Really, really first glance at the PowerLinc Modem 2413U

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

First of all, this is based on less than 2-3 hours of real use, so I will be following this up later in the week….
But, here\’s the details so far.

  • The 2413U Insteon Dual Band PowerLinc Modem (2413U) is faster than the 2414U, and the 2412U.  The Dual Band nature does seem to speed it up, and cut the hop count.
  • Using the Insteon Health Script as a metric though, is actually showing worse performance going to certain modules…  For example, the Garage #1 light is only reporting back 3 out of 10 times, compared to 7 or 8 times with the 2412U.
  • Overall, I am seeing very good performance so far.  The reliability maybe an issue, but that will have to be studied in the real world.
  • Would I suggest purchasing a 2412U vs. a 2413U?  No, if you are replacing a 2414U or 2412U, buy the 2413U.  As more dual band units introduced by Smarthome, and utilized in the field, the better the Insteon network will become.

Now the 2413U is more expensive than the 2412U.  But, I suspect that in the future the 2412U shall be eliminated.  I don\’t see a reason to keep the 2412U around, except as a \”low price\” alternative, and I believe the Dual band interface is well worth the extra money.
Update from 3/2011 –
The communication issue that I wrote above, appears to be related to the power outlet that I have been using.  Using the standard troubleshooting process of moving the 2413U to another socket moved my Insteon Health rating up 4%, and gives me a virtual spotless rating….  So this means there is some interference on the \”old\” outlet.
Overall, with more dual band devices coming out every day, I don\’t see a reason in not investing in a dual band powerlinc controller to help reduce the hop count, and overall efficiency of your network.

Clear your Browsers Cache

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Here\’s how to clear the web browser cache, on the majority of the web browsers…
Internet Explorer 8

  1. From the Safety menu in the upper right, click Delete Browsing History… .
  2. Check Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History, and then click Delete.

Internet Explorer 7

  1. From the Tools menu in the upper right, select Delete Browsing History.
  2. Next to \”Temporary Internet Files\”, click Delete files… . To delete your cookies, click Delete Cookies.
  3. Click Close, and then click OK to exit.

Firefox 3.5 for Windows

  1. From the Tools menu, select Clear Recent History… .
  2. From the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range; to clear your entire cache, select Everything.
  3. Click the down arrow next to \”Details\” to choose what history elements to clear (e.g., check Cookies to clear cookies). Click Clear Now.

Firefox 3 for Windows

  1. From the Tools menu, select Clear Private Data… , and then check Cache and Cookies. Click Clear Private Data Now.

Safari

  1. From the Safari menu, select Reset Safari… .
  2. From the menu, only select Empty the cache and Remove all cookies, then press Reset.

Firefox 3.5 for Mac OS X

  1. From the Tools menu, select Clear Recent History… .
  2. From the Time range to clear: drop-down menu, select the desired range; to clear your entire cache, select Everything.
  3. Click the down arrow next to \”Details\” to choose what history elements to clear. Click Clear Now.

Firefox 3 for Mac OS X

  1. In Firefox, from the Tools menu, select Clear Private Data.
  2. Make sure Cache and Cookies are checked, and then click Clear Private Data Now.

Making Macintosh Windows always float on top.

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Question: Ubuntu has a feature where application windows can be set to be always on top of other windows. Is this possible in Mac?

Check out Afloat.

it will add many window management features to most Mac applications:

  • Keep windows afloat (heh) on top of all others.
  • Pin windows to the desktop (new!)
  • Move windows from anywhere, not just the title bar.
  • Turn a window into an \”overlay\” on your screen that doesn\’t hinder your work.
  • Show a window\’s file in the Finder with nothing more than your keyboard.
  • Resize windows from anywhere, not just the corner (new!), and more.

Storm 2 BlackBerries Switched to Bing

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Let me get this straight…?
Apple is evil, because anyone can release software for it, but it has to go through a vetting (approval) process. An approval process that may reject the application, but you can then resubmit, etc…
But the iPhone is a relatively open system, one where web applications require no approval, and you can literally use any web site, or web page you want…
But it\’s a platform that Apple has not shown the inclination to just randomly force you to use THEIR MANDATED web search engine. Correct?
Continue reading →

2413U? Dual Band? Powerlinc w/RF….

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

In a discussion on the 2413U, in the Perceptive Automation forums, Indigo\’s Author (Matt Bendiksen), has indicated that he believes that the 2413U does indeed save an \”hop\” on the Powerline network, and \”is even faster than the 2412U in some cases\”. Of course, he did include the obligatory Smiley with the note.
But this makes sense, currently the 2414U & 2412U transmissions look something like this:
Hop 0: Computer sends signal to controller
Hop 1: Controller sends signal to PowerLine network
Hop 2: Access point receives signal, and retransmits it to other Access points
Hop 2.5: Other Access points receive signal and retransmit the signal in their regions.
Now, with the 2413U, it is suggested that the flow would be something more like:
Hop 0: Computer sends signal to controller
Hop 1: Controller sends signal to PowerLine network & RF Network
Hop 1.5: Access points receive signal and retransmit the signal in their regions.
Yes, Hop 1\’s powerline transmission maybe enough for the signal to trigger the unit… But the RF transmission still occurs..
Also, think about RF devices sending insteon signals:
Step 0: TriggerLinc sends signal
Step 1: Access point receives signal
Step 1.5: RF Signal is boosted, and retransmitted (for other Access points)
Step 2: Access Points retransmit the signal, on the powerline
Step 3: Controller receives the signal
Now with the 2413U, I suspect it would be closer to this:
Step 0: TriggerLinc sends signal
Step 1: Controller receives signal // Other Access points receives signal
Step 1.5: RF Signal is boosted, and retransmitted (for other Access points)
Step 2: Access Points retransmit the signal, on the powerline
Yes, the other steps occur, in case there is another device linked to the wireless device, but the point is that the controller will have the signal at Step 1 or Step 1.5. Whereas the 2414U, or 2412U would need until step 3 to receive the signal.
These Dual Band units will be a boon to Insteon & Home Automation assuming that they live up to their potential.
I expect to be receiving my 2413U around Christmas… So expect to see a review around then…