Use cell phone connection to WIFI to trigger home/away

[logbuilder]

I've done searches to find this answer but to no avail....

Is there a way to use 1 or more cell phones connectivity to the home wifi network to trigger a home/away switch? I'm not interested in GPS based geo-fencing nor any app that has to be running on the phones. I can handle all the subsequent events, I just don't know how to define the phones as devices and then set conditions as to whether they are on the local network or not. I think I'm searching for a plugin.

Example:

Spouse and I both have cell phones. When we are home, they are always on (sometimes charging as well). By default, they both connect to the home network when it is in range.

If either phone connects to the local network, set global var to Home. That can trigger other events such as lights and camera controls.

If both phones leave the local network, set global var to Away thus triggering other events.

[tenholde]

I think Tasker can do that. Install on phones, have it do JSON xmit to HS3 to run event, etc when phone connects.

tenholde

[AllanMar]

I've done searches to find this answer but to no avail....

Is there a way to use 1 or more cell phones connectivity to the home wifi network to trigger a home/away switch? I'm not interested in GPS based geo-fencing nor any app that has to be running on the phones. I can handle all the subsequent events, I just don't know how to define the phones as devices and then set conditions as to whether they are on the local network or not. I think I'm searching for a plugin.

Example:

Spouse and I both have cell phones. When we are home, they are always on (sometimes charging as well). By default, they both connect to the home network when it is in range.

If either phone connects to the local network, set global var to Home. That can trigger other events such as lights and camera controls.

If both phones leave the local network, set global var to Away thus triggering other events.

It depends on the phone but many phones don't maintain a wifi connection continuously while not in use (save battery).
Check out Jon00's bluetooth script (it also has support for checking Wifi). Theres a few other threads on here about doing this via ping.

[happnatious1]

I've done searches to find this answer but to no avail....

Is there a way to use 1 or more cell phones connectivity to the home wifi network to trigger a home/away switch? I'm not interested in GPS based geo-fencing nor any app that has to be running on the phones. I can handle all the subsequent events, I just don't know how to define the phones as devices and then set conditions as to whether they are on the local network or not. I think I'm searching for a plugin.

Example:

Spouse and I both have cell phones. When we are home, they are always on (sometimes charging as well). By default, they both connect to the home network when it is in range.

If either phone connects to the local network, set global var to Home. That can trigger other events such as lights and camera controls.

If both phones leave the local network, set global var to Away thus triggering other events.

I use jon's network monitor.

[S-F]

Or BIIAN. Or UltraMon.

[Eman]

Or Nmap with EventGhost plugin or even better install Node Red on HomeSeer server: https://harizanov.com/2014/03/presen...-and-node-red/
But you can also use it with many other functions.


Eman.

[waynehead99]

I have been trying to do this with my iphones, but have failed because the wifi keeps shutting off. If someone has done this with iPhone and reliable enough to put mainstream, I would be curious.

[S-F]

I have been trying to do this with my iphones, but have failed because the wifi keeps shutting off. If someone has done this with iPhone and reliable enough to put mainstream, I would be curious.

Sorry Broseph. Doesn't work with iphones. If you search the board I'm sure you can scare up a description of why it happens. I forget. But it's a known situation.

[dexterdom]

I've done searches to find this answer but to no avail....

Is there a way to use 1 or more cell phones connectivity to the home wifi network to trigger a home/away switch? I'm not interested in GPS based geo-fencing nor any app that has to be running on the phones. I can handle all the subsequent events, I just don't know how to define the phones as devices and then set conditions as to whether they are on the local network or not. I think I'm searching for a plugin.

Example:

Spouse and I both have cell phones. When we are home, they are always on (sometimes charging as well). By default, they both connect to the home network when it is in range.

If either phone connects to the local network, set global var to Home. That can trigger other events such as lights and camera controls.

If both phones leave the local network, set global var to Away thus triggering other events.

Not to be negative, but I wonder if this is the most reliable way to determine away status. I can think of scenarios where you would be at home but homeseer thinks you're away.
If you have an alarm system you can base your home/away on that (i.e. alarm armed = away).

[cheeryfool]

Sorry Broseph. Doesn't work with iphones. If you search the board I'm sure you can scare up a description of why it happens. I forget. But it's a known situation.

I currently still have FollowMee running on my iPhone. This keeps the Wifi alive and responding to BLLAN. Probably going to kill FollowMee soon as I prefer the GeoFency and ICloud combination, but I don't really need BLLAN for my phone anyway now.

[Rvtravlr]

Geofency on our iPhones and PHLocation plugin for HS3 works very well for us with minimal battery drain the way we have updates defined in various events.

If interested, there are many great examples and information in Utilities -> PHLocation sub forum.

Michael

[logbuilder]

You guys were right. After using it for a week, it is unreliable. The phone turns it off from time to time and then comes back later. But it was fun testing it.

[littlenicky]

I know it's been a while since the last post but here is what I set up and have started with.

First you need to setup a DHCP reservation on your home network for you phone. Then run a script every 2 minutes (I'm using Linux so it's all in bash) that attempts to wake the phone, and run arp to scan for the MAC address of the phone. If I find the MAC address, then toggle a virtual switch as HOME. Then I have other events that use that virtual switch as a trigger.

The basic script looks like this:

#!/bin/bash
hping3 -2 -c 10 -p 5353 -i u1 IPADDRESS -q >/dev/null 2>&1
DEVICES=`arp -an | awk '{ print $4 }' | grep MACADDRESS `
f [ -z "$DEVICES" ];then
echo "missing" >> /var/log/presence.log
curl "http://localhost/JSON?request=controldevicebyvalue&ref=101value=0"
else
echo "present" >> /var/log/presence.log
curl "http://localhost/JSON?request=controldevicebyvalue&ref=101&value=1"
fi

[littlenicky]

If you are using linux take a look at using hping3 and arp to wake the phone and find it on the network. I do that but have a DHCP reservation set for my phone so it has the same IP everytime it is on my wifi network. I run a script every 2 minutes that looks for my phone and toggles a virtual switch I made. Then that switch is used as a trigger for other events.

[ShimmerNZ]

+1 to Jon00 Bluetooth.

Get a decent class 1 Bluetooth adapter to go with it. Been using it for over a year and it works sweet. Checks both Bluetooth and Wifi.

Combined with PHLocation it's a great solution.