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    Severe bug in new OMNI plugin

    I have been using the HAI plugin for about 6 months now and have not experienced any major bugs with it. I decided to upgrade to the new OMNI plugin this week and the upgrade process was for the most part painless.

    Unfortunately, I experienced what I believe was a catastrophic failure with the OMNI plugin this morning. My system was working fine and all of a sudden, the HAI system went heywire. Here were all the symptoms during the failure:
    1. A number of outputs connected to the system started turning on and off
    2. The HAI consoles were for the most part unresponsive
    3. I could not connect to the HAI system via Dealer PC Access.
    4. The consoles appeared in a system startup mode and were asking me to set the time.
    5. I could not get any of the consoles to go into Setup mode.
    6. The OMNI plugin was sending some type of "communication error" to the log.

    I shutdown HomeSeer to make see if that would fix the problem. It did not.

    At this point, I figured that I had experience a failure in the HAI system so I removed power from the system and restarted it. The same problems occurred.

    Next, I called HAI tech support. They told me to disconnect all the consoles and sub panels from the system and restart it again. Still, the problem persisted.

    Next, I decided to unplug the ethernet cable from the OMNIpro panel. Amazingly, everything started working. The consoles worked again and the system appeared to be operating normally. When I plugged the ethernet cable back into the OMNIPro console, the same set of failures reappeared.

    At this point, I concluded that a computer on my network was mounting an attack on the OMNIPro panel. So I shut down the computer that was running HomeSeer.

    When I shut the HomeSeer computer down, I found that the "attack" on the OMNIPro panel went away. The panel ran fine with the Ethernet connected.

    When I restarted the HomeSeer computer, everything worked fine. No issues what so ever.

    My guess is that this failure was caused by a bug in the OMNI plugin. When the bug occurs, the OMNI plugin sends a stream of commands to the HAI panel and ends up overloading the HAI panel processor such that it is not able to operate properly.

    #2
    This is a hardware documented issue (bug) with the Omni Pro 2 panel and the network interface and the serial bus.

    Leviton / HAI is very much aware of the issue and has tried to fix it with firmware upgrades.

    The old network chip on the Omni Panel is too promiscuous, runs at 10Mbs and cannot handle much traffic on your LAN such that it will mess with the bus on the OmniPro panel.

    One Omni user on the Cocoontech forum sent his board back to Leviton and told them (not suggested) to replace the NIC chip and they did and he didn't have any issues afterwards.

    My fix was to utilize a microrouter between the ethernet interface on the Omni board and the rest of the network.

    What firmware version are you using and how many ethernet devices do you have on your home network?
    - Pete

    Auto mator
    Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
    Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
    HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

    HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
    HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

    X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

    Comment


      #3
      Hmm...I am not experiencing any of this at my house.

      Here's my config...

      HomeSeer Version 3.0.0.365 (Windows)
      HS3 Omni PI Version 3.0.2.3
      HAI OmniPro II Firmware Version 4.0B

      -Travis

      Comment


        #4
        Agree with Pete above. My OP2 panel simply started acting out one day and would not behave until I isolated it from the rest of my network behind a router. Worked fine after that. Sounds like your problem is the same, and is not an issue with homeseer or the plugin.

        Comment


          #5
          I'm late to the party here, but the guys have it right. The ethernet port on the panel is very old and plugging it into a GB switch may/may not work. It's really best to isolate the panel with a 10/100 hub and plug that into the switch.

          Please report back and let us know if that works for you...
          HS4Pro on a Raspberry Pi4
          54 Z-Wave Nodes / 21 Zigbee Devices / 108 Events / 767 Devices
          Plugins: Z-Wave / Zigbee Plus / EasyTrigger / AK Weather / OMNI

          HSTouch Clients: 1 Android

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by rmasonjr View Post
            I'm late to the party here, but the guys have it right. The ethernet port on the panel is very old and plugging it into a GB switch may/may not work. It's really best to isolate the panel with a 10/100 hub and plug that into the switch.

            Please report back and let us know if that works for you...
            Guys,

            I will try this, but your explanation of this being the core of problem does not quite make sense to me.

            I have had this OMNIPro II for about 6 years now. It has been plugged into my GigE Switch for all this time. I have been running first HS2 with the HAI driver for a couple years and now HS3 with the HAI driver for about 8 months now. I have never had a problem in all this time.

            I switched to the OMNI driver this week and suddenly the problem appeared.

            Now look back at my post and take a look at first the symptoms and then the solution I found to the problem. Clearly, there was a device on my network that was generating a packet storm towards the OMNI that caused it to go haywire. The machine the was generating the packet storm was the machine running HOMESEER with the new OMNI driver. The OMNIPro II has a set of encryption keys take (I assume) keep random attacks from causing it to go haywire. The process on my HOMESEER machine that was generating this "attack" most have been configured with these keys. One of the symptoms during the "attack" was that there were devices in my home controlled only by the HAI that were turning on and off. So the process on my HOMESEER machine that was generating the "attack" must have also known the wire format of HAI commands.

            Your recommendation to put a 10/100 hub between my network and the HAI will likely only keep another "attack" from impacting the operation of my consoles. It will certainly not stop other impacts such as HAI connected devices turning on and off randomly.

            And what process do you think was causing this "attack" in the first place? Seems unlikely to me that my HOMESEER machine has suddenly been infected by a virus that specifically targets HAI controllers in a home network. The new variable that I changed this week was I installed the new OMNI plugin.

            All the symptoms and solution to my problem point to a bug in the OMNI plugin. I suggest you wait to see if I or others report this problem again before considering it "fixed".

