Hate coming home in the dark? There's no need to stumble across your walkway or bump into scattered items left in your home's entryway. With just a few simple products, you can use INSTEON technology to turn your lights on automatically at sunset, so you'll never again need to fumble for your house keys in the dark.

Turn Your Porch Light on at Sunset Automatically

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Setting your porch light to turn on automatically at sunset is easy to do. Follow the included instructions to install the INSTEON SwitchLinc Dimmer, which wires in like a standard wall switch, with an additional connection to a neutral wire. Plug the PowerLinc Controller into a wall outlet and connect it to your PC using the included USB cable. You will need an Internet connection in order to download the free Smarthome Manager Essential Software.

The setup wizard will walk you through linking the USB module to the SwitchLinc that controls your porch light. Once you tell the software in what city and time zone you live, you'll be able to set up the system to turn the light on automatically at sunset, as designated by your location. The software adjusts automatically for Daylight Saving Time.

You don't need to leave your computer on in order to run the program: The PowerLinc V2 Controller module has on-board memory, so timers can be downloaded without the need to leave your computer up and running.

Come Home to a Well-Lit House Without Wasting Electricity

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The Smarthome Manager Essential Software can trigger more than a porch light to turn on. Use this ultra-flexible software to create a lighting scene for your homecoming each evening with the porch light, entry hall light, and a lamp in your living room each turning on at a specific time or at sunset. You'll need a SwitchLinc for every switched light or an INSTEON LampLinc Dimmer for every plug-in lamp to be controlled.

Once the switches and lamp modules are installed, just use the Smarthome Manager Essential Software's setup wizard to create the scene. Again, you don't need to leave your computer on in order to run the program. You'll enjoy increased energy savings by turning the lights on only as it gets dark, and you can set your porch light to turn off automatically at your normal bed time, so you won't be wasting electricity by leaving the light on all night long.

Use the Security Feature for a Lived-In Look

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If would-be thieves are watching your home, they might notice if the lights turn on automatically at the same time every day. But the Smarthome Manager Essential Software can easily turn your lights on at random times around a time you set. The software's randomizing feature turns on the lights you designate within 15 minutes before or after any specified time. Again, you'll need a SwitchLinc for every switched light or a LampLinc for every plug-in lamp to be controlled.

Get creative with the software: Even if you're away on vacation, you can still turn your bedroom lights on at approximately 8:00 and off at 10:00 each night, making your house look occupied and adding a level of security. You can even plug a radio or television into an INSTEON ApplianceLinc for audio that can be heard outside your home, helping to make it seem occupied when you're away.