Google seems to disconnect from time to time

[mmb]

Maybe @bmercier can help me understand why Google seems to disconnect from time to time which requires either removing the UD link and re-adding or re-authenticating to link up the service?

It happens only a couple of times a year with Google but Amazon has been rock solid since I linked it.

Just curious, thanks.

(sorry if I should have made this a new thread)

Edited November 1, 2023 by mmb

[bmercier]

1 hour ago, mmb said:

Maybe @bmercier can help me understand why Google seems to disconnect from time to time which requires either removing the UD link and re-adding or re-authenticating to link up the service?

It happens only a couple of times a year with Google but Amazon has been rock solid since I linked it.

Just curious, thanks.

(sorry if I should have made this a new thread)

If by disconnect you mean that you can no longer Send spokens to GH, but everything else works; this is a known problem.

It seems that Google at some point loses track of the "agentUserId", which means that it no longer recognizes who the user is when sending spokens.

When this happens, well, everything else works. This means you can continue to use use it. When you have new spokens to add, instead of clicking "Send spokens", ask "Hey Google, sync my devices". That should work.

If that does not work then it means it may be a different problem.

[mmb]

20 hours ago, bmercier said:

Google at some point loses track of the "agentUserId", which means that it no longer recognizes who the user is when sending spokens.

Thank you, the disconnect results in a can not contact Universal Devices (or similar) on a spoken command.

Does losing track of the "agentUserId" necessitate a re-authentication via portal or a re-link of the UD module then an authentication?

As noted it doesn't happen often.  I assumed it was related to a backend change or an app update.

[bmercier]

1 minute ago, mmb said:

Thank you, the disconnect results in a can not contact Universal Devices (or similar) on a spoken command.

Does losing track of the "agentUserId" necessitate a re-authentication via portal or a re-link of the UD module then an authentication?

As noted it doesn't happen often.  I assumed it was related to a backend change or an app update.

The problem I described is not the same thing then.

The cannot contact universal devices error may be caused by many things. The first thing to do it figure out if this is for specific devices, or for any devices. If all devices have the problem, then relinking is the way to go.

If it's just specific devices, this can be one of the following reasons:

1. GH does not understand you correctly and turns on/off something else that indeed does not respond.
2. The device in GH is orphaned (the device exists in GH, but no longer exists on portal)
3. The device exists in both GH and Portal, but no longer exists on ISY
4. The device exists in both GH, Portal and ISY, but actually does not respond (
   • This could be a communication issue (Insteon/ZWave issue, node server issue)
   • Or the device is dead.

First you have to figure out which GH device exactly does not respond. When you know which GH device does not respond, you need to figure out which of the above is the issue.

For case 1: Test from the GH app directly (Don't talk, use the buttons in the app).

For case 2: Delete the device from GH app, then ask GH: Hey Google, sync my devices. If the device reappears, it is indeed in Portal.

For case 3: Check your mapping in portal. Make sure the ISY address exactly matches the address you see in the admin console.

For case 4: Make sure you can control the device from the admin console.

[mmb]

 

9 minutes ago, bmercier said:

The problem I described is not the same thing then.

Thanks, I actually didn't try other devices but will if it ever happens again.

To resolve the last instance of can not contact UD, I went into the GH app then into Settings/Services/Works with Google then scrolled to the UD module and pressed it.  It took me to the portal screen for a login.  After logging in the spokens started working again.

I do remember having to re-link the UD module on previous occasions. Then logging back in to get spokens working again.

I'll pay more attention to the specifics if it happens again.

[mmb]

9 hours ago, bmercier said:

The problem I described is not the same thing then.

Anyway, thanks the detailed explanation, I learned something 👍

Edited November 2, 2023 by mmb