Just noticed that the Fing app will not send multiple notifications if more than one device goes online/offline in a short amount of time so that was a bummer. I think I will employ the email one also just so virtual presence devices will update even though it’s delayed.
I just ordered one of these for $80 on Amazon and will be tinkering with be above presence detection workarounds. Thank you all for the ideas.
I asked Fing about IFTTT integration and this is what I was told:
“I know that it is on the roadmap but we do not have an official date for the release or exactly when the feature will be released. I am looking forward to it as well. I have several home automation projects that are on hold until it is released.”
I don’t have this issue at all. Tasker picks up all events and never misses. I just set it to clear the notification as soon as it’s recieved before sending the web request to set my virtual presence sensor device
I use a Pi3 running HostPinger.
HostPinger is a community app that pings your network for an active IP address. It sends a signal to ST to tell when a device has connected or disconnected from your network.
Does it work with iPhones? I thought iPhone’s don’t respond to ping?
Hello,
What I used is a TP-link router.
You can activate TP-link cloud and connect it to smartthings over IFTTT.
IF someone connect or disconnect from tp-linkrouter (you can shoose device name).
THAN turn switch on or of (make virtual switch for every user).
I used a TP-link archer route for $95 for this. More less expensive than Fingbox.
And it works very great. I last not more than 10 seconds the switch turns.
I just got an email that there’s a beta ifttt integration that was supposedly sent to me in Jun 18… hmm. I signed up and will give it a try as soon as I shut down my ifttt/email/st kludge.
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I got an email inviting me to sign up for the beta too. It came in yesterday.
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I was also invited and accepted to the beta. trying it now.
So far it has worked flawlessly. I have a virtual switch that gets turn off when a specific Fingbox user leaves and gets turned back on when they arrive.
The ifttt method is a little quicker to report departure/arrival than my email/node-red method (polling every 45 secs).
As matter of fact they just released IFTTT integration in beta, check their tweet!!!
Exciting news today! Fingbox on beta is now ready for testing. Sign up if you’d like to be an early tester: https://bit.ly/2RxjBKW Only 2000 spots available, so hurry! [@IFTTT] pic.twitter.com/34gKdXYcyG
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still wish they would release the API so that someone can write a smartthings integration. For me, I would love to kill internet access to the high bandwidth streaming devices so that I don’t bust through comcast’s stupid cap because a 4K streaming device was left on all day.
I’d be interested in expanding the uses of the digital fence.
Example - random lights or music or dogs barking if during evening away modes if an unknown device is present
With the current IFTTT offerings I can assign presence sensors (without them knowing) to anyone (my in laws) that allow me to lock the door and turn off the lights when they enter my digital fence unexpectedly. 
I gave my mother-in-law an arrival sensor decorated with a picture of her grandkids and told her it was her “key to our castle”. At the time I thought the device was reliable and had set up automations to unlock doors, disarm SHM and our envisalink-connected Honeywell alarm system. I also had it automatically put the house in away mode when she leaves. It was super convenient.
But then her sensor battery wasn’t lasting long, it kept losing signal for several minutes at a time causing the house to go into away mode while she was home. Not cool at all. So I looked for another solution.
The Smartthings app as presence sensor didn’t prove to be reliable enough either for this type of automation, in my case. It failed to update reliably on my MIL’s phone and I hated having to put an app on her phone to enable that automation especially with the lack of Smartthings granular permissions.
So I turned to a manual way to arm/disarm the house using key fobs paired to the alarm system. As an alternative for disarming I also use door lock codes on my Kwikset lock in case someone forgets their key fob. In essence, with one button press we can reliably kick off automation of arm/disarm events as we leave/arrive, or use our lock codes.
This wifi presence detection is fine for me for information purposes but not to do arm/disarm automation. If my phone battery runs out while I’m home Fingbox will think I left. But it is neat to have an alert pop up when a certain device is nearby and have it announced on my Google Home speakers using AssistantRelay and this IFTTT integration.
Anyway, this is why I looked for a less intrusive presence detection solution. But for enabling more critical automations based on presence I wish the ST app presence sensor and the arrival sensors were more reliable. This integration does still have many uses other for me and I’ll be playing with it more.
I just got an email that Fingbox/IFTTT is released.
I never got the survey that beta testers were supposed to get. But I didn’t find any issues in my testing anyway.
I was a beta tester for Fingbox and IFTTT and it works great.
My primary interest was using the Fingbox as a presence solution. Everyone in our household has a smartphone and Fingbox detects the presence or absence of each smartphone on our network.
I use an IFTTT applet to turn off our Nest thermostat when everyone leaves and turn it back on when someone comes home. Much better than relying on Nest schedule or motion sensors. And unlike the SmartThings geofence, user does not have to have SmartThings app set up on their phone to use geofence.
There is IFTTT applet for SmartThings too. I use it to sense when someone arrives and have it turn on entry light.
With Fingbox, no one needs to carry a fob and it works with anyone carrying a smartphone once their smartphone has been added to your network and assigned to a user as a presence device.
There weren’t many applets initially, but the number is growing and I created one simple applet myself. Once the smartthings crew adopts I imagine the number of applets will soar. Here are the Fingbox applets available on IFTTT: https://ifttt.com/search/query/fingbox
Highly recommended if you have a Fingbox!
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Awesome!
I’ve had fingbox since kickstarter. Love this thing!
Has anyone figured out how to make the user phones switch home modes? I’ve been checking IFTTT but could not find anything.
Here is what I would like to accomplish: when everyone leaves the house switch mode to GOODBYE. When anyone returns home switch mode to I’M BACK.
Are you using the classic app or the new app?
Using classic app.