Amazon echo not working

[dbuss]

What's the issue then?

I am still unable to control them with the app, group or routine.

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[bmercier]

Do you see the device under "devices"?

[dbuss]

Do you see the device under "devices"?

Yes.

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[bmercier]

2 minutes ago, dbuss said:

Yes.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

Do you see the on/off buttons?

If so, does it work when you click on them?

Are you saying it's not working due to an error message at the top? If so, this is normal. This is due to the fact that scenes don't have a status. This is the drawback to expose a scene as a device. But still, you should be able to controle them, include them in groups and routines.

Benoit

[dbuss]

Do you see the on/off buttons?
If so, does it work when you click on them?
Are you saying it's not working due to an error message at the top? If so, this is normal. This is due to the fact that scenes don't have a status. This is the drawback to expose a scene as a device. But still, you should be able to controle them, include them in groups and routines.
Benoit

I see the on/off button. When I press the button I get an error message and the light does not turn on.

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[bmercier]

2 minutes ago, dbuss said:

I see the on/off button. When I press the button I get an error message and the light does not turn on.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

Can you try to forget the device in the Alexa app (web version), then re-discover it?

Benoit

[dbuss]

2 hours ago, bmercier said:

Can you try to forget the device in the Alexa app (web version), then re-discover it?

Benoit

I have three scenes consisting of 3-way switches. They have all been set as device/light in Alexa category in the ISY portal, forgotten in the Alexa web version app and then added and show up as devices, and show up as devices in the Aleax smart phone app. If the lights are off I can turn them on with the smart phone app. However, the smart phone app does not show them as being on and I am unable to turn them off with the smart phone app. The only way I can make them work in a group is ask Alexa to turn the group on to a brigtness percentage and turn it off to 0 percent. They do work in routines. Insert other media

[bmercier]

35 minutes ago, dbuss said:

I have three scenes consisting of 3-way switches. They have all been set as device/light in Alexa category in the ISY portal, forgotten in the Alexa web version app and then added and show up as devices, and show up as devices in the Aleax smart phone app. If the lights are off I can turn them on with the smart phone app. However, the smart phone app does not show them as being on and I am unable to turn them off with the smart phone app. The only way I can make them work in a group is ask Alexa to turn the group on to a brigtness percentage and turn it off to 0 percent. They do work in routines. Insert other media

Thanks for the details.

This is the expected behavior.

ISY scenes do not have a status. When Alexa queries the "device", the skill knows it's a scene and will return an error as the status is unknown. This is the drawback to exposing scenes as devices.

Regarding the turn off not working, it's also expected. If Alexa think it's off, when you press the button, it will send a turn on. But after turning it on, it queries the status... which returns an error. So it is considered off.

If you would like a work-around and get a status, you could wrap your scenes inside a program. Programs do have a status. So if you use Alexa to turn on a program, which turn on the scene, then the status returned will be on (program status will be true). But, if the scene is activated outside the scope of the program, or if your light is manually turned on/off, then the status of the program won't match the device. You could go a step further by adding an if your program. 

Example:

If device is not off

    turn on device

else

    turn off device.

This way, the program status will always reflect the status of the light. 

Benoit

[dbuss]

7 minutes ago, bmercier said:

Thanks for the details.

This is the expected behavior.

ISY scenes do not have a status. When Alexa queries the "device", the skill knows it's a scene and will return an error as the status is unknown. This is the drawback to exposing scenes as devices.

Regarding the turn off not working, it's also expected. If Alexa think it's off, when you press the button, it will send a turn on. But after turning it on, it queries the status... which returns an error. So it is considered off.

If you would like a work-around and get a status, you could wrap your scenes inside a program. Programs do have a status. So if you use Alexa to turn on a program, which turn on the scene, then the status returned will be on (program status will be true). But, if the scene is activated outside the scope of the program, or if your light is manually turned on/off, then the status of the program won't match the device. You could go a step further by adding an if your program. 

Example:

If device is not off

    turn on device

else

    turn off device.

This way, the program status will always reflect the status of the light. 

Benoit

Benoit, I appreciate the explanation. the smart phone app behavior is not an issue for me because I rarely use it.It was nice to be able to walk in a room with 3-way switches and say turn on the light. Thanks again!!

