Problem setting up a GeoFence

[Byron]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to ISY, and I'm having trouble getting a geofence to work with Mobilinc Pro. At first, using the ISY portal, Mobilinc would not create the state variable. Basically the exact same problem as in this post (everything else worked perfectly). So, like they did, I switched over to a direct IP connection and it created the variable fine. Wrote a program to turn off the lights based on the state variable, works fine when you change the state of the variable manually. However, when I leave the "fenced area", Mobilinc is not updating the state.

I think my question is probably more related to the portals. Can anyone point me to a quick primer on which portal does what? I see some parts of the wiki that say you can't use Mobilinc anymore, other places say yes, Mobilinc doesn't say much, but one of the add-ons claims it works with direct IP or the Mobilinc portal (not necessarily that it didn't work with ISY, but it wasn't mentioned)... So confusing :/

I'm also using Amazon Echos, so that is important as well.

Thanks in advance,

Byron

[InsteonNut]

Hi Byron,

 

Keep in mind when using a direct IP to connect to your ISY, you'll need to also port forward your ISY through your router and manage your own network settings to ensure local and remote access works to always reach your ISY. Without external access (port forward for direct IP connections), MobiLinc won't be able to update your variable when you leave your home. A better solution without network changes is to use our MobiLinc Connect Portal. 

 

MobiLinc does not support the ISY Portal since this is not our product. For dead easy local/remote access we’ve had our own Portal solution tailored for MobiLinc called MobiLinc Connect since 2012 that our MobiLinc users use. To get started open MobiLinc and go to Settings->Lighting Controller->Host Type and select “MobiLinc Connect”. Select “Create a New Account” and follow the directions.

http://mobilinc.com/features/mobilincconnect/

 

MobiLinc Connect supports the following features:

-          Dead easy anywhere access for MobiLinc apps and access via the Admin Console

-          Amazon Alexa integration: http://mobilinc.com/features/echo/

-          IFTTT Maker support

-          Push notifications for iOS devices

-          Today View widget support for iOS devices

 

Before setting up MobiLinc with MobiLinc Connect, please contact UDI support (support@universal-devices.com) to have them remove the ISY Portal and install the MobiLinc Portal in your ISY instead.

After UDI makes the change, in the ISY’s Admin Console go to Help->Manage Modules to install.

Once the ISY reboots, please continue the registration in MobiLinc.

 

Wes

[rccoleman]

I think my question is probably more related to the portals. Can anyone point me to a quick primer on which portal does what? I see some parts of the wiki that say you can't use Mobilinc anymore, other places say yes, Mobilinc doesn't say much, but one of the add-ons claims it works with direct IP or the Mobilinc portal (not necessarily that it didn't work with ISY, but it wasn't mentioned)... So confusing :/

 

MobiLinc does not support the ISY Portal since this is not our product. For dead easy local/remote access we’ve had our own Portal solution tailored for MobiLinc called MobiLinc Connect since 2012 that our MobiLinc users use. To get started open MobiLinc and go to Settings->Lighting Controller->Host Type and select “MobiLinc Connect”. Select “Create a New Account” and follow the directions.

http://mobilinc.com/features/mobilincconnect/

 

Wes

 

MobiLinc (the company) doesn't support the ISY Portal because "it's not [their] product", but MobiLinc (the app) can use the ISY Portal due to some sleuthing and reverse engineering on UDI's part. That leads to the confusion that Byron mentions, and the confusing answers from UDI and MobiLinc, each interested in selling their individual, competing services.  Some of the advanced features that MobiLinc offers do only work with MobiLinc Connect (I believe that push notifications are one of them), but basic functionality works fine with the ISY portal, and it offers many of the same features as MobiLinc Connect.

 

Rob

[MWareman]

The thing to remember....

 

Using Mobilinc (the app) against the ISY Portal gives you the exact same features as using Mobilinc (the app) going direct to ISY (via port forward).

 

Using Mobilinc (the app) against 'Mobilinc Connect' (the Mobilinc Portal) gives you a couple of extra features. Wes I'm sure will detail those features.

 

Important to note - ISY supports only one Portal or the other. So, if OP has already purchased ISY Portal they should not subscribe to MobiLinc Connect as well - since it won't work without first disabling ISY Portal.

 

Also, as noted above, Mobilinc (the company) dont support ISY Portal - since its not their product.

