Multiple Echos, different IDs not working

[stusviews]

Yes, I did--or rather Michel did.

 

I now have three Echos running independently. It's much more convenient. We can control devices without having to state which room we're in, for example, "Alexa, turn the light on," instead of "Alexa, turn the bedroom/dining room/living room light on." That includes fans, lamps, fireplaces, window coverings, etc. I just ordered two Amazon Echo Dots.

 

Michel, thanks again for super supportive service. You're splendid

[madcodger]

UDI folks -

 

Would it be possible to please publish / republish these steps as a single "how to"? Having location - specific Echo control is a very big advance for ISY - Echo integration, but if it takes the company founder performing a remote session to get it working, it isn't very scalable. May we please have a single, simple, step by step set of instructions (as opposed to having things strung together in a thread)? I am not complaining - I just think this could be helpful to UDI and its customers. Thank you!

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi madcodger,

 

Yes, of course and already there:

http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY_Portal_Amazon_Echo_Integration#Instructions_for_using_Multiple_Echos_Connected_Home

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[stusviews]

Instruction typo (one I always make, too)

 

Add you ISY to this sub-account should be Add your ISY to this sub-account

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi stusview,

 

Thanks SO very much. Fixed.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[stusviews]

The first few accounts went well, but I'm having difficulty with the fourth. Here's the message I'm getting:

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi stusviews,

 

How many accounts are there on the portal? There's a 5 account limit per ISY/Portal.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[stusviews]

There are current three active accounts, the [Main Account] and two sub-accounts, The new sub-account will account for a total of four accounts.

[stusviews]

Wondering--do I need to have an Echo added to the Amazon account for the Admin Console to approve the service?

[dywicked]

Hi stusviews,

 

How many accounts are there on the portal? There's a 5 account limit per ISY/Portal.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

Hi Michel - another way to work around this to just create additional users on the main account in Portal and associate this with additional Amazon accounts. Then in the Alexa app for each unique Amazon account / echo, you just define a different group called "Light" with the appropriate devices. I tested this a couple weeks back and it works. Although there's something kludgy about it, there are fewer steps to get everything working and perhaps the 5 account approval limitation in ISY can be avoided.

 

Best,

 

-David

[jerlands]

I added 5 sub accounts to the portal however ISY only allowed me to register 4 of them and on the 5th I received the error "Bad Request."  So a total of 5 accounts registered and all sub accounts created and registered before associating with an Amazon account.

 

 

 

Jon...

Edited March 5, 2016 by jerlands

[madcodger]

Hi madcodger,

 

Yes, of course and already there:

http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index.php?title=ISY_Portal_Amazon_Echo_Integration#Instructions_for_using_Multiple_Echos_Connected_Home

 

With kind regards,

Michel

Thank you. This seems to be the best we ISY users can do for now, but it's still FAR from ideal from a home automation / usability perspective. I have four Echos, so having four Amazon accounts is just not practical. I want to USE my Echos to do things like create shopping lists (much of which might be fulfilled by Amazon), reminders, to-do lists, etc. Three of my Echo devices will be useless for this, as they will be connected to the "wrong" account. That is not UDI's fault - it is Amazon's - for failing to consider the fact that some households might actually want to use Echo for something more than a party trick.

 

Amazon needs to think about "power users" (for lack of a better term) who want to embrace their Echo devices - and thus their use of Amazon services - as an integral rather than occasional element of how their home functions. Requiring the use of multiple Amazon accounts does nothing to facilitate this, and in fact hinders it.

 

I appreciate UDI and ISY users for the ingenuity shown here; however, this is a kludgy, cobbled together workaround that we are forced to attempt because Amazon is focusing on novelty dabblers rather than ALSO making relatively simple changes that would make the Echo a truly useful household tool instead of a goofy little device in a bad TV commercial. Echo has breakthrough potential in the way voice is used within the home, and from an engineering perspective it is truly a marvel. But that potential is not being adequately developed because Amazon is thinking in terms of how their customers might use their Echo (one) device rather than multiple Echos placed strategically around a home.

 

This is a major misstep on the part of an ill-prepared product marketing/launch team at Amazon that failed to consider that the Echo would be anything more than a novelty at launch. I'll admit that their primary need was to promote product trial, to gain users. But one of the key things such a team must also consider is, "What if it works"? The Amazon team has thus far failed in that regard, and they need to correct it NOW. Otherwise, there will soon be a fair number of second-third-etc Echos on Ebay, and a bad taste in the mouths of what would otherwise have been especially loyal Amazon customers with reasonable levels of disposable income. The ball is in your court, Amazon, but early adopting power users are not known for their patience.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi stusviews, that's really odd. The max = 5 (accounts + subaccounts).

 

Hi madcodger, I agree with you and the same feedback (but more PC) was given to Amazon. They said they would consider it alas they have been incommunicado for the past 3 weeks. We are still waiting for them to let us test their V2 APIs ...