[hum099]

Michel

I'm still having issues. Very frustrating. It is randomly happening on different devices. Today I cant turn on the basement light. I say Alexa turn on the basement light. It responds basement light does not support that. Yesterday it was the light in my family room and another day the hall light. All with the same responses. The family room light and hall light seem to be working again. but not the basement light.  It had been running great for months. I have made no changes accept installing the Zwave module which was no problem. Not sure if it started after that. I think maybe it has something to do with the update.

I did notice something that looks strange in the Alexa app. Seems to be 2 entries for basement light.

Edited April 9, 2018 by hum099

[dbuss]

Michel
I'm still having issues. Very frustrating. It is randomly happening on different devices. Today I cant turn on the basement light. I say Alexa turn on the basement light. It responds basement light does not support that. Yesterday it was the light in my family room and another day the hall light. All with the same responses. The family room light and hall light seem to be working again. but not the basement light.  It had been running great for months. I have made no changes accept installing the Zwave module which was no problem. Not sure if it started after that. I think maybe it has something to do with the update.
I did notice something that looks strange in the Alexa app. Seems to be 2 entries for basement light.

You might try forgetting both basement light entries in the Alexa web app and Alexa smartphone app. Then identify the basement lights as a light in the Alexa category in the ISY portal. Then rediscover devices.

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[bmercier]

2 hours ago, hum099 said:

Michel

I'm still having issues. Very frustrating. It is randomly happening on different devices. Today I cant turn on the basement light. I say Alexa turn on the basement light. It responds basement light does not support that. Yesterday it was the light in my family room and another day the hall light. All with the same responses. The family room light and hall light seem to be working again. but not the basement light.  It had been running great for months. I have made no changes accept installing the Zwave module which was no problem. Not sure if it started after that. I think maybe it has something to do with the update.

I did notice something that looks strange in the Alexa app. Seems to be 2 entries for basement light.

Look in the Alexa app, web version, go to the list of devices.

Do you see any of them marked as offline? If so, please forget them.

I would also look at your list of skills. Which smart home skills do you have?

Benoit

[hum099]

Im not at home right now but i logged into the Alexa portal and everything shows offline. The devices in Question also have a new entry. This is why the 2 entries.

[bmercier]

8 minutes ago, hum099 said:

Im not at home right now but i logged into the Alexa portal and everything shows offline. The devices in Question also have a new entry. This is why the 2 entries.

Most likely you had both the old ISY Smart Home Skill which has been sunset recently, and the newer Smart Home Skill V3.

Please disable the skill named "ISY Optimized for Smart Home". You will also have to either remove those offline devices one by one, or Forget all and redo a discovery.

Benoit

 

[hum099]

thanks. I will try when I get home.

[hum099]

Thanks  Benoit

So far so good. Forgot all devices and re-discovered. 

[mango]

I have to add a #me too to this issue and have only just had time to put towards it. My Alexa/ISY setup had been working fine for many months.

Multiple Echos grouped with selected Insteon devices which are ISY Category Scenes to Alexa Category Device/Lights.

Depending on your physical location in the building, saying the command "Lights ON" or "Lights OFF" worked to control individual zones matched with location. Not having to know the actual spoken word of the area to control it, but simply using the words "Lights..." is a feature I am trying to make work again for the family.

Since the problem started Alexa would respond "Please try again using percent for brightness or degrees for temperature."

It seems some logic Amazon had in place to be able to determine that the spoken word "lights" can control each separate Alexa group has been lost.

So may question would be, how do I rebuild the structure from ISY to Alexa to be able to use the wildcard word "lights" in different zones?

Edited April 13, 2018 by mango
typo

[larryllix]

2 hours ago, mango said:

I have to add a #me too to this issue and have only just had time to put towards it. My Alexa/ISY setup had been working fine for many months.

Multiple Echos grouped with selected Insteon devices which are ISY Category Scenes to Alexa Category Device/Lights.

Depending on your physical location in the building, saying the command "Lights ON" or "Lights OFF" worked to control individual zones matched with location. Not having to know the actual spoken word of the area to control it, but simply using the words "Lights..." is a feature I am trying to make work again for the family.

Since the problem started Alexa would respond "Please try again using percent for brightness or degrees for temperature."

It seems some logic Amazon had in place to be able to determine that the spoken word "lights" can control each separate Alexa group has been lost.

So may question would be, how do I rebuild the structure from ISY to Alexa to be able to use the wildcard word "lights" in different zones?

I believe that "lights" and "lamp" are very generic and maybe predefined words that may get you into trouble. When I say Lights On alexa asks me which one as I have  a few dozen programs with Lights in the vocal. Google home is worse turning on every light in the house.

