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Ping Networkdevice

Andreas Håkansson shared this idea 8 years ago
Under Consideration

I know things like this have been asked before, but it really is a big thing.

I would need the Zipabox to ping a special device/IP-number like every five minutes. if there is no reply, it should change to every 15 seconds.

This would make my doorlock work like a charm.

OR, you could build another device to plugin, that makes the same. (But he softwaresolution would be much faster to implement)

When I use other apps in the cellphone to make the same things, it affects on the battery of the cellphone.


BR// Andy.

Replies (16)

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News?

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What are you trying to achieve?

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Zipato does not support this function as far as i know. You would need to use a webserver for this.

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I have no idea as Im not a programmer. Try android application Tasker, there are a lot of info about how to use.

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Greetings,


What exactly is the problem with your door lock?

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Hi Marko,


I am sure you can understand the interest of a such feature. Basically we want to have a solution to know if an ethernet device is offline/online.


Thanks

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Hi guys,

Zipabox/Zipatile doesn't know if/when your mobile phone is in the vincinity of your home network. It doesn't deal with "location". Also, it wouldn't matter if Zipabox had a "ping" function, because your mobile phone often changes IP-address when it's "out there", and for you to maintain a constant IP address for your mobile when on your own WiFi, you'd have to tie a fixed IP to your phone's MAC address and set aside a portion of the default DHCP-addresses your router hands out, for this kind of purpose. I'm describing this so others can better understand that this is not "novice" stuff, and probably not something the average Zipabox buyer would do.


The next question your post touches, is if the Zipato app can be "location aware" and be used to unlock/lock alarms, locks etc.


For this to happen, the app would need to run in the background of iOS and Android, and constantly be checking geofence. This hogs battery, unless it's done very cleverly. For example, Sygic, which is a map/gps specialist, has an app called "Family Locator" which runs in the background using Geofence, and which updates a server by sending in positions. It's absolutely a nightmare when it comes to battery usage. This, considered they should know their business. Life360, on the other hand, does the same, and uses a lot less battery. They've cleverly discovered that if they ask to be considered a Health App, and tie in with the step counter, they don't need to watch the GPS all the time.


I, for one, wouldn't want Zipato app to run in the backgrund and taking responsibility for arming/disarming or locking/unlocking a door automatically. I have too many valuables to protect to take this chance. Also, I doubt Zipato would want to risk this, commercially. (News headline: "App didn't work properly, house unlocked and alarm turned off, homeowner robbed").


That said, here's a tip:


Download LIfe360 for all your family members; it's free. Get an account at IFTTT and connect LIfe360 to IFTTT. You can then build a recipe on IFTTT which triggers a rules in your Zipabox to do something when the last member of your household leaves the house, or the first family member comes home.

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Hi. The technology is not there for even devices like my Sony Xperia Z3. I use tasker to monitor when me or my partner is home or away via virtual sensors and sometimes my phone reports that is not connected to the local wifi and sending signal that Im not home.

See this post. https://community.zipato.com/topic/tasker-examples or

https://community.zipato.com/topic/https-sensor-with-tasker

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Mathieu,

For something like you describe to work seamlessly, a vendor would have to "own" the whole value chain. Apple's HomeKit will probably have this option, as will probably Samsung SmartThings. I doubt Apple will open up so that a user with a Samsung phone can say "Ok Google, open the shutters", and I don't think Samsung will make it very easy for those people who want to say "Hi Siri, turn on the coffee-maker".

My point is that Zipabox is an open-ended control system, with a bunch of limitations, but which will allow you to integrate almost any type of external "event-originators" via various interfaces, including HTTP.

As Zipato has no control of the whole value chain, it would be utterly impossible for them to guarantee that something like you describe would work.

That said, if you have a computer in your home network, you could always create a background process which tries to ping each of your familymembers' smartphones' pre-assigned IP-addresses every few seconds, and which signals the Zipabox to do its stuff once the phone detects the Wifi and logs on there.

