Our mid-level smart home hub still beats everyone else's best home controller! Why? HomeTroller Plus includes a powerful multi-core processor & features locally managed automation for speed, reliability & security. HomeTroller Plus also works with smart speakers and hundreds of other smart home products.
All HomeTrollers process your automations locally, ensuring the highest level of reliability and performance. You won't experience the "delays" that are common with Internet-reliant solutions like typical smart home hubs.
Ten Things You Can Do With HomeSeer Home Automation
Every HomeTroller is designed to store all your sensitive information right there at home, never in the cloud. This helps to prevent hackers and prying eyes from seeing your personal data and custom home automation schedules.
Leverage the latest technology with your HomeSeer-powered home! Use smart speakers from Amazon and Google to control your home by voice and create IFTTT 'applets' that integrate with hundreds of web products, apps and services from around the world!
I have been a user of X-10 technology for many years, but wanted to take advantage of new capabilities through Google Assistant or Alexa, etc. Also, X-10 native software has been in decline and seems to have died so I have had to run a Windows XP VM to use with my CM15A. Unfortunately, I have already had one instance where a SmartThings outage prevented the home automation in the house from working properly so now I am looking more closely at X-10 and newer Zigbee and Z-Wave devices and how to get more local control while having the advanced features that one can obtain through the cloud when needed. I have found a fairly easy way to be able to control my current X-10 devices through SmartThings by using some software running on a Raspberry Pi.
HomeSeer seems to be the only home automation software that has native bidirectional X-10 support, which would allow me to use all of my current X-10 gear, but it is expensive, and I am not sure what, if any, negatives there would be to moving to it other than cost. Maybe it is more difficult to use with Zigbee and Z-Wave devices.
@RonV42 & @JDRoberts - Thank you both for the responses. The X-10 integration with SmartThings for me was quite easy and is proving reliable. It does not appear to be bidirectional, though, with the CM15A interface. It can receive wireless signals and then SmartThings will send out the appropriate X-10 command via the CM15A, but the CM15A does not receive any powerline X-10 signals for processing by SmartThings. I used the thread noted above to configure X-10 functionality with SmartThings. The ease and reliability of the X-10 integration via mochad and Node Red for me has breathed new life into my use of X-10 switches, outlets, etc. My current big disappointment is the lack of the bidirectional feature of the CM15A and no good means of fully utilizing the X-10 remotes that could be much more powerful, but that is because there are no similar cost-effective remotes with many buttons in the smart home world, which I find surprising in this day and age. HomeSeer still seems to be the only viable option to meet all of my wish list, but it is a bit costly.
Thanks, all! These have given me some things to think about and to test. I am not going to be adding any Zwave for now so am going to focus on Philips Hue devices (as they are working very well), SmartThings buttons (for things that do not require fast response / local control), openHAB, and further testing with X10. I am seeing some info about possible bidirectional X10 support which would allow me to use my X10 remotes, if true.
HomeTroller Pro is our best smart home hub. This home controller includes a powerful multi-core processor, features locally managed automation (for speed, reliability, security) & works with smart speakers & hundreds of smart home products & technologies. HomeTroller Pro is much more than just a basic smart hub!
Leverage the latest technology with your HomeSeer-powered home! Use smart speakers from Amazon and Google to control your home by voice and create IFTTT 'applets' that integrate with hundreds of web products, apps, and services from around the world!
One of the best ways to get security and advanced features in a Schlage smart lock is by pairing it with a compatible home automation system. The Z-wave Plus-enabled Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt works with most Z-Wave smart home hubs, including Samsung SmartThings. Only when you pair your lock with a hub like SmartThings can you control the lock from anywhere, freeing you from the hassles of lost keys, getting locked out and hiding a spare where anyone can find it.
Gone are the days of worrying whether you left the door unlocked when you headed out for the day. Simply check the status of your lock through the SmartThings app. If the deadbolt is unlocked, lock it via the app, no matter where you are, without the need to turn around and go home.
SmartThings allows you to create routines that are triggered by a single action. A goodnight routine, for example, locks the doors, closes the garage and turns off all electronics with a single command. A vacation routine could, again, lock all your doors and adjust the thermostat. Setting up automation with other smart devices is fast and easy since you can do everything directly from your smartphone.
Add even more convenience to your home automation set-up by pairing an Alexa-enabled device with Samsung SmartThings. Easily check the status of your deadbolt or command it to lock or unlock by asking Alexa.
The folks at HomeSeer recently touted their Insteon compatibility and provide full details on the integration process. The company offers a HomeSeer smart hub with support for Z-Wave, various digital assistants, and hundreds of smart home products. Best of all, the price is only $139.99.
I have several insteon light switches, and smart outlets installed in my home. These were set up with Alexa to allow voice control on most lamps, and all outdoor lighting. Now they are useless, except for the locations that can still function as manual switches.
I believe all of the options discussed so far do have their own integration with Alexa, including Homeseer, Home Assistant, HOOBS, and Hubitat. However, the exact features can vary and it may also depend on the specific features of the device being controlled. In addition, historically a few home automation platforms have required a paid subscription to use their cloud services, which includes their Alexa integration.
I have had X10 then Insteon installed for over a decade in my home. I have had a few of the modules begin to fail in the past couple of years and replacements were either hard to find or stupid expensive. So, rather than spend $60 for a dimmer switch, I decided to try wifi wall dimmers to see if the performance met the hype. For the same $60, I bought a 4 pack of these switches from Amazon and installed 3 of them. I was shocked at how easy they were to install and setup and they have performed flawlessly. It was my plan to begin phaseout of my insteon devices as they died since these wifi units were so reliable. Then the insteon shutdown happened. After evaluating other options, I went back to Amazon, bought 21 wifi devices in total to replace everything and it cost me only $235. Three hours later, my entire house was back up and running including with full Alexa integration and duplicating all the scenes that I had running in my Insteon hub, all created in a simple phone app . Never missed a beat.
However, the success of Insteon all these years, I believe that it allowed people such as me, who had some knowledge of computers, an understanding automation to continue to increase their home automation with a very simple process. In fact prior to companies such Insteon, their was a significant amount of smart home experts who opened businesses to allow novice homeowners the ability to set up smart homes. Those businesses died out, when companies such Insteon made it very simple to expand smart devices in homes with the only addition of hubs, and smart apps which were made available through google or Apple app stores. As time went on the ability to enhance your smart home became even easier with, introduction of SiRI, ALexa, and Google home Hub. These three with their ability to link with smart home devices brought smart home devices to such a simple level that any novice could develops smart home systems. It actually shrunk the market of smart home consultants who really went to more of whole house automation directed more to the A/V home applications.
Smartthings is in the middle of a huge transition with a complete rewrite of their base architecture. Many of the old integrations will be going away, and even the way they were created is going away.
Oh, and all things smart home are dead to me. This space has no industry standards yet. I think Insteon contributed to the mess that was created in the future of the technology. I am 60 years old, I have seen this in my life far too many times. Done.
Thank you. Since my post I figured out the red light is a result of the cloud service being down. I have been exploring the best option to get things back up and running. Home Assistant seems like a good option. Is it true that with Home Assistant you would need to purchase their subscription service to have voice controls with Alexa?
Insteon uses either or both RF and wireline to communicate to the actual switch. Despite their demise, IMHO it was the best thing ever. It is like a huge mesh, RF and powerline, the more devices you add the more strong the network. And because there is no wireless 2.4ghz involved, not interference and god forbid worse, imagine having a larger home with 100 devices all on wireless. 2ff7e9595c
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