universal devices unavailable right now

[larryllix]

My three GHs complain they need more information from me in the app. For years I have put up with Google's nonsense stopping working plyaing games with my account, and demanding I update this or that, and now they sit as wasted money

 

I got more stable Alexa boxes and ignore the GH units.

 

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[sanders2222]

On 1/13/2020 at 11:53 AM, larryllix said:

I got more stable Alexa boxes and ignore the GH units.

I'm not ready to give up on GH just yet.   I have one home with Alexa but my vacation home had GH first. And it worked with much better AI & other options.

I know the original post is a few years old but the "Universal-Devices unavailable" problem apparently still persists. I have never had this issue with Alexa DOT.

I found after returning, GH can't communicate with U-D. Everything else seems to work fine. Plus the GH app on my new cell phone can even control U-D. So it seems GH can access the ISY.  Just not the GH mini I have in the house.

I tried unlinking U-D suggested in thread above, but that suggestion but that did not work.  And when U-D was not linked, my GH mini gave me the same "Universal-Devices unavailable" reply.  How can that be?  I have 2 accounts and wonder if I need to unlink U-D from my account and my my wife's account to complete the unlinking.

As good as Google AI is, I am a bit disappointed the GH tech support for this issue with U-D.

 

[larryllix]

2 hours ago, sanders2222 said:

I'm not ready to give up on GH just yet.   I have one home with Alexa but my vacation home had GH first. And it worked with much better AI & other options.

I know the original post is a few years old but the "Universal-Devices unavailable" problem apparently still persists. I have never had this issue with Alexa DOT.

I found after returning, GH can't communicate with U-D. Everything else seems to work fine. Plus the GH app on my new cell phone can even control U-D. So it seems GH can access the ISY.  Just not the GH mini I have in the house.

I tried unlinking U-D suggested in thread above, but that suggestion but that did not work.  And when U-D was not linked, my GH mini gave me the same "Universal-Devices unavailable" reply.  How can that be?  I have 2 accounts and wonder if I need to unlink U-D from my account and my my wife's account to complete the unlinking.

As good as Google AI is, I am a bit disappointed the GH tech support for this issue with U-D.

 

From what I can tell over the years, Google likes to concoct new security techniques and fears/policies. Then they try to make the user feel like it was their fault their password does not work suddenly. When you ask to reinstate a new password they nail the user with all kinds of new personal information each time. Now they need your home phone number, cell phone number, your home address and postal/zip code, as well as your "disposable email address" just for better customer service, of course. LOL

One of the techniques is get you to confirm via email that it was actually you that reconnected to their service. When and if you don't within a certain length of time, google now deems you a hacker that needs to be cut-off and you account will never work again with that particular service/device/account.

After having google refuse my connection to ISY Portal for almost a year, I finally gave up and started a completely new shared (wife and I) google account, registered it with the ISY Portal and things resumed again.

Originally GH was miles ahead of Alexa in personality. Alexa was more accurate with HA but both have passed each other back and forth in every field many times over. Thank Gawd for competition though, or we might be still stumbling with old vocal technology.
Market competition!... It's the Canadian democratic way.  

[asbril]

1 hour ago, larryllix said:

Now they need your home phone number, cell phone number, your home address and postal/zip code, as well as your "disposable email address" just for better customer service, of course. LOL

My limit will be when GH asks for my belt size....

This being said,  generally GH  (4 devices) works very well at my home, except that it has trouble understanding my wife's Latino accent, though I must admit sometimes I don't understand her either ?. As of today I also have a Echo dot 3 and as far as ISY interaction, I dont see much difference between Alexa and GH.

[sanders2222]

My 1st post wrote: " GH can't communicate with U-D. .. (but) the GH app on my new cell phone can ..."

To further test my cell's functionality, I was about to speak to the GH app on my cell and this message pops up:

       Change your Account

       You are currently using different Goggle Accounts for the Assistant and your Google Home. To continue, switch to the same account.

And I can choose to Cancel or Change Account. 

When I clicked on Change, I discovered the Google account was for the other house.  So I would chose another of my Google accounts and each time that message came up. Well that didn't work for the GH mini no matter what account I used (except the GH App on my cell always worked with any account).  Hmmm.  I may be on to something but what?

[sanders2222]

Having received no further responses from this forum that might help, I was ready to submit a ticket. 

• Google Home cannot control U-D devices. Any spoken command to control an ISY device would result in a response "Universal Devices is unavailable" or words to that effect.

My problem is created by having a home with Amazon Dot and this one with Google Home.  Both share my ISY Portal account which complicates things a bit as each house move requires tweaking with the Portal settings.

After trying different approaches for a week I suddenly stumbled onto the solution! SO I am posting this solution to help me or anyone else who may have this problem in the future.

1. I started with trying to log onto the ISY Portal on my PC.  I discovered passwords weren't working AND I had the wrong email account. 
2. Once past that hurdle and logged into the Portal, I tried to send my Spokens to Google Home when this message popped up.                          
3. This got me to thinking the password in GH Assistant may be different (& therefore blocking access between GH & the ISY)
4. Logging into the GH Settings on my cell, I used the Assistant and unlinked the U-D devices account, then re-linked it.  (using correct account & password) BINGO! PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

[akorkosz]

My ISY Portal/Google Home integration has been working fine up to a few days ago when I started consistently getting the "Universal Devices is unavailable" response from Google Assistant  (same problem whether using Assistant from Google Home or cell phone).  Have unlinked and relinked the U-D account in Google Home app several times now but this has not solved issue (the GH app shows the relink as having been successfully made).  Otherwise, ISY Portal appears to be functioning properly -- no problems logging in, etc; and I don't seem to be having any GH integration issues with any other services.

Anyone else having this issue?  Any suggestions for a fix?

[Michel Kohanim]

@akorkosz,

Can you login to the ISY portal and control devices from there?

With kind regards,
Michel

[akorkosz]

Thanks for the prompt response.  Yes, I can.  No problem there.  And webhooks through IFTTT work too.