I’m using a vEdge virtual switch with “Alexa triggering” to arm and disarm Ring alarm using Alexa routines.
We have 2 members (me and my wife) with 150M geofencing set up for my “Home” location. Smartthings has 2 routines. One is called Family Leave and it turns off the virtual switch when All Members leave. The other routine is called Family Arrive and it turns on the virtual switch when Any Member arrives.
Then there are 2 Alexa routines. One to arm and the other to disarm based on the virtual switch state.
This set up has been working flawlessly for couple of weeks when we are leaving the home in our car. However, when we go for a walk, the virtual switch does not work. I’m sure we are well outside the 150M geofencing because we are at least 2 miles away from our home.
I can’t figure out why the virtual switch works every time we leave on our car but not when we are walking. Very strange…
Just checking… both of you take your phones when you go walking?
You may want to post screenshots of the Routines and blackout any personal info you don’t wish to disclose such as Names. By seeing the Routines, community members may be able to spot something in them.
Have you viewed the History to see if both users register as leaving.
Yes, we both carry our phones when we go for our walks.
Today, we left in our car and the virtual switch did not change state. I’m beginning to think it has nothing to do with us leaving our home on car or by walking.
Smartthings geofencing or presence sensor is simply not reliable.
Anyone else experience inconsistent Smartthings geofencing? Any way to make it more consistent? Based on my experience past couple of weeks, I’d say it works about 7-8 out of 10 times.
There was a whole big long topic last year about ST and it’s unreliability. I documented my solution for using Alexa for location tracking and virtual presence sensors in ST in the topic.
@JDRoberts will probably respond to give you several alternatives methods
Pretty much everything I would say is included in the thread that @h0ckeysk8er linked to.
SmartThings presence works differently in different individual locations and for different set ups. It works great for some people, not at all for other people, 8/10 for still others.
If it’s not working well for you, there are alternative methods you can try, and that’s discussed in the linked to thread.
