The Wink home automation thread

[Whackjack]

Okay, it turns out that my Wink Hub wasn't connecting to my wifi properly. After I got that going again, adding the Yale z-wave lock worked perfectly. I don't quite get the level of control I did with the Veralite controller, but the interface is clean and simple. Next up is pairing my Trane thermostat.

 

[Whackjack]

Another update: After futzing with it some more, I was able to get it to detect my Trane thermostat. It appears to be fully functional, minus the ability to set the thermostat to "Auto", which was a useful feature for scheduling purposes.
Amusingly, the thermostat control UI is all Honeywell branded. It even claims that the thermostat is Honeywell. I imagine that's something they'll get fixed eventually, but it doesn't detract from the functionality of it.

 

[Mparadis720]

Did you bring your lock and thermostat to your hub or visa versa or did it work at a distance? I have tried pairing generic z wave power outlets with no results after finding the z wave commands earlier. When you say it showed up, you mean on the wink app under the wink hub page? Thanks!

 

[Kaido]

Okay, it turns out that my Wink Hub wasn't connecting to my wifi properly. After I got that going again, adding the Yale z-wave lock worked perfectly. I don't quite get the level of control I did with the Veralite controller, but the interface is clean and simple. Next up is pairing my Trane thermostat.

Seems like it would have been worth the extra ten cents to add an Ethernet port...but I supposed we can't ask for too much for $50 :awe:

 

[Kaido]

In response to my question about how to add z-wave devices using the Android app, I received this reply:

This does get me to the correct screens, but I have not yet succeeded in getting my Yale lock to join the network. There are a few other options in the "Z-Wave Controls":

• Reset Z-Wave
• Learning Mode
• Shift Controller
• Inclusion Mode
• Exclusion Mode

I'm not sure what "Learning Mode" or "Shift Controller" do, as documentation is rather sparse currently. I'll make sure to post any new updates or discoveries.

Yes, I got a similar reply. Wink Support said they will have a radio spec document & some online tutorial videos coming out shortly, and while they don't have a web GUI or a Windows Phone app, they are considering it. They also mentioned they're working on updating their product listings so that there is no confusion about general Zwave support vs. Wink Certified devices; I think that is what is throwing a lot of people off. I think Wink is the only brand to not support "any" Zwave device OOTB, so that is a pretty new concept for most people with Zwave experience. They did mention they do support generic inclusion for four types of Zwave devices:

1. BinarySwitch
2. MultilevelSwitch
3. GenericTypeThermostat (I'm guessing this is why it found your Trane, but it's missing "auto")
4. GenericTypeEntryControl

There's a good overview of how Zwave controllers work here:

http://wiki.zwaveeurope.com/index.php?title=Z-Wave_Application_Layer

I have seen the hidden Zwave menu option noted on other forums as well. The access procedure was apparently:

1. Click on the paired Wink Hub within the mobile app
2. Click on the button with the three blue dots in the upper right-hand corner
3. Under "Hub Units", click on "Hub" and then "Zwave Controls"
4. This pulls up the menu to add generic Zwave devices:

a. Learning Mode
b. Shift Control
c. Inclusion Mode
d. Exclusion Mode

I think aside from not being clear about only supporting Wink Certified hardware, the other major downfall is the lack of readily-available support resources: forums, blog, manual, and other types of instructions & help. It sounds like they're working on most of this stuff, so I'll just chalk it up to a typical initial rollout (aka needing some time to get caught up & ramped up). At least they have both Android & Apple apps available out of the gate though!

 

[Kaido]

I split the wiki into sections & I'm adding the new information right now. I'll take some screenshots of the app pages once I get a Hub in. Lutron & Leviton has some nice Wink-compatible gear out now. The Lutron Caseta plug-in dimmer is available for $60:

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-PD-3PCL...B00KHSXB60/CWZ

The wall switch is $45:

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-PD-6WCL.../dp/B00KLAXFQA

The $50 Leviton Decora switches are Wink Compatible:

http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-DZS15-...dp/B00LEWQYHG/

The $50 outlet is also compatible:

http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-DZR15-...dp/B00LEWQYPI/

The outlets are 15-amp TRR & support 1800w & 0.5 HP motors. The top outlet is controlled & the bottom outlet is uncontrolled, so you'd plug your lamp or fan into the top switch. I have a couple of plug-in lamps, so I'll probably go with a pair of outlets to get the Amazon discount on the Wink Hub. I also need to read up on how to do 3-way switches with Wink.

