UI7 Vera android app geofencing issue

Hi Richard
“Me too”
I tried to find some kind of manual on your home page but it seems to have been turned off.
I am on ui5.
Regards CE

With the Vera7 app, I get “Command can’t be sent to our servers” when entering/exit geofence.
(Getting it to enter/exit is a whole other story and noticed that the user would always show At Home on Vera, but away on the geofence)

Figured best thing was to go back to Vera Proximity but it (nor any other app) will let it logon to Vera outside of the local network.

Asked support to look into why mobile apps such as Imperihome cannot logon when credentials are required and why also the same password used for authenticating with home.getvera.com wouldn’t allow one to change the password for that or any other account. They said everything was working normally and that it is best to use the official app - so no geofencing any which way you look at here.

VL 1.7.739

[quote=“Autom8, post:22, topic:188610”]With the Vera7 app, I get “Command can’t be sent to our servers” when entering/exit geofence.
(Getting it to enter/exit is a whole other story and noticed that the user would always show At Home on Vera, but away on the geofence)

Figured best thing was to go back to Vera Proximity but it (nor any other app) will let it logon to Vera outside of the local network.

Asked support to look into why mobile apps such as Imperihome cannot logon when credentials are required and why also the same password used for authenticating with home.getvera.com wouldn’t allow one to change the password for that or any other account. They said everything was working normally and that it is best to use the official app - so no geofencing any which way you look at here.

VL 1.7.739[/quote]

You have an issue with remote login to vera… No app or anything works is not going to a app problem. You need to find out if its a device issue (which I dont think so) or why your login is screwed up. I would call vera and push them until something is done.

Support said everything looked good to them - nothing to fix.

It does seem strange, as I can login via the web console from a remote location - just not via apps.

I suspect this is a common cause to a whole bunch of other problems that have arisen since upgrading to UI7.

[quote=“Autom8, post:24, topic:188610”]Support said everything looked good to them - nothing to fix.

It does seem strange, as I can login via the web console from a remote location - just not via apps.

I suspect this is a common cause to a whole bunch of other problems that have arisen since upgrading to UI7.[/quote]

And their stock app works remotley but no aftermarket ones do? And whats the deal with not being able to change password?

Presumably the aftermarket ones work for everyone else (I haven’t read anyone else having the problem)?

Same for the password change. I assume everyone else can change any of the passwords to accounts on Vera (Assuming the account they are using to change it is an Admin account). The error I get, is that the current password I’m entering is incorrect.

After a lot of goofing around with creating/removing user accounts and still couldn’t change a password, I decided to try something that makes no sense. I decided to let Vera change the password by telling it I had forgotten it. It sent me a new one, and since then I can change the password back to what I had… with the added bonus of Imperihome now working.

I’m hoping that is somehow related to the 'cannot send command to our servers" issue with Vera geofence, so I’ll try that again shortly. Although, just this moment a vera status update came in saying they are fixing something on the servers.

[quote=“Autom8, post:27, topic:188610”]After a lot of goofing around with creating/removing user accounts and still couldn’t change a password, I decided to try something that makes no sense. I decided to let Vera change the password by telling it I had forgotten it. It sent me a new one, and since then I can change the password back to what I had… with the added bonus of Imperihome now working.

I’m hoping that is somehow related to the 'cannot send command to our servers" issue with Vera geofence, so I’ll try that again shortly. Although, just this moment a vera status update came in saying they are fixing something on the servers.[/quote]

Sounds like you got the main issue fixed and I would guess that your geofence would work now. But you know my take on that. The stock Geofence is not good and only works with one user.

You have better options that should work now.

what are the “other better solutions”?

what are the "other better solutions"?

(VeraProxiimity or PINGSensor or RouterDetectionofDHCPRequest or …) and PLEG

Kind of looks like PLEG right!

[hr]
As Author of Vera Proximity and PLEG … that’s what I use.

As stated and if looking for GEOFENCE the better option is an app for your phone called “VERA PROXIMITY” found in the play store.

Ping sensor or other network detection’s can also be used and I find the more options utilized the more accurate it will be.

I have tried a few times to get the VERA PROXIMITY and PLEG working together, but i dont manage to get it working…
I have tried to contact the developer. Is there any guide somewhere?

Paros, the developer is RichardTSchaefer who is also on this thread. Personally I would like to have a quick guide with examples/screenshots/etc on how to set this up. I’ve managed to setup the two concentric geofences but I still didn’t try getting those “connected” to PLEG to understand if I’m coming/leaving home.

RichardTSchaefer, have you published a guide somewhere that you can share?

Thanks!

