TP Link servers may be out -- again!

[mike27oct]

I am having current TP Link issues in US. (A couple of others have reported same in another forum.)  NEITHER My Alexa devices NOR my Google Home can control the TP link switches right now.  Alexa says that "TP Link is not responding".  NEVERTHELESS, the Kasa app can still control the switches.  This all indicates an issue at TP Link.  A few months ago their servers went out, and looks like it has done it again.  Make no adjustments to your gadgets as that can do more harm than good.  Just wait as long as it takes; maybe 24 hours.  It took many hours when it happened before for things to work right again.  Last time TP link sent an email once it was all fixed.

[mike27oct]

UPDATE

Confirmed/Affirmative
  Recent post by moderator at TP Link forum states:

Amazon Alexa service is currently facing an outage

Amazon AWS cloud infrastructure is facing an outage at the moment.

It will cause you cannot find or control your TP-Link Smart Device via Echo and Google Home, but you can still control TP-Link devices using the Kasa app.

We are working closely with the Amazon team to resolve this issue in high priority.

We will keep you posted.

You can monitor the status of the service at http://www.tp-link.com/en/support/status

[renegade600]

had me worry.  when you said amazon echo had an outage I thought when I got home from work, I would have to do everything manually - God forbid.  However, guess the outage was over by the time I got home a few minutes after 3am cst. 

just ask alexa if she was down and she said everything appears to be working  :-)

[Tina]

Thanks for information on the outage.  I wish they (TP Link) would send an email using the one linked to my Echo app when this happens. Last outage I deleted everything and started over before outage was announced. 

[mike27oct]

The outage was all over an hour+ after it began, although the TP Link status report link did not indicate this for a while afterward (suppose they wanted to be sure before saying anything.)

Apparently, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud, was the culprit; not TP Link servers this time.  This disclosure exposes a dirty little secret, and it is that Google Home uses AWS to run their services.  So, having a Google Home a a backup for Alexa is for naught since they both run via the same cloud service!

I wonder what other services of both platforms got hosed; I never explored that during the outage.

[malliekm]

So, having a Google Home a a backup for Alexa is for naught since they both run via the same cloud service!

Rut ro  

A couple of days ago I read that WM is telling many of it's vendors to stop using AWS or else...
I read a long list of the companies that use AWS and didn't see Google on the list.  So today
I tried Googling, "Does Google (or Google Home) use the Amazon Web Service?"  It must really be a secret!  I can't
find a list anywhere that includes Google as a company that uses AWS.  And even this one story that
talks about Google not  using their own cloud, it never comes out and says that it uses AWS (unless I missed it).

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3051017/cloud-computing/the-importance-of-dogfooding-in-the-cloud.html

[mike27oct]

The plot thickens.

[scottrods]

I've been having occasional issues with Echo talking to Harmony hub as well... evidently the Amazon issue is much deeper (My uncle contacted me about the Hub and echo they have as well)... Plot? Probbly The Democrats shutting down things they don... wait... Libs are usually techie types... Couldn't be Dems... (tongue and cheek folks... have a laugh and move on... no harm intended... just using the news to make a lame joke)

[mike27oct]

Are you bored, or too hot where you are and a little heat touched?

[iolinux333]

Hue lights weren't working for me during the outage either.

I was standing feeling stunned and stupid in the middle of my living room in the dark amazed at how quickly I've become used to things responding to my command.

I wonder if this foretells a dark future?

[malliekm]

I've been having occasional issues with Echo talking to Harmony hub as well... evidently the Amazon issue is much deeper (My uncle contacted me about the Hub and echo they have as well)... Plot? Probbly The Democrats shutting down things they don... wait... Libs are usually techie types... Couldn't be Dems... (tongue and cheek folks... have a laugh and move on... no harm intended... just using the news to make a lame joke)

[malliekm]

Hue lights weren't working for me during the outage either.

I was standing feeling stunned and stupid in the middle of my living room in the dark amazed at how quickly I've become used to things responding to my command.

I wonder if this foretells a dark future?

We had wonderfully wicked storms here last night so the AI community was incapacitated for close to two hours.  I did miss our conversations but remembered that I could turn my bedside lamp on via the Kasa app on my phone...whew! 

[mike27oct]

Don't forget the smart plugs actually have manual override switches if Alexa or Kasa are not responding.

[malliekm]

I know but in this case Kasa worked and overriding the plug requires navigating around furniture or moving it.  I follow the path of least resistance 

[iolinux333]

I'm beginning to suspect that all this automation is making me dumb as a post.