# wemo plus coffee machine....



## jimrobo (Aug 5, 2011)

Hi guys,

I added a wemo to my coffee machine earlier in the week.

Here is what it is...

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/H7338B/A/belkin-wemo-switch

Basically I can schedule my machine to turn on and off at a certain time by creating on off rules. Also I can do this as well as manually turn the machine on and off from my phone over the internet.

Uses include turning the machine on when my alarm gos off so its up to temperature by the time I actually get up (I realise this is really lazy!!! But I do set my alarm for 5am!!)

Also I can turn my machine on when I am on my way home somewhere so its ready to go when I get in, as well as double check its off if i go out.....I have minor OCD!!!!

Heres a quick demo.....apologies for the rubbish quality!!


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Thats pretty cool and I can see it being very useful . Many a time ive walked into the house and offered someone (or myself) an espresso to find the sheer horror of an ice-cold machine ''i'm sure I left it on''


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## jimrobo (Aug 5, 2011)

yeh I've done exactly the same Gary! Now if I say come for coffee, I can turn it on instantly from where I am.

Also, When I go away I'll plug it into a light and set it to come on and off every night......It was the easiest thing ever to set up. You can also get a motion sensor to add to it so you can create rules like if I walk in the room and its between 6pm-6am turn the light on (assuming you have a mains plug light!) or if I walk out of the house and don;t come back in within 20 mins then turn the coffee machine off.

For everyday use though apart from the coffee machine there isn;t really much i can think of where this can be a massive help! Unless you want to turn things like tv off at the socket every night etc


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

I think they are intended to turn on things like pcs, home servers and NAS boxes on schedules or on demand. They are an IT company after all


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Thanks for sharing the video. Useful for people to see how it works.


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## ca1mac (Aug 14, 2014)

Resurrecting this thread from a while back because I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these...

jimrobo - how did you automate it to turn on when your alarm went off? Is it in the belkin app or IFTTT? Ideally I'd like to be able to switch it on half an hour before my alarm goes off - do you think that's possible?

Thanks


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Ifttt for all the fancy stuff


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> Ifttt for all the fancy stuff


Just looked up ifttt and signed up. Seems pretty clever. Any really good recipes?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

@Daren is probably your man for that, i just use the Wemo app. His turns on when he gets near his house and all sorts of fancy stuff


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## Zakalwe (Oct 19, 2014)

My Wemo is due to land today. It'll be used to control my Expobar HX machine.

i did have a cheapo timer thing from Asda, but I didn't fancy running 1200W through it.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Been using cheapo for years


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## charris (Feb 17, 2014)

For all the fancy stuff have a look at Crestron and Control4







. I can fly over and setup your system if needed


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Neill said:


> Just looked up ifttt and signed up. Seems pretty clever. Any really good recipes?


It is really simple to use - is only really your imagination that holds you back.

What do you want it to do?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Daren said:


> It is really simple to use - is only really your imagination that holds you back.
> 
> What do you want it to do?


That's the problem. Don't really know yet!


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## ca1mac (Aug 14, 2014)

I'd love to get it to turn on my machine 30mins before my alarm goes off (it's frequently set at different times) - not sure if this is a bridge too far


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## Zakalwe (Oct 19, 2014)

Mine works perfectly so far.

My GF is now convinced that I am losing my marbles. Having an WiFi enabled power switch that allows me to turn my coffee machine on from my mobile phone that is linked to the Wemo via 4G and the Internet is the final confirmation that she needed to confirm me as more than slightly weird!


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Zakalwe said:


> Mine works perfectly so far.
> 
> My GF is now convinced that I am losing my marbles. Having an WiFi enabled power switch that allows me to turn my coffee machine on from my mobile phone that is linked to the Wemo via 4G and the Internet is the final confirmation that she needed to confirm me as more than slightly weird!