[quote=“paros, post:32, topic:188610”]I have tried a few times to get the VERA PROXIMITY and PLEG working together, but i dont manage to get it working…
I have tried to contact the developer. Is there any guide somewhere?[/quote]

[quote=“Santos, post:33, topic:188610”]Paros, the developer is RichardTSchaefer who is also on this thread. Personally I would like to have a quick guide with examples/screenshots/etc on how to set this up. I’ve managed to setup the two concentric geofences but I still didn’t try getting those “connected” to PLEG to understand if I’m coming/leaving home.

RichardTSchaefer, have you published a guide somewhere that you can share?

Thanks![/quote]

Are you two using a plugin in VERA called “Multiswitch”? If not that is your missing link.

Vera proximity phone app runs a scene or turns a device on and off in vera. PLEG also knows the current state of the devices in vera and you can setup logic around that. Multiswitch (8 virtual switches in one plugin) gives that physical connection between The phone App (vera Proximity) and PLEG or Vera in general. It’s some what a virtual switch like “home mode” which was added in UI7. Except we been using this since way back when Home Mode didn’t exist. You can use a single “Virtual switch” Plugin but it’s pointless as your going to need several and the resources used to run the plugin are somewhat slimier but one has 8 one has 1.

OK next, you don’t have to have PLEG to use Vera Proximity! The reason we use PLEG (and maybe this should be put off until the basics are down) is to take the logic for home and away to the next level. This might mean you use both a ping sensor and a geofence (or more then one geofence) and you want both to say your “away” before your master away switch is activated… Maybe you have more then one geofence and you want to know which is crossed first to say if your coming home or leaving. These thing plus alot more require more loigic then the stock vera Scenes can allow or handle so we use PLEG in place of it. If you understand scenes and your current needs don’t require something that scenes can’t handle, then skip the use of PLEG until your ready to just into that separate learning task.

So for the most part if you have no idea how vera proximity works (can’t get it to do anything now) and just want to get your feet wet your better off doing that first without PLEG and seeing it work before you start another task of playing with PLEG.

Anyways back to the Multiswitch Plugin. I have one switch as a master home/away. (if the switch is “on” I’m home if the switch if “off” I’m away) I also have a master for my wife. So that’s 2 switches (maybe calling them buttons would be better understood?) of the eight in the plugin now being used. Then you can have another switch for each person that is maybe a “geofence switch”. This is the switch you want to have turned on/off by the VERA Proximity phone app.

If you want a geofence around work you can also use another switch (now getting close to useing 6 of the 8 in the pluin) for that and setup a fence in Vera proximity (a 2nd location and each location can have several fences if you want) around your work and have it flip on and off that switch. You can then tie notfictions only to that switch of when it’s on say I’m at work or when it’s off say I left work.

If you don’t want to use PLEG right now for complicated logic you can use a VERA scene to say do this, this and this when the Geofence switch is on or off.

When you get into wanting both a ping sensor and a geofence you can use a scene to say when both the ping sensor and the geofence switch are on turn on the master Home switch. Then you can tie a scene off that to do this, this and that when that master switch is on/off.

When scenes just don’t provide enough logic and you want more depth with timing, operation of order (which came first), want two of 3 options to be used, if, and, or,… Then you need to drop the stock VERA scenes and replace your logic with PLEG as it can do alot more.

Hope this makes sense and helps point you in the right direction.

If anyone’s having problems with geofence in Vera’s own mobile app, according to support;

"Regarding the geofence, we are aware of the issues with the Geofence and our Development Department is working on fixing it. At this moment I don?t have an ETA yet."

Now, that the bug with the remote authentication has been ironed out, I can connect using Richard’s “Vera Proximity” app, however I was surprised to see that support was under the impression that it didn’t work. I can’t confirm if this is working in a real life environment, but I did a quick test by faking the GPS location (with “use sensors” Off), and it didn’t activate a Multiswitch nor give notifications of entering/exiting - a bit surprised as it was clearly able to communicate with vera (it could get the list of scenes) and have used this app for a brief period on UI5 before and if understand correctly it works after the 30 day grace period if you clear the apps data/cache (and re-enter the data).

"Also, I checked the Vera Proximity Android app and, as far as I can see, its users state that they cannot use the app after a certain update. I also noticed that the app hasn?t been updated in a while."

I assume a certain update means a certain update in versions of UI7 as there appears to be users that have been successful in using both the Vera App Geofence and Vera Proximity in this thread over the last month.

I see the reason for why some have asked for a manual on how to setup Geofence in any app. I think the reason why this happens is because someone tries to enable a function only to find out that no matter how they configure it, it won’t work because the platform isn’t working.

You gonna confuse people and you have already started to confuse me.

