The Wink home automation thread

[klrock]

This is what I bought from Wink:

Your Order 19/04/2015

Thank you for placing your order with Wink. This email is to confirm your order has been placed successfully, and will be processed & shipped to you soon.

1x Wink HUB / $0.00
1x GoControl Premium Home Security Suite / $100.00

This was marketed as a very good home security solution integrating the wink hub with security(door, window and siren) components from GoControl. I installed the system and it was working correctly before I left on vacation. Away from home I found the wink hub inactive when I checked it on the iphone app. When I returned home I was able to get the system back online with the good help of the Wink techincal support. Recently, I installed a new wifi router and updated the wifi link on the Wink hub. after a couple of days of good operation, the hub suddenly showed a violet light and the iphone app showed that the hub was disconnected. I waited for two days for this to correct itself, but it did not. I contected Wink tonight and got very good technical support again. The Wink Hub had to be reinstalled as new in order to work again.

I expressed concern that the Hub had required me to perform onsite recovery operations twice since I had recieved it. I was bumped up the supervisor chain a couple of times as techs struggled to sucessfully address this issue. As I travel as much as 3 months at a time, I said that this was not acceptable performance.

The final answer I recieved was totally astounding. I was told that the Wink was essentially a backup to a fully wired security system such as ADT. I was shocked. I bought this system because of claims that it could monitor doors, windows and motion detectiion and inform me of any intrusions. Then I would notify my constable who is in the subdivision and will deal with intrusions.

I also expressed dissapointment that this system did not function as advertised and that now the story was being changed to a backup system that does not always work.

Buyer beware!!

 

[MjnMixael]

klrock, that's a bummer. That has not been my experience at all. Early on (like a year ago), Wink was not terribly stable. But these days my system is rock solid. I have multiple sensors (door/window/motion/etc). I rely on them daily to perform automation tasks. I use them in conjunction with a few cameras to have a sort of Home Security setup.

My only thought was that you got a bad hub, but who knows.

 

[lancaster989]

klrock, that's a bummer. That has not been my experience at all. Early on (like a year ago), Wink was not terribly stable. But these days my system is rock solid. I have multiple sensors (door/window/motion/etc). I rely on them daily to perform automation tasks. I use them in conjunction with a few cameras to have a sort of Home Security setup.

My only thought was that you got a bad hub, but who knows.

Mjnmixel, what cameras, door sensors and motions did you buy? Seems you are happy with them. I am looking to do a home secuirty setup as well. Thanks.

 

[MjnMixael]

Mjnmixel, what cameras, door sensors and motions did you buy? Seems you are happy with them. I am looking to do a home secuirty setup as well. Thanks.

Well, I have 8 Trippers on windows. I have 6 GoControl door sensors on doors and 2 generic z-wave door sensors. I have one generic z-wave motion sensor and 2 of the GoControl motion sensors. I also have a Dropcam and a Canary connected to Wink.

EDIT, I also have a gen 1 Spotter and a gen 2 Spotter.. though the Gen 2 was unreliable. It saw motion when I'm 100% confident there was none.. and it did that every hour. I ended up disconnecting it. The Gen 1 I use just for sound and a temp reading really.

And for what it's worth, here's the rest of my setup. I'm quite happy with how things have been working in general. Robots could use a bit more speed. Things have been very reliable. I can't remember the last time my hub was offline, actually.

29 Lutron light switches (both plug-in and wall-mount)
Lots of Lutron PICO remotes
2 GE Link bulbs
3 Hue Lightstrips (connected through a Hue bridge)
Nest with Nest Protect Gen 2s
3 Lutron Connected Bulb remotes that control various lights/shortcuts
Relay
2 Schlage deadbolts
1 Shlage keypad door handle
2 Pivot Power Genius (these don't see much use anymore)
1 iHome Smartplug
Ring Doorbell
MyQ Chamberlain Garage Door
1 GoControl siren

I also have the benefit of app and hub firmware updates you guys may not have yet (as well as a couple new products I can't say anything about). Suffice to say that things are still improving and it should be a good year for Wink.

