bottleneck
Choose style:

Author Topic: Home Automation only  (Read 4773 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline variable

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Thanks: 0
  • Registered : 18/10/2017
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Home Automation only
« on: November 13, 2017, 04:59:48 pm »
Maybe this has been asked and answered (just in a different way) - in which case, sorry... link me :)

I don't have a need for the router or wifi functionality, I'm just interested in the HA side, but I can't seem to get my A3 to behave in the way I'd expect.  Without going into too many details, I can hook up a lan port on the A3 to a switch on my network and hit the web portal, but the A3 can't talk to the web - presumably it's configured to only do this via the WAN port(?).  I can't get the WAN port to work like a LAN port - even tried sticking it with a static ip into its DMZ (was a long shot) but no dice.  Whats weird is that if I connect the wan port up to my router, (ubiquiti edge x), I can see it in the dhcp requests (if its set to request one), but it looks like the A3 doesn't respond to ICMP (I think thats the right term) requests - pings.  At least not on the wan port - maybe I misconfigured something?

Is there some way to do this that doesn't involve me banging my head on the table?  In theory I could make it work as it is - my cable modem has 4 *wan* ports on it (wasn't the selling point, but whatever right?), which aren't connected to each other, so in theory I could have 4 separate LAN's from the modem and use the WAN port on the A3 to connect to one of these, and one of the LAN ports to connect to the other network - though I'm unclear how DHCP on the A3 is handled, it appears to want ot act as a DCHP server, not a client.... blah, confusitron.

For giggles I plugged a lan port on the A3 to my switch, and the wan port on the a3 to the other lan port on the A3 (connected it to itself).  Disappointingly nothing interesting happened.  Not sure what I was expecting... 

Last - I've noticed that the web interface and the LCD screen don't always seem to reflect each others changes and that I have to force refresh if I make changes in the web browser - unrelated really, just annoying.

FYI, I know just enough IT stuffs to cause trouble and fix my parents interwebs.  Maybe a bit more, but I'm new to the Almond community so I may not quite grasp some things at first.  Go easy on me! 

Offline variable

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Thanks: 0
  • Registered : 18/10/2017
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Home Automation only
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2017, 05:57:23 pm »
I suppose I didn't really ask much of a question there...

Can I make my A3 act like any other home automation hub without all the fancy router/access point bits?  (I suspect the answer is going to be no... but maybe) - I'd take a 'here's how you can fake it response' :-P

Offline fillibar

  • Backer
  • *
  • Posts: 2060
  • Thanks: 4
  • Registered : 02/08/2013
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Home Automation only
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2017, 10:14:16 pm »
Well... the easiest way would be to set it up as a router but do not connect anything network-wise to it. Then you COULD always connect network devices to it if you wanted to use them for presence sensors (even things as simple as Amazon Dash buttons can be used for that).
Almond 3 mesh handling the home.

Offline mparadis

  • Backer
  • *
  • Posts: 1765
  • Thanks: 3
  • Registered : 02/08/2013
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Home Automation only
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2017, 12:11:44 pm »
I'd set it up as an extender and then I believe you can disable the wifi which would make it effectively just a home automation hub. This makes sure that it remains connected to the cloud for the cloud services. There were some issues with some information remaining in the webpage portal. I thought it had all been resolved with the most recent updates. I always F5 refresh my pages as a matter of habit.

Offline variable

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Thanks: 0
  • Registered : 18/10/2017
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Home Automation only
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2017, 04:14:26 pm »
I'd set it up as an extender and then I believe you can disable the wifi which would make it effectively just a home automation hub. This makes sure that it remains connected to the cloud for the cloud services. There were some issues with some information remaining in the webpage portal. I thought it had all been resolved with the most recent updates. I always F5 refresh my pages as a matter of habit.

I believe I tried this and it wouldn't let me disable the wifi - and didn't want any network cables plugged in.  I really just want an off switch for everything router/access point related OR a separate device...  The best I've been able to get so far is a separate WAN connection and then the LAN connected to my LAN - which if I recall would result in 2 dhcp servers on the same network...  I can't seem to find the option to disable the dhcp server on the almond..  I could probably have my router clamp down that port so it couldn't respond to dhcp requests, but this is turning into more and more of a hack.. 

General rule of thumb from those I've spoken with in the IT industry - just because a router can act as a switch, or a managed switch can act as a router, or any of the above as a firewall doesn't mean that that's ideal; a router wants to be a router, a switch a switch and a firewall a firewall.  Combining them results in extra overhead and depending on the quality, you could end up with one of those all in one network printer/copier/scanners that just can't quite do any of them really well...  not to say it can't be done, but I personally like to keep my devices separated so that one device can focus on what its good at.  Obviously thats a much longer conversation with lots of 'buts', and 'what ifs', and an 'all in one' solution always sounds good on paper.. but then so did communism.. :-P

Offline fillibar

  • Backer
  • *
  • Posts: 2060
  • Thanks: 4
  • Registered : 02/08/2013
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Home Automation only
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2017, 07:18:10 pm »
Did not realize you did not want it having the wifi active (even if you would not use it) and no connections at all. That does make it a bit more difficult. I used to have my Almond+ continue to be a router, just with nothing but the HA stuff connected to it since my Almond 3 was performing all the "real" routing. I never had any issues with it acting as a second DHCP, but I did not connect it LAN-LAN. I connected the Almond+'s WAN port to a LAN from the Almond 3 (technically it was connected to the network switch that connected to the Almond 3). The Almond 3 ran the network and HA devices as I moved them over. No conflicts or troubles for me at least, but like I said I did not mind if I left the wireless running (it was on totally different channels so it did not interfere).
Almond 3 mesh handling the home.

Offline mparadis

  • Backer
  • *
  • Posts: 1765
  • Thanks: 3
  • Registered : 02/08/2013
    YearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYearsYears
Re: Home Automation only
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2017, 08:53:10 pm »
You can disable the WiFi from the app. Not sure otherwise.

 

Page created in 0.081 seconds with 20 queries.