 

[Kaido]

Special note on the Leviton gear: The "Vizia RF+" stuff is different from the Wink stuff (the Amazon page specifically says "Not for use with Vizier RF+ systems"). I'm also trying to find out if the Leviton outlet is dimmable: (I'd assume it is because it says it's for lights)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LEWQYPI

 

[Kaido]

Talked to Wink support again, here's the scoop: so the 4 Zwave modes in the "hidden menu" are generic Zwave controls for adding & removing generic Zwave devices. This also includes shifting entire Zwave networks to & from different controllers. To recap, the 4 modes are:

1. Learning Mode
2. Shift Control
3. Inclusion Mode
4. Exclusion Mode

The first two are used to include multiple controllers in a Zwave network (controls can be hubs, gateways, remotes, etc.). They handle transferring network control between controllers without having to connect each device individually to a new controller. These are advanced controls and are not recommended unless you are pretty familiar with networking with Zwave. But this is cool because if you want to controls Zwave stuff on your Quirky network with say a physical Zwave hardware remote, you can do that, even though Wink is kind of a sub-ecosystem of Zwave that only uses Wink-Certified Zwave-certified products.

The second two are for adding & removing generic Zwave devices. Inclusion mode lets you activate a generic Zwave device and exclusion mode lets you "release" a generic Zwave (note: don't use this with Wink Certified devices; you're supposed to remove that from the individual product pages within the app). So Inclusion Mode basically activates the programming trigger in generic Zwave devices. As a reminder, the 4 basic control sets are:

1. BinarySwitch
2. MultilevelSwitch
3. GenericTypeThermostat
4. GenericTypeEntryControl

As Whackjack mentioned, you can get none, semi, or full support, depending on the device. For full support, buy Wink Certified Zwave (or other radio) hardware. The Honeywell thermostat is fully supported, but the Trane thermostat (made by Honeywell) has semi-support (does not support the "Auto" function). So once you activate a device, it shows up on the list of products that you can control

Exclusion mode is basically the button you press when you want to clear a Zwave device that has previously been connected to a network. When you press this, it removes all existing networking information from that Zwave device - it basically clears the network memory of the generic Zwave devie. Again, only use this button on generic Zwave devices, not Wink-Certified devices - you're supposed to remove Wink-Certified devices from within the product page.

So that's pretty much what the deal is with adding generic Zwave devices. It is possible, through a semi-hidden menu, but control is limited (only 4 types of control, based on generic Zwave communication commands) so it will be hit or miss as to how much device functionality you will get in a non-Wink Certified device. For best results, buy a Wink-Certified device, or read up online to see what level of success other people are having with generic devices.

 

[lsd]

Another update: After futzing with it some more, I was able to get it to detect my Trane thermostat. It appears to be fully functional, minus the ability to set the thermostat to "Auto", which was a useful feature for scheduling purposes.
Amusingly, the thermostat control UI is all Honeywell branded. It even claims that the thermostat is Honeywell. I imagine that's something they'll get fixed eventually, but it doesn't detract from the functionality of it.

That's good to hear. I ordered the wink through Amazon and it should be here tomorrow. Anyone wanna buy a vera lite? :whiste:

 

[Kaido]

That's good to hear. I ordered the wink through Amazon and it should be here tomorrow. Anyone wanna buy a vera lite? :whiste:

Hah, right? I am curious about the multi-controller aspect of Zwave; it'd be fun to do some additional programming within Indigo Domotics via the Zwave USB adapter, but still have the Wink Hub be the primary "smartphone remote control" hub. I am waiting for Leviton to update their website with Wink Compatibility details; the new equipment is already listed on Amazon, but it's not in the Hub-for-$1 grouping yet for checkout, and they don't have any additional information on their website (not sure if the socket is dimmable or not). If it does work out in terms of reliability & is a stable controller, I think my system goals are:

* Leviton Outlets
* Leviton light switch (model #1 & model #2)
* Plug-in module (dimmable unit & on/off appliance unit)
* Kidde Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm
* Schlage deadbolt
* Chamberlain MyQ universal garage door opener
* Motorized blinds (Bali or Lutron - both a sunshade for light filtering & a blackout shade for light blocking on each window)

I like the Philips 100w bulbs for my lights & the Philips 40w SlimStyle bulbs for my reading lamps. Everything above is already Wink Certified. I think the only things I'd be waiting on are door/window contact sensors (although I'd imagine that since Dropcam is supported, Dropcam Tabs will be as well) and motion sensors. I already have a Foscam & would rather just use that (right now the Dropcam Tabs require a Dropcam camera as a hub, not sure if they will pair directly to the Wink Hub or not in the future). I don't have any ceiling fans right now, just plug-in floor fans, so I'll just use the plug-in appliance on/off module for those (or the Zwave outlets). That would pretty much meet my requirements for a smarthome system. I'd like to see some long-term reviews of reliable before I heavily invest in Wink Certified equipment, but it sounds like about two grand would pretty much outfit a standard home nicely.

 

[Kneedragger]

Hah, right? I am curious about the multi-controller aspect of Zwave; it'd be fun to do some additional programming within Indigo Domotics via the Zwave USB adapter, but still have the Wink Hub be the primary "smartphone remote control" hub. I am waiting for Leviton to update their website with Wink Compatibility details; the new equipment is already listed on Amazon, but it's not in the Hub-for-$1 grouping yet for checkout, and they don't have any additional information on their website (not sure if the socket is dimmable or not). If it does work out in terms of reliability & is a stable controller, I think my system goals are:

* Leviton Outlets
* Leviton light switch (model #1 & model #2)
* Plug-in module (dimmable unit & n/off appliance unit)
* Kidde Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm
* Schlage deadbolt
* Chamberlain MyQ universal garage door opener
* Motorized blinds (Bali or Lutron - both a sunshade for light filtering & a blackout shade for light blocking on each window)

I like the Philips 100w bulbs for my lights & the Philips 40w SlimStyle bulbs for my reading lamps. Everything above is already Wink Certified. I think the only things I'd be waiting on are door/window contact sensors (although I'd imagine that since Dropcam is supported, Dropcam Tabs will be as well) and motion sensors. I already have a Foscam & would rather just use that (right now the Dropcam Tabs require a Dropcam camera as a hub, not sure if they will pair directly to the Wink Hub or not in the future). I don't have any ceiling fans right now, just plug-in floor fans, so I'll just use the plug-in appliance on/off module for those (or the Zwave outlets). That would pretty much meet my requirements for a smarthome system. I'd like to see some long-term reviews of reliable before I heavily invest in Wink Certified equipment, but it sounds like about two grand would pretty much outfit a standard home nicely.

Won't they be charging a month that fee for tabs?

 

[Kaido]

Won't they be charging a month that fee for tabs?

Well, Dropcam works off a monthly subscription fee, the cheapest of which is $10 a month:

https://www.dropcam.com/cloud-recording

The Tabs use Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE), which basically can run off a button cell for months or years & have a range of about 100 feet within a Dropcam Pro camera, which acts as a central hub for the Tabs. The idea is that they use an accelerometer to detect motion, rather than a traditional reed switch. In theory, the Tabs could be configured to pair to the Bluetooth radio in the Wink App, IF Dropcam allows that functionality. They do have a beta API program available:

https://www.dropcam.com/developers

That would be ridiculously cool because you could just buy a $30 Tab for all of your doors & windows - bam, done. If not, I'm sure someone else will make a knockoff. As it is, stuff like this is already available for cheap. INSTEON's battery-powered RF-based open/close sensor is only $35:

http://www.smarthome.com/2843-222/INSTEON-Wireless-Open-Close-Sensor/p.aspx

Same idea for wireless motion sensors...with the advent of low-energy radios, stuff like this INSTEON sensor runs for 6 months off a 9-volt battery: (and can send a low-battery warning to the main system to notify you to change it)

http://www.smarthome.com/2842-222/INSTEON-Wireless-Motion-Sensor/p.aspx

I'd rather not have a month payment and I already have & like my Foscam, I just need some sensors!

