Amazon Echo Turned on TV and Fish Tank Lights

[Anna791]

Hi I am a Newbie and purchased the Amazon Echo when coming home from work the TV was on also the fish tank lights were on ?  Has anyone else had this happen to them?  I do not have any special plugs.  Also how can I add turn off TV or change the channel.

Anna

[DParker]

Hi I am a Newbie and purchased the Amazon Echo when coming home from work the TV was on also the fish tank lights were on ?  Has anyone else had this happen to them?  I do not have any special plugs.

If you don't have any "smart" plugs/lights, let alone any that you've explicitly authorized for Alexa integration then your Echo has nothing at all to do with the TV and/or fish tank lights being on.

Also how can I add turn off TV or change the channel.

I presume you're referring to using the Echo to accomplish these things via voice commands.  If so then you'll need something like the Logitech Harmony Hub (officially integrated with Alexa, the service that powers your Echo) or one a few home-rolled solutions in use by some of the more adventurous home automation hackers out there.

[Anna791]

I know it sounds crazy,  no one else has a key to my house and its really freaking me out.  Is it possible somehow that there is a security breach in the device??

[DParker]

Is it possible somehow that there is a security breach in the device??

If you don't have any "smart" switches or other home automation hardware controlling your TV and aquarium lights, how exactly do you think your Echo could possibly turn them on?

[Anna791]

I really do not know I did not leave the TV on as I never turn it on in the morning, same goes with the   fish tank lights
they are not turned on in the morning, when I left the house the only thing that was on was the radio for my dog to listen to

[mike27oct]

Anna, relax and stop freaking out about this.  There is no way the Echo turned these things on.  Although, if it happens again, feel free to resume freaking out and report back.

Question:  Is the TV and fish tank light on the same outlet or wall switch, or in some way is there some commonality between the two?  Are either of these devices controlled by a remote?

[Anna791]

Hi Mike

Thanks for this I am now chilling out.  Answering your questions:
The fish tank is at one side of the room the TV on the other side of the wall and are not connected to the same outlet.
The TV has a remote control also remote to control the sound bar (which was also on).  And as I have said I never have the TV on before going to work the fish tank light is not on until I get home and turn it on.  It has not happened again, so who knows what happened here, but if it happens again I will let you know.

[renegade600]

I use wemo switches for my tv and aquarium lights. 

[Anna791]

Hi

What is a wemo switch and what does it do

[AlanH]

Wemo produce a range of smart, connected products for the home, including switches and light bulbs.
https://www.wemo.com/products.html

[Anna791]

Thank you for that   

[AlanH]

To be more precise, Wemo is a brand produced by Belkin.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belkin_Wemo

[renegade600]

Thank you for that   

just to clarify, not all wemo products are echo compatible.  be sure to check first.  the switches I use are  :-),   You can also use them as timers to auto turn your aquarium lights on and off during the day. 

http://www.belkin.com/us/F7C029/p/P-F7C029/?_ga=1.145003892.1178378631.1479767144
http://www.belkin.com/us/F7C027/p/P-F7C027/?_ga=1.145003892.1178378631.1479767144

[malliekm]

Humm, I just got Alexa a few days ago and her sister will be here tomorrow   I don't have any smart things in my house but I DO have a robot sweeper than often turns on the tv in the office and the laundry room light.  My iRobot Braava uses GPS to map out the room. 

[DParker]

...I DO have a robot sweeper than often turns on the tv in the office and the laundry room light.

Unless your robot sweeper looks something like this...



...I highly doubt that it's turning on/off any TVs and/or lights.