Nothing wrong with a bit of nerdiness in my opinion - especially when you combine it with coffee

This is how your GF sees people like us


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

Received mine today and it's crap. The idea of it is so it can be controlled via an app which currently is buggy and doesn't allow me to control and access a device if it is setup outside of a room.

My entire gaff has decent wifi coverage on both 5ghz and 2.4ghz bands through access points so surely if I can get internet access in my kitchen via a tablet, phone or laptop then the damn wemo should be able to communicate with my router.

What's the point that it can turn on devices only when I'm in the same room, totally defeats the object of what I wanted it to do which was to turn my coffee machine on from my bedroom when I wake up in the morning.

I could easily set a timer or schedule to manage that but then a £5 basic timer is capable of doing that.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Manju. I can turn mine on with the app from the bedroom. Unsure why you can't.

Also are you not using the rules part to set timers in the morning also ?

I'm sat in subway turning my machine on and off via the app for instance


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I'm in the office, three miles away, turning my machine on and off.

Did you definitely set it up properly? It took me a while to work it out. The wemo defaults to a network that's wrong for setup, you need to change that straight away or it won't configure properly


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

i would not be drinking as much coffee as i do without my WeMo as i am in & out all day. Be lost without switching it on 20 mins before i get home. had mine 18 months or so. the Android app no way as good as Apple one IMO. Working really well on android 1.8.1 at the moment, darn't update to 1.9 in case rules stop working again.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

majnu said:


> Received mine today and it's crap. The idea of it is so it can be controlled via an app which currently is buggy and doesn't allow me to control and access a device if it is setup outside of a room.
> 
> My entire gaff has decent wifi coverage on both 5ghz and 2.4ghz bands through access points so surely if I can get internet access in my kitchen via a tablet, phone or laptop then the damn wemo should be able to communicate with my router.
> 
> ...


It requires an initial setup with a direct wifi connection to it then it can connect over your router. Make sure you turn on remote access if it's not on?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

@Xpenno knows the set up process. He got mine up and running. Was ready to throw it out at window at that stage.


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

I've connected to the Wemo network; ran through the setup where it attempts to connect to my wifi network; i've entered my password (it's a 2.4ghz network wireless n ) and then it fails to connect.

When I set up the wemo nearer to the router with the wemo device near by it connects and turns devices on or off fine.

I just don't understand, i'm at my kitchen now getting a solid 3/4 bar wifi signal but it's having none of it.

I've managed to find version 1.8.1 apk for android kitkat and it's still behaving the same.

Will try on my nexus 4 now incase the lg gpad is at fault (which I doubt )


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Since buying the R58 I was thinking about something like this. 45 minute warm up time instead of 25 minutes with the Classic now means I have to set my alarm 20 minutes earlier, jump straight out of bed to switch the machine on (I'm not good at that), and still only just have time to make a coffee.

Not liking the sound of the networking issues - I'm also on Android. I'll follow this thread to see how Android users get on, but otherwise I may just resort to a traditional timer. Not particularly keen on that though because there's too much chance of leaving it switched on when I'm unexpectedly away overnight.


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

Just checked BT service status and there seems to be a problem affecting a few exchanges across the UK. (Estimated clear date 12/11/2014)


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Mine has been a bit flakey for a couple of days but restarted the router and it was fine.


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## badger28 (Jan 5, 2013)

Maybe I am lucky but I run my cherub off the wemo on android without issue. Turn it on remotely when leaving work each day and it has never failed.


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## reneb (Nov 2, 2011)

majnu, from your description it sounds like you may not have set it up correctly. to be honest, it can take a while to sort it out and it can be very frustrating, but you need to connect to the wemo network before you connect to your wi-fi network if i remember correctly. sometimes you just have to delete the app and reset the device and start again. once it's working, just don't touch it and it should be fine. it's a great device when you get it set up properly, but their android app isn't the best.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Android app has been perfectly serviceable for me


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Mine is on android


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

I use a Nexus 4 with Wemo version 1.9. It's faultless. I switch my machine on from 30 miles away before I leave work everyday.

