Homeowner Forum / Home Automation / October 2004

Cast my vote between Fair, poor and they don't work. The things I can
get working are the modules, some things that are poor are the super
socket and socket rocket, and the things that don't work are the
wireless cameras (they interfere with my wireless network).

The reasons I use them are:

1) They're the cheapest thing on the market (everything else is either
  high end ore requires major home rework).
2) I understand the technology and can work around it's flaws.
3) I can use most of the interfaces under something other than Windows
  (most notably Linux)
4) I can get better quality from other vendors such as ACT, Leviton,
  etc.
5) Nothing better has come along that I can use (ZWave sounds nice but
  it looks like I'll never be able to use it with Linux).

Which product lines?

The modules are fair.  They're cheap and /mostly/ reliable.  As reliable as
the underlying technologies are.  The wall switches stink.  They work but
their switch action is really cheesy.  The wireless IR transmitters work but
are a pain to babysit and reprogram when their batteries die.  The range on
the RF receivers is heavily impacted by old construction.  Old plaster and
lathe seems to severely reduce the distances at which the remote
transmitters will function.  BE WARNED here, for adding more receivers often
makes things worse.

Their software has, in the past, sucked.  No better way to put it.  Dunno if
the current version of Active Home sucks any less but I'm not going to shell
out ANY money to get burned on it.  And given the adventures they're putting
people through with trying it with the new USB interface I'm not seeing much
that makes me interested.

The video stuff likewise stinks.  Even in the best of conditions the signal
quality is terrible.  Given that it uses 2.4gHz it can negatively impact a
WiFi network.

All that said, it may be that the low price point of X10 stuff attracts a
lot of people.  Unfortuantely a lot of them may end up turned off by home
automation because of how poorly many X10 devices perform.  Granted a little
blame could be shouldered by higher-than-realistic expections but not very
much.  This may well be a significant reason why more people aren't trying
home automation.  Thus without customers there's not the usual economy of
scale factors that would drive down the prices.

So does X10 stuff stink?  Yes but it's been only game in town at that price
point.