Why has no one written a DTH for this yet? There are some obscure devices for which I never would have thought a DTH would be written. But one of the most popular locks’ API cannot be infiltrated, and yet I can tell Siri to lock it (after a hack), and Alexa as well with a burdensome code.
There were numerous press releases and tech articles about the press releases concerning a z-wave HomeConnect bridge from Kwikset for the Kēvo which I asked about when I called customer service a few months ago and he didn’t even know what I was talking about.
This is not a chastisement to the coding community, not at all. Just a frustrated curiosity as to the explanation why it has not yet been written. Or maybe why it “cannot” be written for those who live in such a world.
Do not many others here have the lock? Don’t we want to add it to our “Good Night” routine without having to buy a seperate z-wave lock that doesn’t open when you touch it?
Why add a Bluetooth chip to a hub and never activate it?
These are the questions I ponder when I have absolutely nothing to do, absolutely zero and my time is just burning away into nothingness. Only then do I reflect on smart home conundrums such as this.
Why no device type for the Ecolink Motion Sensor to control “sensitivity” or “time out”? Monoprice has one WITH temp.
No one can write a DTH for a device which doesn’t fit into one of the following categories:
One) it is certified to one of the third-party protocols that SmartThings uses: Z wave or zigbee ZHA
it has an open API, which means the manufacturer has published the instructions for how to communicate with it, the exact messages to send. For example, Phillips hue has done this for their hue bridge, which is why there are so many hue integrations.
it has an official IFTTT service/channel. For example, the GE smart air-conditioner has this.
it has a closed API, but someone has been able to hack it and publish what the exact messages are that are required. This has been done for several thermostats. (However, a lock which has a hackable API it’s failing in its most basic function – – you won’t see many of them.)
it has an official integration with SmartThings where both companies have worked together to create an integration which preserves the required security and privacy features.
The Kevo plus falls into none of the above. It’s not the only device that is a “none of the above”: the Frigidaire smart air-conditioner, the Kuna smart security light, and the Canary camera are all popular devices that cannot be integrated with SmartThings at the present time. It’s good to request the integration through the thread provided for that purpose:
That’s the best way of getting devices added to that fifth category, official integration. But for now we’re just stuck.
Thanks for that info. I had the 4th option in the back of my mind and I did have a thermostat in mind as an example of it being done. (Note: referring to Kevo Plus cloud integration, not Kevo lock integration.) I know security is key (pun intended) but isn’t that for which the username and password is used? I thought that was the big secret that kept us safe. If we knew the API, we could not access a lock without the user and pass right? Can’t JSON commands be intercepted and read to figure out the commands? How does Homebridge control it?
I suppose these are questions I can research myself, and are rhetorical. I wish they taught us something more useful besides Basic in middle school that would be of more benefit in deducing this.
So, there is now an Alexa skill (as long as you have the Kevo Plus), which means there is definitely an API. Would be nice if they add Google Home or ST to the list of compatibilities.
So you can’t issue a lock or unlock to Kevo through IFTTT. You can get notified if it does lock or unlock, but that’s not what most people are looking for.
I see what you meant now. The very idea of an automated system locking or unlocking my front door scares me. Personally, I’d be interested in it the way it is now. I want to set it up so that when I unlock my Kevo it disarms my alarm system and turns on some lights in the house, when I lock it I want it to arm the alarm and turn the lights off. The functionality of the IFTTT service would be enough to accomplish those tasks.
Good point. Different people want different things. If you just want to have the Kevo act as the “if” you could certainly have smartthings respond to those events by using their IFTTT service. Just have the Kevo as the If and have turning on a virtual switch be the that, and then you can use that virtual switch coming on do all kinds of other things in the SmartThings system.
You could have a routine that starts when that switch comes on and that routine could change the smart home monitor armed status and turn your lights on, for example.
And another applet that turns that switch off through IFTTT and another routine that starts when the switch turns off. But you won’t need a DTH for that.
Really what I had in mind which may seem minor but it feels so right to want, is for it to lock with my goodnight routine. Or at a certain time each night or to poll every so often and check that it’s locked if no presence sensors are detected. Just keeping it locked (especially as part of a goodnight routine) under certain situations. I understand the unlock risks nor do I especially want that ability, though I have gone back and forth between Kēvo and August and back to Kēvo. Then tried August 2nd gen then back to Kēvo and now on Kēvo 2nd gen. Because I did like the auto—unlock “idea” of the August lock but it does not work well in a home with multiple inhabitants. If I was home it wouldn’t work every time when my girl (Android) arrived. Although it worked most of the time for me (iOS-not a fanboy though) regardless of her presence. Still I experienced enough fails to go back to Kēvo. If I have to take my phone out to unlock my door, I might as well just take my keys out. I do think August lock would work well for a single inhabitant. But I have ventured off my intended path. Just locking ability as part of a routine would be worth a DTH or SmartApp. My 2 cents.
Maybe you should look at Assa Abloy’s Locks (Yale YRD446 offers Bluetooth to unlock via phone or mobile app without control system, but adding the Zigbee or Zwave card in the lock allows SmartThings to directly to communicate with the lock (from the hub) ) I assumed this will allow integration to lock unlock within a workflow in ST
Different people want different things. If you just want to have the Kevo act as the “if” you could certainly have smartthings respond to those events by using their IFTTT service. Just have the Kevo as the If and have turning on a virtual switch be the that, and then you can use that virtual switch coming on do all kinds of other things in the SmartThings system.
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