IOT/Smart devices = FAIL

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway Uh oh. I have the Ring Doorbell purchased in July after dispute with neighbors. The front door faces east. What broke on your Ring Doorbell Pro? The video camera? .

The entire device became a brick. It happened when a solicitor pressed the button. In retrospect, there were warning signs and it wasn't that sudden. I should have paid attention. The first year, all was well. But in the second year, it started getting flakey, resetting and sometimes the bell wouldn't work. The bell never worked last summer in the afternoon, when it was in full sun. It worked OK the first year under all conditions, so this was a change for the worse. I think they made a change in firmware to help cool it or something. They added some help to indicate the bell won't work when warm. Perhaps this will help longevity for newer models. That's kind of an ugly patch, because it means the bell won't always work!

It turns out there is a charge storage device inside (a battery of sorts and maybe a capacitor) that is needed to operate when heavily loaded, such as during a button push. This device can degrade. Once it fails, the device won't work because it cannot boot unless it detects this internal device is charged.

People who have seen recent models say there was a redesign that includes heat sinks and some other changes. So, maybe you got that one and you'll be OK. My suggestion is to watch it and since you have 1/2 year warranty left, if it acts strange, report it. Don't wait way past warranty like I did. Also, this was the "Pro" model. Other models may be different.

I also have a Ring stick up cam with a solar panel. In fairness to Ring, I was very happy with the warranty service I had on that. So, if you are in warranty, let them know! My panel lasted 1 month then stopped giving enough charge. I called them up, they looked at my charging history, and without any fuss, they sent a new one and I had it in 3 days. But I was in warranty. It is also at 1 1/2 years or so and continues to work well.

[broadway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras The entire device became a brick. It happened when a solicitor pressed the button. In retrospect, there were warning signs and it wasn't that sudden. I should have paid attention. The first year, all was well. But in the second year, it started getting flakey, resetting and sometimes the bell wouldn't work. The bell never worked last summer in the afternoon, when it was in full sun. It worked OK the first year under all conditions, so this was a change for the worse. I think they made a change in firmware to help cool it or something. They added some help to indicate the bell won't work when warm. Perhaps this will help longevity for newer models. That's kind of an ugly patch, because it means the bell won't always work! It turns out there is a charge storage device inside (a battery of sorts and maybe a capacitor) that is needed to operate when heavily loaded, such as during a button push. This device can degrade. Once it fails, the device won't work because it cannot boot unless it detects this internal device is charged. People who have seen recent models say there was a redesign that includes heat sinks and some other changes. So, maybe you got that one and you'll be OK. My suggestion is to watch it and since you have 1/2 year warranty left, if it acts strange, report it. Don't wait way past warranty like I did. Also, this was the "Pro" model. Other models may be different. I also have a Ring stick up cam with a solar panel. In fairness to Ring, I was very happy with the warranty service I had on that. So, if you are in warranty, let them know! My panel lasted 1 month then stopped giving enough charge. I called them up, they looked at my charging history, and without any fuss, they sent a new one and I had it in 3 days. But I was in warranty. It is also at 1 1/2 years or so and continues to work well.

I have the Ring Doorbell not the Ring Doorbell Pro as you do, so I hope it isn't plagued with the same problem.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway I have the Ring Doorbell not the Ring Doorbell Pro as you do, so I hope it isn't plagued with the same problem.

Different design so it may not suffer the same fate. That one has more time on it too, so there is hope it is better.

[target2019]

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Originally Posted by Texas Proud What she called them... BUT, I just looking and it seems that there was an agreement before Obama came into office but the newest ones just took effect in 2018... Still, as my sister said, how much are you really saving when she has to add water herself and at times do the wash twice to get things clean... She bought a top loader BTW...

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway My regular washer that came with the new construction house lasted 6 years. It was traditional top loader not HE made by GE. Can't blame it on Obama! My parents washer lasted 20 years.

These appliances are not IOT/Smart. Neither is our Whirlpool He model. It works fine and has plenty of settings which you can adjust. The idea of using less water is probably rooted in 1975 legislation. Good idea, in my opinion.

But back to the subject. Most of the devices depend on your WiFi, which is fine so long as it works. Here's our devices:
- (2) Echonet wireless controls on HVAC. These are the wonkiest devices. A great idea, but need to be rebooted at least once a month. Also, they communicate with the manufacturer, and then your phone app. The company is prone to having server problems, especially on weekends. I bought a timer power strip to reboot these guys once a day.
- Internet camera. This was a freebie and fun to play with. If I spend for better devices, could probably get more use. We would need at least six cameras, and that's a lot of admin time, I would think.
- Inline power control for outside lights. A great idea which still sits uninstalled in the basement. LOL.
- Google home mini. Have had this for a few weeks, and the jury is still out. Some things works very well. "Play spotify" or "read the news." The challenge is understanding the Home app, where the settings are, what the concepts mean, etc.
- Fire tablet with Alexa. I have given over admin of this device to my co-chairman. It still sits in the box waiting to be set up, which is extremely easy. However, I am the default network admin, and the user is reluctant to perform setup.

Every device needs an admin. That can be a royal PIA job. As you can tell, I am chief procrastinator living here. We need to upgrade one of the older wireless routers, too. Someday, I suppose...

[DayDreaming]

I worry about IOT / internet connected devices. What if a hacker breaks into your device and messes with it 'just for fun', like turning your house thermostat down to 30F in the winter, or turning you refrigerator thermostat up, etc.
For now, I prefer to keep thing simple and avoid overly-complicated devices or appliances.

