Still Running Old HomeKit Architecture? Apple is Planning Automatic Upgrades

[turbineseaplane]

Even with my very limited number of HomeKit items as least one a week goes “No Response” in the Home app

I get this also .. randomly, and seemingly not related to anything else.

The internet is fine the whole time ... it just quits working until I reboot my hub (Apple TV).

 

[tubular]

I've got 3 OG HomePods, one HomePod mini to act as Threads router, and various Nanoleaf lights.

I'm getting bummed about the idea that the OG HomePods are eventually going to end up "vintage" and stop getting software updates.

 

[TundraKing]

As with ANY smart home system it's only as good as the RF communications backbone and end devices. Apple's HomeKit architecture is just a punching bag for lousy devices, substandard WiFi equipment, or congested RF environments.

HomeKit is just fine when deployed properly. I have not had ANY issues I can attribute to the HomeKit infrastructure itself. I suspect when people think about it they can't either.

Zigbee, ZWave, or quality thread devices can often help with providing a stable backbone rather than WiFi. WiFi installs with 50-100 or more devices are often a huge challenge especially for underpowered routers.

WiFi cameras are the worst offenders and need to be well designed to be stable.

 

[phrehdd]

As with ANY smart home system it's only as good as the RF communications backbone and end devices. Apple's HomeKit architecture is just a punching bag for lousy devices, substandard WiFi equipment, or congested RF environments.

HomeKit is just fine when deployed properly. I have not had ANY issues I can attribute to the HomeKit infrastructure itself. I suspect when people think about it they can't either.

Zigbee, ZWave, or quality thread devices can often help with providing a stable backbone rather than WiFi. WiFi installs with 50-100 or more devices are often a huge challenge especially for underpowered routers.

WiFi cameras are the worst offenders and need to be well designed to be stable.

I have a pretty decent router. In fact two routers acting as a mesh system. The backhaul is very fast. Wouldn't it make sense if the router is the weakest link (as you put in one scenario) to simply replace it was a better router? If yes, then maybe the discussion should also include if one sets up a system that is dependent at some level on WiFi which routers would be recommended. I would imagine those that have the issue you mention might prefer to replace the router(s) than the entire system they have invested in - hope I am understanding what you were saying. Thoughts?

 

[aj67]

My key to getting Homekit stable was to stop using devices that natively support Homekit. I buy unsupported devices and use open source software like Home Assistant or Scrypted to enable communication with the Home app. Example are my POE Reolink cameras.

It's more work. The setup process is much more complicated. It shouldn't be this hard, but the constant disconnects and pairing issues are gone. I'm able to use the good features of the Home app without limiting myself to buggy natively supported devices. Fingers crossed it continues to work. As others have said, it just works until it doesn't.

 

[BeefCake 15]

This accessory is not reachable, until some how it magically works again is the bane of my existence....

 

[Jay-Jacob]

In the various forums I read, you are not the only person who credits a UniFi network for significantly reducing or eliminating HomeKit issues. Not sure why the UniFi network is “mo betta” than any other good-coverage system such as, for example, a mesh network, but the posts are there to support this theory.

Even with my very limited number of HomeKit items as least one a week goes “No Response” in the Home app, frequently in conjunction with the almost-monthly network software update. I looked into changing out my home network (8 eeroPro’s in a WiFi 5 mesh) to a UniFi replacement. I came away from their website with the impression that I’d never be able to do that on my own. I couldn’t even determine what equipment I’d need. Apparently this industrial-strength networking requires industrial-strength networking experience, something I find confusing at best and at worst not doable.

I have UniFi as well and it been great! My netatmo camera and doorbell keep dropping and since have UniFi they haven’t dropped once.

I never have networking experience before UniFi and they was so easy to set up. Just little research online then it was easy to pick what I needed.

For router side: use one of their cloud gateway router. Ultra if not plan use unifi cameras or prefer use separate UNVR, Max have storage for cameras, both 1GB internet and get Fibre if want 10GB internet and unit cameras. Then pick access points, I use U6 Pro. You can pick U6 range or U7 range if want newer wifi.

 

[SalisburySam]

For router side: use one of their cloud gateway router. Ultra if not plan use unifi cameras or prefer use separate UNVR, Max have storage for cameras, both 1GB internet and get Fibre if want 10GB internet and unit cameras. Then pick access points, I use U6 Pro. You can pick U6 range or U7 range if want newer wifi.

Very helpful to demystify the website, thank you.

 

[Gromcan]

When can I use Air conditioner natively with apple HomeKit?

 

[phrehdd]

Does anyone know of a website or elsewhere that covers which devices are solid performers with HomeKit? I really do want some things modernized such as door locks, perhaps a couple of camera and the notable indoor lights/lamps.

 

[Burger Thing]

As with ANY smart home system it's only as good as the RF communications backbone and end devices. Apple's HomeKit architecture is just a punching bag for lousy devices, substandard WiFi equipment, or congested RF environments.

HomeKit is just fine when deployed properly. I have not had ANY issues I can attribute to the HomeKit infrastructure itself. I suspect when people think about it they can't either.

Zigbee, ZWave, or quality thread devices can often help with providing a stable backbone rather than WiFi. WiFi installs with 50-100 or more devices are often a huge challenge especially for underpowered routers.

WiFi cameras are the worst offenders and need to be well designed to be stable.

Yes and no. Here is my experience, the latest episode happened again just 1 hour ago: I wanted a scene to be executed. It's a scene playing a playlist via 9 homepods in the open (!) living, dining and kitchen area. The 2 HomePods in the kitchen started to playing, the other remained silent. Ironically the ones in our kitchen area are the ones furthest from the router. The other homepods are literally within 5 m of the main router and there are no walls between.

When I tried to "manually" via airplay in the (downright terrible) Home App to have the rest of the homepods playing the songs from the kitchen homepods, nothing happens.

When I tap on some of the homepods they started to play something else then. So it's not an Internet issue. They are connected but refuse to play together in a scene and are able to load other songs.

Here is the twist. If I have one of the homepods which remain silent initially play the same playlist (manually selected in the Home App) and then airplay it to the kitchen homepds, it started working.

I could come of with dozens of examples with these kind of issues with homepods and the Home App. For example on the home screen it's stating that a homepod is not playing, but it is. And when you click on the respective homepod icon and see the subsequently shown screen: yes, it says homepod is playing on top but on the lover half the control screen is empty, etc.

I know I have pushed the homekit system a bit to its limits with over 120 devices, maxed out scenes and automations but my impression is that Homekit is not great.