Insteon back up and running, but is the Insteon Hub needed to control Insteon Devices with openHAB

Setup, Configuration and Use Beginners
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  • Platform information:
    • Hardware: OSX and Insteon Hub
    • OS: OS Monterey
    • Java Runtime Environment: which java platform is used and what version
    • openHAB version:
  • Issue of the topic: Is the Insteon Hub needed for openHAB to control Insteon devices
  • Please post configurations (if applicable):
    • Items configuration related to the issue
    • Sitemap configuration related to the issue
    • Rules code related to the issue
    • Services configuration related to the issue
  • If logs where generated please post these here using code fences:
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If you are an Insteon user, you probably know that a group has purchased the old company and turned on their server so that Insteon Hub owners are back in business. However, I, and probably many others, have turned to openHAB to control our Insteon devices, and mine are working fine and on schedule. The issue for me is whether to go back to using the Insteon server for device control and settings. I don’t know that I need it any longer since openHAB is working fine. My concern though is what if my Insteon Hub fails at some point, ie. dies on me? Then how do I control these devices?

So that’s the reason for my question. I’m pretty sure that even though I’m using openHAB to control the devices, that I still need the HUB for openHAB to find the devices. Can someone confirm that for me, or is there a way around that? If a HUB of some sort is needed for openHAB to communicate with the devices, what options are there other than Insteon?

Thanks.

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According to the docs:

This binding provides access to the Insteon network by means of either an Insteon PowerLinc Modem (PLM), a legacy Insteon Hub 2242-222 or the current 2245-222 Insteon Hub.

That seems pretty clear that a hub is required. As a rule-of-thub, any technology that isn’t WiFi will require some sort of extra hardware gateway that OH will use to access the device. Insteon has a proprietary wireless and wired protocol so hardware is going to be required. In Insteon’s case that’s the hub.

4

Yes, a hub or a plm is needed, there is no way around it.

Also using the Insteon app with openHAB is not supported. This is from Known Limitations and Issues.

Using the Insteon Hub 2014 in conjunction with other applications (such as the InsteonApp) is not supported. Concretely, openHAB will not learn when a switch is flipped via the Insteon App until the next poll, which could take minutes.

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Thanks. Yes, I use the openHAB iphone app to control the Insteon devices, and when I’m out of the house, I connect to my home VPN server over my iPhone, iPad, or laptop, and then I can control the devices with the openHAB app. So it does the same thing that the Insteon App does.

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You don’t need to use a VPN server if you set up openHAB cloud connector and myopenhab.org.

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Thanks for the lead. I’ve had my own VPN Server setup on my MacMini for a long time, so it wasn’t a problem for me using that option, plus it also keeps everything under my control vs. relying on others. That’s why the Insteon server and recent problems with the company have been a problem for its devices and users.