I wondering if anyone has thoughts about using micasaverde vs. the Schlage Link (now known as Nexia) service.
I recently purchased the Vera light and have been getting it set up. I’ve found that it has terrible (or really, non-existent) documentation, particularly around UI5, the web interface is somewhat clunky, the iphone app is way overpriced, and it seems that many work-arounds are needed to get it to work in certain ways or with certain devices. On the plus side, it basically seems to do what it needs to do, offers a fair bit of flexibility and is probably the least expensive option out there.
The Schlage system appears to be better supported – I got a very quick tech support response, along with a phone number to call the service rep, and I’m not even a customer – and have better documentation. It seems to just generally bean easier to use system that does everything you’d want it to do. Of course it comes at a price – you have to buy the initial equipment AND pay $9 per month.
Would be interested in any opinions about the comparative merits of the two systems.
The Schlage setup is very basic and only does a fraction of what Vera can do. Yes, documentation is lacking for UI5 as it is technically still in beta. You can find a lot of information over at wiki.micasaverde.com. Vera is very capable and once you know how to work around the little bugs and know how to use it, it is a very capable system and can not be beat at it’s price point.
As for the iphone app, that is a 3rd party app. MCV does not have any official apps for the phone platforms. All the vera apps you see for both iphone/ipad and android are developed by 3rd party developers, including myself.
Not even a comparison for functionality and flexibility… There are tons of documentation via the wiki as @garrettwp mentioned and an incredibly helpful and active user forum. You do sacrifice great customer support with MCV as they are very understaffed. I suppose we could all pay double and get better support or pay a nice monthly fee…
Not even a comparison for functionality and flexibility… There are tons of documentation via the wiki as @garrettwp mentioned and an incredibly helpful and active user forum. You do sacrifice great customer support with MCV as they are very understaffed. I suppose we could all pay double and get better support or pay a nice monthly fee…[/quote]
Not even a comparison for functionality and flexibility… There are tons of documentation via the wiki as @garrettwp mentioned and an incredibly helpful and active user forum. You do sacrifice great customer support with MCV as they are very understaffed. I suppose we could all pay double and get better support or pay a nice monthly fee…[/quote]
I paid about $250 or so for my Vera 2. Now I would be willing to pay another $250 to have all the bugs ironed out. Oh yeah… and have CONDITIONAL LOGIC! That puts it at about the same price point as homeseer so it sounds reasonable.
But back on topic, I can’t imagine using the Schlage service. It’s so limited that it’s almost humorous. Especially considering the fact that they charge a pretty hefty monthly premium for it and reports indicate that the service is often not working. Oops. Leaving people concerned that their vacation home is flooded, vandalized or frozen. Not worth my $100 / year or so.
[quote=“garrettwp, post:2, topic:170910”]Yes, documentation is lacking for UI5 as it is technically still in beta. You can find a lot of information over at wiki.micasaverde.com.
Garrett[/quote]
What about UI1 - 4? A “wiki” is NOT documentation! I have been an engineer designing datacomm equipment for 20+ years and if I ever released a product as buggy or badly documented as Vera I would likely have been shot, or at the very least fired. People keep justifying a terribly buggy, undocumented product by the low price. Fine. Charge more, fix the problems, and write a user’s manual. I doubt many customers would complain about a slightly higher price if the product actually worked. I could understand a wiki for programming things beyond the basic functionality but the device should at least come with a manual to get you up and running with basic functionality.
Back on topic, I agree the Schlage system is somewhat limited. It has about the same functionality as the ADT Pulse system that I was considering, which is actually what led me to Vera. But if it has the functionality you want, and it works and is easier to use, for some people that is a good tradeoff.
For a circular definition… Quote from Wikipedia “Many wiki communities are private, particularly within enterprises. They are often used as internal documentation for in-house systems and applications. Some companies use wikis to allow customers to help produce software documentation.[26]”
Perhaps this more fits your definition and may help others… Online DOCS Vera has manuals which do walk you through the basic functionality. They simply chose not to print them…
I think that Vera can easily do everything and more that the Schlage system can without the monthly fee. I only tried UI 5 for about 20 minutes before reverting to UI 4 so I can’t comment on how easy it is to set up but I know that in UI 4 it’s really not that difficult. There was a small learning curve for me the first day but I quickly got the hang of things like “scenes” and so forth. Honestly I see no comparison between the aforementioned services and Vera. It’s when you try to make Vera do anything more than turn lights on and off or lock and unlock a door that it begins to have issues. The schlage system doesn’t even offer such abilities. It might allow the user the ability to schedule PIN code validity on a “weekly” basis. I can’t imagine that it doesn’t, but then again, I can’t imagine that Vera doesn’t support it either… and it doesn’t. Apparently its more important to the Vera developers (or is it developer? One guy in a room living on hot pockets and doing only what makes him happy) to produce new awful UI’s that break everything except, you guessed it, the ability to control lights, locks and thermostats.