I know it is not as simple but maybe try "Room Lights"

Edited April 13, 2018 by larryllix

[mango]

HI Larry. Thanks I will try later tonight.

It would be a pity if true. It was beautifully simplistic before....

[dbuss]

2 hours ago, mango said:

I have to add a #me too to this issue and have only just had time to put towards it. My Alexa/ISY setup had been working fine for many months.

Multiple Echos grouped with selected Insteon devices which are ISY Category Scenes to Alexa Category Device/Lights.

Depending on your physical location in the building, saying the command "Lights ON" or "Lights OFF" worked to control individual zones matched with location. Not having to know the actual spoken word of the area to control it, but simply using the words "Lights..." is a feature I am trying to make work again for the family.

Since the problem started Alexa would respond "Please try again using percent for brightness or degrees for temperature."

It seems some logic Amazon had in place to be able to determine that the spoken word "lights" can control each separate Alexa group has been lost.

So may question would be, how do I rebuild the structure from ISY to Alexa to be able to use the wildcard word "lights" in different zones?

@Mango here's the response from Benoit as to why scenes no longer work with groups.

 

This is the expected behavior.

ISY scenes do not have a status. When Alexa queries the "device", the skill knows it's a scene and will return an error as the status is unknown. This is the drawback to exposing scenes as devices.

Regarding the turn off not working, it's also expected. If Alexa think it's off, when you press the button, it will send a turn on. But after turning it on, it queries the status... which returns an error. So it is considered off.

If you would like a work-around and get a status, you could wrap your scenes inside a program. Programs do have a status. So if you use Alexa to turn on a program, which turn on the scene, then the status returned will be on (program status will be true). But, if the scene is activated outside the scope of the program, or if your light is manually turned on/off, then the status of the program won't match the device. You could go a step further by adding an if your program. 

Example:

If device is not off

    turn on device

else

    turn off device.

This way, the program status will always reflect the status of the light. 

Benoit

[mango]

@Mango here's the response from Benoit as to why scenes no longer work with groups.
 

This is the expected behavior.

ISY scenes do not have a status. When Alexa queries the "device", the skill knows it's a scene and will return an error as the status is unknown. This is the drawback to exposing scenes as devices.

Regarding the turn off not working, it's also expected. If Alexa think it's off, when you press the button, it will send a turn on. But after turning it on, it queries the status... which returns an error. So it is considered off.

If you would like a work-around and get a status, you could wrap your scenes inside a program. Programs do have a status. So if you use Alexa to turn on a program, which turn on the scene, then the status returned will be on (program status will be true). But, if the scene is activated outside the scope of the program, or if your light is manually turned on/off, then the status of the program won't match the device. You could go a step further by adding an if your program. 

Example:

If device is not off

    turn on device

else

    turn off device.

This way, the program status will always reflect the status of the light. 

Benoit

Hi dbuss,

Thank you although I don’t think this applies to my issue. I have Alexa viewing my ISY setup as devices already. They are only scenes on the ISY.

[dbuss]

6 minutes ago, mango said:

Hi dbuss,

Thank you although I don’t think this applies to my issue. I have Alexa viewing my ISY setup as devices already. They are only scenes on the ISY.

That is exactly how I had mine set up and it no longer works as it did before. As Benoit stated, there are work arounds, but I didn't find those to be a good solution for me. They may work for others though.

[ScottAvery]

I don't think Scenes is the issue because one of my Alexa groups still works with "lights" and it only contains scenes.  The one in my bedroom stopped working.  The only thing odd about it that I can tell is that one of the devices is a switch instead of a light, which I chose as a reminder to me that it was not dimmable.

[Goose66]

My setup is also all scenes exposed to Alexa as lights in the group. I had one device in the group that was a device, and it was when I disabled it in the ISY that Alexa started giving me the "Try again specifying a percentage for brightness..." nonsense. Once I removed the disabled device from the group, the "lights on" and "lights off" started working again properly.

[mango]

Okay so I had some time to put towards this again and found that it's working once more.

Some of my house ISY/Alexa config I left as-is untouched. It's in these zones that the command "Lights X" works again. I can walk to any of these Alexa zones and say "Alexa, Lights on" and she replies "okay" as before and the scene will enable.

 

Strange..... Something definitely was a little buggy Alexa side for a while me thinks. Anyway I'm very glad to have simplistic command control once more, thanks all for the input.

Edited April 17, 2018 by mango