Multipurpose sensor going offline without any warning / notification?

#1

Today I learned that I can access my device / smartapp info at: https://graph.api.smartthings.com

So I went and checked them out. To my utmost surprise, two of my multipurpose sensor are “OFFLINE”.
When I looked at my SmartThings app, those sensors’ “Right Now” tab looked normal, battery is good, temperature and open/close state were shown as usual.
I then tested them by opening the corresponding windows. The open/close state didn’t change in the app – they remained “closed”. So these sensors were indeed OFFLINE.

I had to remove the sensors’ batteries to reset them (and just holding down the reset button didn’t help – the battery needed to be removed and put back to restore the sensor).

How come there’s no warning / notification at all in the app? Even when SmartThings knows that the sensors were offline???
This is unacceptable. If the thief were to enter from those two OFFLINE windows, no one would know.

I wonder if people here have seen the same / have solutions to fix this.

Thanks a lot!

Devices offline, no fix in sight. Smartthings has acknowledged the bug
(Nandhu) #2

Cora,

I am running into similar issues with multipurpose sensor/motion sensor quite often as well, performing the same routines as you mentioned, hoping someone from ST would respond a permanent fix.

(Ray) #3

This is an ongoing problem for years now. Everytime there is a hub firmware update or even a power cycle of your hub will caused this problem. I have 200+ devices so it’s a pain but learn to live with it by checking IDE often. A repeater dropping off the network will also caused this problem.

Edit : the offline status on IDE is a new thing. I think maybe a few months old. You can use an app called simple device viewer to have notifications on also all kind of status.

(Cuban210) #4

I have 2 multipurpose sensors that I purchased a couple weeks ago. I just noticed that both of them are offline. Has this issue been addressed? I’m thinking of returning them. Are there alternate door position sensors that are reliable?

#5

There have been multiple issues with the sensors, but if this is something which started happening in April, Definitely report it to support. They may be able to see something from their side.

https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us

It might be related to the following, which is new as of April:

#6

My previous situation has been fixed by adding an smart power plug (works as an extender).

But recently I’ve noticed two sensors going offline again. Pressing the reset button on the sensor or popping the battery out and putting it back in didn’t even help (altho previously did).

Now I’m waiting for some replacement batteries to test again… But my hope is low. Something must be wrong with the sensors. Very disappointed.

Please, do let me know if you figure it out. Thanks!

#7

And still,
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why the app doesn’t give any notification when sensor goes offline even if ST system is aware.
I still have to remember to check “https://graph-na02-useast1.api.smartthings.com” periodically.
This is just bad engineering and very stupid IMHO…

#8

If you want to get notifications, there are a couple of community – created smartapps which will do that. I think the most popular is probably “simple device viewer.”

You can find these on the quick browse lists in the community – created wiki on the “wellness check” list.

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section

#9

Thank you!

Actually I take my last post back.
There is a thing called “device health” in the options. Somehow it defaults to off. I just turned it on and now I can see the two offline sensor with a red ! on them in the app. :slight_smile:

#10

You can do that, but if you look at the other thread I linked to, you’ll see that some people are having to turn that feature off because it appears to be interfering with communications to the device. That is, device check is marking devices off-line which actually shouldn’t be off-line, but then the hub won’t talk to them anymore. But if it’s working for you, that’s great. :sunglasses:

#11

:scream: Thank you so much… I’m going to turn it off now… I surely don’t want more offline devices!