I'd start again Majnu. Reset the Wemo unit using the button and instructions on the back and remove the app and clear your cache. If that doesn't work there is a Wemo Beta app that could be worth a try > https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.belkin.controller


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

What a ball ache but finally we have success. Thanks everyone









I have no idea what caused the problem as I did a few additional things after rebooting the Wemo; uninstalling the app from my tablet and phone and forgetting all networks on my Android devices.

- I changed my router transmission channel to 6 from 1 as WiFi Analyzer showed that the Wemo was transmitting at Channel 2. (Potential Inference problem???)

- I changed my SSID so that there were no spaces. (The Wemo guide mentions that there should be no spaces for passwords and special characters, so I changed my SSID anyway)

- When I connected to the WEMO device, I unchecked using the 'remember WIFI settings' option. (Possible craziness going on with this checked??)

Ran through the installation process with the Wemo in the livingroom; upgraded the f/w until it gave a confirmation (showed a Hurrah! pop up box); disconected the Wemo and then plugged it into the kitchen; waited for it to sync (until it doesn't show greyed out in the app) and then shouted to the wife from my bedroom is the machine on? is the machine off? for a minute lol


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Go down the road and try (take your megaphone to shout at the wife)


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## c_squared (Jun 26, 2013)

Putting the technical wifi Chanel stuff to the side. You switched it off and switched it back on again?


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

c_squared said:


> Putting the technical wifi Chanel stuff to the side. You switched it off and switched it back on again?


The wemo? Yes, I rebooted it everytime until its ssid showed again. Didn't reboot my tablet or router. Now it's working i'm not going to fiddle with it again.


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## TonyW (Jul 17, 2012)

Glad to see you got sorted. Also worth checking out the WeMo channel in "If This Then That" (website and/or IFTTT app) to configure some simple rules to control the Wemo remotely based on a more flexible set of conditions than the Wemo app.

Having said that. I just use IFTTT for on/off timer rules based on the day of the week, and use the Android Wemo app for manual override. I used to have an IFTTT rule to notify me when the Wemo went on and off too, which meant I got to know if the kids had over-riden the timers by hand, but my wife said I was turning into a control freak


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## Zakalwe (Oct 19, 2014)

Glad you got it sorted!

Mine worked first time, straight out of the box. The setup took seconds and it works (so far) flawlessly over WiFi, when Im connected either via the WiFi from the router or connected to the WiFi range extender. It also happily connects over 3G when out and about.

Very clever little doobrie.


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

How do I access information on how long a device has been on for? Like in the pic in the link:

http://appcrawlr.com/ios/wemo

Is this for the insight switch? I hope not as I did try and find that model.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

majnu said:


> How do I access information on how long a device has been on for? Like in the pic in the link:
> 
> http://appcrawlr.com/ios/wemo
> 
> Is this for the insight switch? I hope not as I did try and find that model.


That's only available for the Wemo insight switch - not released in the UK yet


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## aphelion (Nov 23, 2012)

Daren said:


> That's only available for the Wemo insight switch - not released in the UK yet


Still waiting on that damn insight switch..so many delays (apparently something to do with the 3 pin UK configuration??)


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## CallumT (Aug 23, 2013)

Yeah I was practically ready to pull the trigger the first I'd heard of it. At least it makes me feel like I've had good use out of my old wemo. Although as of late it's been riddled with connection problems and generally not doing what I'd told it to


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## ca1mac (Aug 14, 2014)

Yeh I emailed Belkin last week and they still don't have an ETA on the insight. Is the basic difference from the older one just the ability to monitor power consumption and a slightly smaller size? Trying to work out whether it's worth waiting for...


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

ca1mac said:


> Yeh I emailed Belkin last week and they still don't have an ETA on the insight. Is the basic difference from the older one just the ability to monitor power consumption and a slightly smaller size? Trying to work out whether it's worth waiting for...





