LinuxMCE Forums

General => Users => Topic started by: sk1 on February 06, 2008, 11:18:36 pm

Title: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: sk1 on February 06, 2008, 11:18:36 pm
I'm looking for, and have been unable to find, IP light switches.  And more importantly, when I do find them, is LMCE going to be able to use them... that is if they exist...

Background: I'm currently building a house and starting the structured wiring in a couple of weeks, and have yet to install LMCE but I will when the house is finished and the core is built.  I think I do not want to use X10 or Zwave for my lighting because I think I want each light switch to have it's own rj45 port.  My google-fu is usually decent, but I am unable to find these devices...

If I am dense, tell me, but I would think this would be the ideal and best set up for my situation...

Skip
Title: Re: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: RichardP on February 07, 2008, 01:52:23 am
I'm looking for, and have been unable to find, IP light switches.  And more importantly, when I do find them, is LMCE going to be able to use them... that is if they exist...

Background: I'm currently building a house and starting the structured wiring in a couple of weeks, and have yet to install LMCE but I will when the house is finished and the core is built.  I think I do not want to use X10 or Zwave for my lighting because I think I want each light switch to have it's own rj45 port.  My google-fu is usually decent, but I am unable to find these devices...

If I am dense, tell me, but I would think this would be the ideal and best set up for my situation...

Skip


Light switches are usually part of a system. You would have a network hookup into some single part of the system, rather than for everydevice. For example CBus from Clipsal has each lightswitch and controller talking to each other via it's own private Cat5 network which carries it's own proprietry protocol. To talk to the system, you would add a network connector. This gives you a single RJ45 to connect to the computer network, and then sends commands down the CBus network. With one of these in the system, you can talk to every CBus device from your computer.

Most other systems would follow a similar philosophy.

Best Regards,
Richard.

Title: Re: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: sk1 on February 08, 2008, 01:55:00 am
Thanks Richard, that makes a lot more sense.  I'll be back with more asinine questions...
Title: Re: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: Loki008 on February 08, 2008, 03:37:27 pm
I'm looking for, and have been unable to find, IP light switches.  And more importantly, when I do find them, is LMCE going to be able to use them... that is if they exist...

Background: I'm currently building a house and starting the structured wiring in a couple of weeks, and have yet to install LMCE but I will when the house is finished and the core is built.  I think I do not want to use X10 or Zwave for my lighting because I think I want each light switch to have it's own rj45 port.  My google-fu is usually decent, but I am unable to find these devices...

If I am dense, tell me, but I would think this would be the ideal and best set up for my situation...

Skip


Why have you ruled out things like Z-wave and Insteon? I understand x10 has reliabilty issues, but i have z-wave at home and it works great. (although i havent set it up for MCE yet.)
Title: Re: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: frodmda on February 09, 2008, 01:16:17 pm
I installed zwave control, and i am amazed on how good it works
Title: Re: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: sk1 on February 09, 2008, 05:12:36 pm
Why have you ruled out things like Z-wave and Insteon?

I just figured since it is new construction, it is not that much harder to run more cat5e everywhere and have the reliability of hard-wired.  I have read too many complaints about x10 and am not sold on any of the 'over power line' technology.  I been looking at Z-wave recently, and to see people are working hard to interface it with LMCE is a good thing.

I've been researching HA (and planning this house) since before LMCE split from Pluto and since I haven't touched a working system I change my mind about everything everyday. 

skip
Title: Re: Hard-wired IP light switches???
Post by: ddamron on February 09, 2008, 05:54:26 pm
Sky1,

Insteon is a Dual Mesh technology that uses RF AND Powerline.
Also, They've turned a common problem in pl communication into a feature.. They LIKE collisions!
I've had Insteon and X10.  Insteon it, literally 14 times faster, and 1500% more reliable.

Keep in mind, your not locked down to one technology.. You can try Insteon or Zwave or Both.

HTH

Dan