List Price: $129.98
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The product really works .. I must say though that I ordered a new device and the packaging arrived with indications that it had been opened in the past and that It was not a new and sealed product. I connected it and it still works so I'm pleased. It sets up in minutes and I was ready to use. please keep in mind that when setting up with your thermostat one thing that threw me off was that your device may not recognize it as being connected while doing your pairing from the settings menu. Pay close attention to the redline indicator on the actual internet device.once it goes solid green you're good even if your thermostat still does not have it as one of your connected devices.
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Pros: This unit is very easy to set up and link to your thermostats. Networking worked like a charm without any hickups or messing around with firewall settings. IMHO Honeywell did an excellent job with the web based communication on this one. It even works fine with the older v1.0 Prestige HD controls. I have two Prestige 1.0 (R5000) thermostats and one new Prestige 2.0 (R5030) and they all work the same with this Gateway. (I noticed that some sellers claim you need Prestige 2.0 for this to work. That is incorrect!)Cons: The unit is designed to be installed next to your desktop computer. It does not come with a wall mount bracket and the base cannot be detached. If you wish to install it on a wall, you have to build a small shelf (the wide base even makes a Velcro or double-sided tape installation tricky). Also beware that the software options are rather limited. You only get what is shown in the on-line demo. The software does not let you configure all the thermostat options, etc. as can be done through the UI on the thermostat.
Another IMPORTANT issue that may not be obvious: You need a functional Internet connection that can access Honeywell's Total Comfort servers that host the control software. If/when your network/ethernet access is limited (for instance LAN only), this modem is useless. The user control interface resides on Honeywell's server and if you can't reach their servers you're stranded! The Gateway does not have a local interface that you can access through your browser or phone. (At least no such interface is documented and currently available to customers).
I don't understand what Honeywell was thinking when they decided on this awkward form factor with a wide base for desktop application. It's like they went back in time and copied the design of a desktop PC modem from the early 90's. Installation of Prestige HD thermostats has to be done professionally, and homes with Prestige HD thermostats are likely to have a structured wiring closet. Who wants their desktop cluttered with an utility modem? Most people will probably want to hook this up straight to their ethernet switch, which is likely to be located in the structured wiring closet. Countertops or shelves are not commonly found in strucured wiring closets, where most devices are wall mounted. Let's see how long it takes for Honeywell to realize this and release Gateway v2.0 :)
Also, I would encourage anyone to try Honeywell's on-line demo. It pretty well demonstrates exactly what you're getting no more, no less. (I expected more features than shown in the demo. Don't make the same mistake, or you may be disappointed).
Update: After using this for more than 6 months, I can say that this modem works completely flawlessly. No network hickups or other oddities whatsoever. It's rock solid and always available. It works just like it should!
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Very easy to connect to the Internet & to the theromostats. The iPhone app is also great!One limitation it only supports up to four thermostats max but you can add another Internet Gateway device to control additional thermostats if you need to. Each internet device can then be "linked" to your online account so that you can see ALL thermostats (e.g. the first 4 and then others (4 per additional internet device)).
Also (this may be because I am new to the device), but I cannot figure out how to delete a thermostat from the device to replace it with another thermostat (this is the situation when I loaded my first four in without knowing of the max 4 limitation. Now I would like to delete one of the thermostats and replace it with another until I get another gateway Internet device). There's nothing online nor via the iPhone app nor in the instruction manual.)
I hope this helps!
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