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GQuack
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Joined: December 06 2013
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Posts: 18
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| Posted: December 06 2013 at 09:55 | IP Logged
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Greetings and my apologies in advance for what may be a repeat topic. I am new both to PowerHome and Insteon having purchased both within the last week. The Insteon controller is a hub model 2242-222. I also installed PH last night on a 32 bit XP platform and quickly proceeded to find out that PH doesn't find or recognize this hub. I've searched this forum and found several past posts including info ranging from PH will not work with his hub to yes it will along with cryptic info about plug-ins, etc. Can anyone point me to a complete post or other link with full instructions on how to use PH with the new Insteon hub or definitively answer the question whether I have wasted my money on PH? Thanks in advance.
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dhoward
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Joined: June 29 2001
Location: United States
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| Posted: December 06 2013 at 11:58 | IP Logged
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Below are the full steps for setting up PowerHome 2.1.4 with the Insteon Hub or a SmartLinc/NetLinc controller:
1. Open Device Manager and navigate to Ports (COM & LPT). Expand this and make note of what COM ports you currently have on your computer.
2. Launch PowerHome. Open the PowerHome Explorer and navigate to PowerHome->Setup->Plugins. Create a new line entry (use the existing blank one or right click and select insert). Enter an ID. ID's should be short but descriptive. In this case, something like HUB or NETLINC would be appropriate. For Launch Data (ActiveX Classname), enter PH_VSP.phvsp. For Initialization Data, enter the following string as an example (without the quotes): "13 9761 192.168.0.174". The first number (13) is the COM port you wish to assign to your hub. Typically choose a lower number, say between 6 and 15. Make sure this COM port does not already exist (see step 1). The second number (9761) is the port of your hub. Leave this as is. The last piece of information (192.168.0.174) is the IP address of your hub. Adjust this to match your hub's IP address.
3. In PowerHome Explorer, navigate to PowerHome->Setup->Controllers. Create a new line entry for the hub. Type an appropriate ID (you can reuse HUB if you like or something like INSTEON). Choose "Insteon PLM" for the controller type. Click the settings button. In Settings window, set the COM port to the number you chose in Step 2. Click the "Done" button and close the Insteon Explorer.
4. Restart or Reinitialize PowerHome. Open the Help->About window and go to the plugins tab. Verify that the Virtual Serial Port plugin launched properly and is active. Go to the Controllers tab. Verify that the hub is connected on the virtual serial port.
Hope this helps,
Dave.
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GQuack
Newbie
Joined: December 06 2013
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Posts: 18
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| Posted: December 07 2013 at 22:58 | IP Logged
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Hi Dave, I've just worked through these instructions and
am having issues. I've tried both com ports 6 and 7 and
get the same results with both. Device manager shows com
ports 1,4, and 5 are used so I tried both 6 and 7 with
the same results. I have a 64 kb PDF file of screen shots
but the upload to this site is failing. I set the plug in
to values as you indicated using com 6 and 7, address 7
9761 192.168.1.101 which is what Norton Internet security
is showing as the IP address for the hub. Then the
values as indicated for the controller type matching
these same values again using both com 6 and 7. Restart
PM and getting the same error message for both com 6 and
7 - An error occurred while attempting to open com 6/7 on
Insteon PLM controller Insteon. The port is already open.
Commands will not be sent.
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dhoward
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Location: United States
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| Posted: December 07 2013 at 23:28 | IP Logged
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GQuack,
You can email the PDF file to the Contact Us address on the main PowerHome web page (http://www.power-home.com).
I'll take a look and see if I can spot what is wrong.
Dave.
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syonker
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Joined: March 06 2009
Location: United States
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Posts: 212
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| Posted: December 08 2013 at 08:58 | IP Logged
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Hi GQuack! Welcome to the forum, to Insteon and most importantly to PowerHome. There are some *serious* experts out here that will regularly chime in when you have questions...I see that you got the "Big Kahuna" himself, Dave, so you're in good (nay, the best) hands.
Once you get the hub working I would be interested in seeing how well it's working for you. I was looking into alternate connectivity over the PLM I am using right now (one or several forum topics mentioned you need a PLM *with* an Insteon Hub to get it to work properly with PowerHome).
