What does work without an internet connection?
I lost my internet connection for a couple of days, due to technical issues at my ISP. This made the Zipabox pretty much unusable. I thought it was supposed to work fine locally without an internet connection, with the exception of configuration and rule creation of course.
I logged in using local mode in the Zipabox Android app.
This failed for me:
- switching virtual switches in rules stopped working
- setting levels of virtual meters in rules stopped working
- no way to arm/disarm the virtual alarm using the app
- 433 MHz devices did not get any signals, from rules or from the app
- The Greenwave Powernode signals that it has no connection to the controller
- Popp Zwave dimmers reacted sometimes to signals, but erratic and with long delays
- No scenes could be started at all, using the app or rules
Since I use virtual meters and switches to some extent to set dimmer levels and timeouts depending on hone/away status and time of day, all automation of my home was disabled.
Using scenes in rules seems to be a bad idea if scenes requires internet access to run.
Most manual control was also lost since the ZB seems to be in some sort of busy-wait and only sometimes will send a signal or two (to some Zwave devices only).
For me it looks like the ZB is so busy trying to reach the internet that it has no power left to do any work. My only guess (if this works better for others) is that I have HTTP REQUEST actions in a couple of rules, towards internet servers. I hope that these requests time out in a proper manner, but if they get stuck infinitely it might cause the ZB server to stop processing rules.
The same question
I was asking to myself the same about http requests timeouts...
I was asking to myself the same about http requests timeouts...
After another day without internet connection, the Zipabox has settled a little.
Manual control came back over night, so I am able to control the 433 MHz devices ok. The Zwave dimmer work but with a little delay, Zwave on/off devices work as expected.
Scenes do not work though. I can't even list them in the app in local mode, so I guess scenes are only managed in the online web service.
Rules seem to not run at all. At least, the effects that should be triggered by rules do not happen. Lights should turn on when I enter rooms and turn off after a timeout etc. None of that works. If it is because sensor reports are dropped, if rules can't signal to devices or the rules just don't run is uncertain though. (Could we get access to some logs in the ZB, please?)
Alarms do not work either.
In all, the Zipabox will not function if you loose internet connectivity, unless all you use is direct control of devices via the app.
After another day without internet connection, the Zipabox has settled a little.
Manual control came back over night, so I am able to control the 433 MHz devices ok. The Zwave dimmer work but with a little delay, Zwave on/off devices work as expected.
Scenes do not work though. I can't even list them in the app in local mode, so I guess scenes are only managed in the online web service.
Rules seem to not run at all. At least, the effects that should be triggered by rules do not happen. Lights should turn on when I enter rooms and turn off after a timeout etc. None of that works. If it is because sensor reports are dropped, if rules can't signal to devices or the rules just don't run is uncertain though. (Could we get access to some logs in the ZB, please?)
Alarms do not work either.
In all, the Zipabox will not function if you loose internet connectivity, unless all you use is direct control of devices via the app.
This is a big problem.
I can live with the fact that I can't make new rules etc. But the normal operations in the box have to keep working stable.
This is a big problem.
I can live with the fact that I can't make new rules etc. But the normal operations in the box have to keep working stable.
A clarification on what is expected to work and not would indeed be welcome!
A clarification on what is expected to work and not would indeed be welcome!
Sure. Fw is 0.9.999.3a and the app is 3.0.2 on Android 5.0.1.
Another issue is that it is pretty hard to force the app to stay in local mode. Since I'm connected to the internet over LTE and my local network over wifi (currently with no internet connection), the app seems to always try the internet server first. Which means I have to log out and log in again in the local mode. Feels like it happens almost every time the app starts (not resumes).
Sure. Fw is 0.9.999.3a and the app is 3.0.2 on Android 5.0.1.
Another issue is that it is pretty hard to force the app to stay in local mode. Since I'm connected to the internet over LTE and my local network over wifi (currently with no internet connection), the app seems to always try the internet server first. Which means I have to log out and log in again in the local mode. Feels like it happens almost every time the app starts (not resumes).
How this newer Android app allows local connection? I can find only remote option.
How this newer Android app allows local connection? I can find only remote option.
It's really well hidden. When logged in, there is no way to switch modes.
You need to log out. Then you can see a faint down arrow at the bottom of the screen. Tap that and you should see the local in address etc of the Zipabox. The heading is still Remote Connection or something similar so it is confusing.
Tap on the entry for your Zip, then you can use the usual email and password to log in.
It's really well hidden. When logged in, there is no way to switch modes.
You need to log out. Then you can see a faint down arrow at the bottom of the screen. Tap that and you should see the local in address etc of the Zipabox. The heading is still Remote Connection or something similar so it is confusing.
Tap on the entry for your Zip, then you can use the usual email and password to log in.
Yes, i have seen that arrow down. There is nothing. Have to check my app version...
Yes, i have seen that arrow down. There is nothing. Have to check my app version...
Very nice. Thanks for the clarification.
So my bad using incompatible software. How could I have found out which version of the app to use with my fw? I try to use the latest released fw as soon as I can to get fixes. The app is the only one from Zipato that I found in the Play Store, but apparently not the correct one to use.
Very nice. Thanks for the clarification.
So my bad using incompatible software. How could I have found out which version of the app to use with my fw? I try to use the latest released fw as soon as I can to get fixes. The app is the only one from Zipato that I found in the Play Store, but apparently not the correct one to use.
Still some issues not related to the app. As soon as Internet connection is lost, some or all rules stop working. It feels like they never even execute, but I have no way to verify that. When connection is restored, either a reboot or a long wait seems to work to get rules active again. Perhaps that's also something that's going to be addressed in new fw?
Still some issues not related to the app. As soon as Internet connection is lost, some or all rules stop working. It feels like they never even execute, but I have no way to verify that. When connection is restored, either a reboot or a long wait seems to work to get rules active again. Perhaps that's also something that's going to be addressed in new fw?
Replies have been locked on this page!