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Agreed Robert & Attila. I use Tasker, but ultimately just use shortcuts of scenes to trigger the alarm on/off. Geofencing is unreliable, no matter what you use. Even if connected to your wifi, you can drop off wifi when you walk out the back yard or your phone goes flat. House arms and locks, sirens go off. Yes you can initiate wait variables etc etc, And pinging a device, whether it is a phone or lock and both battery operated and would kill the battery very quickly. Z-wave devices already ping to the controller for their status. The other option is for something like the Smartthings presence sensor. A zigbee keytag that pings the Hub. But again, it like handing a burglar your keys, all they need is your phone or keytag to unlock you home.


You want it to happen automatically their are numerous ways to do it rather than rely solely on goefencing. NFC tag on your cars phone holder, long range rfid reader in your car and garage, voice on your phone(be sure to have a lock on your phone for this one) or try imperihome if you find Zipato app to slow.

Security first, and geolocation to unlock my house when anybody can grab my phone and doesn't need to unlock it. No thanks.

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Adrian,

For some reason Life360 is very accurate and works flawlessly on both iOS and Android. It *does* let me know when people leave the house and when they get home, and so far I have only detected one miss; that happened when my wife had turned off mobile data and the app simply couldn't send...

I recommend you try this app.

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I made "Almost" good solution using IfThisThenThat (IFTTT) And the channel "Maker"

When I disconnect my homenetwork It runs a webrequest (GET) for a Virtual Sensor in my Zipabox

And when I connect to my home network it makes another webrequest.

Almost no batteryusage on the phone.....

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Similar approach than mine with Tasker. Unfortunately because I don't have good reception around my home when disconnected from wifi, it can happen that the request by tasker does not go through and basically never reaches Zipato. Another issue when the phone disconnects from wifi for no reason (despite settings in the phone saved as always on (even when in sleep mode).

I'm yet to find a phone with reliable wifi (like the zipatile, it never disconnects...).

It also takes a while when arriving to home to connect to wifi when phone is in locked. Usually im quicker to enter the house than my phone to connect.

At least I have a zipato remote that can do the work quicker.

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Enclosed are IFTTT examples of how Life360 can trigger when someone (or first or last person) arrives or leaves a particular area, and of MAKER which can be used to trigger Virtual switches in a Zipabox when the specified event takes place.

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thank robert i will look into this life360. read some of the review and some people say no good, others love it. I'll try for myself.


Hi Attila, another option i used before is a NFC tag on the letterbox, this with tasker and imperihome, i could swipe my phone on the way in and scenes would turn everything on and open by the time I reached the door. Or put an outdoor Ubiquiti range extender on your home, this would then give you and extra 100-300 meters of wifi coverage, giving you more time to connect.

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thank robert i will look into this life360. read some of the review and some people say no good, others love it. I'll try for myself.


Hi Attila, another option i used before is a NFC tag on the letterbox, this with tasker and imperihome, i could swipe my phone on the way in and scenes would turn everything on and open by the time I reached the door. Or put an outdoor Ubiquiti range extender on your home, this would then give you and extra 100-300 meters of wifi coverage, giving you more time to connect.

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Well, I have zipato remote controller so I use that doe alarm. The range extender is a good Idea, I was thinking about it. Maybe in the next few months I sort it out as is appreas to provide a great coverage...

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I wrote this https://community.zipato.com/topic/ping-and-startupshutdown-extension. I use it to ping a lot of devices around the house.

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hello,


I need a ping fonction to know if this devices are on/off

- My 4 TV

- My 2 PC

- My synology

- My outdoor foscam

- My adsl box


I was with jeedom before and i had many scene like this :

- When h>22h30 and TV parental room Off = Night mode ON and Partiel alarm ON

- When Alarm activate = check if all TV and PC are OFF or say me with TTS

- Every time, check if Foscam camera is OK or Send alerte mail

- Etc


All the system i had in the past do this (vera/jeedom/fibaro/domotiks/gladys and so one)


I think it is a big wall without this

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