My main point in posting it all is not to brag, but to show that Wink can perform well! I just don't know what separates a setup like mine from others who have had lots of problems. My biggest complaint is that the app is really slow to start because it spends so much time polling all my devices for the correct state.

 

[lancaster989]

Great. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you are Wink power user.

A few questions:

-Can install I Lutron dimmer/switch on one end of a two switch light (ie. top and bottom of stairs). Will Wink/Lutron be aware of the state of the light correctly to control the light without issue? (I think the answer is yes).

-It sounds like your Dropcom is outdoors. Going well? Can't say I love the monthly fees for the cloud service but Nestcam seem fairly mature, with support/development from a company with deep pockets. I am considering a NestCam with outdoor casing to monitor my driveway/side door area, triggering lights after dark and recording etc.....

-Are you aware of an outdoor motion sensor (possibly a cheap version to do bullet 2)

-I see you bought the Canary. You saw this as superior over the Piper I assume?

-Last Thinking about the go control. I see you combined with a canary. Interesting, any insight into this is appreciated.

I appreciate any info you can provide. Thank you.

Lancaster

 

[MjnMixael]

Lutron is perfectly setup for doing a two-switch light. What you'll do is install the Lutron on one end and then wall mount a PICO remote on the other. Lutron has instructions on how to do this properly on their website because it involves, not only installing the Lutron, but also closing the 2nd switch loop with a wire nut. Therein lies the real power of Lutron's switches... the PICO remotes. You can link as many remotes as you want to as many switches or switch groups as you want. You can have 2-way, 3-way, 4-way switches without any wiring needed. Our bedroom is primarily lit by a lamp. I use a Lutron Plug-In set and connected a PICO remote which I wall-mounted next to the door, for example.

PICOs will work even if Wink is offline or your internet is down. I would not put a Lutron on a switch loop with a normal switch on one end. In this case, if you flipped the switch off, the Lutron would go "offline" and Wink will report it's last known state. (Probably On)

My Dropcam is outdoors. It's working great.. even today in 5 degree weather outside.

I'm not aware of an outdoor motion sensor per-say... but you can use Dropcam as a motion detector in Wink with proper setup. Not cheap, but if you can combine the needs, if the locations are the same, perhaps that will work for you?

I'm not familiar with Piper. I have Canary because of the testing program and Wink integration. It works really well. As an added bonus, you can link multiple people/accounts (phones) to your Canary. Canary can auto-arm disarm based on this information. Add that to Wink and you suddenly have a reliable "when all members of the house leave" or "when the first house member arrives" Robot setup. Buuut that becomes a hassle if you have young kids with no phone... which is my issue.

I'm not sure what you mean about combining GoControl with Canary. I live in a multi-room home. Canary is great for a single room apartment in terms of being a one-stop security solution. Beyond that, it's going to get pricey at $200+ per room, max 4 rooms. (Canary's app says you can only connect up to 4 Canarys.) My GoControl branded sensors are integrated into Wink along with Canary. Both serve as a slightly different part of my home's security. I will note that Wink can only see or set Canary's "armed" state. Wink cannot see any Canary camera or sensor data, nor can it activate Canary's siren. Both are things I've requested from Wink, but I have a hunch that Canary just didn't include those abilities in the API much like how Nest does not allow anyone but Nest to see a Nest Protect's occupancy state.

 

[byoung8]

I'm looking for an inexpensive temperature sensor. Can anyone recommend a unit that is working with their Wink Hub?

I tried SmartThings, but I found out it was not compatible. Ubiquiti is another brand but not sure if it works with Wink. Quirky used to have a cool sensor for sale but every where I look it's out of stock.

 

[BillBones]

MjnMixeal,
Thanks for sharing that info yesterday. I am sure there are plenty of folks out there like me, that have lots to learn. Helps quite a bit.

 

[lancaster989]

Agreed Bill Bones.

