Set up for Smoke/CO2, Water, and Garage Door monitoring?

[eyost]

Hi all,

 

I am in the need to set up my ISY to notify me by text message if it detects smoke or CO2 or a water leak. In addition, I would like it to also notify me by text if the garage door is left open, or I can check the status of the garage door via my iPhone and close the garage door remotely, I am only concerned to close the door, I prefer to not have the option to open it to provide a level of security. I was thinking of adding a camera positioned in the garage to help with seeing if the garage door was left open. I do have MobilLinc installed on the iPhone.

 

I see the necessary parts at SmartHome, but wanted to get anyone's input on the best way to set this up.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Ed

[paulbates]

Hi Ed

 

You can do these things with the right HW and a few simple ISY programs. You also need to use ISY feature under the configuration tab, Emails/Notifications. The manual discusses this section 3.7 - and - set up a gmail account for this, do not use the Default check box

 

Smoke / CO

For smoke / co requires 1 or more first alert "One Link" detectors and an Insteon Smoke bridge. You link the detectors together and test per the directions with the First Alert One Link. Then follow the directions to link in the Insteon Smoke bridge. And also add the Insteon Smoke Bridge to you ISY. (It has to be a First Alert that says One Link on the case)

 

The program is simple

First Alert CO Detector -

If
        Control 'Security and Fire Alarm / First Alert Smoke Bridge / First Alert Bridge-CO' is switched On
 
Then
        Send Notification to 'Paul' content 'CO Alarm'
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

The notification can be one or more email addresses. Mobile providers have an email account that will send to text, check your provider.

Follow the same pattern for Smoke

 

Leak sensor

Same pattern as above. Buy an insteon leak sensor., link with ISY. Write a similar program that sends specific notification customizations... washer leak, basement leak, etc

 

Garage door 

Same pattern as above. Setting up the contact sensor and iolinc is a little more involved. You may want to buy the insteon garage kit that comes with everything. You link it to the ISY. You write a program, and it could be more complex. You could have one program each for up and down.

 

Or, you could have a program that waits X minutes when the door is put up. If the door does not go back down in the specified time, send a message

Garage door left up

If
        Status  'Garage / Door Sensor' is On
 
Then
        Wait 30 minutes
        Send Notification to 'Paul' content 'Garage door left open'
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

If the door goes down within 30 minutes, the program terminates, and no message is sent.

 

I think mobilic tells you the status of the door, up or down. I'm not sure how to handle the "down only" requirement. Make sure that phones require a password to access?

 

This isn't step by step, but I think gets you started. You may want to do this

1. Set up a gmail account for your house and configure emails and notifications
2. Write test programs to make sure your alerts work
3. Then make each topic a different project and do them individually..e.g
   • Smoke
   • Leak
   • Garage door

There are several different learning curves in here and I can tell you from my experience its easy to try to much at once.

 

Paul

[Teken]

To add to the information provided by Paul. Do not enable 2 form authentication on your GMAIL account. As the ISY Series Controller does not support such features.

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

[MFBra]

To add to the information provided by Paul. Do not enable 2 form authentication on your GMAIL account. As the ISY Series Controller does not support such features.

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

I did for security reasons and you may create app specific password for each client you want. Created one for ISY and works flawlessly.

 

 

 

MF_Bra

[eyost]

Thanks all for the information. This is definitely what I was looking for.

 

For the garage door, I will need to open up Internet access in order to close the garage door when I am not home. I also was hoping to add a camera in the garage that is pointed at the garage door so I can visually confirm the door is closed.

 

What have you found is the best way to configure the ISY for Internet access with the best level of security.

 

Thanks again!

 

Ed

[Teken]

I did for security reasons and you may create app specific password for each client you want. Created one for ISY and works flawlessly.

 

 

 

MF_Bra

I haven't done this can you outline the steps to complete this task?

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

[MWareman]

@Teken, the Google help and info page on this is here: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833?hl=en

 

Michael.

[Teken]

This App password is used instead of the normal gmail password that is populated in the ISY within the SMTP settings?

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

[MFBra]

This App password is used instead of the normal gmail password that is populated in the ISY within the SMTP settings?

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

Yes, it became your ISY gmail password, you can have several specific passwords, one per App you want.

 

Thanks Mwareman for providing the directions.

 

 

 

MF_Bra

[Teken]

Yes, it became your ISY gmail password, you can have several specific passwords, one per App you want.

 

Thanks Mwareman for providing the directions.

 

 

 

MF_Bra

MF_Bra,

 

Much thanks for bringing this ability to my attention. It must have been awhile since I looked into this. Because I believe two years ago Googles mail service didn't support devices like the ISY Series Controller in this manner.

 

Because the old and existing method always sends a SMS message code as a challenge as part of the 2 form Auth.

 

Just curious how this provides more protection to the ISY? Or to my gmail account when the device isn't being challenged at all and simply uses a complex 16 digit pass code?

 

 

Ideals are peaceful - History is violent

[MFBra]

Good point, as you know security is always something difficult to assure. By having the 2 factor you increase the difficulty to access your account, having app password create some risk, but without any probability calculation I just "believe" that with 2 factor for general access and limited number of app password is more than do not have it.

 

Maybe we can ask UDI to be complaint to googles 2factor in the future?

 

 

 

MF_Bra

[Teken]

Good point, as you know security is always something difficult to assure. By having the 2 factor you increase the difficulty to access your account, having app password create some risk, but without any probability calculation I just "believe" that with 2 factor for general access and limited number of app password is more than do not have it.

 

Maybe we can ask UDI to be complaint to googles 2factor in the future?

 

 

 

MF_Bra

 

Understood and agree!

 

I guess when you're used to seeing and using 2 form factor authentication it seems weird that an appliance or device such as a ISY Series Controller is simply being tasked with a more complex password and not actually being challenged with a follow up SMS message etc.

 

Obviously the ISY can't reply back with the inbound SMS because its not aware of it. I guess since I was already using a random password generator it didn't seem like this offered more. But with respect to the actual GMAIL account there is no doubt it does and I do enjoy this ability.

 

Sometimes it gets a little tedious getting a phone call or SMS to the cell phone. But when you have been doing similar things but in a much more intense fashion its just part of the process most of us are forced to use and reluctantly have to accept and get used to.

 

Again, thank you for letting me know this feature exists as the account I use for the ISY is only dedicated to send message from the ISY Series Controller and never took much thought about making it more secure.

[MFBra]

Being a single purpose account I'd agree.

 

Just additional info regarding this, as the SMS can be very slow here sometimes I decided to get google authenticator, it keeps generating the 6 digits validation password, so you'll need a second device, but it's just copy the digits, without having to wait for sms...

 

 

 

 

MFBra

[MWareman]

Using an app password that's unique to the ISY and not used for anything else prevents that password from being phished. The longer, random nature makes it infeasible to brute force. This allows you to use a weaker main password with two step auth to protect you day to day, yet remain useless to an attacker if you are phished.

 

You can also use an app to generate codes for you, eliminating the need to receive SMS messages. Much more convenient IMO.