Like any good Alexiens, you buy, install, uninstall, reinstall, redeem,…, connected equipment. And sometimes, despite your foolproof know-how, you go from setbacks to despair because it doesn't work, it doesn't want to or it doesn't want to anymore. So we decided to help you with this top 10 mistakes we all made or that we will commit… Yes, no one is infallible, except us of course. But don't be ashamed, it happens even to the best.
We are not going to make a list of beautiful tutorials but rather a logical inventory of the difficulties most often encountered during our interactions with connected objects. Use this as a Check-List problem solving before you attack the material which often did nothing to be insulted in this way (and neither did his mother).
-
Using the wrong Wi-Fi network
- If you have multiple Wi-Fi networks, sometimes you have to juggle two or three different networks. But the error that awaits us is to try to connect a device on a network (the one closest to its point of use in general) while your phone is on a second network. So of course, when you try to connect it, the Wi-Fi will not be the right one, or the password will not be adequate. And at the end: connection not possible, thanks for looking at your connectivity, or something like that.
Most often, we do not take the time to read the name of the network that appears on the installation page and we automatically set the password that we think is the one of the desired network. And it grinds, it grinds, it grinds… Without necessarily giving you an error message…
So be careful, before starting the installation, to properly connect your smartphone to the Wi-Fi network that will be the one used by your connected device. All the more so if your phone tends to automatically connect to your favorite network… Hey yes, it may be that between two pages, the saligo reconnects again to his first love! -
Stay on the cellular network
- This is a variant of our first case. We will say that it is for the most head in the air. In general, you cannot connect your purchase to Wi-Fi or the networks do not appear at all on the list of available terminals.
Before breaking everything, make sure you have passed your smartphone in Wi-Fi mode and not in data exchange. The installation applications must connect the device and the network to which it will be connected via, during installation, a gateway which is your telephone. If the gateway isn't connected to Wi-Fi, it's like asking Sibeth to put on a mask, she doesn't know how to do it. It is still a rare case, but it does happen.
-
Connection to a 5 GHz network and not 2,4 GH
- We are talking here about the famous 5 GHz Wi-Fi network error. It is the cause of a lot of baldness, appliances and broken lives.
You are on the correct Wi-Fi, the product is in pairing mode, you enter your Wi-Fi password and… nothing. Nada. At the end, a small message of impossible connection.
So take a good look at which network you are connected to. There are boxes with 2 frequencies (the majority in fact) and you have the choice between a standard connection and a 5 GHz one. Make sure you are on the standard band (2,4 GHz) as most connected devices only work at 2,4 GHz and not at 5 GHz.
It is the box which itself manages the distribution of frequencies according to the devices and some are more willing to connect to 5 GHz, especially smartphones. Unfortunately, sometimes it falters because it is impossible to force 5 GHz. There, no choice, you have to go to the parameters of the box and deactivate the cursed frequency during the installation. We refer you to your ISP for instructions, but this is a well-known problem with many ISPs.
Sometimes it is the routers or Wi-Fi Mesh who make the same joke to you. It is generally possible to activate smart modes or standby modes in the 5 GHz band to allow installations.
-
Forgetting to activate GPS (Bluetooth and others)
You must also be careful if you have to use the Bluetooth function for installation (such as Hue Bluetooth for example). With the new Android versions (from Marshmallow), it is necessary to activate the GPS so that Bluetooth can complete the first connection to a new device via the phone. Sometimes there is no error message. Your phone simply cannot associate with your purchase despite being clearly visible. In addition, once the connection is established for good, it may sometimes be necessary to still have to activate the GPS in order to enter the parameters of your new hardware.
But for piloting via Alexa or a third-party application, this is not required because it no longer goes through the phone.
-
Forgetting to activate the skill Alexa
Okay, let's tackle one of the bad and bad cases. Installation via the smartphone went well, the product is installed on the third-party application but Alexa can't find it. No new items. It's annoying eh? Most of the time this happens with the installation of a new brand or for your very first purchase.
We remind you that to work with Alexa, it is necessary to install your device via the generic application or that of the manufacturer and then you must activate the generic or manufacturer skill on your application Alexa.IF you are using a generic application like Smart Life or Tuya for example, activate the skill of the same name under Alexa. If you buy Sonoff products, install and activate the application and the Ewelink skill. For Konyks, it will be Skill Konyks… or Smart Life (yes, that was a trap).
-
Do not put 1, 2, 3 in the names
So do the same with your devices. Arabic numerals (which are in fact Indian) should not be used in names. In a pinch, put one, two or three but not 1, 2 or 3.
The problem might not appear from the start but there will be a point where one of the devices stops responding in a routine or even to the voice. It may turn on but not turn off for example ... If this happens to you, take a look at it first. Also pay attention to the ortograf fotes ... Alexa don't like it and it messes up after a while! -
Make sure you have a skill on the FR store
Indeed, as presented before, it is necessary to have a Skill to operate your device on Alexa. But this skill must be available on the French store, because you have an account Amazon.fr in general, and not a .com. Make sure that the brand's skill is available on your local store. If not, you will not be able to use your purchase with Alexa. There are well-known brands that are slow to put Skills online on the French market, such as LG or others.
Attention also during the installations, in particular for the products carrying Alexa, that the local accounts (FR in our case) are taken care of. Otherwise, same punishment…. Your account will be unusable and the product will have no interest (such as motorola home phone for example).
-
Forgetting to uninstall an item everywhere
Small problem for those who wish to remove devices for various reasons. Sometimes it happens that the removed devices come back to the application. Alexa even if they are no longer connected, like the ghosts of our past life… There is nothing supernatural about it.
In fact, to avoid this, it is first of all necessary to delete the element in the main application, that is to say that of the manufacturer or the generic application like Smart life AND remove it from the app Alexa. And there you have it, ghosts are over.
-
Buy a product with Alexa embedded and believe that it can be used 100% as an Echo
Indeed, Alexa on-board does not mean Echo device. Alexa is the assistant who will make him connected, who will allow him to control your home automation, but that's all. We must not confuse the " software " and "Material". Some Hyundai's have a Mercedes engine. But are they Mercedes, with the brand's guarantee, the same finish and the same quality? No. Well here is the answer. -
Do not restart your box or your phone when nothing is going well
So when nothing is going well, when everything goes to peanuts, when things are slow, when they no longer respond, when the installation does not work… Stop typing everywhere, insulting everyone and take a break! Then get up and go restart your Internet box and do the same for your phone.
Oh yes… As it is necessary to regularly restart a computer which starts not wanting to hear anything, it is also necessary to regularly reboot its box. Moreover, these are operations that some Wi-Fi Mesh routers do by themselves to allow networks to operate smoothly, usually at night. So why not do it with your Box? It is quite understandable that after a while, the operating system becomes unstable, saturates or malfunctions, preventing you from assigning a new IP for example ... Ditto for your smartphone which behaves like a PC.
So if the installation does not work but your box has been running for 15 days and you have not restarted your smartphone for 1 month, it can simply come from there. You really need to rest and recharge your batteries regularly, don't you? Them too !