 

However, to clarify, the OP is seeking an answer to a question about Mobilinc (the app), so I think Mobilinc (the company) should assist - even if the user is using 'ISY Portal' - on the understanding that only ISY direct functionality is supported, and questions about the portal cannot be answered. Simply directing users with questions to use 'Mobilinc Connect' is anti-competitive at best.

 

Just my opinion...

[InsteonNut]

Rob and MWareman,

 

but basic functionality works fine with the ISY portal, and it offers many of the same features as MobiLinc Connect.

 

 

Using Mobilinc (the app) against the ISY Portal gives you the exact same features as using Mobilinc (the app) going direct to ISY (via port forward).

 

Unfortunately these are not true statements.

 

The ISY Portal does not support all native features of MobiLinc that you would find with a direct IP connection. For example, the ISY Portal does not support creating variables for geo-fence or iBeacons. ISY Portal also does not support the connection requirements for the Today View iOS widget, Apple Watch, or near me screens in MobiLinc for iBeacons and location aware items. A true direct IP connection works as does our MobiLinc Connect service that we wrote for the ISY and MobiLinc to support all these features and more like push notifications.

 

Wes

[InsteonNut]

MWareman,

 

However, to clarify, the OP is seeking an answer to a question about Mobilinc (the app), so I think Mobilinc (the company) should assist

 

Looking back over my answer, I believe I did answer Byron's question about why the direct IP connection wasn't updating the variable. But just to clearly restate what I think Byron's issue is, I suspect the external direct IP path isn't fully entered/setup in MobiLinc yet. When you leave the house and the iOS device switches over to cellular, MobiLinc needs the external path + port forward to be active and correct in order for MobiLinc to update the geo-fence variable when away from home.

 

Wes

[Byron]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the info!

Wes,

Yes, I have all the port forwarding in place (assuming it just needs 443/TCP) and I'm connecting to the external IP. It actually updated the variable this morning when I left the house, so I don't know what was going on when I was testing it Saturday.

I was under the same impression that MWareman was, in that I was assuming using the ISY portal and direct IP would provide the same functionality. From what you're saying, that isn't true? Is that a limitation of the ISY portal? I would have thought it would just relay whatever MobiLinc (the app) sent it directly to my ISY. That would explain why I can't update the state variable through the portal, but it now seems to be working direct...

So it would seem that using the MobiLinc portal would gain me both the ability to update state variables, and push notifications, but (and please correct me if I'm wrong) I would lose the ability to say "Alexa, turn on the ..."? Which would become "Alexa, ask MobiLinc to turn on the ..."?

Thanks again,

Byron

[InsteonNut]

Hi Byron,

 

I was under the same impression that MWareman was, in that I was assuming using the ISY portal and direct IP would provide the same functionality. From what you're saying, that isn't true? Is that a limitation of the ISY portal? I would have thought it would just relay whatever MobiLinc (the app) sent it directly to my ISY. That would explain why I can't update the state variable through the portal, but it now seems to be working direct...

 

I have no visibility into ISY Portal, so I can't say why it doesn't work. All we know is that it doesn't support all the features of the MobiLinc app as I outlined above.

 

So it would seem that using the MobiLinc portal would gain me both the ability to update state variables, and push notifications, but (and please correct me if I'm wrong) I would lose the ability to say "Alexa, turn on the ..."? Which would become "Alexa, ask MobiLinc to turn on the ..."?

 

That's correct. I've got the smarthome skill for Alexa on my to-do list to add to MobiLinc Connect.

 

Wes

[Byron]

Thanks Wes,

One last question: To switch to the MobiLinc portal, would one still need the Network Module from ISY, or just the Portal Integration - MobiLinc Connect Module (or both)? It seems like my best bet is sticking with direct IP until the smart home skill is finished, then I'll probably switch over if for nothing else, the push notifications.

-Byron

[InsteonNut]

Hi Bryon,

 

All you need is the MobiLinc Connect Portal.

 

Wes

[MWareman]

 

 

MWareman,

Unfortunately these are not true statements.

 

The ISY Portal does not support all native features of MobiLinc that you would find with a direct IP connection. For example, the ISY Portal does not support creating variables for geo-fence or iBeacons.

