Totally New to Home Automation

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  • Last Post 05 August 2013
Axial-User posted this 05 August 2013

Hello all, I hope this post is appropriate for this forum...

I have just purchased my first home, and am totally new to Home Automation(HA). I have done my bit of research, and decided to go with Z-Wave to implementing my HA needs.

1. What I am uncertain of, is where InControl falls in the grand scene of HA. I have seen the Aeon Labs USB sticks, the various Z-Wave devices such as switches etc, and things such as VeraLite. What I do not know, is how it all ties together. Is an Aeon Labs USB stick+InControl Pro the "custom" version of going with something like a VeraLite?

2. I know InControl runs on a PC, and I have a 24x7 server which it would go on. But, what happens when I reboot my server? Do I lose access to controlling my HA goods, other than physically?


In closing, I am looking for the most versatile and powerful solution for my HA needs. Hoping to get some futureproofing in terms of Controllers. If anyone could chime in with some insight, I would greatly appreciate it.

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ilgarx posted this 05 August 2013

When you buy the Z-wave stick whether its the first version or the second one which i prefer and install the app on your phone you have to create and account and download the free version of Incontrol Ha server, yes you can get the other one but it doesnt really matter. I personally use the free version and it works great as well. When you open the server on your computer it will ask you control setup, there are 3 i personally have a z-wave stick and that how i control my home. How this works is you have to first plugin the stick into your computer and then from there you have to update some drivers which is also available on this website. It took me a while to figure out how to use this system but in the end i got it. After you install the drivers you have to setup the control setup. Doing so you will need to find the port which your usb stick is connected to. If you dont know you would go to control panel and go to device manager and then go into ports and you will see which port your z-wave stick is plugged in. After that you write the port in and the computer suppose to find the port and connect the z-wave with the computer to communicate. I suggest buying something useful like for example an outlet because u can control your ac and etc how ever the outlet has two ports but only 1 of them is wireless meaning u can only plugin one item into the double port that you will be able to control with your phone. you will need to have internet on your phone whether its optimum wifi hotspot or 4G internet you will need anykind of internet to turn your ac or etc from far away, even from other countries.

ilgarx posted this 05 August 2013

And yes you would have to restart your z-wave every time you reboot your pc or even close the program the server has to be running on your pc, make sure it doesnt go to sleep.

Ryan-Scott posted this 05 August 2013


1. What I am uncertain of, is where InControl falls in the grand scene of HA. I have seen the Aeon Labs USB sticks, the various Z-Wave devices such as switches etc, and things such as VeraLite. What I do not know, is how it all ties together. Is an Aeon Labs USB stick+InControl Pro the "custom" version of going with something like a VeraLite?


InControl gives you the ability to perform advanced automation tasks on your HA devices. You could setup your motion sensors to watch for motion and turn the AC off when the house is empty, for example. Or create a nice movie scene that dims your lights when you play your movie. Additionally, InControl gives you the ability to control things from your smart phone while either at home or remotely from outside the home.


2. I know InControl runs on a PC, and I have a 24x7 server which it would go on. But, what happens when I reboot my server? Do I lose access to controlling my HA goods, other than physically?


You can have InControl run as a service so that when/if your server reboots it starts up automatically. This is an option in the Tools/Options menu.


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