Insteon?; and Which home automation is the best? Will be answered in this article!

As previously stated, any type of factory reset on the Insteon hub should be avoided. The Insteon PLM Serial Modem was formerly a popular alternative to the Insteon Hub. This provides you with an RJ45 connector to connect to the Insteon system’s powerline connections.

While this is a viable option, it appears that the product has been withdrawn. Unfortunately, shady eBay merchants have jacked up the price of these items to hundreds of dollars.

Universal Devices’ ISY994 is a popular choice for controlling Insteon devices. This necessitated the purchase of the PLM modem, which still is not suggested at this time.

The options below rely on the hub’s local API and do not require the PLM modem module.

There are some alternatives to the Insteon Hub. So Which home automation is the best?

There are two popular alternatives to consider:

           You may ask does Insteon work with a home assistant? The answer is yes!!

Home Assistant is a free and open-source home automation software that focuses on local management and privacy. It is designed to be a central control system for smart home devices. This requires a local computer/server, although it may be done with inexpensive devices like the Raspberry Pi 4 (if stock is available) or various NAS devices like Synology and Terameter. Voice support for Alexa and Google is accessible through a subscription service called Nabu Casa from the Home Assistant developer group, as well as Amazon and Google skill support.

Homeseer is a commercial alternative to Home Assistant that, like Home Assistant, requires a specific device to run. You may get dedicated Homeseer hubs as well. To link your Insteon devices, you’ll need an Insteon software plugin. The HomeSeer HomeTroller Plus appears to be a pretty good choice, but of course, depends on your needs for HomeSeer. The HomeTroller Pi is now unavailable in all stores.

So, what is the best home automation software? Or Which home automation is the best?

For Windows PCs, one of the greatest smart home software is Domoticz. When it comes to matching their gadgets with software, compatibility is one of the most key factors to consider. You cannot talk about home automation without mentioning Calais either.

Normally, it is recommended to get a Raspberry Pi and utilize it as a specialized Home Assistant server, but they do not seem to be in stock right now. One problem with this solution is that you will want your Windows PC running all the time, and electricity prices are now absurd. So, until you can buy an RPi, this may be a temporary answer. The quickest and easiest approach to get things up and running on Windows is to use Home Assistant Windows Portable (HassWP). All of the prerequisites, including Python, are already installed.

All you have to do now is:

1. Save HassWP.zip to your computer.

2. Unpack

3. Run Hass.cmd (if you do not have extensions enabled, it will just be Hass.cmd).

Everything will auto-install when you run Hass, and Home Assistant will open in your browser with a local IP address like 127.0.0.1:8123.

1. After that, you will need to register an account and go through the setup process.

2. Home Assistants should automatically detect suitable devices on the network.

3. If Insteon is not found to be automatic:

4. Go to Configuration –> Devices and Services –> Add Integration: Insteon and add Insteon.

5. Locate the hub’s IP address (I use an Advanced IP scanner), which should be labeled as Smart labs ink, and the username and password are on the hub’s bottom sticker.

6. In the event that any devices are missing, you can:

• Select the Services tab in Developer Tools.

• In the pop-up box, utilize the following options:

• Insteon service: Add all links

• Select the Call Service button • Go to the device (within 3 minutes) and press the Settings button (or press and hold – it varies per device – check the instructions) • More information here

other questions that arise are:

Is Insteon compatible with Z Wave?

           Insteon, on the other hand, employs backward and forward-compatible State link instructions. While certain Insteon devices may be used without a hub for basic functionality, Z-Wave devices will require a gateway. The Insteon Scenes begin immediately. With Z-Wave, there is a minor but visible latency.

We at Franco’s electric are constantly looking for new innovations in the electrical world. When Insteon abruptly shut down, our experienced tech team had to find a solution for our precious customers, and through extensive research, and testing we can confirm that Insteon devices are working through Hoobs device which is acting as a bridge to control the automation at your home. This device works with the Apple home kit as well.

            To conclude we at Francos Electric hope that this article helps to clear your mind a little about how to proceed with your home automation after this sudden change. We are always happy to help with your electrical issues so feel free to contact us.