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  • Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 18, 2008 at 7:09 pm
    Post count: 29
    #40097

    I seem to spend a lot of time managing links. I’ve seen some posts where folks don’t really want to know what the links on their devices look like, but having broken links can cause a lot of unnecessary signal traffic. For example, if you remove a device and then do not delete the links in the devices it was linked to, the orphaned devices will keep trying to communicate with the missing device (three tries normally I think). I have also seen several cases of duplicated links where I manually linked two devices more than once.

    So it would be nice to have some software (EZServe or the utility suite) that would scan all of the devices for broken and duplicated links. Maybe it could even produce a report so you could could confirm before it fixed/deleted a link. This could be done by analyzing the devices3.xml file for the EZServe, but that would only work if the user has been diligent about synching EZServe with the devices. A better, but slower solution would be to scan all of the devices on the network.

    Any progress on this would be appreciated. Or maybe such an independent application already exists? If so, I would love to hear about it.

    Mitch

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 18, 2008 at 8:08 pm
    Post count: 1001
    #42409

    It is called PowerHome. Does all you discussed.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 19, 2008 at 4:26 pm
    Post count: 29
    #42410

    Thanks for the reply. That solution is a little on the pricey side unless you are going to take advantage of other features of Powerhome. I was actually hoping the guys at SHN would consider putting link management into the next release of the utility suite.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 20, 2008 at 2:21 am
    Post count: 1001
    #42411

    I obviously don’t speak for SHN. Link Management you ask for is a major item. A large investment in time and resources to put into a program for which there is no means to recover that expenditure. I put this question to all users who read this, Would you be willing to pay for such a product? SHN put a survey up last year I think and the majority of responders were not willing to pay for enhancements to the Utility. They preferred a free Utility with its limitations rather than pay for an improved version.

    If a significant number of users were willing to pay for that function it might get some attention. Also, the source for the Utility is open to the public. Anyone who would like to add that function is free to use the source and build additional function. SHN has accepted improvements from one user which from memory became 1.76.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 20, 2008 at 2:41 am
    Post count: 29
    #42412

    Something in-between would be nice. PowerHome looks like a nice product, but overkill if all you want to do is manage links. The software requires a PLC, so the investment is pretty steep if you don’t already have one. The problem with charging for a product is then you have more pressure to support it. Let’s see what the new utility looks like. They said something about “link management” in one of the posts, so maybe it will do at least some of the tasks I suggested.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 20, 2008 at 3:36 am
    Post count: 1001
    #42413

    As an FYI, PowerHome also runs on a PLM. I ran with a PLC on PH1 and for a few weeks on PH2 before switching to a PLM. I believe the PLM is faster and no more need for SDM3. PH1 was less expensive, with lifetime migration to all future updates and releases, including PH2, free.

    I agree that the function is nice to have. My use of PowerHome is primarily link management. Some HA, mostly Text to Speech. Timers and the like are in EZSrve because I don’t have to depend on the PC for a working house.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    November 20, 2008 at 5:13 am
    Post count: 256
    #42414

    Lee does point out the good reasons why free software would not offer the functionality of PH. However, we felt that an update to the utility in this area would be appreciated. Please see announcement about enhnced links management coming this week on the SHN (Still Free) Utility Suite.

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