INSTEON PowerLinc Modem (2413U)

No it doesn't ask for the links to be reset. I guess I'll try to get a replacement. Thanks for your reply.

[jay (support)]

Forgive the stupid first question of my previous post - if you're using X10 there is no linking so Indigo won't ask. My best guess in that case is that the X10 side of the controller is failing (we've seen that happen a couple of times in the past).

Hi
My 2413U is receiving ghost X10 messages, and keeps the system "busy" enough that it occasionally misses real Insteon messages that need to be heard.

Note that I have no X10 devices, but some noise or something seems to be making the 2413U think it is receiving X10 messages.

Example: repeated lines in the log such as "Received X10 J10 Status request", every 5-10 seconds or so.

It must be a noise issue, because I can position the unit further away (with a long USB cable), and the problem diminishes or goes away.

However, when I do that, the 2413U stops being able to talk to by sprinkler controller, which is harder to reposition due to the cables plugged into it.

Is there a way to get the 2413U to ignore X10 messages? Any other ideas?

Thanks,
Alain

[jay (support)]

This is a fairly common problem. Unfortunately the only permanent solution is to find what's causing the errant X10 signal and either filter it or replace it. Often it's an older X10 device that's failing (I personally had it happen a bunch of times several years ago until I finally replaced my last X10 SwitchLinc with INSTEON versions).

Thank you - I will do some "X10 Hunting" to make sure I have nothing generating signals. I don't think I do, but I'll check again.

How would one filter out an errant X10 signal?

And, in any case, is the 2413U capable of receiving X10 signals on its own? Does it not need a bridge to a receiver? I have no X10 receivers online (unless the 2413U is a receiver and I didn't realise it was one).

Thanks again
Alain

[jay (support)]

Yes, the 2413U sends/receives X10 as well as INSTEON and you can't disable the X10 part. You can watch to see when the 2413 is reporting those then attempt to see what things might be ON in the house - switches, fans, TVs, your HVAC system, etc.

If the device that's causing the errant X10 signal is a plug-in device then you can filter it with a FilterLinc. If it's a switch or some other built-in thing then you'll probably have to replace it.

Not sure where to post this, and this seemed like as good of a place as any....

I've had my system setup for some time with little to no problems, at least nothing that I've not been able to solve; that is until now. We just got back from a one week vacation and now I find that "nothing" is working. It seems that I have lost the ability to connect to my 2413U. This is what I see in the log window:

Interface Failure failed to establish connection with serial interface PowerLinc Modem on port usbserial-A600exmG

I have tried:

1. rebooting
2. unplug/replug 2413U
3. upgrading to the latest indigo, I was one update behind, currently 6.0.14
4. upgrading MacOS, I was one update behind, currently 10.9.4

Nothing has worked. It seems to show up in the "System Report" under Hardware>USB.

What is the next step? Could this be a hardware failure of the 2413U? How can I tell? Should I reset the PowerLinc?

Thanks,
Bob

[matt (support)]

Hi Bob,

Try a factory reset of it:

1) Unplug it from the wall and your Mac.
2) Wait 10 seconds.
3) Press and hold the SET button on the side.
4) Plug into the wall while continuing to hold the SET button.
5) Wait 10+ seconds.
6) Release SET button.
7) Plug USB cable back in and see if Indigo can connect to it. Make sure in the Preferences dialog you have a good serial port selected for it.

If none of that helps, then I believe the 2413U has malfunctioned and you should get it replaced. Note they have a 2 year warranty.

Thanks Matt,

There was no response from the reset, therefore I'll assume it is a major malfunction. Unfortunately it is 3-years old. I just ordered a new one.

Thanks again.

Hi all,

For the past few weeks, I've been having an intermittent problem with my 2413u. It disconnects and stops responding, the LED goes out, and it gives the following log entries:

2014-10-23 02:54:43.119 Error unknown command bytes received 06 15 (ignoring)
2014-10-23 02:54:51.116 Error PowerLinc not responding -- attempting reset
2014-10-23 02:54:51.375 Power Failure possible power failure
2014-10-23 02:54:55.005 Interface Failure lost connection with interface

After that, I can't enable the interface even after unplugging and plugging it back in.

2014-10-23 05:53:27.132 Application Enabling interface "INSTEON Commands 2.0.5"
2014-10-23 05:53:27.134 Application Starting interface "INSTEON Commands 2.0.5" (pid 27531)
2014-10-23 05:53:29.289 Application Started interface "INSTEON Commands 2.0.5"
2014-10-23 05:53:34.429 Interface Failure failed to establish connection with serial interface PowerLinc Modem on port usbserial-A600exI7
2014-10-23 05:54:30.132 Application Closed connection to PowerLinc Modem

After waiting a while, or trying some more, it starts working again. I'm not sure what kicks it going again but I think I have to reconnect power to do it. When it is in failure mode, the Mac system profiler can still see the USB device.

A couple of weeks or so ago, I updated the FTDI driver and this seemed to fix it. At that time, I also plugged the interface into a different USB port, directly on the Mac, so that could also have helped.

I have recently upgraded to Yosemite but the problem started just before that. I just updated to 6.0.18 last night and the latest failure started a couple of hours later, but I suspect that is a coincidence.

Of course, this could be an interface hardware problem but it feels more like software since the computer can still see the interface and it works normally for long stretches. I have a hunch that it could be a driver issue but I don't know why it would have started all of a sudden.

I really hate to buy another interface before I have some confidence that it is indeed a hardware problem. If I do get a replacement, should I get the same device? (I need Insteon and X10).

Any suggestions? Anyone else having similar problems?

Thanks!

--Dave

[matt (support)]

Hi Dave,

This problem normally (as in always so far) ends up being either a malfunctioning PowerLinc, bad USB cable, or power line noise (or a brown out) causing the PowerLinc to get into a bad state. So try swapping USB cables, and you can also try plugging the PowerLinc into a different circuit/outlet (tip: use an extension cord since we are just troubleshooting). The latter will help rule out a signal problem causing it to lock-up.

Thanks, Matt. I already tried all of the suggestions except replacing the PowerLinc. I also have not tried resetting the PowerLinc to factory setup since it was so difficult to set up in the first place.

Question: If I completely reset the modem to factory defaults, do I have to relink it with my Insteon devices or does Indigo somehow remember them and do it for me?

After the reset, if it fails again, I guess I'll have to get a replacement.

--Dave

[matt (support)]

It should work fine after a reset without having to re-Define/Sync devices.

+1 on the dead PowerLinc 2413U. Mine died earlier this week. I'm not happy about manually turning things off and on, when I'm used to Indigo taking care of things

Ah, too bad, RedRocker. I rely on mine completely, especially for my irrigation system. Good news is that mine has been working fine since my last post, even without a reset. I'm hoping that whatever caused the problem is now gone. Probably wishful thinking though.