Don't know why not. The API on ISY Portal is identical to a direct connection to the ISY, and the API supports identical features. The Portal just proxies the SOAP and REST interfaces back to the ISY.

 

So, unless you are specifically detecting use of the ISY Portal and crippling it (to be clear, I do *NOT* think you are doing this!), I'm not sure why it dosn't work. Maybe this is something to work with UDI on and troubleshoot and fix to aid customer satisfaction with your App, rather than using it as a distinguishing 'feature' to drive sales of the Connect service...

 

We shouldn't be using potential bugs as distinguishing features.... The two portals have sufficient differences in features to distinguish themselves....

 

I cannot directly test your claim myself, as the Android Mobilinc app does not support these features... (shocker...)

[InsteonNut]

MWareman,

 

Don't know why not. The API on ISY Portal is identical to a direct connection to the ISY, and the API supports identical features.

 

I don't know either. What I outlined above is what I'm seeing working with users that use MobiLinc and ISY Portal. All features work as expected with direct IP and MobiLinc Connect.

 

 So, unless you are specifically detecting use of the ISY Portal and crippling it (to be clear, I do *NOT* think you are doing this!)

 

Correct, that's something I would never do. Whatever IP/DNS is entered into the direct IP field, MobiLinc uses to connect with an expected ISY at the other end.

 

..as the Android Mobilinc app does not support these features... (shocker...)

 

The Android app supports geofencing and NFC with Tasker. Android does not have an Apple Watch, Today View, or iBeacon capability to drive a "near me" experience. All three of these are iOS only features we are taking advantage of in MobiLinc for iOS.

 

Wes

[MWareman]

 

 

Android does not have an Apple Watch,

What a goofy statement!

 

Wrong. It has Android Wear. It came out a few months before Apple Watch.

 

Does Mobilinc Support it?

 

Yet another feature not supported on Android.

 

How is the Elk plugin coming? Or the camera plugin? In fact, any plugins at all???

[G W]

What a goofy statement!

 

Wrong. It has Android Wear. It came out a few months before Apple Watch.

 

Does Mobilinc Support it?

 

Yet another feature not supported on Android.

 

How is the Elk plugin coming? Or the camera plugin? In fact, any plugins at all???

He is referencing the Mobilinc versions.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I approved this message.

[MWareman]

He is referencing the Mobilinc versions.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I approved this message.

As am I

[G W]

As am I

He's saying that the Android version of Mobilinc doesn't support the Apple Watch. So that's not a goofy statement.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I approved this message.

[MWareman]

He's saying that the Android version of Mobilinc doesn't support the Apple Watch.

 

I'm Gary Funk and I approved this message.

Why should it? Different platforms. Hence my 'goofy statement'. It's like he's saying that the Google Play Store cannot install apps on an IOS device. It just does not make sense.

 

My pivot is correcting the question. Does the Android version of Mobilinc support the Android watch solution - Wear? Wear came out many months before the Apple Watch. But no. It's yet another feature of Mobilinc on IOS not supported on Android.

 

I'm one that blindly purchased it a second time when I moved from IOS to Android. Truthfully, it's one app I wish I hadn't invested in (on Android). It was worth every dollar on IOS. I'm now *very* happy to have Agave - especially since it natively supports ISY Portal (which, if you use IFTTT as I do is more secure that Mobilinc Connect) and Elk.

[G W]

I understand now what you mean. I don't disagree for the most part. I've seen too many try to port from Apple to Android and fail.

 

But like you pointed out, Android now has Agave and it's great. James has done remarkable work and is eager to bring more features to the application.

 

The support he has for the Elk is great and getting better. I've offered suggestions and he's been very receptive to add as much as he can. The Elk is one nice piece of hardware. I'm having a lot of fun experimenting with it.

 

 

 

I'm Gary Funk and I approved this message.

[MWoods329]

Thanks Wes,

One last question: To switch to the MobiLinc portal, would one still need the Network Module from ISY, or just the Portal Integration - MobiLinc Connect Module (or both)? It seems like my best bet is sticking with direct IP until the smart home skill is finished, then I'll probably switch over if for nothing else, the push notifications.

-Byron

Did you get this working?

 

Does it work intermittently?

 

I've had on and off issues with geofencing updates since first getting my ISY in 2012.

 

I found that my ISP had something on my line setup incorrectly and it would cause direct connection issues.

 

 

 

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