Connected2.homeseer.com not working

[integlikewhoa]

I monitor my MyHS connection with the script posted earlier in this thread and save the results with the Device History plugin. connected2 hasn't pointed to connected33 since 4/17 @12:11PM PST.

Your first house appears to have a weird DNS caching issue.

4/17 is the date when my Geofencing with phlocation and EgiGeoZone stopped working.... So that makes sense.

[rjh]

As a side note, we will soon be adding a west coast server.

[integlikewhoa]

Right now we have moved to load sharing for our servers. The load sharing is using the Azure traffic manager to direct traffic to the server that is the closest to your location. Your HS system will connect to one of our servers and stay connected unless the server goes down or it detects that there is a better server. When you try to connect to your home system using a JSON request you need to use the URL https://connected2.homeseer.com. Sounds like you are using that. If you happen to connect to a server that your HS system is NOT connected to, it detects this and issues a redirect to the correct server.

So a couple of things:

The system issuing the request needs to handle DNS OK in that the TTL (timeout) is very short, so the resolved IP address could change at any time. I do know that some of the connected systems are not honoring the DNS changes. I can tell this as some systems were not switching to the correct system when we changed the DNS.

Second, your system that is issuing the request needs to handle a redirect. I don't see why it wouldn't but it's something to check.

You can figure out which system your HS system is connected to by pinging connected2.homeseer.com, then one of the actual servers (connected22.homeseer.com and connected33.homeseer.com). See which IP matches one of the servers.

If you think your system is honoring the DNS and the redirect, let me know the URL you are using and I can check the logs and see if the request is getting dropped, and for what reason. (the parameters are important)

Rich thanks for your feedback. Most of it is over my head but I can do some research and do some more testing.

Normally to figure out which system my HS is connected to I usually just go to https://myhs.homeseer.com/ and login to the correct house and I can see what its using in the URL. Usually adjusting my server settings in the apps on my phone when all work.

I'm very green on DNS and I'll do more research.

Thanks,

[integlikewhoa]

As a side note, we will soon be adding a west coast server.

That would help. Houses are in CA and AZ.

[zwolfpack]

I do know that some of the connected systems are not honoring the DNS changes. I can tell this as some systems were not switching to the correct system when we changed the DNS.

The "backend" connection (the one to your server port 10300) is a persistent TCP connection. Such a connection isn't going to magically break and reconnect upon a DNS change -- TCP doesn't work that way.

Either the server or the client application layer needs to be monitoring the resolved address, and drop the connection when a change is detected.

[rjh]

HS constantly monitors the connection with a "null" command on a time interval. If the TCP connection is broken we disconnect and reconnect, which picks up any DNS change. I know this works because we had been switching servers often and all system reliably connect to the new server.

The "backend" connection (the one to your server port 10300) is a persistent TCP connection. Such a connection isn't going to magically break and reconnect upon a DNS change -- TCP doesn't work that way.

Either the server or the client application layer needs to be monitoring the resolved address, and drop the connection when a change is detected.

[zwolfpack]

HS constantly monitors the connection with a "null" command on a time interval. If the TCP connection is broken we disconnect and reconnect, which picks up any DNS change. I know this works because we had been switching servers often and all system reliably connect to the new server.

That's great, as long as the connection is broken. But a TCP connection doesn't automatically break when DNS resolution changes. You need to detect the change and drop the connection.

In the previous post you stated "systems were not switching to the correct system when we changed the DNS". This is normal behavior for a TCP connection.

[Bigstevep]

4/17 is the date when my Geofencing with phlocation and EgiGeoZone stopped working.... So that makes sense.

I had the same issues with the Geofency webhook trying to connect at all for a couple of days starting on the 17th (this isn’t the first time in the last couple of months) I switched to my static IP address connecting directly to my web server, no more problems. Something isn’t right there on the server change then. It’s too bad we can’t change the Google Home/Alexa linking to direct as well and bypass MyHS altogether. I personally don’t use MyHS for anything else besides that linking and just go direct.

[rjh]

Again, when we switch systems we disconnect the connection which forces HS to fully reconnect and resolve the DNS.

Note that if there is a DNS change and a system is still connected, there is no requirement for it to disconnect. Your system could stay connected to any of our servers even if its not the closest. The HS system registers the server its connected to with our SQL server so we always know which server you are on.

That's great, as long as the connection is broken. But a TCP connection doesn't automatically break when DNS resolution changes. You need to detect the change and drop the connection.

In the previous post you stated "systems were not switching to the correct system when we changed the DNS". This is normal behavior for a TCP connection.

[rjh]

What URL are using in the webhook? Maybe that app is not honoring a redirect? You can try another URL that will direct the request a little differently:

https://myhs.homeseer.com/json?request=getstatus&user=####&pass=###

The above is an example, just use "https://myhs.homeseer.com" in place of "https://connected2.homeseer.com"

I had the same issues with the Geofency webhook trying to connect at all for a couple of days starting on the 17th (this isn’t the first time in the last couple of months) I switched to my static IP address connecting directly to my web server, no more problems. Something isn’t right there on the server change then. It’s too bad we can’t change the Google Home/Alexa linking to direct as well and bypass MyHS altogether. I personally don’t use MyHS for anything else besides that linking and just go direct.

[Bigstevep]

So when using:
https://connected2.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF

Or

https://myhs.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF

Successful
div.ba-vol-wrapper').html(html);
productPageTestOffer-Seen()
}

And a lot after that that looks like it is coming from the store (i.e. coupon code etc).

Doesn't work

When I connect to my web sever direct:

https://XX.XX.XX.XXX:XXXX/phl2api?dtype=GF

Successful
{"CTime","4/22/2020
8:07:06 AM"}

Works

[prsmith777]

Noticed the same issue this morning with Geofency.

I use the webhook https://connected2.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF which has been working fine until today but now gives me an error....this is while I am on my local wifi.

If I change the webhook to https://connected22.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF it works

I tried rebooting my router and still no luck.

I then disabled wifi on my iphone and tried https://connected2.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF again through cellphone carrier network and it took several seconds but then it worked. Subsequent tries on that URL worked quickly.

I then reenabled wifi and tried https://connected2.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF again and it worked.

Hope this helps anyone having trouble.

[rjh]

You need to include a user and pass in that URL otherwise we will not be able to figure out where to send the request.

So when using:
https://connected2.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF

Or

https://myhs.homeseer.com/phl2api?dtype=GF

Successful
div.ba-vol-wrapper').html(html);
productPageTestOffer-Seen()
}

And a lot after that that looks like it is coming from the store (i.e. coupon code etc).

Doesn't work

When I connect to my web sever direct:

https://XX.XX.XX.XXX:XXXX/phl2api?dtype=GF

Successful
{"CTime","4/22/2020
8:07:06 AM"}

Works

[Bigstevep]

You need to include a user and pass in that URL otherwise we will not be able to figure out where to send the request.

https://myhs.homeseer.com/phl2api?dt...XXXX&pass=XXXX

Same

[rjh]

Try it in a browser, is it ok there? That will tell us if its an issue with the app you are using.

https://myhs.homeseer.com/phl2api?dt...XXXX&pass=XXXX

Same