Cortana Connected Home is promising new feature. This discussion is intended for users to share their knowledge and experience with this feature to the broader community.
1.) Cortana Connected Home - Insteon Hubs
Cortana Connected Home is enabled with Insteon Hub model 2245-222, NOT 2242-222 or 2243-222.
A.) The following Insteon Hub models are enabled to work with Cortana Connected Home:
- Cortana Connected Home is enabled to work with Insteon Hub models which are certified to work with Amazon Alexa.
- Insteon Hub model 2245-222
is enabled to work with Cortana Connected Home.
- 2245-222 is also known as:
- Hub2
- Insteon Hub (2014)
- 2245-222 is available either standalone, or as part of various Insteon starter kits which are
certified to work with Amazon Alexa. Some examples are:
- 2244-234
- 2244-372
- 2245-222 is also known as:
- You will first need to configure the 2245-222 hub using the Insteon for Hub app, which is available via the Windows Store, IOS or Android.
- Once you have your devices discovered on the Hub, you can connect to the Insteon service via Cortana Notebook -> Connected Home.
- Under "Connected Home" select "Enable."
- Connect to the Insteon service, loging in with your credentials
- Cortana will then discover whatever devices have been previously discovered on the 2245-222 hub linked to your Insteon account.
- To add new devices, first discover and configure them on the 2245-222 hub, then return to Cortana Notebook -> Connected Home, and Cortana will automatically perform device discovery again to check for new devices.
B.) The following Insteon Hub models are NOT enabled to work with Cortana Connected Home:
- Insteon Hub model 2242-222 is
NOT enabled to work with Cortana Connected Home (or Amazon Alexa).
- In Build 1709 Cortana Connected Home will NOT inform you that the 2242-222 is not compatible,
and will show the Insteon service as "Connected."
- When initially attempting to connect using a 2242-222, Cortana will respond with "Something went wrong. Try again later."
- However, after the initial "Try again later" message, the Insteon service will actually show as "Connected," and will perform period device discovery without generating any error messages.
- However, Cortana will respond to any Insteon related commands with "There are no devices for me to control."
- Note: The Amazon Alexa Insteon Skill discovers the 2242-222 in a disabled state, and provides a notice that the 2242-222 is not supported, and recommends updating to the 2245-222.
- Model 2242-222 is also known as:
- Insteon Hub (2012)
- Model 2242-222 was sold standalone through around 2014 but was discontinued.
- However, the 2242-222 is reported to be included with certain Insteon Starter Kits which are still being sold online, such as:
- 2582-222
- In Build 1709 Cortana Connected Home will NOT inform you that the 2242-222 is not compatible,
and will show the Insteon service as "Connected."
- Insteon Hub model 2243-222 is designed for Apple HomeKit, and is
NOT enabled to work with either Cortana or Alexa.
- Model 2243-222 is also known as:
- Insteon Hub Pro
- Insteon Hub for HomeKit
- Insteon Hub (HomeKit Enabled)
- Model 2243-222 is also known as:
2.) Cortana Connected Home - Insteon Devices
Insteon Device compatibility chart:
| Insteon Device Model | Windows 10 (Build 1709) / IOS 11 | Harman Kardon Invoke |
| 2486D KeypadLinc Dimmer v.2D (x01x09x00) | Success* | Success* |
| 2486D KeypadLinc Dimmer v.26 (x01x09x26) | Success* | Success* |
| 2486DWH8 KeypadLinc Dimmer v.2C (x01x0Cx00) | Success* | Success* |
| 2486DWH8 KeypadLinc Dimmer v.2C (x01x0Cx2C) | Success* | Success* |
| 2486DWH8 KeypadLinc Dimmer v.35(x01x1Cx35) | Success* | Success* |
| 2334-2 KeypadLinc Dimmer v.43 (x01x42x43) | Success* | Success* |
| 2476D SwitchLinc Dimmer v.27 (x01x01x27) | Success | Success |
| 2476D SwitchLinc Dimmer v.35 (x01x01x35) | Success | Success |
| 2476D SwitchLinc Dimmer v.37 (x01x01x37) | Success | Success |
| 2457D2 LampLinc v.41 (x01x0Ex41) | Success | Success |
| 2856D2 Icon LampLinc 2 Pin v.38 (x01x07x38) | Success | Success |
| 2475S In-LineLinc Relay v.33 (x02x10x33) | Success | Success |
| 2845-292 Hidden Door Sensor (Rev 1.5) | Fail | Fail |
| 2450 IOLinc v.36 (x07x00x36) | Fail | Fail |
| Compacta EZIO 2x4 Insteon I/O Controller v.92(x07x03xFF) | Fail | Fail |
| 2441V Thermostat Adapter v.95 (x05x03x95) | Fail* (Cortana acknowledges command, but thermostat not updated) | Fail* (Cortana acknowledges command, but thermostat not updated) |
