Looking at Zwave products and need recommendations?

Personally, I'm not considering any technology I can't use throughout the house. Zwave just doesn't have a broad enough product line yet. For example, I haven't seen a 1000W dimmer or convenient integration points like a dry-contact transmitter, zwave relays, etc.

I've started down the UPB path and so far I'm very satisfied.

- Mark.

Check out Smarthome's INSTEON products

This is simply untrue. You seem to be deliberately perpetuating a myth.

The products are *either* powerline *or* RF, with the exception of your powerline->RF gateway (the SignaLinc). For example, all the switches are powerline-only. All of the lamp and appliance modules are powerline-only. This really confused me when I first started looking into the products. If you had said the *protocol* is both powerline and RF, you would have been correct.

- Mark.

Even so, with the exception of the SignaLincs, any particular product will still be either RF or powerline, but not both.

- Mark.

I know--my issue was with the Smarthome guy's claims.

Well, it's has proven to be cheaper than UPB, which is enticing. The reliability of UPB has been 100% for me so far--you can't beat that!

- Mark.

True - for now. But if you read the recently released white paper on the Insteon web site, it's clear that they plan to have RF remotes that will talk to the RF gateways (i.e. SignaLincs, which do both powerline and RF).

I would assume that there will probably be future RF-to-UPB devices, too. H>

If you give it a little thought you'll realize that having all devices do both is unworkable, leading to endlessly repeated cacophony.

I do agree that SmartHome tends to imply there's more there than meets the eye with their "best of both" babble but th>Dave Houst>> True - for now. But if you read the recently released white paper on the

The original poster did not ask about INSTEON .

You < snipped-for-privacy@smarthome.com > are violating the charter of this newsgroup by posting a commercial advertisement for a competing product that you manufacture and sell.

Are Smarthome's representatives going to become pariahs as have their

Oh well, so much for asking about Zwave. Sorry that I asked. jt

Why are you sorry you asked? You have learned:

1. There isn't much Z-Wave experience in this forum. I'm not sure that's a coincidence.
2. The Z-Wave product line is incomplete.
3. There are competing technologies that are at least worth consideration.
4. In this forum, you don't always hear what you want to hear.

- Mark.

From what I've heard from clients so far, Zwave works well. It's also getting major support from industry giants. The Zensys website lists partners, including Intel which indicates they plan to include Zwave support in their next generation uProcessor.

Most of the negatives have been posted by folks whose concern is the present lack of certain features such as a 3-way dimmer. Some want to see a more useful remote -- the handheld is primarily intended as a programmer.

One frequent poster has repeatedly derided Zwave, apparently without ever having seen, much less tested it.

My impression of Zwave is it's significantly better but somewhat more costly than X10. It's way less expensive than Radio RA, the closest competing technology. Because of the interest of so many major industry players holes in feature availability should fill in within a year or two.

Is it right for you now? That's something only you can decide. You could hobble along on X10 and wait a while for more feature-laden products.

Not by me you won't. Other gentlemen posted objections, not so much to mentioning a competing product as to the manner in which it was done.

I personally don't have experience w/ Zwave, but I know it is discussed quite a bit on the boards at

(I suppose someone will accuse me of violating this newsgroup's charter by mentioning HomeSeer...)

Kurt

1. ZigBee devices are beginning to appear. They promise open standards and compatibility with other ZigBee manufacturers. Z-Wave is proprietary (and very closely allied with HomeSeer).

That's not correct. Homeseer is a software developer whose products are Zwave compatible. Calling Zwave "very closely allied" with Homeseer implies an inter dependant relationship which simply does not exist.

There are currently 125 manufacturers offering or developing products based on Zwave technology. Homeseer was one of the early adaptors but they are not listed among the principal developers.

Here's a link to the list of participants:

That may be true, but Zwave's lack of 1000W dimmers, decora keypads, I/O modules (equiv of powerflash and universal), hardwired modules, etc, are GLARING omissions.

As I implied in my first post in this thread, I would be able to replace my current whole-house X10 setup with UPB, but not Zwave. Insteon's compatibility with X10 gives you access to the largest set of products available, so that route would not lead you into any brick walls either.

If the Zwave product line fills out quite a bit, I'm sure it will be a fine choice. I have nothing against the idea or the technology, and only a slight apprehension about its longevity.

- Mark.

That may be true, but Zwave's lack of 1000W dimmers, decora keypads, I/O modules (equiv of powerflash and universal), hardwired modules, etc, are GLARING omissions.

As I implied in my first post in this thread, I would be able to replace my current whole-house X10 setup with UPB, but not Zwave. Insteon's compatibility with X10 gives you access to the largest set of products available, so that route would not lead you into any brick walls either.

If the Zwave product line fills out quite a bit, I'm sure it will be a fine choice. I have nothing against the idea or the technology, and only a slight apprehension about its longevity.

- Mark.

Z-Wave is proprietary (and

Wrong!

Z-Wave is Not allied with Homeseer.

There is other software vendors that support Zwave just as Homeseer supports others.

There are big things ahead for Zwave. Several already that fix the biggest issues with Zwave. I can confirm this from First hand expirence. But cann't say much more yet.

Yes I do have many Zwave products. So if anyone has Zwave questions feel free.

UPB is great but I'm not sold on a powerline carrier. What happens when BroadBand transmitts over the powerline as it really is happening and most likely only going to expand.

The biggest problem is most that talk bad about it have no expirence with it.

UPB & Insteon are limited in products just as Zwave is as they are all pretty new.

HomePlug has been transmitting over powerlines (in house BPL) for a few years now. It does not interfere with X-10 nor is there any reason to expect that it will interfere with Insteon or UPB as it uses frequency bands which are much higher than the frequencies used by X-10, Insteon and UPB. If you weren't technically incompetent (in addition to being illiterate) you might know that.

I can honestly say the same thing that some dealers who post here say. No one has complained about any Z-Wave stuff they bought from me. ;)