The Wink home automation thread

[MjnMixael]

Tech_Greek (and anyone who has asked, really), I'd feel weird about posting on their beta forums saying "Hey, you should invite this guy to be a beta tester. I don't know him, but he said he wanted to on a user forum."

I don't know what their process is for choosing beta testers, but in general, I'm not going to recommend people. Others can do what they want, but it just isn't my job to recruit others to their testing team.

 

[pm]

I deleted several posts due to concerns about spam. Send me a private message if you have concerns/comments/etc.

Moderator PM

 

[dgruhin]

I deleted several posts due to concerns about spam. Send me a private message if you have concerns/comments/etc.

Moderator PM

I don't have enough posts to reply by PM so hopefully this is ok:

It's cool, I get it and no I am not upset about the post being deleted.

I used to own blackberry101.com a large discussion forum which I sold to RIM back in 2004. Moderating is a tough job and I do respect it.

I have been using this thread to learn more about the Wink system and that worked up to a point, but it has become a huge pain in the ass to keep all the information which spans 58 pages, coherent, especially to new users of the Wink platform.

I started a dedicated forum in hopes of consolidating information which exists here as well as on other sources for the benefit of all Wink users, not to specifically steal users or duplicate efforts, merely for organizational purposes. As I am sure you know, a single thread covering an entire product line, made up of dozens of products, as well as custom 3rd party software and solutions is not ideal. This is why I bought and setup WinkWorkshop.com. The Wink users of the world deserve a dedicated, organized place to discuss and get support, which is really lacking.

In regard to the contest, I bought too many Quirky Trippers, and instead of sending them back to Amazon I figured why not have a contest, which would be beneficial by generating new ideas and providing how to guides from other users on their automation and integration projects, and for someone to get something they may have otherwise been hesitant to purchase.

I however, do understand your position and a post of that nature wont happen again.

One additional question, is there a minimum post requirement before a user can add a signature?

Thanks,
David

 

[dgruhin]

Did anyone experience incredibly long delays on Robots triggering this afternoon around 4:30-5:45pm Eastern?

I have a tripper on my back patio door that turns on the outside lights when I open the door and let the dogs out, and while I did not realize the light didn't come on as it was still light outside, I got a notification my iPhone almost 25 minutes after the fact and then saw the light come on and then go off about 4 minutes later.

 

[blampen]

I was experiencing some very drastic lag also this afternoon.

 

[dgruhin]

I was experiencing some very drastic lag also this afternoon.

Where are you located? I am wondering if Wink is using a CDN network and the lag is geolocation specific.

 

[Kaido]

I've had a problem with my Schlage lock reporting it's unlocked when it is not. Big security issue imo.

 

[blampen]

Where are you located? I am wondering if Wink is using a CDN network and the lag is geolocation specific.

West Michigan

 

[IndyColtsFan]

One additional question, is there a minimum post requirement before a user can add a signature?

Thanks,
David

I believe the minimum for PMs (and probably sig too) is 25 posts, IIRC. You're close!

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I've had a problem with my Schlage lock reporting it's unlocked when it is not. Big security issue imo.

This is exactly why I don't trust ANY of these systems with door locks or garage door openers.

 

[jasazick]

Did anyone experience incredibly long delays on Robots triggering this afternoon around 4:30-5:45pm Eastern?

I have a tripper on my back patio door that turns on the outside lights when I open the door and let the dogs out, and while I did not realize the light didn't come on as it was still light outside, I got a notification my iPhone almost 25 minutes after the fact and then saw the light come on and then go off about 4 minutes later.

I get lag on mine from time to time, but I haven't been able to find any discernible pattern to it. 20% of the time rebooting my phone helps, 20% of the time rebooting the hub helps, and the rest just seems to fix itself eventually.

 

[twomonsters]

Still no luck upgrading my hub to .56

 

[CAL7]

Still no luck upgrading my hub to .56

Call wink support.

 

[dgruhin]

This is exactly why I don't trust ANY of these systems with door locks or garage door openers.

The Chamberlain MyQ is pretty good. The sensors know their position and the software for the MyQ is accurate. Integration in to the Wink system is where it has shortcomings. To try and use it in a robot is potentially dangerous due to the intermittent lag.

 

[fletchb]

I was experiencing some very drastic lag also this afternoon.

This makes me feel better that it wasn't just me. It seems like it happens every-time I am trying to install a new device or the like.

I had just got tasker working and then it become very very slow and intermittent and I thought it was still issues with it.

Here is hoping for local controls...

 

[bigverm24]

so my android Wink app tells me that GE and Leviton products do not support automation...so I'm currently limited to using my phones geolocation in reference to my house in order to trigger automation via robots.

Interestingly enough, and iphone user on another forum is telling me he does not get that message and has no issue setting up various robot features in his iOS app...can anyone verify this is true?

 

[Kaido]

The Chamberlain MyQ is pretty good. The sensors know their position and the software for the MyQ is accurate. Integration in to the Wink system is where it has shortcomings. To try and use it in a robot is potentially dangerous due to the intermittent lag.

OOH dang! I hadn't thought of that!

