What is Insteon?

Insteon is a technology that has been specifically developed for home automation to control lights, appliances, thermostats, motion sensors and other electronic devices found in homes. This technology uses both wireless radio frequency (RF) technology and a building's existing electrical wiring to communicate with devices. This dual-band feature makes Insteon the only home control technology which uses both a home’s powerlines and wireless connectivity to create a robust network that can easily connect with all devices even if they are in the basement or in rooms that have thick concrete walls.

In an Insteon network, there are no routers or administrative device. Each device can control (or be controlled) by every other device on the network thereby removing any complicated hierarchy of device profiles. Each device can independently transmit and receive signals. The devices connected in the Insteon mesh act like a repeater that receives and re-transmits every command. So, adding more devices to an Insteon network, actually makes the network stronger and more reliable. Most other mesh networks use complex router tables where only certain modules act like repeaters, making things more complex and less reliable. 

Features / Properties of Insteon:

• Easy to Install: Installation of Insteon in existing homes does not require any new wiring because Insteon products communicate over existing powerline wires as well as wirelessly.
• Instantly Responsive: Insteon messages get through in less than 0.05 seconds - faster than the human eye can detect, so there are no visible delays. Insteon devices respond to commands with no perceptible delay. Insteon’s signaling speed is optimized for home control- fast enough for a quick response.
• Simple to Use: Getting one Insteon device to control another is very simple- just press and hold a button on each device for 10 seconds, and they’re linked. Because commands are confirmed, Insteon products can provide instant feedback to the user, making them straightforward to use and guest friendly.
• Reliable: Insteon is one of the most reliable wireless home-control networking technologies because Insteon devices repeat messages received from other Insteon devices. Also, its dual-mesh communication ensures that there are multiple pathways for messages to travel.
• Affordable: Due to the easy installation, Insteon is very cost-effective. It can be integrated into any number of products easily at a very low cost. The cost of Insteon networking products is very economical because it is designed specifically for home control applications.

Click here to read more about the Insteon technology explained in this whitepaper.