Mjnmixeal, thank you for the great detailed info. Very helpful.

 

[jroncalli]

Has anyone had problems with the contacts on the back of the relay. I have installed mine in a 2 gang box. I can press the actual buttons to turn on the lights, top or bottom, the status changes on the display, however the light does not go on unless I press in on the center of the touchpad controller, i can even hear the contact making and breaking contact as the light flickers. Anyone else experienced this?

Thanks

 

[RodolfoDLV]

I just don't know what separates a setup like mine from others who have had lots of problems.

Usually, culprit is a hub positioned close to the router or WiFi extender. It may also be from one of the new powerful routers that give a signal all the way to the next block. It is a known issue and as I said it many times here and in Facebook's Wink users group, not having the Ethernet option for the hub was the dumbest idea ever. WiFi may also cause problems for Zigbee as well.

And the other thing is that "you can't change your SSID" thing. Dumbest thing ever. Plus, they don't explain that in the initial setup, so you usually find someone who changed routers and ends up losing all their setup.

 

[kirnmalidus]

Hi, I'm knew here (and to Wink) but I have two questions:

1) Has anyone here used homebridge to connect wink to HomeKit?
2) Are there public posted (or semi-public) API keys? I'd really like to try this stuff out but I'm waiting for a key I requested from Wink… and I can't imagine they are terribly well staffed to fulfill those sorts of requests at the moment, nor would it be a priority…

Thanks in advance!
Kirn

 

[EdJr]

Hi, I'm knew here (and to Wink) but I have two questions:

1) Has anyone here used homebridge to connect wink to HomeKit?
2) Are there public posted (or semi-public) API keys? I'd really like to try this stuff out but I'm waiting for a key I requested from Wink… and I can't imagine they are terribly well staffed to fulfill those sorts of requests at the moment, nor would it be a priority…

Thanks in advance!
Kirn

It only took a couple of days to get my keys.

However, they're apparently having some issues with the v 2.0 API as my responses are coming back looking like incomplete v 1.0 data. I have an open ticket with them right now about that and, despite the claim that they don't support developers, they are being responsive about this.

 

[Tech_Greek]

Usually, culprit is a hub positioned close to the router or WiFi extender. It may also be from one of the new powerful routers that give a signal all the way to the next block. It is a known issue and as I said it many times here and in Facebook's Wink users group, not having the Ethernet option for the hub was the dumbest idea ever. WiFi may also cause problems for Zigbee as well.



And the other thing is that "you can't change your SSID" thing. Dumbest thing ever. Plus, they don't explain that in the initial setup, so you usually find someone who changed routers and ends up losing all their setup.

I've changed routers and SSID and kept settings but that may have been because I'm on beta.

 

[Paulinbna]

I have a wink hub and a few switches and lamp modules.
Do they make an plug module that allows an option to turn it self back on after a certain time, after the wink hub turns it off.
I want to be able to cycle my wifi router, but cant do it with the wink hub as when it is off, it turns the router off.

 

[jlslate]

I bought something called ezOutlet that monitors internet connectivity and automatically reboots my router.

 

[jlslate]

It also has an app for remote control, but doesn't tie into Wink. Good in this case.

 

[Paulinbna]

Thankyou. That is exactly what I am looking for.

 

[Gage_Hero]

Hi All,

Installed my wink hub along with 2 lutron in wall dimmers and 1 plug in dimmer all of which seem to be working great. I bought the aeotech multisensory 6 thinking I would be able to pair it with the wink under zwave sensor but to date have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to use this as a motion sensor (does other things too) but I have not been able to pair it with the hub. Has anyone used this sensor and how did you pair it or if not, is there a motion sensor others are using that works well? I did try and do a search but I didn't come up with any results... first time poster....

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Hi All,

Installed my wink hub along with 2 lutron in wall dimmers and 1 plug in dimmer all of which seem to be working great. I bought the aeotech multisensory 6 thinking I would be able to pair it with the wink under zwave sensor but to date have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to use this as a motion sensor (does other things too) but I have not been able to pair it with the hub. Has anyone used this sensor and how did you pair it or if not, is there a motion sensor others are using that works well? I did try and do a search but I didn't come up with any results... first time poster....

