new to z- wave

Hi,

I have moved into a new home and have indigo 6 with and Insteon 2413U using just X10 I want to start getting into z-wave but no nothing about it. I also want or would like to maybe use google or alexia to control lights . So is this a daunting task? or am I better to just stick with Insteon ? Also maybe upgrading my thermostat controller.

Thanks
Martin

I see basically two different questions here; 1) using z-wave devices and 2) using alexa to control devices.

1) Many (most?) of us us some combination of z-wave and Insteon devices. A few of us also still have X-10 but I believe that's a small number. My HA system just kind of grew organically and has various devices, mostly Insteon but still a significant number of z-wave devices. Please tell us what you are thinking of controlling in your system.

2) To use Alexa to control devices with Indigo, just download and configure the very nice Alexa-Hue bridge plugin. No need for any extra hardware.

You will probably need to upgrade to Indigo 7 if you want to use many of the Z-wave devices out there. And the Alexa-Hue bridge also requires Indigo 7.

1) I use only Z-Wave, but Jay and many others recommend using Insteon for switching and Z-Wave for sensors. As far as I can tell, the preference for Insteon switches is at least somewhat cosmetic but also construction quality. I use mostly Leviton switches and Cooper outlets for in-wall and Aeon smart modules (dimmers and switches) for plug-in control and have been extremely satisfied and they are very well built. I've started to dabble in other in-wall switches (Homeseer and GE) and those seem fine too, but haven't used them in production. The Homeseer in-wall switches have some nice features that work well with Indigo like double- and triple-taps for additional custom control and LEDs that can be used as custom indicators (like making an LED red to tell you there's a door or window open somewhere). Our front porch switch is a Homeseer switch (with Dragon firmware) and I hit a double-tap on it when I'm going to bed which shuts down the house for the night.

The Z-Wave protocol has some limitations due to distance and the number of 'hops' a command can take, but Insteon also has some limitations too--like line noise interference.

2) Another possibility for voice control is Siri with the HomeKit Bridge plugin. This is the setup I use and it's been incredibly stable for me. I know that some users have had some difficulty with it--but this is due to the underlying libraries that the plugin is must use and not the plugin itself. I believe the HomeKit Bridge plugin also requires Indigo 7.

2) Another possibility for voice control is Siri with the HomeKit Bridge plugin. This is the setup I use and it's been incredibly stable for me.

Great recommendation. I use this as well and its amazing!

WOW, Thanks for the info, lots to learn and study. My new home has both LED and traditional bulbs like in the fans. I would like to control lights with dimmer and fans and thermostat functions.
I will upgrade to the 7 version and look for light switches with Insteon first as I have that already.
I'll keep up updated as to my progress.

Thanks again.
Martin

Ok , I have been looking at Alexa devices and little confused, which device do I get, The smart speaker or can I use the echo plus or the echo dot?

Thanks Martin

It depends if you want music or whether you have Sonos or similar already. The echo dot is what lots/most of us use. You don't have to buy the latest gen 3? Version, so can buy cheaper previous version.

Ok Thanks,
I have a in home music system with my iPad and use Apple air play.

Martin

So possibly only need the echo dot, but don't underestimate the ease of use. If you can make music play with voice rather than during iPad to play on stereo, you or others might just want the echo to play, so either wire dot into the stereo or get the big echo.