Home automation

[bds1961]

Years ago I started adding home automation to my house, for lighting I wen with the Insteon lighting control system. It worked perfect for years, we could travel and I could program my house for random lighting that made it appear that we were home by never having a sequence that didn’t look programmed.  I had scenes programmed for entertaining that set all the interior and exterior lighting up that gave a nice ambiance.   Well Thursday my hub controller went off line but still showed active but still leaving me with no control over my lights. I spent time during the weekend going through every aspect of what the problem could be with no resolve of the issue. 
last night it finally came out.  Insteon has disappeared from the market and shut down all there servers and controls leaving all of us that used there equipment high and dry and no way to use our investment in equipment. It wasn’t cheap even though I did the whole install my self.  It’s a eye opener when you really think of it. We add companies web based and cloud based systems to our lives with no guarantee that they will be around tomorrow. I hate how everything has gone to company owned and controlled systems that we have to depend on them operating all the time to use what we have already purchased and installed. This also goes for a lot of the apps and programs we use that we use to be able to buy but now have to have a subscription to use.   Not real sure we are heading in a good direction with our technology.  

[LOCO]

looks like you can control them will alexa and google too

[GhostfaceJim]

I've been thinking about this topic for some time.  I have alexa echo 5 or whatever and love it.  Just been waiting to get into a house to really start spending, but have big plans for lots of automation.

[bds1961]

59 minutes ago, GhostfaceJim said:

I've been thinking about this topic for some time.  I have alexa echo 5 or whatever and love it.  Just been waiting to get into a house to really start spending, but have big plans for lots of automation.

I loved having it all available at the touch of my phone.  Had it set up far enough to where I could sit in my backyard either on the deck ore by the fire pit and control all my lighting out there along with my stereo system that I have wired to two sets of speakers. Inside it’s always nice to be able to turn lights off in other rooms when the wife or kids forget to with out having to get up.  I was working on tying the system into my house alarm system so that if the alarm went off all the lights would come on. I figured that would be good for either a fire alarm or if it’s set off from burglary, but that’s in a holding pattern now till I figure out what way to go with it 

[McGrim]

15 hours ago, bds1961 said:

Years ago I started adding home automation to my house, for lighting I wen with the Insteon lighting control system. It worked perfect for years, we could travel and I could program my house for random lighting that made it appear that we were home by never having a sequence that didn’t look programmed.  I had scenes programmed for entertaining that set all the interior and exterior lighting up that gave a nice ambiance.   Well Thursday my hub controller went off line but still showed active but still leaving me with no control over my lights. I spent time during the weekend going through every aspect of what the problem could be with no resolve of the issue. 
last night it finally came out.  Insteon has disappeared from the market and shut down all there servers and controls leaving all of us that used there equipment high and dry and no way to use our investment in equipment. It wasn’t cheap even though I did the whole install my self.  It’s a eye opener when you really think of it. We add companies web based and cloud based systems to our lives with no guarantee that they will be around tomorrow. I hate how everything has gone to company owned and controlled systems that we have to depend on them operating all the time to use what we have already purchased and installed. This also goes for a lot of the apps and programs we use that we use to be able to buy but now have to have a subscription to use.   Not real sure we are heading in a good direction with our technology.  

Apparently they left a lot of people high and dry they simply just took down all servers with no backup or notice! 

There a lot of people that say the insteon system works with a Home assistant, Open Hab or Home bridge plugin  with some tweaks in local mode do some research.

I use a Lutron system personally at my house 

[Labob]

I do not buy anything unless it works from Google home. Love the startrek feel.. Spock open the. Right garage door . Hey kirk turn the oven on to 350

[rexbowan]

I have never understood why people are in such a rush to put others in charge of their equipment. It is cool to start but in an instant they can make it obsolete junk and you have no recourse. The internet is such a boom and scourge. I hope we don't lose more than we gain. In the meantime I will continue to play with my fellow Idiots.

[bds1961]

1 hour ago, rexbowan said:

I have never understood why people are in such a rush to put others in charge of their equipment. It is cool to start but in an instant they can make it obsolete junk and you have no recourse. The internet is such a boom and scourge. I hope we don't lose more than we gain. In the meantime I will continue to play with my fellow Idiots.

I started this system 10 years ago or around that. At that time it would be a stand alone system that used the internet just to keep updates and allow access from anywhere. But if the internet went down I still had control through my own house system to control it.  That’s all gone now.  

[TBB]

Everything I have is automated - my right index finger. When all those gadgets go down you won't remember how to turn on a light switch. Ask any teenager to day if they know what a roatary phone is!!