|
It's internal so if they can't follow you, they'll just follow you around until they get their answers.
I’ve given up trying to be calm. However, I am open to feeling slightly less agitated.
|
|
|
|
|
Yep good luck, have rarely had any of their walk-throughs work...out of the box.
|
|
|
|
|
*opens a circle*
*does something ridiculous involving chanting*
that should help. if you need the big guns, let me know and I'll bring out the dead chicken. 
Real programmers use butterflies
|
|
|
|
|
honey the codewitch wrote: if you need the big guns,
he will ask JSOP   
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
|
|
|
|
|
Good Luck  ![Rose | [Rose]](https://codeproject.freetls.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/rose.gif)
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
|
|
|
|
|
oooh - I'll sit back with the popcorn
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, did it work? 
|
|
|
|
|
Must not have, I guess...
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Clifton wrote: The doc is a year old, 2/10/2020
No Marc, that makes it only three months old (tomorrow). FTFY. 
|
|
|
|
|
That's asking for troubles. I see it coming from km away.
|
|
|
|
|
here's some music........while you debug
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
|
|
|
|
|
I bought a Wink Home Hub almost 6 years ago when the missus got her first Alexa. (we now have 3 others!) The hub was the only way to control the several smart bulbs around the house. Anyhow, one of the reasons I chose that brand was that it was subscription free. Overall, I've been very satisfied with it, reliable and mostly hands-off...it just worked.
Fast forward to around a year ago when they announced that due to operational costs, they could no longer provide the service at no charge. OK, fine, it was a reasonable monthly fee, and I don't mind paying for something that I find useful.
6 days ago, (right after they charged my cc) I noticed the status light was showing a problem and sure enough, Alexa confirms for me that the hub has a problem. Alright, I'm easy going...it's an annoyance, but I can deal without voice controlled lights for now.
Today, I finally check their website and see multiple connectivity issues reported over the last week, with the last one dated Thursday 1/28 stating that 'we have identified the issue and are implementing a fix'. I'm left with 1 of 3 conclusions:
0: they don't work weekends
1: they are working this weekend but haven't got it sorted out (and are too busy to update the status)
2: they really want me to find another provider
BTW, their little dashboard with a list of 14 services shows a nice red X for 'major outage' for every one. I'm losing confidence and will probably go looking for another provider. 
Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
"Hope is contagious"
|
|
|
|
|
So let me get this straight - in order to turn on or off a light in your house you can talk to Alexa which in turn somehow connects to another web service that actually controls the light (what, on, off, dimming?) and all of this relies on various Internet connections and services to all work correctly?
kmoorevs wrote: Any recommendations are appreciated.
Ummm, why don't you just walk over to the room with the light and manually adjust it as desired?
Granted, I should be careful what I say. Obviously a technology like this would be very useful for the handicapped, so hopefully I'm not offending anyone!
|
|
|
|
|
The Clapper
It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it.
― Confucian Analects: Rules of Confucius about his food
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Clifton wrote: all of this relies on various Internet connections and services to all work correctly?
Well, it's kind of a mystery to me how it all works but I do know that when the internet is down, Alexa is dumb as a rock and can't control anything on my local network. Also, Alexa (by themselves) are unable to control other devices, in my case several smart bulbs. While it is still possible to turn on the lights manually, there is no way to handle the dimming except with the voice command or through the Wink hub app, which is useless when their servers are down.
While I'm not too put off by handling the lights the good old fashioned way, the missus is not so understanding or willing to give up the conveniences that she's come to enjoy. I'm just the tech slave tasked with keeping all of her devices working! 
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
"Hope is contagious"
|
|
|
|
|
kmoorevs wrote: Alexa is dumb as a rock and can't control anything on my local network.
So, in recognition of this you got two of her sisters to add to your collection?
I just have an device with plug-in pass throughs and a button controller - one for each of the pass-throughs. On. Off. No internet. No Alexa. No subscriptions. And nobody knows my business.
| Ravings en masse^ |
|---|
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Clifton wrote: So let me get this straight - in order to turn on or off a light in your house you can talk to Alexa which in turn somehow connects to another web service that actually controls the light (what, on, off, dimming?) and all of this relies on various Internet connections and services to all work correctly?
#InternetOfShit
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
|
|
|
|
|
Actually, we have some philips hue lightbulbs[^] and the philips hub[^].
It allows you to control your lights within your own network via an app on your phone.
You can also connect it to Google assistant if you want to control it via your voice but otherwise you can just control via your phone app and eve if the Internet goes out the hub uses your local wifi. It actually works nicely.
We have a couple of places that needed ability to turn lights on/off but no switches and this solves this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the possible exception of {para | quadri}plegics, why would anyone need a system for remote control of lightbulbs, and why would anyone "outsource" such a simple function to the internet?!
~40 years ago, you could buy kits that allowed you to control appliances using powerline signalling. Those, admittedly, required a central controller, which could today be replaced by a phone app (using WiFi). It appears to me that the technology has only gone downhill since then.
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
|
|
|
|
|
Daniel Pfeffer wrote: why would anyone need a system for remote control of lightbulbs,
Because people are like the novelty, are lazy, or the elimination of common touchpoints. Whatever, that wasn't the point. The point is that an IT services provider could do a better job of updating their paying customers on the current status of a weeklong outage. My customers certainly expect/demand better than that from me. 
Daniel Pfeffer wrote: why would anyone "outsource" such a simple function to the internet?!
I agree that it sounds nuts, but hey, it has worked well for years. Apparently, the hub device has to be connected to the mothership to handle the Alexa integration...not sure...I don't do iot, I do lob!  The app still works (didn't know this last night) if it was logged in prior to last week with all their services crashed.
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
"Hope is contagious"
|
|
|
|
|
Captain Sir Tom Moore in hospital with coronavirus[^]
If you don't know who he is, he's a 100 year old ex-army officer who raised £32,000,000 (US$45,000,000) for charity via the internet by walking lengths of his garden.
He would have been given the vaccine, but he was on medication which prevented that.
Get well soon sir! ![Rose | [Rose]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/rose.gif)
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
I remember the news about him...
Kudos for the man, I hope he can recover from it.
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
|
|
|
|
|
I agree wonderful man - just bad luck 🤞
"I didn't mention the bats - he'd see them soon enough" - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