Regardless, don't give up too soon. PowerHome is by *far* the most powerful, most cost-effective way to *truly* take control of your entire home and "go nuts". If you're a technical person, you'll get over the initial hump and soon have your house doing things that are AMAZING. Mine can regulate ceiling and furnace fans to keep the temperature stable. I use an irrigation algorithm I adapted from the ones you see on those huge, circular "irrigation systems" they use on farms and my water consumption is WAY below that of my neighbors while my lawn looks awesome (it does this by taking into account weather, last-water applied whether from the sprinklers or from mother nature, and keeping a running tally of "water loss"). I am planning on applying for an "exception" from the "watering times/limits" next year with the data collected to make things even more efficient.
You can fold in webcams, ALL sorts of sensors and controls, build your own (ever heard of Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or BeagleBone?), Android applications (see "GadgetGuy"'s PHCA application - just search on PHCA in the forums if interested), and all kinds of web interfaces. I use it with full-on 3D renders of my house, floor-by-floor, room-by-room, device-by-device, and it's AWESOME - particularly with alarms and notifications while away from the house.
Planning to build a controller that samples all aspects of the hot tub/spa and keeps a running web-tab on things to help us stay ahead of the game (I may even do some relay controllers to "top off" the chlorine/PH, and maybe even a "pleasant smell of choice on demand" with dry-crystal bins feeding the system. Who knows, the sky is *truly* the limit with this stuff.
I am (recently) running PowerHome on a new Windows 7 ESX VM I built with the host connected to an Insteon USB PLM a couple of months ago and it's working wonderfully.
Stick with it and you can do amazing things. It's truly astounding what can be done with the framework Dave has put together...and again, welcome!
__________________
"I will consider myself having succeeded when my house becomes sentient and attempts to kill me."
><(((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>¸.
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GQuack
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Joined: December 06 2013
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Posts: 18
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| Posted: December 08 2013 at 13:16 | IP Logged
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Thank you Syonker. I actually am an IT professional going
on 37 years now so I am not in the least put off on the
technical aspects although network technology is pretty
far down on my list of subject matter expertise. My wife
and I are retiring in 16 months and in the very early
phases of planning to build our retirement house. I
wanted to get into this technology and become proficient
now and make sure I put into the house design all of the
components I would need to really put some great
automation in place. Everything I have read about
PowerHome shows great promise and I appreciate your words
of wisdom. I'll be on this board pretty regularly
checking things out and I as get myself deeper and deeper
into confusion 
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GQuack
Newbie
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Posts: 18
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| Posted: December 08 2013 at 13:21 | IP Logged
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OK Dave, the PDF file is on it's way. Thank you!
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nick7920
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Joined: March 04 2008
Location: United States
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Posts: 193
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| Posted: December 11 2013 at 17:18 | IP Logged
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Hi GQuack,
few things to make sure for HUB
1. ping the Hub IP to make sure that is the correct one.
2. Have you used the Houselinc program (came with the Hub) to test. if so you will need to make sure to reboot the computer which used the Houselinc so it can release the port and don't use Houselinc with PH. (I would also reboot the Hub to make sure)
3. open the device Manager and check if PH is trying to create Virtual Port Named ELTIMA virtual serial port.
every time you run PH or reinitialize
Here are couple of links for HUB and which worked at the end of post.
http://www.power-home.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3057&KW
http://www.power-home.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3320&KW
Nick
Edited by nick7920 - December 12 2013 at 15:31
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GQuack
Newbie
Joined: December 06 2013
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Posts: 18
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| Posted: December 12 2013 at 11:11 | IP Logged
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Thank you Nick - I read through the posts and can relate as I experienced a number of those symptoms. Fortunately Dave and I worked offline of this forum over a couple of days and I am now up and running. Thank you Dave! I am hoping to ignore Houselinc and gain my expertise in PowerHome. I still have to install several Insteon devices and will then go back to PowerHome to start learning the basics and move forward from there. I have a keypadlinc on the way. That is my task for this weekend.
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Topic: New Insteon and PH user - Insteon hub