 

[Kaido]

I poked around Home Depot's Bali site; they do have sunshade rollers available with a motorized option. My goal is to setup a dual window shade system that has one transparent shade for letting filtered light in (it gets bright when the sun is out where I live) and one for completely blocking out the sun. Something like this: (the colors vary, but generally the thicker weaves with darker colors do better for blackout blinds, although they do have vice-versa - black shades that are semi-transparent to let light in, so you can fit it into whatever interior decoration you have)

http://i.imgur.com/evqMyrd.jpg

I'm not a fan of drapes, especially since blackout roller shades are available & they're less accessible for kids/pets/vacuum cleaners. Somfy even has a solar charger available so you don't need to worry about batteries or wires:

http://www.somfysystems.com/en-us/home/our-products/product-solutions/solar.html

Somfy does ZigBee now too: (not sure about integration with Wink, but we'll see!)

https://www.somfypro.com/new-produc.../somfy-presents-new-zigbee®-interface-devices

Oh, and BAF has a line of smartphone-controlled fans now, so if you're doing a new install, you can just buy one of these & have direct app control:

http://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/05/big-ass-fans-haiku-smart-fan-ios/

 

[Kneedragger]

Well, Dropcam works off a monthly subscription fee, the cheapest of which is $10 a month:

https://www.dropcam.com/cloud-recording

The Tabs use Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE), which basically can run off a button cell for months or years & have a range of about 100 feet within a Dropcam Pro camera, which acts as a central hub for the Tabs. The idea is that they use an accelerometer to detect motion, rather than a traditional reed switch. In theory, the Tabs could be configured to pair to the Bluetooth radio in the Wink App, IF Dropcam allows that functionality. They do have a beta API program available:

https://www.dropcam.com/developers

That would be ridiculously cool because you could just buy a $30 Tab for all of your doors & windows - bam, done. If not, I'm sure someone else will make a knockoff. As it is, stuff like this is already available for cheap. INSTEON's battery-powered RF-based open/close sensor is only $35:

http://www.smarthome.com/2843-222/INSTEON-Wireless-Open-Close-Sensor/p.aspx

Same idea for wireless motion sensors...with the advent of low-energy radios, stuff like this INSTEON sensor runs for 6 months off a 9-volt battery: (and can send a low-battery warning to the main system to notify you to change it)

http://www.smarthome.com/2842-222/INSTEON-Wireless-Motion-Sensor/p.aspx

I'd rather not have a month payment and I already have & like my Foscam, I just need some sensors!

Yeah the motion sensors is my main reason for wanting any of these devices.. I will be waiting. 😉

 

[Kaido]

The Wink Certified Kidde-brand Smoke/CO alarms are available now:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-Ba...moke-Carbon-Monoxide-Alarm-21010625/205132306

* $50
* 2-in-1 smoke & carbon monoxide
* Works with Wink App & Wink Hub: if alarm sounds, it will alert your phone
* Runs on (3) standard AA batteries
* Voice alert: Fire, CO, or Low Battery
* Alarm lasts 10 years (I doubt that's on 3x AA batteries, I think they just mean the operational life of the unit)
* Wireless interconnect: if one alarm sounds, all Kidde sounds

This is basically a half-priced Nest Protect. Nest adds a couple of extra features (Pathlight as a nightlight & connectivity to the Nest Thermostat, which can disable a gas furnace upon fire detection), but they have currently lost the "wave to disable" feature (useful if cooking or soldering or whatever). I also know that Nest Protects can be mounted vertically on a wall (works great in server rooms!), not sure if the Kidde has that feature or not. As far as the Nest Thermostat integration, you could probably rig up a robot to do something similar in the Wink Hub, so the big thing missing is the built-in flashlight. But it's basically a 2-for-1 deal, which is pretty nice, and Kidde is a big player in the smoke alarm business, so they have a pretty strong reputation. Honestly, I'll probably go with these & a Honeywell thermostat in my currently place over the Nest system. I like the controls of the Honeywell better (nice easy big touchscreen) and the Kidde units are 50% of the cost, which is pretty compelling if you're buying 10 units for your home ($500 vs. $1000 for Kidde vs. Nest).