> The WeMo Insight Switch has *all *the *WeMo Switch **features* *plus*:
> 
> 
> 
> ...





> *Design and features*
> 
> The most obvious draw for the WeMo Insight Switch is its improved plastic housing. About half the size of the original WeMo Switch, and with a cleaner-looking, whiter shell, the Insight version looks like a more modern piece of hardware. An ideal version of this product probably would look more like Apple's iPhone USB plug adapter. At the very least, it would be nice if it one day became small enough that it wouldn't block off an adjacent plug. Even though it's smaller, the new design doesn't offer any improvement in that respect.
> 
> ...


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

Bloke in Maplin reckons their stock of insights are coming in December , said its the reason they are knocking 25% the wemo switches


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## glevum (Apr 4, 2013)

That's probably next December.........


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## majnu (Jan 31, 2014)

It's stopped working again.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

It must be you manju - it doesn't like you


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## TonyW (Jul 17, 2012)

majnu said:


> How do I access information on how long a device has been on for?


If you just want to know how many hours a day it's been power up, but don't need to know how much power it consumed, then it's possible to do something like that with IFTTT with a bit of work.

Setup 2 rules:

IF <coffee machine wemo is turned on> THEN <add a row to spreadsheet in google drive> defining the row as [ON ||| {{SwitchedOnAt}} ||| {{SwitchName}}]</add></coffee>

IF <coffee machine wemo is turned off> THEN <add a row to spreadsheet in google drive> defining the row as [OFF ||| {{SwitchedOffAt}} ||| {{SwitchName}}</add></coffee>

That will give you a spreadsheet on Google Drive with all the off and on times, regardless of how it was turned on/off - eg: by the WEMO app, an IFTTT rule or the manual override button. You can then do whatever calculations you want with that data.

It could be more interesting if the Insight makes it possible to build a spreadsheet of actual power consumption via IFTTT.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

ca1mac said:


> I'd love to get it to turn on my machine 30mins before my alarm goes off (it's frequently set at different times) - not sure if this is a bridge too far


I've just stumbled across this thread while looking for something else and just to let other people know that I have actually developed an Android based Tasker script for my phone that does exactly this!

It automatically track my alarms and turn on my WeMo (coffee Machine) 40mins prior to the alarm just as Ca1mac wanted, indeed ca1mac and Daren are actually currently beta testing it for me at the moment.

The current status is that the script seems quite reliable and supports 3 methods of triggering the WeMo to switch on.

1) via the W*eMo app *itself. This method requires a rooted phone.

2) via IFTTT using a *text message.* (please be aware of txt message cost)

3) via IFTTT using an *email*. This method has no on going costs but does require the use of a plugin call EmailMePro (costs £1.23 : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.caramellabs.emailmepro&hl=en )

At the moment I'm extending this to talk directly to WeMo so will eventually just work without any paid plugins or requiring a rooted phone.

You can follow the development and current status of this over on the WeMo deals thread (starts at post #64) ; http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?20239-belkin-wemo/page7

If anyone wants to join the beta team testing this then let me know.


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## Sean (Jun 20, 2014)

Has anyone used the 'Wemo Maker'? From what I understand, it is essentially, a Wemo Switch for low voltage devices. I was wondering if it would be possible to connect it to the power button on appliances like the Sage Dual Boiler where you actually have to press the button to turn it on. Presumably the button itself is low voltage and there would be some way of attaching it to the appropriate wires. If you could then hide it inside, it would be amazing. I'd give it a go if it wasn't for fear of losing the warranty.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

I haven't done this with a WeMo maker but I've done similar things with an X10 Micromodule (and Powerflash modules) in the past. The X10 micro modules have higher rated relays in them so can switch 240v at 16amps directly, although being old school technology they don't have the modern convenience factor of WiFi control.