| 2441TH | Success | Success |
| 2441-222 | Fail | Fail |
*For Insteon KeypadLinc 5 or 8 button controller devices, Cortana Connected Home only controls load on/off (button 1 and 5 in five button mode, and button 1 in eight button mode). This is similar behavior to the "Insteon for Hub" app. The remaining buttons are controller buttons, and normally only act as responders in scenes where the backlight status of a particular control button has been programmed to sync to the on/off status of a target responder scene/device linked to that control button. Backlight status linking can be established manually, or via a more advanced controller system such as the Universal Devices ISY series. (The ISY series is not enabled with the Cortana Connected Home Insteon skill, but can be used in parallel to a 2245-222 to provide more advanced automation, programming and connectivity, with basic Cortana connectivity being provided via the 2245-222.)
3.) Cortana Connected Home - Insteon-related commands
A.) Scenes: Cortana Connected Home does not currently support Insteon scenes, but you can group devices by prefix instead.
- Cortana Connected Home currently only discovers and controls Insteon devices, not Insteon scenes.
- Cortana Connected Home on the Harman Kardon Invoke will group device commands by prefix, which can be used to create pseudo-scene. Prefix grouping had some limitations in Windows 10 (Build 1709), but has a robust implementation as of Build 1803.
- Note: Amazon Alexa and Google Home can control Insteon devices and scenes using a Universal Devices Home Connect account, but this requires a Universal Devices ISY Insteon controller and a yearly fee.
B.) Rooms: Cortana Connected Home will group on/off commands by prefix.
- Cortana Connected Home will group device names by prefixes such as "Kitchen," "Dining Room," Living Room," etc.
- Cortana will then assume that the word "Lights" is not necessarily part of any device name, but rather a postscript to a command such as "Hey Cortana, turn off the [device name] lights," or "Hey Cortana, turn off the [$room] lights," where $room= all devices
starting with the same prefix (e.g. "Kitchen," "Dining Room," etc.).
- In Windows 10 (Build 1709) and older IOS 11 builds, this behavior worked with the singular postscript "light" instead of the plural "lights."
- In Windows 10 (Build 1803) and current IOS app, this works properly with the plural "lights."
| Command | Windows 10 (Build 1803) / IOS 11 | Harman Kardon Invoke |
| "Turn [on, off] the lights." | Success | Success |
| "Turn on all the lights." | Success | Success |
| "Turn off all the lights." | Success | Success |
| "Lights [on, off]." | Success | Success |
| "Light [on, off]." | Success | Success |
| "Set the lights to [n] percent." | Success | Success |
| "Set the light to [n] percent." | Success | Success |
| "Dim the lights." | Success | Success |
| "Dim the light." | Success | Success |
| "Dim lights." | Success | Success |
| "Dim light." | Success | Success |
| "Dim the lights by [n] percent." | Success | Success |
| "Dim the light by [n] percent." | Success | Success |
|
“Are the kitchen lights on?” [Device Name = "Kitchen Lights" or "Kitchen"] |
Fail (Cortana will recognize the device, but respond with "I can't query your devices yet.) Note: This command is explicitly provided by Microsoft one of three featured example commands for the Insteon service: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cortana/skills/featured/insteon |
Fail ("Actually, I can't query your devices yet.) Note: This command is explicitly provided by Microsoft one of three featured example commands for the Insteon service: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cortana/skills/featured/insteon |
|
“Is the kitchen light on?” [Device Name = "Kitchen Light" or "Kitchen"] |
Fail ("Let me check. I can't query your devices yet.) | Fail ("Actually, I can't query your devices yet.) |
|
“Is the Kitchen Table on?” [Device Name = "Kitchen Table"] |
Fail ("Let me check. I can't query your devices yet.) | Fail ("Actually, I can't query your devices yet.) |
|
"Turn [on, off] the Kitchen Lights." [Device Name = "Kitchen Lights". |
Success. Turns [on, off] device "Kitchen Lights. |
Success. Turns [on, off] device "Kitchen Lights. |
|
"Turn [on, off] the Kitchen lights." [Device Name = "Kitchen"] |
Success. Turns [on, off] device "Kitchen." | |