 

[Kaido]

Yeah the motion sensors is my main reason for wanting any of these devices.. I will be waiting. 😉

There are some Zwave models for like $40 if you're willing to take a risk:

http://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Securi...dp/B00FB1TBKS/

There's a ceiling-mounted PIR unit for $45 that I'd like to try:

http://www.amazon.com/Enerwave-ZWN-B...dp/B00JXY82X6/

I dunno tho, I think I'd just wait for official Wink Certification, that way you know it's going to work correctly, you know?

 

[Kaido]

I'd like to see Logitech pair up with Wink for a cloud connector for their Harmony remote series. My current favorite is the Smart Control ($99), which is a wireless IR blaster that pairs to a dumb remote (super simple operation) & to a smartphone app:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-smart-control

It'd be nice to program up some extra buttons & macros that talk to the Wink Hub, i.e. kick off the A/C, motorized blinds, lights, etc. I'm not sure if they Harmony Hub has that kind of 2-way communication or not though.

 

[Kneedragger]

There are some Zwave models for like $40 if you're willing to take a risk:

http://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Securi...dp/B00FB1TBKS/

There's a ceiling-mounted PIR unit for $45 that I'd like to try:

http://www.amazon.com/Enerwave-ZWN-B...dp/B00JXY82X6/

I dunno tho, I think I'd just wait for official Wink Certification, that way you know it's going to work correctly, you know?

At this point with everything I've read I will be waiting for a new Wink certified sensor for sure.

 

[Whackjack]

After using it for a few days, I figured I would post an update.
So far, it seems to be extremely unreliable. While the devices appear as part of the network, control is very flaky. The thermostat scheduling has not worked at all yet, and manual control is iffy. The lock status is frequently incorrect, and when it is, locking/unlocking reports a failure even when it actually succeeded.
For now, I'm going back to using the Veralite. Even with its difficult UI, it's much more reliable.
That being said, the Wink app is by far the best home control one I've ever used, as far as usability goes. Setting schedules and notifications were extremely easy. Anyone who's used a Veralite knows how awkward those screens can be. I'm debating holding onto the Wink hub and hoping for more z-wave support in the future. It's a promising device, for sure.

 

[Whackjack]

Did you bring your lock and thermostat to your hub or visa versa or did it work at a distance? I have tried pairing generic z wave power outlets with no results after finding the z wave commands earlier. When you say it showed up, you mean on the wink app under the wink hub page? Thanks!

I did not have to move my hub near the devices for them to be added to the network. Adding my thermostat was kind of strange, but I think I ran into the same issues with the Veralite controller too. After the Wink hub rebooted, the thermostat was suddenly added.
As far as "showing up", it will appear in the sidebar of the Wink app, which is where the official devices would show up, I assume.

 

[Kaido]

After using it for a few days, I figured I would post an update.
So far, it seems to be extremely unreliable. While the devices appear as part of the network, control is very flaky. The thermostat scheduling has not worked at all yet, and manual control is iffy. The lock status is frequently incorrect, and when it is, locking/unlocking reports a failure even when it actually succeeded.
For now, I'm going back to using the Veralite. Even with its difficult UI, it's much more reliable.
That being said, the Wink app is by far the best home control one I've ever used, as far as usability goes. Setting schedules and notifications were extremely easy. Anyone who's used a Veralite knows how awkward those screens can be. I'm debating holding onto the Wink hub and hoping for more z-wave support in the future. It's a promising device, for sure.

Thanks for your review! The other Quirky products have pretty bad reviews, including the v1.0 Wink App (on both iPhone & Android), which is what made me hesitate initially, but for $50 (or $25 or $1, depending on your bundle), it didn't seem like too bad of a deal, especially since you can use multiple controllers, so if you want to mix it up with a Veralite or a physical remote or Indigo Domotics software or whatever, it seems to play nice.

Do you have any Wink Certified hardware, or is everything on your network general Zwave gear?

