How to multiple houses, multiple ISY and multiple Echo?

[fryfrog]

I *think* I want to create sub-accounts in the ISY portal and move each ISY to a sub account. I *think* each houses Echos need to be on a different Amazon account. Probably the primary I'm using now and a sub-account that is family. Is that right?

Both my ISYs are on the main account in the portal and have a fair number of Echo commands setup. I found a download for the spoken commands, but don't see an upload. I also don't see a way to just move them around.

Am I close in what I need to do? Am I missing anything obvious?

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi fryfrog,

 

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

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[fryfrog]

I want each house to be almost entirely stand alone, independent. Like "Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights." wouldn't work in the above example because I have two kitchens, so each would have to have a unique qualifier which would make it even more annoying. Having them be merged is "easy" and is actually unintentionally how they are now. I was *hoping* I didn't literally have to set them up w/ their own portal accounts and having two Amazon accounts will be annoying because I pay for Prime and Music and a bunch of other stuff on my primary, but I wouldn't on my secondary.

[stusviews]

Two ISYs, two portal accounts and two Amazon accounts are needed to fully establish independence. The last item is free. But I believe that you could access each ISY from either location.

[fryfrog]

Ah, I was hoping at least portal sub-accounts would work. If they're independent, how would you do cross ISY access?

[dbuss]

Ah, I was hoping at least portal sub-accounts would work. If they're independent, how would you do cross ISY access?

Both can be accessed through the admin console, Agave mobile app or MobiLinc mobile app. I have two completely independent isy's and access both using these methods.

 

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[stusviews]

I just remembered that you can add more than one ISY to the portal which does require a separate sub-account and, currently, a separate Amazon account. Are your ISYs on the same LAN?

[fryfrog]

You don't even need a sub-account to have two ISYs, both of mine are just on the one portal account. All my Echos are also on one Amazon account. So the current behavior is that both houses act as one. Which is kind of neat in that at my real house, I can say "Alexa, turn on the gutter heaters." and they'll turn on at our snow house. But awkward when you're at the snow house and say "Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights." and way back at our real house, the kitchen lights turn on and nothing happens at the snow house. With a bunch of tricky naming, I *could* make this work... but it isn't very user friendly. The new v3 skill and Echo groups would help, but not enough.

Each house has its own internet and internal network, so they're not on the same LAN.

[stusviews]

All my Echos are also on one Amazon account. So the current behavior is that both houses act as one. Which is kind of neat in that at my real house, I can say "Alexa, turn on the gutter heaters." and they'll turn on at our snow house. But awkward when you're at the snow house and say "Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights." and way back at our real house, the kitchen lights turn on and nothing happens at the snow house. With a bunch of tricky naming, I *could* make this work... but it isn't very user friendly.

 

That's precisely what multiple accounts overcomes. When I ask Alexa to turn on the light, only the light in the room I'm in turns on. If I'm in the living room and want to turn on the dining room light, then I need to specify "dining room." But not if I'm in the dining room, just asking for the 'light" is adequate. Just for convenience, "dining room light" works, too.

 

The only current difficulties are the limits of five portal accounts and four wake words. However, if all the Echo devices on one account are not within earshot of all the Echo devices on a different account, then the same wake word is not an obstacle. In our situation, the bedroom and living room fulfill that condition, so both use the same wake word

 

Edit: typos corrected.

Edited November 12, 2017 by stusviews