I don't think it would be quite as simple as just connecting up the WeMo makers as for one thing the WeMo Maker itself requires powering from a micro usb interface so you'll need to find a convenient 5v 1amp power connection inside the Sage. Also the relays on WeMo Maker are only rated at 0-24v at 1amp, so you'll need to check the voltage/ampage of the connection across the Sage's power switch. Hopefuly it'll be a low voltage but if the switch uses a higher voltage/ampage you'll have to use a secondary relay to do the switching. Also , is there actually room to fit the WeMo Maker (with its aerial and possible secondary relay) inside the Sage? You might end up mounting outside the case anyway for better signal coverage.

If your scared of warranty issues what about a more "Heath Robinson" approach and use a WeMo Maker (or WemoSwitch as they are cheaper) to power some form of small actuator (off set cam on a stepper motor?) to "manually" press the button? Would look a bit "odd" but would mean no modifications to the Sage itself.


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## Sean (Jun 20, 2014)

Er, based on that, perhaps I'll just press the button. Thanks though. I reckon someone with the appropriate skill and motivation could crack it.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Sean - I thought the Sage was up to brew temperature in a couple of minutes? You must be desperate to save time if you want to remotely turn it on!?


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## Geordie Boy (Nov 26, 2012)

Strega only takes 10 mins but I'd happily have a Wemo for cold mornings to save a trip out of bed and back


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## Sean (Jun 20, 2014)

I just like gadgets and options. I use the timer for morning switch on but I like to give it half hour warm up plus my home times are erratic.


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## d_lash (Aug 30, 2014)

Haven't read the whole of this thread to see if others have mentioned it, but have had trouble with my Wemos lately. I rebooted my router and ever since then have struggled to keep the bloody things registered on the app. It seems to me its the app that has the problem (iOS), but as they are completely useless without it... They desperately need a web interface as an alternative way of communicating with them. And an app that works consistently.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

I've come up against a problem after changing ISP and router. Was using an old linksys router and changed to bt so got home hub. Reset my WEMO and got it connected a few days ago. Noticed this morning that it wouldn't connect.

Soon realised that if I turn the PC off the switch seems to connect again. We have a few mobile phones connected in the house, the sky box is connected wirelessly and then the PC. I also have printer and PS3 but they're not even connected yet. Any suggestions.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Mine works ok with homehub and 2-3 others devices connected - old advice but hard reset rtf?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> Mine works ok with homehub and 2-3 others devices connected - old advice but hard reset rtf?


Rtf?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Etc. Bloody predictive


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> Etc. Bloody predictive


Ha, I thought it was computer terms going over my head. I've tried a hard reset of the switch. Same problem.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> Mine works ok with homehub and 2-3 others devices connected - old advice but hard reset rtf?


There's me thinking rtf was made up shorthand for 'return to factory' (setting).


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Is your PC on a static IP address ? Maybe you have an IP address conflict with your DHCP range of address' ?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> Is your PC on a static IP address ? Maybe you have an IP address conflict with your DHCP range of address' ?


Ok talk me through this. I'm only partly computer literate. Do I find the static ip setting in control panel or the router settings?


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

PC network settings, TCPIP properties for the PC's IP address and the router config for the DHCP range. But the fact you're asking probably means its on the default DHCP setting.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> PC network settings, TCPIP properties for the PC's IP address and the router config for the DHCP range. But the fact you're asking probably means its on the default DHCP setting.


I hate windows 8, can never find any of this stuff anymore. They're certainly all still on default. I can find the dhcp network range on the router config, having trouble finding the tcpip properties. I can see the pc's ip on the router interface.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Yeah, windows 8(.1) is lovely isn't it ... not!

OK, easiest way to confitm you PC's ip address is to run the command "IPCONFIG" from the command prompt.

