ControLinc Owner’s Manual
ABOUT INSTEON
Using Dual-Band INSTEON Devices to Upgrade Your Network
What are phases?
The majority of single-family homes in North America have two phases (or “legs”) of 110 Volts coming into
their electricity panels. From the panel, they are distributed throughout the home, providing power to
outlets and wall switches. These phases come together in some parts of the home to provide 220 Volts of
power to large appliances, such as an electric oven or pool pump.
Why do I need to bridge these phases?
Single-band power line devices send commands via the home’s electricity, but only on a single phase. If
the command is intended for a device on the opposite phase, there is a good chance the command will
go unnoticed. Installing dual-band INSTEON devices, such as Access Points (#2443), on each phase will
allow for devices to communicate between the two phases via RF.
Dual-band INSTEON devices embody the full potential of a true INSTEON mesh network. Taking the
power line band signal and working in conjunction with the RF band signal, its dual-band function plays
out in two ways:
•
Phase bridger – a receiver of commands, reacting to and translating signals sent from one power
phase to the opposite via RF
•
Signal repeater – a participant in an INSTEON network, repeating commands intended for other
devices whether those commands are generated from RF or power line-only devices. To ensure
reliability, every INSTEON device confirms that it has received a command. If a Controller does
not receive this confirmation, it will automatically retransmit the command up to five times.
While using at least one dual-band device is required when using an RF-only device, at least two dual-
band devices are recommended to ensure reliable communication across two-phase home wiring
systems. For larger applications, it is recommended to install at least one dual-band device for every 750
– 1,000 square feet.
Search for dual-band INSTEON devices at:
www.smarthome.com/dualband
Important Note about INSTEON Networks; Split Single-Phase vs. 3-Phase
Installation
For the best INSTEON network performance, be sure you have properly installed at least two Access
Points or other dual-band INSTEON devices. INSTEON has only been officially tested in a split single-
phase residential environment, but has been known to work in many 3-phase systems, where three dual-
band devices are used (one on each phase). However, due to the potential complexity of its
troubleshooting, the INSTEON Gold Support Line is unable to support INSTEON in 3-phase
environments.
Further Enhancing Reliability
As signals travel via the power line or RF throughout the home, they naturally become weaker the farther
they travel. The best way to overcome weakened signals is to increase the coverage of the mesh network
by introducing more INSTEON devices.
It is possible that some audio-video devices, computers, power strips, or other electrical equipment may
attenuate INSTEON signals on the power line. You can temporarily unplug suspected devices to test
whether the INSTEON signal improves. If it does, then you can plug in filters that will permanently fix the
problem.
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