Alexa strange behaviour

Posted on
Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:58 am
RPRobinson offline
Posts: 18
Joined: Dec 09, 2015
Location: Leeds, UK

Alexa strange behaviour

Hi

Alexa has been working really well for many months however following a power outage and restore she is now more tempremental !

When I ask her to discover devices she seems to be remembering some old devices - she discovers 49 devices, yet I only have 47 defined (23 & 24 devices, across 2 emulated hue bridges)
Some of the devices still work ok however on many, when I issue the command, she says 'OK' but then nothing happens

I have tried 'forgetting' all devices via the Alexa App and rediscovering however she still finds 49 !

It just seems that the plugin has got corrupt somehow.

Is there an easy way to delete the plug-in and all settings, so I can then re-install again from the start ? I have tried downgrading the version and then coming back to the latest version but she still remembers the 49.

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks
Richard

Posted on
Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:11 am
autolog offline
Posts: 3988
Joined: Sep 10, 2013
Location: West Sussex, UK [GMT aka UTC]

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

The Alexa-Hue Bridge plugin notes which Indigo Devices are published to Alexa by updating the individual device's properties with the details of the Alexa Hue Bridges it is associated with. So deleting and re-installing the plugin won't make a difference to the properties already stored in the individual devices.

Have you been able to identify which two devices Alexa is seeing that aren't defined?

I can't explain exactly what is going on but a course of action could be to do as follows:
  1. Delete the Alexa-Hue Bridge devices in Indigo
  2. "Forget" the devices in the Alexa App
  3. Defining new Alexa-Hue Bridges devices in Indigo
  4. Add the Indigo devices (deleted in step 1 above) to the new Alexa-Hue Bridges
  5. Discover devices

Let me know how you get on. :)
Last edited by autolog on Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Spelling correction!

Posted on
Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:39 pm
RPRobinson offline
Posts: 18
Joined: Dec 09, 2015
Location: Leeds, UK

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

Thanks Jon

I actioned the first two steps..
1. Deleted the Alexa-Hue Bridge devices in Indigo
2. "Forget" the devices in the Alexa App

and then I thought I would just check they had gone by 'discovering devices' again.
I expected her to say, I can't find any however she found 25 devices, even though there are none defined in Indigo.
Then when I checked the Alexa App there are 26 back in the list.

Very weird - I don't know where she is getting them from ?
I even stopped indigo and re-started but she still finds them - Any ideas ?

Thanks
Richard

Posted on
Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:16 pm
autolog offline
Posts: 3988
Joined: Sep 10, 2013
Location: West Sussex, UK [GMT aka UTC]

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

Hi Richard,

I agree - it is weird. :?

If you try those steps again but as a new step 1B - disable the plugin.
Then do step 2.
Then new Step 2B - do an Alexa discover devices - it shouldn't find any as the plugin is disabled.
Then new Step 2C - reload the plugin
Then new Step 2D - do an Alexa discover devices - Does it find any?

I await the results with interest. :)

Posted on
Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:00 am
RPRobinson offline
Posts: 18
Joined: Dec 09, 2015
Location: Leeds, UK

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

HI Jon - thanks for the prompt responses.

Ok followed the steps...

1 Deleted the Alexa-Hue Bridge devices in Indigo
1B Disable the plugin.
2 "Forget" the devices in the Alexa App.
2B - do an Alexa discover devices - it shouldn't find any as the plugin is disabled.
It still found 25 devices :?
2C - reload the plugin
2D - do an Alexa discover devices - Does it find any?
It still found 25 devices :?

Thanks
Richard

Posted on
Fri Jul 21, 2017 2:02 am
autolog offline
Posts: 3988
Joined: Sep 10, 2013
Location: West Sussex, UK [GMT aka UTC]

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

Hi Richard,
In theory this can't happen. :?
If you have stopped the plugin and "forgotten" the devices in the Alexa App, then when you try and discover devices, it shouldn't be able to find any because the plugin is stopped and cannot respond.

This suggests that something else is responding.

Do you have another copy of Indigo running on another Mac that is responding?

I am out now until early afternoon (UK time), so I will pick up any reply then. :)

Posted on
Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:05 am
RPRobinson offline
Posts: 18
Joined: Dec 09, 2015
Location: Leeds, UK

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

Hi Jon

I think I have sorted it, based on your prompt.
I had run indigo on another MacPro in the past, just for a short period, whilst I had to re-install the disk on my MacMini.

So I closed down Indigo on MacMini
'Forgot' the devices in Alexa App
Checked the MacPro and even though Indigo wasn't running, I searched for any Indigo files and deleted them to ensure no trace of Indigo on the MacPro and re-booted.
Asked Alexa to discover devices and she couldn't find any :D
Re-launched Indigo on the MacMini
Created a new Alexa Emulated Hue Bridge device and added 21 devices
Asked Alexa to discover and she found 21 devices :D
Tested control of the devices and they worked again.

Still very strange as to why it was still finding 25 devices somehow, when Indigo wasn't running on the MacPro and especially as there were 47 defined and working previously.

Anyway just glad to have it resolved and back working as well as it was before.

Thanks again for your great support on my query and thanks for a great plugin - the quality of plugins and support is what makes Indigo the no.1 choice in HA software.

Thanks
Richard

Posted on
Fri Jul 21, 2017 6:50 am
autolog offline
Posts: 3988
Joined: Sep 10, 2013
Location: West Sussex, UK [GMT aka UTC]

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

Hi Richard,
Glad you got it sorted. :D

I think I can safely say that Indigo was running on the old MacPro - even I haven't managed to develop a psychic plugin capable of working when Indigo isn't running. :wink:

What can be confusing is that if you are running the Indigo Server and Indigo Client on the same Apple mac, when you quit Indigo, it only closes down the Indigo Client - It leaves the Indigo Server running in the background. You stop the Indigo Server by clicking Stop Server from the main Indigo menu and then when the Indigo Server has stopped, Quit the Indigo Client.

Also, if Indigo is installed on an Apple Mac, it will automatically start the Indigo Server in the background if you ticked Auto start Indigo Server on user login when you originally first started the server. Then it will not be obvious that it is running. :)

Posted on
Fri Jul 21, 2017 6:56 am
RPRobinson offline
Posts: 18
Joined: Dec 09, 2015
Location: Leeds, UK

Re: Alexa strange behaviour

ok, thanks for the additional insight Jon :oops:

Thanks
Richard

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