1) Get the the "Normal" desktop i.e. not metro front end with all the tiles by pressing "Windows + D"

2) RightClick on the start icon (i.e. the "white Window" at the bottom left)

3) Choose "Run "option

4) Type "cmd" into the "open" text box and click the OK button

5) You should get a command console window open , type "ipconfig" and hit return

The one good feature on windows 8 is the search options. If you open search "mouse to top right and pick magnifying glass from the charms menu" and type "network" you'll find it brings up a link to the networking setup.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

This is also one of the things that niggles me about the WeMo, in that it is always a DHCP assigned IP. There is no option in the configuration setup for me to assign a static IP. I really don't like having fixed equipment around the house on DHCP assigned IP's. DHCP should be for equipment that comes and goes on my network, like other peoples phones/tablets/laptops etc not my own equipment that never leaves the house.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Ok, I've found both of those. So what do I need to make sure? What if I just set the PC to connect to the 5ghz network only?


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Make sure the IP address assigned to the PC isn't the same as the WeMo is being assigned. This should only happen if the PC has been assigned a static IP address that happens to be within the DHCP pool range defined in the router (or wherever you have your DHCP server running).

To be fair I hadn't appreciated that you have your desktop PC running over wifi, as I tend to think of desktop PC's always being hardwired.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> Make sure the IP address assigned to the PC isn't the same as the WeMo is being assigned. This should only happen if the PC has been assigned a static IP address that happens to be within the DHCP pool range defined in the router (or wherever you have your DHCP server running).
> 
> To be fair I hadn't appreciated that you have your desktop PC running over wifi, as I tend to think of desktop PC's always being hardwired.


It's a dell xps 1820 so more laptop/tablet than desktop. Problem is, I can't find the wemo on the home hub interface because it doesn't connect when the PC is on!


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Nice - I quit like the looks of the XPS series, nearly bought one from the Dell outlet once.

OK. So if you turn off the PC. and wait for the WeMo to be connected can you not then use you're phone or another tablet device to access the routers webpage and see what IP it's been assigned?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Actually, I suspect it is showing up. I thought it was the sky box but it has a different ip according to the sky box, it isn't showing up on the hub user interface even though it seems to be connected. There is another device which presumably is the wemo, the ip on it is definitely different from the PC.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> Nice - I quit like the looks of the XPS series, nearly bought one from the Dell outlet once.
> 
> OK. So if you turn off the PC. and wait for the WeMo to be connected can you not then use you're phone or another tablet device to access the routers webpage and see what IP it's been assigned?


I'll check by doing this.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Definitely different IP addresses.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

You should be able to establish which is the WeMo via its MAC address that is printed on the label on the back. The BTHub should be showing the MAC address of the device that each IP is assigned to. IP addesses' are assigned to devices on networks arbitrarily, so we will both probably have a device with the IP address 192.168.0.1 on our networks (this works because they are different networks so the IP is unique on each network) but MAC address' are uniquely assigned to each and every device worldwide*.

* this s the theory but sometimes you can get devices with the same MAC address when the manufactures doesn't bother playing by the rules and paying the licence fee and getting assigned a unique manufacturer id. Usually this is cheap Chinese manufactured / cloned equipment, but sometimes more official stuff happens as well. I remember the network card for my series 1 TiVo all had the same MAC address and if you had more than 1 in the house you had to modify one MAC address at boot with a startup script.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

OK , try your original suggestion. If the XPS has a 5Ghz radio then move it over to use that exclusively. As far as I'm aware the WeMo doesn't have 5Ghz radio so is using the "standard" 2.4Ghz frequency.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> You should be able to establish which is the WeMo via its MAC address that is printed on the label on the back. The BTHub should be showing the MAC address of the device that each IP is assigned to. IP addesses' are assigned to devices on networks arbitrarily, so we will both probably have a device with the IP address 192.168.0.1 on our networks (this works because they are different networks so the IP is unique on each network) but MAC address' are uniquely assigned to each and every device worldwide*.
> 
> * this s the theory but sometimes you can get devices with the same MAC address when the manufactures doesn't bother playing by the rules and paying the licence fee and getting assigned a unique manufacturer id. Usually this is cheap Chinese manufactured / cloned equipment, but sometimes more official stuff happens as well. I remember the network card for my series 1 TiVo all had the same MAC address and if you had more than 1 in the house you had to modify one MAC address at boot with a startup script.