 

[MjnMixael]

I haven't had any issues with MyQ once they fixed that outage.

I recently got some of these integrated and they work pretty simply. Sometimes there's a short lag, but usually it's almost instant status accuracy.

I also just grabbed Quirky's new Outlink. It's interesting and a much more elegant looking solution than Pivot Power Genius.. however, they still group it in the app with all the lights! Argh! I just got it installed this afternoon, so that's all the feedback I have on it so far.

 

[daudet419]

Where are you located? I am wondering if Wink is using a CDN network and the lag is geolocation specific.

No Dave they are using US Network. Too many Winkers and they should propably update their servers farm and get a bigger pipe for their Internet of the Things....

Lots of people are buying the HUB
When Google Play has between 50k and 100k download for Wink App and not counting IOS then a lot of Hub need to get served by the Cloud servers.

Here at my local Home Depot Hub Stock is rolling regularly, I take note of the Serial and MFG date and it is changing every visit.

One of my friend on North Shore of Montreal saw a full skid of WInk Hub at his H.D.

So we can expect some lags until they fix their cloud computer farm and get decent 100M pipe or more.

I deal every day with bandwith on my VOIP and SIP call centers.

 

[daudet419]

Look on Amazon, there was a discussion that some of those switches do not support polling. I have a plug in (non dimmer) Leviton. I think status is correct only because there is no way someone can come along and manually turn it off. So it is just showing the last state.

Lutron usings their own tech, I don't think they are Zwave, fwiw.

Lutron is using 433Mhz for their stuff.

Regarding Leviton pluging module, just did a test with 2 Tablets.

One monitoring my Lamps Menu and while my son's Fan was ON and showing Yellow I used the other tablet to turn it off. And i could see the Icon going OFF on the remote tablet instantly.

So far my Lutron and Leviton work that way. But my GE in-wal and Plug-in does not show the real status. They are regular Zwave. Leviton is Zwave+

May be one day when Wink will get the proper code for regular Zwave sensors we will have a better luck. Right now they are focusing on Zwave+.

 

[fletchb]

Lutron is using 433Mhz for their stuff.

Regarding Leviton pluging module, just did a test with 2 Tablets.

One monitoring my Lamps Menu and while my son's Fan was ON and showing Yellow I used the other tablet to turn it off. And i could see the Icon going OFF on the remote tablet instantly.

So far my Lutron and Leviton work that way. But my GE in-wal and Plug-in does not show the real status. They are regular Zwave. Leviton is Zwave+

May be one day when Wink will get the proper code for regular Zwave sensors we will have a better luck. Right now they are focusing on Zwave+.

yes but that is wink initiating the command. Can you manually toggle the plug in? If so , try that and see if wink updates the status.

From what I have read the lutrons do status correctly but so far my levitons do not. Which one do you have?

 

[RossMAN]

My Outlinks ($25 each) that I ordered on 12/2/14 just shipped today, over 2 months later.

If it wasn't for the CyberMonday 50% off coupon, I would have cancelled the order by now.

 

[MjnMixael]

Levitons have issues. Lutrons do not. I have both, but quickly switched entirely to Lutron. Lutron, in my experience, has been worth every single penny. At this point just about every switch in my house is Lutron and has been seriously reliable.

If the reliability of the switch itself isn't enough.. I can't rave enough about the Lutron remotes. Easy-peezy 3/4/5/whatever-way switches that you want. They work independently of the Wink hub (meaning, they will still do their job if the hub is completely off). They can wall-mounted, work with any number of Lutron switches... just so many positives.

If you want an in-wall dimmer or a lamp plug-in module... do not buy Leviton. Just don't. Unless you are thinking of going to another hub.. but even then, I can't imagine that other hubs won't start integrating Lutron as well. Lutron is just too good, too reliable, too solid to be ignored. Even the new Harmony hub supports Lutron stuff. (Though I think it requires you have the Lutron bridge.. but still!)

 

[fletchb]

Levitons have issues. Lutrons do not. I have both, but quickly switched entirely to Lutron. Lutron, in my experience, has been worth every single penny. At this point just about every switch in my house is Lutron and has been seriously reliable.

If the reliability of the switch itself isn't enough.. I can't rave enough about the Lutron remotes. Easy-peezy 3/4/5/whatever-way switches that you want. They work independently of the Wink hub (meaning, they will still do their job if the hub is completely off). They can wall-mounted, work with any number of Lutron switches... just so many positives.

If you want an in-wall dimmer or a lamp plug-in module... do not buy Leviton. Just don't. Unless you are thinking of going to another hub.. but even then, I can't imagine that other hubs won't start integrating Lutron as well. Lutron is just too good, too reliable, too solid to be ignored. Even the new Harmony hub supports Lutron stuff. (Though I think it requires you have the Lutron bridge.. but still!)

Levition's don't poll correctly with Wink, but they do with others.

I tried to like Lutron, but both of them burned up almost instantly on power up..maybe I got 2 bad ones but the both arc'ed.

 

[MjnMixael]

Are you sure you wired them correctly? I've got a house full of Lutrons and haven't experienced any failures or burn-ups. I've never seen anything even remotely close to having them arc on power up...