|
"Turn [on, off] the Kitchen Light." [Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower"] |
Success. Turns on all lights named with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Turns on all lights named with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Turn [on, off] the Kitchen Lights." [Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower"] |
Success. Turns off all lights named with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Turns off all lights named with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Turn [on, off] the Kitchen." [Device Name = "Kitchen"] |
Success. Turns [on,off] device "Kitchen." | Success. Turns [on,off] device "Kitchen." |
| "Set the Kitchen lights to [n] percent." [Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower"] |
Success. Sets all lights named with prefix "Kitchen" to 50% dimming level. | Success. Sets all lights named with prefix "Kitchen" to 50% dimming level. |
| "Set the Kitchen lights to [n] percent."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower"] |
Success. Sets all lights named with prefix "Kitchen" to 50% dimming level. | Success. Sets all lights named with prefix "Kitchen" to 50% dimming level. |
| "Dim the Kitchen." [Device Name = "Kitchen"] |
Success. "Turning down kitchen" lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Dim the Kitchen lights."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Lower the Kitchen lights."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Lower the Kitchen."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Turn down the Kitchen lights."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. Lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. "Dimming Kitchen lights" raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Turn down the Kitchen light."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. "Dimming Kitchen light" lowers dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. "Dimming Kitchen light" raising dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Turn up the Kitchen." [Device Name = "Kitchen"] |
Success. Raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Turn up the Kitchen lights."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. Raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Raise the Kitchen lights."
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Success. Raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." | Success. Raises dimming level of all lights with prefix "Kitchen." |
| "Raise the Kitchen light"
[Device Name = "Kitchen," "Kitchen Cabinets - Lower," "Kitchen Overhead," etc.] |
Inconsistent/unexpected. Turns on all lights with prefix "Kitchen" rather than raising their dimming level. (When you say "turn up the Kitchen lights," Cortana responds "Raising kitchen lights" and increases the dimming level, but if you say "Raise the kitchen lights" she turns them on instead.) | Inconsistent/unexpected. Turns on all lights with prefix "Kitchen" rather than raising their dimming level. (When you say "turn up the Kitchen lights," Cortana responds "Raising kitchen lights" and increases the dimming level, but if you say "Raise the kitchen lights" she turns them on instead.) |
|
"Turn [on, off] the Dining Room Lights." [Device Name = "Dining Room Lights" or "Dining Room." |
Success | Success |
| "Turn [on, off] the Dining Room Lamp." | Success | Success |
| "Set Thermostat to [n] degrees." | ||
| "Set Thermostat to [n] degrees." | Success | Success |
| "Make it [warmer, cooler] in here" |
Success with 2441TH. In Heat or Cool mode, [raises, lowers] set point by 2 °F. In Auto mode, changes the Heat/Cool set points based on logic that requires further testing and analysis to properly explain, but which shows initial indications of having been designed to respond differently based on various room temperature scenarios. |
Success with 2441TH. In Heat or Cool mode, [raises, lowers] set point by 2 °F. In Auto mode, changes the Heat/Cool set points based on logic that requires further testing and analysis to properly explain, but which shows initial indications of having been designed to respond differently based on various room temperature scenarios. |
| "Set thermostat to [warm, cool]." | Success | Success |
| "Set Thermostat to [n] degrees." |
Success with 2441TH Fail with 2441V. Fail with 2732-222. |
Success with 2441TH Fail with 2441V. Fail with 2732-222. |