            Comment


              #7
              I've never experienced these issues you're having, so it's hard to see how the OMNI plugin would cause. Let me explain how the plugin works:

              The plugin connects to the OMNI panel and just 'waits' for some unsolicited action to occur on the panel. It doesn't continuously communicate with the panel - it subscribes to events. Now, if the panel is extremely 'busy' you would see a flurry of activity in the logs for HS. My guess is that is not the case.

              On the HS side, do you have any events that communicate with the panel? It's very possible you have an event that is running haywire sending commands to the plugin, then the panel.
              HS4Pro on a Raspberry Pi4
              54 Z-Wave Nodes / 21 Zigbee Devices / 108 Events / 767 Devices
              Plugins: Z-Wave / Zigbee Plus / EasyTrigger / AK Weather / OMNI

              HSTouch Clients: 1 Android

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by brianbthompson View Post
                Guys,

                I will try this, but your explanation of this being the core of problem does not quite make sense to me.

                I have had this OMNIPro II for about 6 years now. It has been plugged into my GigE Switch for all this time. I have been running first HS2 with the HAI driver for a couple years and now HS3 with the HAI driver for about 8 months now. I have never had a problem in all this time.

                I switched to the OMNI driver this week and suddenly the problem appeared.

                Now look back at my post and take a look at first the symptoms and then the solution I found to the problem. Clearly, there was a device on my network that was generating a packet storm towards the OMNI that caused it to go haywire. The machine the was generating the packet storm was the machine running HOMESEER with the new OMNI driver. The OMNIPro II has a set of encryption keys take (I assume) keep random attacks from causing it to go haywire. The process on my HOMESEER machine that was generating this "attack" most have been configured with these keys. One of the symptoms during the "attack" was that there were devices in my home controlled only by the HAI that were turning on and off. So the process on my HOMESEER machine that was generating the "attack" must have also known the wire format of HAI commands.

                Your recommendation to put a 10/100 hub between my network and the HAI will likely only keep another "attack" from impacting the operation of my consoles. It will certainly not stop other impacts such as HAI connected devices turning on and off randomly.

                And what process do you think was causing this "attack" in the first place? Seems unlikely to me that my HOMESEER machine has suddenly been infected by a virus that specifically targets HAI controllers in a home network. The new variable that I changed this week was I installed the new OMNI plugin.

                All the symptoms and solution to my problem point to a bug in the OMNI plugin. I suggest you wait to see if I or others report this problem again before considering it "fixed".
                Hi Brian,

                Sorry to see that you have these issues. I just wanted to state that all is well here. I know of the NIC issue with the panel as well but I think my board is too new to have the issue or the fact that I have isolated the Panel to a security VLAN instead may eliminate the issue for me as well since broadcasts are not routed. If you have a L3 Router or a Smart L2 switch (VLAN Aware) or a secondary NIC to the panel, I suspect you could use that to isolate the traffic for the panel. If it is broadcast related, any Plugin wit IP generated traffic or network device can hammer a network. It may just as easily be that your home network is reaching the a level of broadcast traffic that when HS3 is running it's tipping you to the point that it affects the panel. Your router may have a feature to limit broadcast traffic. All of that said, the proposed hub solution seems to be the cheap and quick fix so you don't have to dig too deep.

                -Travis

                Comment


                  #9
                  @Brian,

                  Help us help you.


                  Most of us here have Leviton Omni Panels and while they are the common base our configuration are unique to the user.

                  It is understood that you have never seen this issue before and it so happens that it has cropped up with your updating of the Omni Plugin for Homeseer 3.

                  There is a forum / website called the sister site to Homeseer and it is called Cocoontech.

                  There a majority of users there utilizing the Elk M1 and HAI Omni Pro 2 panels.

                  They only utilize these panels with no software for security and automation for many many years now.

                  Many of those HAI Omni Pro users have experienced the same issues as you with no 3rd party IP software connectivity.

                  As mentioned above by Travis it is a network broadcast issue. The OmniPro panels design and hardware is some 15 years or more old now. Very functional and very simple.

                  The old NIC chip on the boards is very promiscuous and sees everything. The board is trying to process this information and it is overwhelming the board.

                  The base of the board was designed mostly to function in a serial sense and primarily uses the serial bus for the logic and secondarily the network interface.

                  All of the above though pushes on the board and takes it over the top where it cannot handle the network traffic.

                  As mentioned isolating the network traffic works.

                  Using an old 10Mbs hub, managed switch (VLANs) and any old router you have around has worked for OP2 users alleviating the network issues you mention above.

                  It's been a few years ago here that I have had this issue. I initially tested with an old router here. It was a tad too big so I installed a micro router and it is powered by the OmniPro panel and is around 2" X 1" in size. This connection goes to a managed 24 port switch.
                  - Pete

                  Auto mator
                  Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
                  Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
                  HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

                  HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
                  HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

                  X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

                  Comment


                    #10
                    @brianbthompson - did you get this resolved?
                    HS4Pro on a Raspberry Pi4
                    54 Z-Wave Nodes / 21 Zigbee Devices / 108 Events / 767 Devices
                    Plugins: Z-Wave / Zigbee Plus / EasyTrigger / AK Weather / OMNI

                    HSTouch Clients: 1 Android

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Very sorry for the extremely late response.

                      This problem stopped as mysteriously as it started. It has been over 1 year since I reported this problem and I have not seen it again.

                      I will chalk this one up to "hardware / software / configuration entropy". Something changed somewhere to cause this problem to go away. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it was.

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