Internet outages

[jim1590]

I woke up this morning and discovered that my internet had a service outage. Luckily, I am only starting on the path of voice activated lighting.

What do you all do when the service cuts out (although I am sure it is quite rare)?

[tuicemen]

Ah! The main issue with cloud based things!
I use the remote, smartphone or PC.
Most however not all HA things have a remote.
Anything that is solely cloud based you simply have to wait it out!

[mike27oct]

Jim,

Even though I have had my Echo devices setup for over two years, I too, just got into home lighting over the holidays.  Just yesterday, I installed two more TP-Link mini-plugs for some outlets to control lamps. 

The plugs work through both the home network and Alexa, so if I just were to loose only the Alexa internet connection, I could still control the lights via the TP-Link app on the smartphone.  And, If I lost the internet connection entirely from my ISP, the plugs could still be operated by using the app since it would be going through my cell data.  I am not sure if it would work these ways if I had rewired and installed wall switches that control the outlets. And yea, it could also be a waiting game as mentioned above.  In some ways, it depends upon the type of controlling devices affected.

[jim1590]

Jim,

Even though I have had my Echo devices setup for over two years, I too, just got into home lighting over the holidays.  Just yesterday, I installed two more TP-Link mini-plugs for some outlets to control lamps. 

The plugs work through both the home network and Alexa, so if I just were to loose only the Alexa internet connection, I could still control the lights via the TP-Link app on the smartphone.  And, If I lost the internet connection entirely from my ISP, the plugs could still be operated by using the app since it would be going through my cell data.  I am not sure if it would work these ways if I had rewired and installed wall switches that control the outlets. And yea, it could also be a waiting game as mentioned above.  In some ways, it depends upon the type of controlling devices affected.

Mike,
I have one main lamp in our living room plugged into the hs100. It was already on before the outage hit so I just left it that way for the sitter before going to work. If it was off, I would have just removed the plug. How would it have worked if you lost the net access from the ISP? Yes your smartphone will communicate to the server, but how will the server talk to the hs100? With no net, your router will not get the ping.

I got today a used gen 1 hue hub from ebay and grabbed 2 hue bulbs from best buy, gonna try those this evening. But this outage has me rethinking some, may have to keep some bulbs on hand! At least internet outages are rare.

[mike27oct]

... but how will the server talk to the hs100? With no net, your router will not get the ping.

Jim, you are right, it will not work; I just disconnected the internet feed into my router.  I wasn't sure, as I thought the Kasa app might still communicate with the plugs through the home network that is still operative.  Nope, Kasa gave error message about no internet available.

So, you have the TP-Link plugs, too.  I finally got one for Xmas, the HS100.  I like it, but it is too big and blocks the other wall outlet in most cases.  A few days later I discovered the HS105 called the SmartPlug Mini.  They cost just $10 more than the original 100 plug.  They were hard to find in stock, but Newegg has them with a limit of 2 per order.  I received 2 of them yesterday, and they work great and truly use space of one outlet.  A picture shows two of them in one wall outlet with a little room to spare.  So now, living room has two minis to control 3 lamps.  Cool, and found another place to use the HS100.  Named the plugs One Lamp and Two Lamps and the Alexa phrase, "Turn on One Lamp (Two Lamps)" works perfectly. 

In a little while today, the new 3-way LED bulbs will arrive via UPS from Costco and they will be in the lamps right away!

Going forward, I will only buy the Mini plugs if I need more.