Icon Appliance Adapter User’s Guide
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ABOUT INSTEON
Understanding Why an INSTEON Network Is Reliable
INSTEON messages travel throughout the home via Powerline Carrier (PLC) signals on the existing
house wiring, and also via wireless Radio Frequency (RF). As the messages make their way to
INSTEON devices being controlled, they are picked up and retransmitted by all other INSTEON devices
along the way. This method of communicating, called a
mesh network
, is very reliable because each
additional INSTEON device helps to support the overall network.
To further ensure reliability, every INSTEON device confirms that it has received a command. If an
INSTEON Controller does not receive this confirmation, it will automatically retransmit the command up to
five times.
Further Enhancing Reliability
As signals travel via the powerline or RF throughout the home, they naturally
become weaker the farther they travel. The best way to overcome signals getting
weaker is to increase the coverage of the mesh network by introducing more
INSTEON devices.
It is possible that some audio-video products, computers, power strips or other
electrical equipment may attenuate INSTEON signals on the powerline. You can
temporarily unplug suspected devices to test whether the INSTEON signal
improves. If it does, then you can plug in filters available from Smarthome that will
permanently fix the problem.
Using Access Points to Upgrade Your INSTEON Network
Access Points are ideal for improving signal strength and network coverage throughout your home. In
addition, using two Access Points provides a wireless path for INSTEON signals to travel between the
two separate electrical circuits, called
powerline phases
, found in most homes. Without a reliable method
for coupling opposite powerline phases, some parts of your home may receive INSTEON signals
intermittently. With at least one Access Point plugged into one of the powerline phases, and at least one
more plugged into the opposite powerline phase, INSTEON powerline signals will be strong everywhere
in your home.
