Of Z-Wave, SmartThings, Amazon Echo, Google Home, Kwikset Deadbolt and the colossal failure that is connecting them all – aka “Home Automation”
This is a huge rant I sent to [Jo][1]. Some backstory: Few months back Jo bought a Kwikset 910 deadbolt) (more like I asked her to buy - hindsight I should have done more and better research) and I was trying to setup the remote locking feature using Alexa/Google Assistant via SmartThings Hub. Here's a copy-paste of the entire message. I'll have a separate post on my home automation setup.
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:25]
well that was a completely wasted afternoon
Jo Shenoy, [29.12.17 16:25]
?
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:25]
first spend an hour trying to find the screw driver
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:25]
then find the screw driver
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:25]
unlock the deadbolt
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:25]
put the deadbolt in pairing mode.
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
deadbolt doesn't get detected by smartthings
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
help says keep hub near 10-15 feet of deadbolt
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
fine
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
move the hub
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
Hub's battery powered, so no problem right
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
wrong
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
hub needs Internet
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
and the hub is moved to the hall
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:26]
how do I get Internet to the hall
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
rummage around
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
find a \looooong\ Ethernet cable
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
drag the cable to the wrong
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
> still not detected
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
google more
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
one result says try excluding device first
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:27]
but what to exclude when it's not included?!?
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
ok, no harm in trying
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
find out how to exclude
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
surprise, surprise, exclusion mode is stuck deep in the app
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
somehow find it
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
press button on deadlock
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
yay exclusion successful
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
try pairing
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:28]
nervous moments
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
yay pairing succeeded
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
lock seen by smartthings app
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
press the unlock button
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
it works!
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
hahahha
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
door unlocked
Jo Shenoy, [29.12.17 16:29]
then?
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
lets try automating
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
> Alexa: lolyeahsure, not in India man
Jo Shenoy, [29.12.17 16:29]
[In reply to Sathya Bhat]
😂
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
> google home: wut is this lock thing? I know only on and off lights
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:29]
ok
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:30]
lets try unlinking and relinking the smartthings app
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:30]
maybe it needs to be refreshed
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:30]
ok, unlinked and relinked
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:30]
> smartthings seen
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
> googlehome: yeahlolrite you think that works? this aint windoz man
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
\sigh\
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
Idea 🌩
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
lets try ifttt
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
> launch ifttt
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
connect smartthings
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:31]
connect google assistant
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:32]
put in ifttt: if you say "abracadabra" or "khul ja sim sim" or "open the door" tell smart things to unlock
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:32]
ok, done
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:32]
> say hey google from the hall
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:32]
> Google home from bedroom responds
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:32]
🤦
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:32]
try again with holding the homebutton on the phone
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
google assistant responds on phone
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
> say khul ja sim sim
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
> google assistant: calling john simpson
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
🤦
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
try again
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
> google assistant: calling john simpson
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:33]
fuck this shit
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
> hey google, abracadabra
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
holy fuck
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
it works
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
!!!!!
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
door unlocked
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
woohooo
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
try again
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
not a fluke
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
happy with results
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
put the cover on the deadbolt
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
move smartthings hub back to bedroom
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:34]
stash in lan cable etc
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:35]
> lay down, automation: PROJECT SUCCESSFUL
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:35]
Dr Murphy: yeah lolright
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:35]
> hey google, abracadabra
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:35]
….
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:35]
ifttt: yo bro, I sent the commandz but dunno brosky
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:36]
smartthings app: I dunno 🤷
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:36]
> smartthings app: door locked
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:36]
> me open lock:
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:36]
smartthings: nopes, you're imagining shit. door still locked
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:36]
me: ok, since I disconnected the hub let me try to reconnect
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:37]
> find z-wave network repair deep in app
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:37]
> app: yo, yer deadbolt: seems to be lost, can't find it
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:37]
ok, let me do the exclusion
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:37]
can't exclude
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:37]
so yeah remember the 10-15ft thing
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:38]
eeyep smartthings hub needs to be close for the lock to work via app
Sathya Bhat, [29.12.17 16:38]
so yeah
2.5 hours down the drain
[1]: https://twitter.com/joshenoy