New x10 Wi-Fi unit

[Dan1]

The owner has been out of the country and is due back later today.
I'm hoping to get some update before the weekend.

Another holiday in China perhaps?
在中國也許是另一個假期？

[Tuicemen]

 
Not sure where he was but if over there I suspect it wasn't a holiday for him.

[Tuicemen]

I received a email this morning from the owner.
The news wasn't what we were hoping for!
The last test unit Authinx received had connection issues which frustrated everyone testing it.
The manufacture can't recreate these issues so Authinx has some other engineers looking into the cause.
It almost looks like the manufacture is dragging out the development of the unit on purpose.
Unfortunately they don't expect the issue to be rooted out very quickly.

There was some good news that came out of the testing.
Once connection was working the unit performed well making software updates and such a piece of cake.
Sounds like this may be cloud based firmware upgradable.

[bkenobi]

Cloud based?! Hmmm, I think I'm out.

[Tuicemen]

The software itself isn't cloud based.
Sorry about the confusion! My statement was in regard to the firmware upgrades only and that was a presumption on my part.

I quickly received a E-mail from the owner on that cloud based statement.
He wants to ensure everyone that the software is not cloud base as he realizes many users don't wish this.
This is the main issue with the Wi-Fi units development.
Many developers wish to do cloud apps as they are easier and more options are possible.
Getting them to do a non cloud based app and still get the manageability and options Authinx knows users are looking for has been a long process.

[Knightrider]

Powell Crosley recruited engineers from his local college (University of Cincinnati ). Hard to take your  vision to an established crowd set in their ways, even harder when there is a language barrier.
Oh, back to Powell. He set up a company making these new things called radios. When he found out they weren't selling, he created his own radio station, which at one time generated 1 million watts of Effective radiated power (war time) and had custom vac tube made that were water cooled to power his 500,000 watt rig. As I am right now in Mason Ohio admiring the diamond tower for 700 WLW, I am pleased that even though they are now cut to 50,000 watts, they are still heard in 38 states at night, and remain just a few with "clear channel" night time privileges.

[HA Dave]

The software itself isn't cloud based.
.....  Getting them to do a non cloud based app and still get the manageability and options Authinx knows users are looking for has been a long process.

No offense to anyone... but why on Earth would anyone want to avoid technology... when developing a technology product?!?!?!

Authinx is apparently trying to replicate yesterdays technology. My house came with standardized (yesterdays) technology. Adding a remote so I can turn incandescence lights on and off (although almost magical in 1976) isn't such a big deal these days. Really useful technology requires computers with smart software that give the appearance of life-like thinking... period. To accomplish this we need really great software and a good internet connected computer running 24/7.... or we need a little processor and an app that connects to the cloud. There just ain't no other way to do it.

No wonder this program isn't getting finished. It has no vision. It has no direction.

[Tuicemen]

No wonder this program isn't getting finished. It has no vision. It has no direction.

Actually the program(app) is finished and ready to go, I'm told. ( however is any program ever really complete?)
The issue now is the unit which may just be a quality control issue (which wouldn't surprise me) since this is the same manufacture that x10 WTI used.
Authinx has been attempting to enable this software to do things only possible with cloud based software and have succeeded to a great extent which is great news.

To accomplish this we need really great software and a good internet connected computer running 24/7.... or we need a little processor and an app that connects to the cloud. There just ain't no other way to do it

This is not true!
It use to be only running a PC 25/7 was, now the cloud has expanded this.
Tinny little processors which run these little apps connecting to the cloud are in most cases more powerful then the PC you first used for HA running 24/7.
With progress possibilities get expanded sticking with the easy way (cloud based software) may progress things faster.
However the easy way is not always the best way.
Serves go down,slowdown, get hacked, in fact everything that can happen to your software can happen to cloud based software. When this happens thousands are affected and with no way to control any thing rendering your setup useless.
Hundreds of companies have had issues with cloud based software and yet they stick with because many think there is no other way!

I think Authinx has been listening to users and trying to give them cloud base functions with out a cloud based software!
This is something X10WTI didn't do (listen)! Kudos to Authinx for listening!

Now Authinix hasn't moved completely away from cloud based software, just look at their new Linked line cameras.
However these save images to a SD so if the server is down or the software crashes you still have access to your images.
In fact you can set these up to run totally off line too.

[bkenobi]

As discussed before, cloud control isn't a negative as long as it's optional. When that is the only way to control your device and the cloud (or whatever)goes down, you may have worse than a dumb device. If the device has no local control, how do you control your lights, garage door, entry dead bolt, etc.

[JeffVolp]

I agree with Tuicemen.  There is no way I would want control of my home handled by the cloud.  Look at the nightmare with ActiveHome Pro when the X10 WTI servers went down.  Who knows what will happen in the cloud over the next 10 - 20 - 30 years.  I want my automation system running on MY hardware and controlled by software in MY home that is not reliant on anything external.  Like other software I've purchased, each application should include a key that can be used to re-register the software if it is re-installed without requiring any external connection.

Jeff

[Tuicemen]

There is no way I would want control of my home handled by the cloud.  Look at the nightmare with ActiveHome Pro when the X10 WTI servers went down.  Who knows what will happen in the cloud over the next 10 - 20 - 30 years.

And for those that have so quickly forgotten about AHP, look at Nest. Thousands woke up to freezing homes and the only way to get the device software to work again for many was to return the device for repair and software reinstall losing all settings.

[Brian H]

I have seen reports of large outages with the Cloud Based Comcast X1 System. When some major issues happened.

[HA Dave]

There is no way I would want control of my home handled by the cloud. ......  Who knows what will happen in the cloud over the next 10 - 20 - 30 years.

And for those that have so quickly forgotten about AHP, look at Nest. Thousands woke up to freezing homes and the only way to get the device software to work again for many was to return the device for repair and software reinstall losing all settings.

I have seen reports of large outages with the Cloud Based Comcast X1 System. When some major issues happened.

You are all 100% correct! There is no way automation will EVER be completely fail-proof and absolutely reliable. For that matter... even my Electric Provider... fails me 3-4 days a year. What-to-do.... what-to-do?

We can pretend that without the latest technology... our automation will be just-as-good or good-enough. Or just pretend that good-enough really is... good enough. But if that was actually true.... we can still buy replacement parts and pieces.... so why are we here?

But even that... doesn't solve the problems of getting vendors to produce inferior (old technology) products. So... they drag their feet.... and wait for X10 to come around and realize what has to be done. While we wait.

[Tucson]

I received a email this morning from the owner.
The news wasn't what we were hoping for!
The last test unit Authinx received had connection issues which frustrated everyone testing it.
The manufacture can't recreate these issues so Authinx has some other engineers looking into the cause.
It almost looks like the manufacture is dragging out the development of the unit on purpose.
Unfortunately they don't expect the issue to be rooted out very quickly.

There was some good news that came out of the testing.
Once connection was working the unit performed well making software updates and such a piece of cake.
Sounds like this may be cloud based firmware upgradable.

Any updates

[Tuicemen]

I fired off an email this morning asking for a update.
I also haven't heard anything since my last update noting a connection issue with the latest test module Authinx has.
It was tested in multiple locations to be sure it wasn't just the router.
The issue was the same running it in different locations.
As soon as I get a update I'll post it here!