"Left home" or "away" plugin idea

Plugins & Plugin Development General Plugin Discussion
1

As I have no idea how, and time to program I’m hoping someone likes my idea and can make it or build on it;

What about a plugin (virtual switch type) that detects if your mobile phone (which at home is normally connected to the wifi network) leaves that network. Or even beter if x number of phone’s (eg the one of me, my wife and my kids) leave the network the switch goes ‘on’ or “off” when a phone enters the wifi network again.

This virtual “left home” or “away” switch will the enable you to trigger events needed when nobody is home (e.g. all light off , temperature down etc.).

As all connected wifi devices have a unique MAC address you can use this to ‘identify’ relative safely the devices that trigger the switch.

Anyone?

2

I think you can use the Ping Sensor plugin.

3

You could use the Ping Sensor plugin, and the Combination switch plugin.

Create a Ping Sensor for each device. Create 1 combination switch that is “on” if any of the Sensors are on.

Then you can create scenes that trigger when the combination switch is turned on or off.

4

WOL with Ping Sensor http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,11641.0.html
used inconjunction Combination switch plugin as @PurdueGuy describes

Manually a MultiState switch see http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,6650.msg54270.html#msg54270

5

I have tried this and the problem is that it is an unreliable approach and can create subsequent problems.

Most phones go to sleep at some point and don’t respond to pings. Typically the ping sensor will indicate the preserve of an iPhone for about 15 minutes and if you don’t use the phone for that time, it sleeps to save battery and then it appears you are away.

An interim solution that you would likely use a combo switch with a virtual switch. Wire everything to the combo switch as an indication of home or away and then you can use/change anything you want to cause that indication. Like a virtual switch.

6

Yep, repeatedly pinging your phone is going to kill your battery.

However, if you have an Android phone and have Home Buddy installed, it’s apparently got integration with Tasker. Tasker would allow you to execute Vera scenes with Home Buddy based on all sorts of criteria (GPS location, wifi networks in range, bluetooth devices in range, etc).