Ok, getting my head round all of this now. Yeah, it's the device I thought it was and its definitely a different ip than the PC.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Right, that's weird. I've changed the PC to 5ghz only, the wemo is showing as connected to the network when I look at the hub manager but it's not showing up in my wemo app.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

ok , so make a note of the IP address assigned currently to the WeMo (note that this is can change so don't think it will always be this one), and then open up a command prompt on the pc as before and type the command "ping nn.nn.nn.nn" where nn.nn.nn.nn is the ip address of the WeMo


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> ok , so make a note of the IP address assigned currently to the WeMo (note that this is can change so don't think it will always be this one), and then open up a command prompt on the pc as before and type the command "ping nn.nn.nn.nn" where nn.nn.nn.nn is the ip address of the WeMo


This is the screen in getting then.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

if 192.168.1.70 is the IP of your WeMo then its either not responding (hung or dead) or else it's out of range, either way that's the reason its not working.

As an experiment try moving the WeMo closer to the router (no need to move the coffee machine just the WeMo) and see if you can then ping it.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

It could be that without the PC turned on it is just on the limit and it's the interference of the PC's extra wireless signal is enough to push it off the network.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> It could be that without the PC turned on it is just on the limit and it's the interference of the PC's extra wireless signal is enough to push it off the network.


I've stuck it in a plug very close to the router and still no luck.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Does it work if you activate it over 3G/4G ?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> Does it work if you activate it over 3G/4G ?


I'll try later when I'm out of the house. I can't get it in the house







I'm guessing it would work with the PC off but not sure if I left it on.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

OK. Not sure what to suggest next. If other wireless devices work ok when the PC is on and there is no IP conflict then I cant think of any reason why the WeMo should be having an issue.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> OK. Not sure what to suggest next. If other wireless devices work ok when the PC is on and there is no IP conflict then I cant think of any reason why the WeMo should be having an issue.


Thanks for all the help anyway. Guess I'll just have to make sure the PC is off when I'm out of the house, or if my wife is using it I'll just have to make an old fashioned phone call!


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

If you disable the wireless connection on the PC does the WeMo then work OK ? You can sometimes do this easily from the keyboard. Look along the top row of function keys to see if one controls WiFi. If not you can tell windows to disable it by clicking on the "wifi signal bars" icon in the system tray at the bottom right. A panel should slide on from the right and the top switch is "airplane" mode.

I'm not suggesting that this is a solution, just fact finding mission to try to home in on the actual cause of the issue.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> If you disable the wireless connection on the PC does the WeMo then work OK ? You can sometimes do this easily from the keyboard. Look along the top row of function keys to see if one controls WiFi. If not you can tell windows to disable it by clicking on the "wifi signal bars" icon in the system tray at the bottom right. A panel should slide on from the right and the top switch is "airplane" mode.
> 
> I'm not suggesting that this is a solution, just fact finding mission to try to home in on the actual cause of the issue.


Yeah, turning the wifi off allows the wemo to work.


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## Chockymonster (Jan 21, 2013)

If you're using a bthome hub then they can have a small DHCP pool for devices and a very long reservation time. What this means is the router can't give the wemo an IP address.

