SmartThings losing connection to TCP hub

@Greg,

Are you seeing the issue when trying to turn them on/off via the tile in the mobile app? Or, is this happening in a routine or smart lighting?

I’m noticing the physical lights are not on or off as scheduled with the dashboard “lights and switches” app.

I then look at the lights in ST Things view and ST shows that they are on or off when the opposite is true. I try to toggle them through ST and nothing happens. The ST app shows that they are going on or off, but the physical light doesn’t change on/off. I open the TCP native app and their true status shows and I can control them.

Then I just open TCP Connect in ST and hit next a few times and then I can control them again through ST through all methods (dashboard, things view, routines, SHM, etc). It works fine for a week or two then the same thing occurs.

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Been having the same issue myself. They will randomly stop functioning every other day or so and I’ll be getting the messages “TCP Lighting is having Communication Errors. Error code = 500. Check that TCP Gateway is online.” Though my gateway is definitely online and functioning.

@twack Perhaps it’s better to do local communication between SmartThings and the TCP Hub? I know this is possible as I had it working with my NinjaBlocks, though I didn’t develop it myself (wish I knew how). This would also help take additional stress off the cloud servers you guys use.

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It was possible until TCP closed the local interface in a firmware update. We are forced to use the cloud to cloud.

When did it get locked down locally? It was working a few months ago.

I also know local commands were never “supported” according to TCP (or whatever the name of the company that sells the lights is), it was done off the books by reverse engineering them.

Around a year ago actually. They used to have a web interface that you could connect to on the hub itself. They pushed out a string of updates that broke the connection to SmartThings and then finally disabled the local interface altogether.

Yes, this changed things requiring authorization again, but you can still do it locally. I recall this cause the NinjaBlock “smartapp” (or driver as they call it) functioned fine and then stopped functioning around the same time as well. After it was fixed, it still worked locally.

Local interaction with the bulbs is clearly still possible because you can control the bulbs locally through the TCP app. What was disabled was the local web interface for the hub itself and the interface that ST was using to control the bulbs locally. I am sure there is a way for TCP to allow local control from SmartThings, but the current SmartApp does not have this and it is purely a cloud to cloud setup at this point. @twack might be able to explain in better detail why there is no longer any local access to the TCP hub.

Just dropping in to say I’m still having this issue.

are you still having it Jody?

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Yes. It seems to be about 72 hours before the token needs refreshing and the SmartApp loses access to the TCP servers.

I can’t seem to find anything consistent about it other than:

  1. it keeps happening
  2. it seems to happen in the late evening/overnight hours. I always discover the connection is broken in the morning because my lights are still on. I don’t think I’ve seem them not come on when they are supposed to at sunset (unless I didn’t reauthorize through connect from the night before)
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I could not find a consistent problem with my gateway. I bought some GE bulbs and have put my TCP kit up for sale.

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Just wanted to drop an update in here that my TCP’s have been great for at least 2 weeks. I have not had to reauthorize them and I have had solid performances scheduling them with ST.

I just noticed this last night as well. I was going to try and use them again with my Harmony remote! Thanks to whoever fixed it.

Thinking about just moving on to GE links. Sounds like they pair with ST Hubs better and work more consistently. May give a try and see about reliability.

I’ve just started using the TCP app or website by itself and the reliability issues appear to be resolved.

I’d love to use the ST integration, but things are finicky most of the time, so rather than rely on routines or trigger lights based on time of day (which hardly works), I just pop into the TCP app and control them that way.

I clearly spoke too soon. I’m having issues all over again with having to reauthorize the app.

It just isn’t worth the trouble anymore. I will be uninstalling my TCP’s and just putting in a smart switch in the near future.

I can’t even go a full day without having to reauthorize. This is an absolute mess. Is anyone even attempting to look into making this integration actually stable?

Something is already saving my credentials, I don’t understand why it can’t just reauthorize and get a new token…

And, sometimes, even reauthorizing the SmartApp doesn’t even cause the integration to work!