[quote=“Autom8, post:35, topic:188610”]Now, that the bug with the remote authentication has been ironed out, I can connect using Richard’s “Vera Proximity” app, however I was surprised to see that support was under the impression that it didn’t work.[/quote] Just so everyone else knows this was a bug with your account not any of the apps or plugins we are talking about here.

[quote=“Autom8, post:35, topic:188610”]I can’t confirm if this is working in a real life environment, but I did a quick test by faking the GPS location (with “use sensors” Off), and it didn’t activate a Multiswitch nor give notifications of entering/exiting - a bit surprised as it was clearly able to communicate with vera (it could get the list of scenes) and have used this app for a brief period on UI5 before and if understand correctly it works after the 30 day grace period if you clear the apps data/cache (and re-enter the data).[/quote] you can’t fake a geofence like that and consider it a test. Its not hard to make a small fence and drive around the block. Also running with an expired licenses could also be an issue. And all tests using it will cause issues. It does say “Free for 30 Days, Clear the data for another 30 days. License is only needed to talk to Vera.”

Now the right way to check for your issue is to start the logger in the app under settings and then do a fence test and email yourself the log. It will clearly say if the license is expired in the log if that is your issue.

[quote=“Autom8, post:35, topic:188610”]

“Also, I checked the Vera Proximity Android app and, as far as I can see, its users state that they cannot use the app after a certain update. I also noticed that the app hasn?t been updated in a while.”

I assume a certain update means a certain update in versions of UI7 as there appears to be users that have been successful in using both the Vera App Geofence and Vera Proximity in this thread over the last month.[/quote] This is false information that starts with I assume… You know what happens when you ass-u-me? VERA version has not much to do with your Andriod app working. Only thing that could stop it from working is if the remote servers are down or if the servers login has been changed like they did when we went from ui5 to ui7. Now every app needs to know which version your using because the login is totally different. The play store says the app was last updated in Sept. of 2015, that’s a little over 3 months ago and not much has changed nor is it expected to be updated much as its about as feature rich as its going to get for the most part.

This part I’m quiet confused on. What do you mean the “Platform isn’t working”?

Quiet honestly when people are trying to fake a fence crossing with a possible expired license I think you can guess what the first few recommendations would be. Hard to trouble shoot when your trying to half ass the install/setup.

If that is to much work, atleast go to settings, Debug level, change none to debug, cross the fence, go back the same place in the app and click mail report, ok, then email to yourself and/or Richard and it will show you whats going on. I would say post it here and I’ll look also but I think it may contain sensitive info so check that first.

Everyone in my family and some friends use this app everyday on mostly Samsung NOTES and a few others. I also have fences for work and home. I know it works everyday. I been using it for 2 plus years back on older versions of andriods and I’m currently running a NOTE5, Sprint, with stock unrooted Android latest 5.1.1. I have also used it on rooted custom rom, phones before also.

Well, I’m still confused. Vera support is telling me that the Geofence isn’t working and it works for other users.

Just so everyone else knows this was a bug with your account not any of the apps or plugins we are talking about here.
Yes, I figured it was best to mention that in case I was the only one who'd ever experienced that, but it was a significant factor that was otherwise impossible to locate. Support had said the account details were all good while it was one of the significant problems.
you can't fake a geofence like that and consider it a test.
I used a GPS faker. Seemed good enough for the moment, but when I get a moment I'll do a real world test.
This is false information that starts with I assume.........
Yes, yes. I was just relaying the info from support - that was all they gave me or possibly their experience with support calls.

At least its good to know that you’ve seen a few devices use Vera Proximity with one of the UI7 releases. Maybe its just the latest beta version that it is an issue or some other factor such as scrubbing the vera proximity data no longer works (as you say a checking the log for that info would clear that variable).

It does not work for me either.
I have also asked for a guide/manual.
Please make one.
CE

[quote=“svaleb, post:38, topic:188610”]It does not work for me either.
I have also asked for a guide/manual.
Please make one.
CE[/quote]

I would like to help both of you incase you haven’t noticed, but the above info is not very helpful.

There is no guide or manual I know of and the request to make one will not happen by me. I will how ever go into detail on the area you need info on or what part you don’t understand. With info like above I’m unsure if you figured you how to go to the play store and download an app or if your have everything setup but not getting a fence change. Maybe if you post some screen shots I’ll return with some more of mine to help you out.

I believe there is a problem with Vera Proximity when you turn location services on and off to save battery power.

I believe turning off location services flushes the GeoFence definitions.

I currently only load the geofence definitions when the phone is rebooted (and location services are enabled) and when the user manually adds, removes, or changes a fence definition.

So if you play with location services settings … Your Vera Proximity gets turns off. There will be nothing n the logs … Since I am on longer called.

It’s not too hard to fix… I just have not had time … And it doesn’t cause me a problem.