I was a bit skeptical when I took the preliminary sales webinar describing the price points and features of the MX Home Pro system. I didn't think that URC could deliver on some of the claims. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I was extremely impressed with the time it took to set up the system, the efficiency of the cloud, and the lack of issues. The app is fantastic, and the app launcher makes it easy to jump from an app and back to the home pro. While the remote showed a bit of sluggishness at first, once the system settled in it worked nicely. The homeowner was extremely happy, and the ability to control SONOS and Lutron Caseta through the remote with full two way meta data was awesome.

As a dealer, I have the ability to push updates to the system remotely with incredible ease. And if the channel favorites the homeowner created himself ever change, it updates automatically thanks to Gracenote.

URC did an incredible job with this system and I hope the cloud based trend continues on. While there are some ideas I have that can improve the oveerall programming experience, it was still quite easy and did everything I needed it to.

What did you think of the R500 wifi remote?

The R500 offers excellent value for the price tag. Could it be faster? For sure. Could the remote feel more substantial with more weight? Yes. But for the price it does a great job. As long as you understand what this control system is about you will be very happy with it. For those who desire more, step up to the TC system which can offer a higher end experience. Certainly this system allows us to give a user experience that encapsulates some of the features of a full blown TC system at a fraction of cost.

How did you set up the base unit? Is it on WiFi or did you connect via CAT5?

I have heard reports that when connecting via WiFi if connection was lost then the base unit had to be rebooted.

To be honest, I am no fan of Wi-Fi. To me, it's a workaround and sacrifice, not another option. If that is happening I don't know about it, but I tend to take one's network experiences with a grain of salt. Not trying to blame end-users, but you need a good network (both Wi-Fi and wired) to support a control system and media these days. If the Wi-Fi connection is getting "lost" it implies that there is an underlying problem that needs to be addressed before any blame is passed to the product. That is just my opinion.

Regardless, if the product is designed to utilize wifi, than it should not require a reboot if the wifi signal is lost.

One would wonder why the signal is being lost. Conceptually your right, but there are prerequisites and best practices when installing a control system that need to be observed. To just make a blanket statement like that about a product is not helpful unless some level of troubleshooting is done. I dont remember the last network I used for installation that had a "whenever it drops out" attached to it.

You can install Araknis to Ruckus, Netgear or Cisco, it all can drop out. When internet drops out and returns, just about every device out there will simply jump right back on the network when it is available. So yes, the blanket statement that a device designed to use wifi should NOT require a reboot when signal drops and returns is absolutely valid

We tested MXHomePro a few months back and with a Luxul basic router (XWR-600), any drop in service would cause the MXHomePro hub to lose connection. The hub was connected via WiFi. It would then need to be power-cycled to regain connection. None of the other devices in the house acted similarly...they all acted as networked devices should and came back on-line as soon as the network was up.

We changed the network to an Araknis router, AP and switch. Months later, the MxHomePro hub hasn't has an issue since.

Thanks for the input. While I agree with Golden's statement about what a control should do on an outage followed by reconnect, that doesn't mean it disqualifies the network as the culprit. I remember having a client who had a Luxul switch in his rack, and whenever he lost power, the switch would disconnect everything on it from the network. It would have to be power cycled in order to get it to work. I removed the luxul switch and replaced it with something better, and that problem never happened again.

At my home where I do most of my testing I am using a MikroTIk router with Ruckus WAPS, Ruckus ZD and Pakedge switches. Using an MXHomePro connected to wireless, I disconnected my WAPS 6 separate times and each and every time the MXHomePro connected back without issue. I also cut connection to my router and ZD in different orders to make sure it tested most scenarios.

A product that doesn't survive a network outage at a high percentage rate of failure will last a day on the market. I do not believe the MXHomePro is one of them.

Anybody having trouble setting up the app? It says to connect the base station to your router via Ethernet cable. I have done that. When I scan for it in the app I get "no base stations found." Help please!

My system was very frustrating to set up. It's because it was a used system.

Is this a new system?

Look at the LEDs is the status solid blue? That means there is a program already loaded. You can't program that. What I did was I reset the unit by holding down the reset button until it was blinking. Then you have to wait. I got a "problem generating code" I waited about 30 minutes before a code was generated.

Once you have that code go to mxhomepro.com and the rest is easy.

What exactly is the system capable of? Can you have multiple hubs in same home, like harmonys? Can the hubs talk to each other so maybe both can control same lighting?