This is part 2 of my X10 blog series.
In Part 1, I talked about the X10 kit I purchased. In this part, I will talk about getting the software up and running.
Windows VirtualBox Virtual Machine
The title is a teaser if you are a Linux user. No, I didn’t actually try to use Wine to run ActiveHomePro natively on Linux. I can’t tell you if that works (it probably does?). I have a Windows VM for VirtualBox that I use for all Windows stuff, as I did for ActiveHomePro.
Installation
After you purchase your kit, they send you a link for the software download and the license key. Use the link to download the software to Windows, and use the license key at startup to register your wares.
You do need to have your CM15a plugged in via USB (and plugged into the wall) during installation. Apparently it guides the installer to lay down the right device driver. I didn’t test without it, and maybe it just works anyway?
Note: for VirtualBox users, make sure you allow the VM to access the X10 USB device:
- Devices –> USB –> X10 USB Interface
Installation Trouble
I hit my first hiccup after getting into the ActiveHomePro (AHP) UI. Everything seemed ok, but I tried the Intro Wizard:
- Help –> Run Intro Wizard…
and it told me that it could not communicate with the CM15a. I opened the System Device Manager
- Windows Start –> Control Panel –> System –> Hardware
and noticed there was an exclamation point next to the USB device. I tried updating the driver with the one installed here:
- C:\Program Files\Common Files\X10\DriverInstall\Wireless Transceivers
but that didn’t do anything. I noticed VirtualBox’s USB support was in a weird state (USB submenu wouldn’t render anymore) so did a full reboot of the Windows VM and CM15a.
Just my luck, everything came up ok. So I am off and running.
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