I am considering installing a very basic INSTEON system because of the amount of time I spend away from home. I would like to find an inexpensive way to figure out if my a/c and heat are working correctly. I know what my hi and lo temperature setpoints are on my thermostat, so if I can remotely see the indoor temperature on cold nights or hot days I could make a good guess that something may be broken. If I limit myself to using a SmartLinc, I'll have to spend about $150 to check this! My options look like either get an INSTEON adapter for my Venstar thermostat and an access point (for rf) OR getting the INSTEON hi/lo temperature kit and a dummy switch that I can read. Is there a cheaper way? Maybe I shouldn't be doing INSTEON.