[Rianne]

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Originally Posted by broadway My parents washer lasted 20 years.

We have a 17 year old GE washer. Love it! Never a problem. We have a new GE dryer and I cringe when I turn it on.

[broadway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne We have a 17 year old GE washer. Love it! Never a problem. We have a new GE dryer and I cringe when I turn it on.

Why cringe?


I think there is a broken sensor on the GE dryer (that was a set with the GE washer that broke). It only works when we put it on timed dry and only if we set the timer all the way to 90 minutes; otherwise we get the buzzer that drying is complete and the dryer stops.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway ... My parents washer lasted 20 years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rianne We have a 17 year old GE washer. Love it! ....

Amateurs!

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ine-67469.html

32+ years, and going strong!

-ERD50

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by target2019 Every device needs an admin. That can be a royal PIA job. As you can tell, I am chief procrastinator living here.

I think maybe this is the root of the issue. Besides true failures, the big problem is administering them, and the quality of the admin tools, which is usually on a phone app that may have bugs. The smart washer and dryer features were so poorly integrated to the app which made them unusable... except on days when the moon was full and the solstice was passing.

Some are better than others for sure. Those need to be listed in the "Superior products" thread.

[Rianne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway Why cringe? I think there is a broken sensor on the GE dryer (that was a set with the GE washer that broke). It only works when we put it on timed dry and only if we set the timer all the way to 90 minutes; otherwise we get the buzzer that drying is complete and the dryer stops.

We're still within the one year warranty. Every time I turn it on it pauses, thinks about it, then starts. It was the simplest version and most expensive. Also why we've kept our 1997 and 2004 Camry's. Who needs confusion when they're driving?

[steelyman]

I’m really hesitant to buy/deploy anything “smart” that controls equipment that is “essential” (definition up to you). I suppose that means what are usually thought of as durable goods, appliances and the like.

My vehicle is really dumb too, but I like it anyway.

[Rianne]

There is rumor that the Chinese have put tracking and recording devices in these smart devices. News, I don't remember the station, said a Rumba (sp?) recorded the floor plan of a house which company who sells Rumba has access. Have also heard, rumor, Alexa, records private conversations-who knows who hears them. Just to throw a little paranoia into your life .

[steelyman]

I had one of the earlier models of those vacuuming robots. It was fun to watch but it spent most of its life bumping into things.

[tb001]

I’ll be the outlier and say that I LOVE IoT devices and smart home stuff. It’s wonderful to be able to optimize our energy use during the day and automatically control lights, heat, etc from Alexa or remotely.

And as a tinkerer, it’s fun too. My ‘fun’ has included turning the sprinklers on when that nosy neighbor decided to walk into our yard and programming a button I can press to ask DH to bring me a sandwich. Or one morning when I was at work, programming the speakers to say ‘DH, this is god. Listen closely...’

I could honestly not care less if someone is eavesdropping or knows my floor plan or whatever else. If I were bill gates or zuckerberg I might care, but me, nope. I leave my car unlocked regularly too (gasp!)

That said, I do get frustrated with planned obsolescence in expensive purchases/appliances. And I definitely think it’s intentional. I would much rather add an external smart device to an appliance than have it built in. The only exceptions I can think of might be our D/W, that can be set to start at the lowest tier energy rates, and our cars which have a number of safety upgrades that I think should be mandatory.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tb001 I’ll be the outlier and say that I LOVE IoT devices and smart home stuff. It’s wonderful to be able to optimize our energy use during the day and automatically control lights, heat, etc from Alexa or remotely.

I like that stuff too. I just want it to be robust and easy. Like you say, maybe homebrew is best. At least you are eating the sausage YOU made.

Back In The Day, I loved tinkering with my system adding sound cards. You'd spend days getting all the IRQ, DMA, IO Ports settings to not conflict, both on the sound card and in the windoze system. It was "fun" for me, the nerd.

Family members would get a card, it wouldn't work and they'd come to me. I'd ask if they set the IRQ in the system.ini. Response: "Joe, speak English, please."

Ah, everyone doesn't think that's fun. I get it.

Superior IOT products work, are reliable and plug and play. Bad ones are throw you back into the equivalent of setting up obscure settings.

After a career of nerdery, I've burned out on that kind of thing.

[tb001]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras I like that stuff too. I just want it to be robust and easy. Like you say, maybe homebrew is best. At least you are eating the sausage YOU made. Back In The Day, I loved tinkering with my system adding sound cards. You'd spend days getting all the IRQ, DMA, IO Ports settings to not conflict, both on the sound card and in the windoze system. It was "fun" for me, the nerd. Family members would get a card, it wouldn't work and they'd come to me. I'd ask if they set the IRQ in the system.ini. Response: "Joe, speak English, please." Ah, everyone doesn't think that's fun. I get it. Superior IOT products work, are reliable and plug and play. Bad ones are throw you back into the equivalent of setting up obscure settings. After a career of nerdery, I've burned out on that kind of thing.

Ha! Yes! The upside is that most of the basic stuff has gotten far, far easier for the average person to do, even the home brew systems. And for the things that are more challenging, the internet is an amazing resource! IO ports still cause me angst though!

[Teacher Terry]

I do love my 2 robots. One sweeps and one mops. They are 3 yo. We don’t have Alexa connected to the internet so no sending conversations to someone on your phone list.