My SimpleHomeNet EZSrve home automation gateway arrived yesterday. Here are my first impressions:
- Installation is a snap. There's not much in the box. You simply plug the EZSrve into a power socket, then connect the included Ethernet cable to a home router or Ethernet switch. The unit is the same size as an Insteon Access Point or LampLinc module.
- Adding Insteon devices to your EZSrve will identify any Insteon communication gaps in your home. Adding the first three SwitchLincs to the EZSrve was easy. Using the pushbutton method, I named the new device in the EZSrve Web application, clicked Save, then pressed a SwitchLinc paddle for about 5 seconds.
- The EZSrve refused to add the next three SwitchLincs no matter how many times I tried. With the help of the SimpleHomeNet forums, I learned that my EZSrve wasn't able to communicate properly with the stubborn devices. Two changes allowed me to add the remainder of my SwitchLincs: first, I moved one of my Access Points to a different location (it was on the same outlet as my HP MediaSmart Server); second, I added an additional device (each Insteon device improves communication reliability).
- The Web interface is a bit awkward, but functional. To SimpleHomeNet's credit, they are actively working on the device firmware including the Web interface, so it will continue to improve over time.
- The trickiest part of using the Web interface is finding the IP address for the EZSrve. I used the Airport configuration utility to get a list of IP addresses in use on my Airport Extreme, followed by a bit of trial and error. You can set a static IP address, which is probably a good idea so it doesn't move around.
- For programmers, SimpleHomeNet provides an open source utility demonstrating how to communicate with several of their devices including the EZSrve. It's called the SimpleHomeNet Utility Suite. It is a powerful tool in its own right, but a goldmine of information if you plan to write your own code with the XML interface.
- SimpleHomeNet provides excellent support through their online forums. They are very responsive and helpful.
Tonight, I configured a basic timer to turn on exterior pot lights after sunset and turn them off at 11 pm. It worked flawlessly.
Overall, I am very happy with the EZSrve and looking forward to doing some programming with it.