Post hub update 11/17/2015 & SHM-related failures

General Discussion
1

Yes, I know there are several threads about failures, but they are huge and the goal seems lost. If needed, please merge this with one of the others.

Prior to the update I experienced very few problems with my system. I was having random failures, but nothing major and nothing wide scale.

After the update I had to repair three of my devices, not a problem and not unexpected.

The main problem was this. I woke up this morning to nothing as it was supposed to be. All devices work, but the routines were not working. I tested these routines last night before bed and was sure they would work.

System setup ~ rule machine fires at 6am and starts this while process.
Good night switch is shut off by rule machine. When the switch goes off, SHM changes mode from night to home and disarm’s the security. This was done via the app “smart home”. Several lights were to come on along with some dimmers, all via “rule machine”. ~ total failure.

I installed smart home last night and started using SHM again along with the security aspect. My not using these are why I believe my system has been stable.

This morning the mode changed, but the alarm did not disarm. Big problem there.

After the failure, I removed smart home and disabled the security aspect of SHM. I then reset the time for the rule in rule machine. Everything worked perfectly.

So, this is for anyone that has had a problem:

  1. are you using SHM and changing modes?
  2. are you using SHM or/and smart home to arm/disarm security

If yes to either, try uninstalling both and trying your system without the security aspect. I would really like to see if this is a trend.

I honestly believe the instability of the system lies in the security side of the system. For HA this system is wonderful. For security, it seems to be crap.

2

I am having similar issues. My “Goodbye!” routine did not activate when I left for work. I woke up to random lights being on and mode not set to “Home”. “Smart” Lighting is not working correctly for the set modes. Also a number of other issues which are too many to list right now.

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3

In any routine or app, do you have SHM arm it disarm?

4

Only routine that was performed was my “Good Morning!” at 6am. I don’t have SHM driving any of these.

5

Not necessarily driving them, but is shm a part of them?

6

This morning my good morning routine says it disarmed the SHM alarm (like it does every morning) but I set off the siren/etc when I went downstairs.

It continued to go off every time I moved even though I was in home mode and had disarmed via a pressed routine several times.

I was only able to make it truly disarm by rearming it via routine, waiting 10 seconds then disarming it via routine.

I sent screen shots to support this morning.

7

The SHM is part of the routines, as I have the SHM being Armed and/or Disarmed based on the routines. I also noticed from another one of your posts in another thread, that I had a different version of the firmware. I had 000.014.00008 and your current version is 000.014.00013. I did a remote reboot and now I am running the same firmware (000.014.00013) as you are.

8

That’s what mine was doing. Everything seemed normal, until I opened a door.

It showed in home mode, but would not disarm. I had to create an independent arm/disarm switch to change it.

Now, it’s still doing that but the rest of the routines after not running.

But once I removed the arm/disarm portion, every thing went back to normal.

9

Ok, so I think I have an idea of what happened this morning and what caused these seemingly erroneous actions. So I am also using the Rule Machine smart app, and it looks like the things actions may have overlapped and caused everything to be thrown off. I have a rule that says when switch is turned off and mode is home, then trigger “Goodnight!”…and “Good Morning” turns the switch back on as to reset it. So it looks like when my “Good Morning” routine ran, it set the mode to Home and the Rule App saw this and the “Goodnight!” rule became true, which triggered that routine. So when I got up this morning “Good Morning!” did run, but “Goodnight!” ran right after it and set my home back to Night mode. This then didn’t allow my bathroom lights (Smart Lighting) to work correctly, and this also explains why some random(goodnight routine) lights were on this morning, and why my “Goodbye” routine did not activate since it is only valid for Home mode. Does this all make sense?

Do you have any other rules or overlapping routines that may be causing this. Any recent changes to your routines?

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10

I checked all of that when I was writing my rules.

Did you check your notifications to ensure that all of that happened?

11

Yes, I checked the notifications in ST and in Wink and all I am seeing is consistent with what happened. It was like the perfect storm. How do you have each of your SHM security configured? I chose to select all the motion and/or contact sensors that I want to use for each alarm setting. So, were your motion sensors tripping the alarm? I also find that I sometimes have to close out of ST app completely in order for the mode to update on the screen (so annoying). Do you think perhaps you were not in home mode?

12

I had 3 for sensors, that was it. I purposefully did not use motion with it.
It would not show in home mode until I opened a room and closed it, then it would update to the correct mode.
I had arm/disarm being triggered from within rule machine. All of my actions were dependant upon the disarm at 6am. Since it refused to disarm, nothing else happened.
It did turn off my goodnight switch, which is what actually changed the mode and arm via the Alexa helper app.

I removed arm/disarm and changed the trigger time. The mode changed and then everything else occurred as scheduled.

So, I’m convinced it’s the arm/disarm aspect of SHM. So I am done with trying to use ST as any kind of security.

I got into it for the HA. If I want reliable security I’ll called the pros.

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13

I know how you feel. It’s nice that it’s free, but reliability and high availability is key when it comes to security.

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14

Yes. For example just last night at 330am my dog woke me up barking at the far end of the house. I looked at my phone to see if there was an intrusion, but instantly felt no satisfaction due to the doubts.

So, I told Alexa to “light it all up” and she turned the house into a big bright beacon in the night.

Then me and my trusty 9mm went on an adventure.

I trust my dog. I trust my aim. I don’t trust ST for security of my family.

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15

Holy crap! I just carry a curtain rod if that happens… Or if not too lazy, I try finding my cricket bat… All this doesn’t happen to me coz of ST but missus has extra sensitive ears and keeps hearing noises at night! :wink:

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16

Yeah, I’m an Alabama boy. To get to my family you have to get in the house, past the very big dog, past a whole lot of funds that I’m very well trained to use, a few knives that I’m also trained to use, then me. If you get through all of that… Well my wife is right there with her guns too… Oh, but my teenage sons (I have 6 of them) all have their guns too and I can bet you good money they will go down before their momma.

Just sayin, I may be educated, old, and fat… But the military trained me well and my back wood upbringing taught me how to survive.

So, no, I do not trust technology as even a small layer in that defense/offense.

17

Alabama boy… California girl… no security system trusted… but I do keep my 357 close by :wink: … as I am home alone Mon- Friday. If the boyfriend comes home early, he always calls first…

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18

Haha! I bet he does!

19

I have never armed SHM because of the issues - I think that is why I am mostly-satisfied with ST. I’d like to try ST sirens and bells but SHM is not ready for me and definitely not ready for my better half. I can’t even setup a Zigbee keyfob to command anything, so we’d have no trivial way to turn off errant sirens.

ST automatic modes via presense/arrival and motion sensors, has been pretty reliable. I avoid time schedules and sunrise/sunset and SHM of course. I’m still on hubv1

I have a seperate wireless alarm system that still works so there’s no pressure from wife for another security blanket. Trying to run a security system exclusively over internet is bananas.

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20

For us in NY/NJ area, we trust ADT., :wink: Max we go is a baseball bat!

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