The Aeon Labs multisensors don't work with Wink currently. I use the following motion sensor with Wink:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FB1TBKS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

GoControl makes a set that includes a motion sensor and door/window sensors which work with Wink as well.

 

[Gage_Hero]

I looked at the ecolink also, I just thought since the Aeon Labs multisensor was supposed to support Zwave, had a few more sensors and was close to the same price (in Canada) I would go with it. To bad it doesn't work, I was kind of hoping to use it as a motion sensor and if some of the other sensors became compatible it would be a bonus. Guess I'll be returning this one and get the ecolink...

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I looked at the ecolink also, I just thought since the Aeon Labs multisensor was supposed to support Zwave, had a few more sensors and was close to the same price (in Canada) I would go with it. To bad it doesn't work, I was kind of hoping to use it as a motion sensor and if some of the other sensors became compatible it would be a bonus. Guess I'll be returning this one and get the ecolink...

People have been asking Wink for a long, long time to support Aeon Labs multisensor devices but so far, no dice. There ARE a few Aeon devices that do work with Wink (some of the energy switches and I believe the water sensor), but not those cool multisensors unfortunately.

 

[MaxDepth]

I've tried to read through the 137 pages of comments and I've done a cursory search through all the other sites, so please excuse me if I may have missed what I am looking for.

I want to purchase the hub but I am on the fence. What would push me over would be a yes to any of these questions:

1. I see the Wink API uses HTTP for most communications. Have they or anyone else (hacked) made a move to HTTPS? I have very big concerns of man in the middle capture and attack of Hub commands sent unencrypted of wireless.

2. Has anyone successfully added an Ethernet jack to the hub? I see cutouts for it on the board and it can fit most Ethernet connectors (like the HY931147C). It looks like I can recompile the code to include Ethernet.

3. Is there an unofficial web-based application or interface besides winkathome.net? I was thinking I could have it sitting on a webserver on my NAS.


So basically, I want Ethernet and web front end on the Hub to ensure connectivity to the hub from all my computing devices and do so securely.

 

[MjnMixael]

I've tried to read through the 137 pages of comments and I've done a cursory search through all the other sites, so please excuse me if I may have missed what I am looking for.

I want to purchase the hub but I am on the fence. What would push me over would be a yes to any of these questions:

1. I see the Wink API uses HTTP for most communications. Have they or anyone else (hacked) made a move to HTTPS? I have very big concerns of man in the middle capture and attack of Hub commands sent unencrypted of wireless.

2. Has anyone successfully added an Ethernet jack to the hub? I see cutouts for it on the board and it can fit most Ethernet connectors (like the HY931147C). It looks like I can recompile the code to include Ethernet.

3. Is there an unofficial web-based application or interface besides winkathome.net? I was thinking I could have it sitting on a webserver on my NAS.


So basically, I want Ethernet and web front end on the Hub to ensure connectivity to the hub from all my computing devices and do so securely.

The answer to your questions is "not really". I'm pretty in-the-know as far as Wink stuff that's out there and Craig's winkathome.net & Tasker applications are the most detailed Wink "homebrew" stuff I've seen. If you were to do the things you are wanting, you would be the first that I'm aware of. Wink hub's pretty cheap... I'd say buy one and see what you can do!

 

[EdJr]

The answer to your questions is "not really". I'm pretty in-the-know as far as Wink stuff that's out there and Craig's winkathome.net & Tasker applications are the most detailed Wink "homebrew" stuff I've seen. If you were to do the things you are wanting, you would be the first that I'm aware of. Wink hub's pretty cheap... I'd say buy one and see what you can do!

I've got a pretty comprehensive sofware library in Java for Wink, v1:

https://github.com/EAGrahamJr/jinks

My front-end skills are abysmal, hence no full-blown application (like winkathome).