If you look at the network settings on the homehub somewhere under the network section you can increase the number of addresses. Which hub is it? I'll see if I can point you in the right direction. If you're really stuck I can have a look remotely with something like teamviewer to see if We can rule out a problem with the hub


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

Chockymonster said:


> If you're using a bthome hub then they can have a small DHCP pool for devices and a very long reservation time. What this means is the router can't give the wemo an IP address.
> 
> If you look at the network settings on the homehub somewhere under the network section you can increase the number of addresses. Which hub is it? I'll see if I can point you in the right direction. If you're really stuck I can have a look remotely with something like teamviewer to see if We can rule out a problem with the hub


It's the home hub 5. There is a setting to manually configure the dhcp network range. It's currently on default 192.168.1.64-192.168.1.253 and the lease time is 1 day.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

very strange ? what about if you switch it all around and change the PC to be just on the 2.4Ghz i.e. turn off the 5Ghz radio ?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> very strange ? what about if you switch it all around and change the PC to be just on the 2.4Ghz i.e. turn off the 5Ghz radio ?


That doesn't work either.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

OK so not some weird interference issue.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Chockymonster said:


> If you're using a bthome hub then they can have a small DHCP pool for devices and a very long reservation time. What this means is the router can't give the wemo an IP address.
> 
> If you look at the network settings on the homehub somewhere under the network section you can increase the number of addresses. Which hub is it? I'll see if I can point you in the right direction. If you're really stuck I can have a look remotely with something like teamviewer to see if We can rule out a problem with the hub


I understand what you're saying chockymonster but Neil has already said that the wemo has been assigned an IP address from the DHCP pool on the router as has the PC so I don't think it's a simple assignment issue.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Grrr.. must be infectious mine is now playing up as well! Strangely for me it's currently working over 3G but not over WiFi? NOt entirely sure how that can happen as even over 3G it must still be talking over wifi locally in my house!

My old WeMo used to work reasonably well but this new Insight model is being a pain in the R's, I wonder if the smaller size of the insight has compromised the aerial sensitivity?


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> Grrr.. must be infectious mine is now playing up as well! Strangely for me it's currently working over 3G but not over WiFi? NOt entirely sure how that can happen as even over 3G it must still be talking over wifi locally in my house!
> 
> My old WeMo used to work reasonably well but this new Insight model is being a pain in the R's, I wonder if the smaller size of the insight has compromised the aerial sensitivity?


Mines the old model. Bit of a pain.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

I've spent a couple of hours this afternoon investigating my issues with the WeMo. Long story short I've now move my wireless access point about 2 foot, outside of the cupboard it was in and the WeMo is now behaving much better. In fact even the front bedroom seems to have a more reliable signal than it did. I may even try setting my automated Tasker script to activate my coffee machine warmup via WiFi instead of 3G tomorrow.

Try downloading a wifi signal monitor app and have a walk around the house to get an idea of how the signal is propagating. The app I'm using on my Android based phone is ; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyser

Try to make sure you're using channel 1, 6 or 11 if possible as these are the only non overlapping ones, all the channels in-between suffer some interference from the neighbouring channels. Also try to pick a channel that other people in your area aren't using, otherwise you'll be sharing the available bandwidth with them. I actually have mine set to channel 13 as most people use 11 and below, as that was the maximum channel allowed at one point.


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## Neill (Jun 26, 2013)

marcuswar said:


> I've spent a couple of hours this afternoon investigating my issues with the WeMo. Long story short I've now move my wireless access point about 2 foot, outside of the cupboard it was in and the WeMo is now behaving much better. In fact even the front bedroom seems to have a more reliable signal than it did. I may even try setting my automated Tasker script to activate my coffee machine warmup via WiFi instead of 3G tomorrow.
> 
> Try downloading a wifi signal monitor app and have a walk around the house to get an idea of how the signal is propagating. The app I'm using on my Android based phone is ; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyser
> 
> Try to make sure you're using channel 1, 6 or 11 if possible as these are the only non overlapping ones, all the channels in-between suffer some interference from the neighbouring channels. Also try to pick a channel that other people in your area aren't using, otherwise you'll be sharing the available bandwidth with them. I actually have mine set to channel 13 as most people use 11 and below, as that was the maximum channel allowed at one point.


I'll have a play at this some day.


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