Alexa Setup

[alex88 71]

Does anyone have rules to use when setting up Alexa with Fibaro?

 

I keep getting intermittent unresponsiveness. I haven't pinned down what causes it or what brings it back online. It definitely comes and goes without me touching anything.

 

I have heard one rule which is to make sure you don't have duplicate devices with the same name, but other than that I've not heard anything else helpful.

 

On another note, does anyone know how to reset the Alexa app and underlying DB? I have removed the Fibaro integrations and added them back but all the devices instantly appear with all the rooms in tact. I'm wondering if resolving the issue is as simple as just resetting it all and starting again, but I feel like i'm shooting in the dark here.

[Orgli 15]

Same here: Alexa skill without function. Devices suddenly without reaction. Server connection seems ready. Very annoying

[alex88 71]

Interesting that no one has anything to say on this topic other than you @Orgli

 

Maybe it's working fine for most people ... 

 

I still have issues inconsistently, that go away without any interaction from me. 

 

I still have Alexa tell me every time for every device and group that the device or group cannot be found despite successfully controlling it.... Looks like it can send commands but doesn't get acknowledgement back. 

Edited December 22, 2019 by amilanov

[Orgli 15]

Hi @amilanov

 

I know this behavior caused by a weak internet connection or a long response time from the Fibaro server (cloud).

 

If it takes too long until Alexa gets the positive feedback, Alexa tells you that the device is busy or does not respond.

In most cases, my Alexa tells me that the device does not react but just in this moment the reqired action is performed, yet.

 

If Alexa tells you that all devices/scenes are not found, make sure that you don‘t have Fibaro-Users in your HC with the same emailadress and that the Alexa-Skill is connected with the superuser account.

 

Another possibility is that device names are given multiple within Alexa skill (as you mentioned already).

 

The problem you described first, affects all of you devices/scenes or just a few?

 

Resetting Alexa-Skill has to be done manually...deactivating and again activating  won’t change anything. There was a topic/post in the forum to this issue.

Edited December 30, 2019 by Orgli

[alex88 71]

My internet connection is reasonably fast ~76MB down and ~19MB up

I only have 3x accounts on my master HC2 and they all have different email addresses.

I spent countless hour renaming every device in the Alexa app to remove any special characters and any duplicates.

Nothing has changed!

 

I suspect it might be because I have many devices. Maybe it just takes the Fibaro server too long to respond and until Fibaro do something about it my entire household will be bombarded with annoying messages when using Alexa. 

I haven't tested conclusively as to whether it happens on every devices as I'd need a month of Sunday's to do that  given the number of devices I have and in the end I only use Alexa in some rooms.

 

From memory when asking to turn lights on and off I get the annoying response, when asking to turn lights to a given level e.g. 60, I do not get the annoying response. Go figure.

 

[alex88 71]

I did some testing. Nothing makes sense. I have a room where I can turn lights on / off and set to a value and it works fine and then I have rooms where only set to a value works - works meaning that I don't get the annoying message from Alexa each time.

 

In one of the rooms where on/off results in the annoying message, I found one device where Alexa keeps telling me there is more than one device with the same name, but there isn't. I'll rename it and see what happens.

 

It's all a mystery and there is no transparency as to what is happening, which is fine when it works.

[alex88 71]

 

I have renamed one of the many devices (trying several different unique names) that Alexa says she can't find but still manages to control and whether the device is in a room or not in a room I still get this same ANNOYING message each time I turn the lights on or off. 

 

"I couldn't find a device or group named cabinets lights in Alexander's profile" 

 

But if I set to a specifc value eg 0, 50, 100, I don't get the annoying and incorrect message. 

 

EDIT I also just renamed the device in both my master and slave HC2 to the exact same name as in the Alexa app, not that I can see how that would do much as I assume the Alexa integration works on device ids. Still no joy. 

Edited January 5, 2020 by amilanov