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[Paulk8]

Thank you. This seems to be the best we ISY users can do for now, but it's still FAR from ideal from a home automation / usability perspective. I have four Echos, so having four Amazon accounts is just not practical. I want to USE my Echos to do things like create shopping lists (much of which might be fulfilled by Amazon), reminders, to-do lists, etc. Three of my Echo devices will be useless for this, as they will be connected to the "wrong" account. That is not UDI's fault - it is Amazon's - for failing to consider the fact that some households might actually want to use Echo for something more than a party trick.

 

Amazon needs to think about "power users" (for lack of a better term) who want to embrace their Echo devices - and thus their use of Amazon services - as an integral rather than occasional element of how their home functions. Requiring the use of multiple Amazon accounts does nothing to facilitate this, and in fact hinders it.

 

I appreciate UDI and ISY users for the ingenuity shown here; however, this is a kludgy, cobbled together workaround that we are forced to attempt because Amazon is focusing on novelty dabblers rather than ALSO making relatively simple changes that would make the Echo a truly useful household tool instead of a goofy little device in a bad TV commercial. Echo has breakthrough potential in the way voice is used within the home, and from an engineering perspective it is truly a marvel. But that potential is not being adequately developed because Amazon is thinking in terms of how their customers might use their Echo (one) device rather than multiple Echos placed strategically around a home.

 

This is a major misstep on the part of an ill-prepared product marketing/launch team at Amazon that failed to consider that the Echo would be anything more than a novelty at launch. I'll admit that their primary need was to promote product trial, to gain users. But one of the key things such a team must also consider is, "What if it works"? The Amazon team has thus far failed in that regard, and they need to correct it NOW. Otherwise, there will soon be a fair number of second-third-etc Echos on Ebay, and a bad taste in the mouths of what would otherwise have been especially loyal Amazon customers with reasonable levels of disposable income. The ball is in your court, Amazon, but early adopting power users are not known for their patience.

This will allow you to share lists.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201806360

[stusviews]

Hi stusviews, that's really odd. The max = 5 (accounts + subaccounts).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Any solution? I ordered two Dots to supplement our three Echos. Five accounts would be ideal, at least for now

 

If not, is there a way to delete the account pending approval? See post #31

[jerlands]

 

If not, is there a way to delete the account pending approval? See post #31

 

I have a similar problem in that I created a 6th ISY Portal account but am unable to delete it.

 

 

Jon...

[madcodger]

This will allow you to share lists.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201806360

Appreciared - Thank You. But still want Amazon to address these issues.

[madcodger]

Hi madcodger, I agree with you and the same feedback (but more PC) was given to Amazon. They said they would consider it alas they have been incommunicado for the past 3 weeks. We are still waiting for them to let us test their V2 APIs ...

 

With kind regards,

Michel

I no longer worry about being politically correct. Amazon should know better! Edited March 7, 2016 by madcodger

[stusviews]

I deleted all references that the portal had to the problem account (see #31), closed and opened the Admin Console and the account awaiting approval was absent

 

Edit: I added the account again to no avail.

Edited March 7, 2016 by stusviews

[Michel Kohanim]

Hello everyone,

 

Please send your UUIDs and a screenshot of the Admin Console | Configuration | Portal to support@universal-devices.com.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[apache5]

Forgive me for asking a basic question, but how can I add a second echo to my connected home. I want them to them to control the same devices universally. I do not want them location based only. Second, when you refer to spokens does that mean the various commands? For example, is "Turn off kitchen lights" a spoken? Lastly, when you say create a second Amazon account is that done thru the portal or on Amazon's site. Thanks in advance for the help.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi apache5,

 

You don't have to do anything as long as they are both linked to the same Amazon account. i.e. it should work automatically.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[stusviews]

Forgive me for asking a basic question, but how can I add a second echo to my connected home. I want them to them to control the same devices universally. I do not want them location based only. Second, when you refer to spokens does that mean the various commands? For example, is "Turn off kitchen lights" a spoken? Lastly, when you say create a second Amazon account is that done thru the portal or on Amazon's site. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

The spoken is "kitchen lights." As Michel indicated, a second account is not required.

[badvector]

The spoken is "kitchen lights." As Michel indicated, a second account is not required.

I should have checked this thread before I started configuring my second dot. I just followed the wiki.

 

Just to confirm, if it doesn't matter if they use the same commands I can simply add it to my primary amazon account and no sub accounts in the portal are required?

 

Where as, if I want independent control of two different areas, I would configure it using multiple amazon accounts and portal sub-accounts as outlined in the wiki?

 

Thanks in advance. I've just started using the ISY instead of the insteon hub and my head is still spinning with the abilities available with the ISY.

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi badvector,

 

Exactly: if you want them to act independently, then you need multiple Echo accounts and then on the Portal you need sub accounts for each one of those.

 

If NOT, then you don't need anything else. Just configure them to your main account.

 

With kind regards,

Michel