 

[Kaido]

Seems like there are some initial rollout issues:

1. People having trouble getting the Hub connected (talking to Wifi)
2. People having trouble getting the Hub to update the firmware (biggest issue)
3. People having issues with various devices:

a. Spotty support for general Zwave devices
b. Chamberlain integration is supposedly coming on July 14th
c. Issues with the Honeywell WiFi Thermostat API via the website connection (I'm guessing that's their open Cloud Comfort API since the thermostat is Wifi-based & not Redlink-based)

I'm going to withhold judgement. Product launches rarely go smoothly, plus the vendors need time to catch up with certification. Once I get some more information on the Leviton equipement (dimmer functionality of the outlet, switch design of the two Zwave light switches, etc.) I'll pick a couple up & get the party started. Still waiting for Amazon to add them to their "buy this with Wink for a discount" page (they're so new that Leviton hasn't even updated their website's PR or products listing with Wink compatibility notes or the new part numbers yet).

The nice thing is that since a lot of the gear is Zwave, you can use alternative controllers if this $50 unit turns out to be a dud. Not that there are many good ones (I think Nexia & Control4 have the best reviews, but those either have monthly fees or an expensive professional installation required for the bulk of it). I like Indigo, which runs on a Mac, but that means your computer needs to be on 24/7 & running the app, and well all know Vera's history. Some new ones are coming out (SmartThings, Staples Connect, etc.), so we'll see how those fare in marketplace. I'm willing to give Wink a chance, so I'll give them a few weeks or a month to let the market get ramped out, get the initial patch updates pushed out, etc. and then see how it looks.

 

[Kneedragger]

Probably worth revisiting Wink early next year to see if it's improved then.

 

[Kaido]

Probably worth revisiting Wink early next year to see if it's improved then.

Yeah. They said they have 15 partners & 60 products already, but the existing selectable items within the app is a much smaller list. Also, as far as adding Wink Certified devices, you can either scan a product barcode or manually select from a list within the app itself. The Wink Certified device list within the v2.0 app currently includes: (as of July 11th, 2014)

1. Wink Hub
2. Kidde Alarms
3. Blinds: Bali Blinds (using a ZigBee-driven Somfy hub)
4. Cameras: Dropcam
5. Climate:

a. Quirky + GE Aros Air Conditioner
b. Honeywell Prestige Thermostat
c. Honeywell Programmable Thermostat

6. Fun:

a. Quirky + GE Nimbus Dashboard
b. Quirky + GE Porkfolio Piggy Bank

7. Kitchen: Quirky + GE Eggminder
8. Lawn + Patio: Rachio sprinkler controller
9. Lights:

a. Lutron Caseta in-wall dimmer
b. Lutron Caseta plug-in dimmer
c. TCP Connected lights
d. Philips Hue lights
e. Leviton Vizia RF+ dimmer
f. Leviton Vizia RF+ outlet
g. Leviton Vizia RF+ plug-in switch
h. Leviton Vizi RF+ switch

10. Locks:

a. Kwikset SmartCode deadbolt
b. Schlage Touchscreen deadbolt

11. Power: Quirky + GE Pivot Power Genius
12. Remotes: Lutron Pico remote
13. Sensors:

a. Quirky + GE Refuel Tank Gauge
b. Quirky + GE Spotter

That's only about 25 devices. I'm also confused about the Vizia RF+ gear from Lutron; from what I've read, Lutron's ClearConnect covers all of their wireless stuff, with RF+ being the expensive gear & Caseta being the budget stuff. Caseta Wirelses is supposed to be the protocol that Wink supports:

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-PD-6WCL...dp/B00KLAXFQA/

There was an earlier product listing on Amazon that said that that the Wink-Certified Lutron devices were not for use with Vizia RF+ systems, so I'm unclear about what's what here, since it's listed right in the Wink app itself.

 

[lsd]

Got my wink hub yesterday and like everyone else I'm not impressed . I find the wink app to be slow and clunky on my gs4.
I was able to pair my trane thermostat, utilitech siren and schlage fe599 handle set but:

The schlage manually pairs but only works once, after that the app says the lock failed to open/close.
I paired the trane thermostat as a honeywell thermostat. Manual control seems to work ok but the ambient temp is sometimes way off. I have not tried scheduling (I have the tstat itself scheduled) and auto mode is not listed.
The utilitech siren work fine but is listed as a light. I don't think there's a way to change or create a new category. I'll keep looking.

I have the wink spotter and a casetta light switch/remote coming at the end of the month, I guess I will see if those certified devices work any better.