Geofency user mapping

[hernanlosada]

Hi guys,

Seems like I am currently unable to display a map showing the location of all or any Geofency user due to the Dynamic Map option disabled?... "No valid position based users found! Go to the PHL tab of a user to enable." However I do not see this option.
Current plug-in version: 3.0.1.90 and using a Google Map API Key. What am I missing? Any suggestions?


Hernan

HS3 Pro |Windows 10|209 Devices|48 Events|BLBackup|BLShutdown|Device History|EnvisaLink|HSBuddy|HSTouch Server|MyQ|Nest|PHLocation|Pushover 3P|Random|Sonos|weatherXML|

[randy]

Hi guys,

Seems like I am currently unable to display a map showing the location of all or any Geofency user due to the Dynamic Map option disabled?... "No valid position based users found! Go to the PHL tab of a user to enable." However I do not see this option.
Current plug-in version: 3.0.1.90 and using a Google Map API Key. What am I missing? Any suggestions?


Hernan

HS3 Pro |Windows 10|209 Devices|48 Events|BLBackup|BLShutdown|Device History|EnvisaLink|HSBuddy|HSTouch Server|MyQ|Nest|PHLocation|Pushover 3P|Random|Sonos|weatherXML|

GeoFency is not a position based application. For iOS you need iCloud support configured of FollowMee if you want position based reporting. Those apps constantly update the plug-in as to the device's position. GeoFency simply reports if you have entered or exited a predefined geofence.

[hernanlosada]

Got it! Thanks for your help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MNB]

Randy, quick tutorial... in reference to IOS as to how do the items below work in the grand scheme of PHLocate? I feel like I have bunch of nuts with no bolts to attach them (Joking)

• iCloud
• GeoFency (PHLC user)
• iDevice (iPhone selected) (PHLC user)

And do we still need FollowMee?

GeoFency is not a position based application. For iOS you need iCloud support configured of FollowMee if you want position based reporting. Those apps constantly update the plug-in as to the device's position. GeoFency simply reports if you have entered or exited a predefined geofence.

[randy]

Randy, quick tutorial... in reference to IOS as to how do the items below work in the grand scheme of PHLocate? I feel like I have bunch of nuts with no bolts to attach them (Joking)

• iCloud
• GeoFency (PHLC user)
• iDevice (iPhone selected) (PHLC user)

And do we still need FollowMee?

Yo do not need FollowMee if you are using iCloud support. iCloud and iDevice (and iLocation) are all components of iCloud support. You configure your iCloud account, then you can pull iDevices out of it (this includes iPhones iPads, Macs, etc.). You can also set up GeoFence locations (iLocations). The iCloud support will give you position and fence locations. I also chose to use GeoFency for fencing, because it is FAST. Fences through iCloud support are subject to the iCloud polling rate as well as Apple internal delays, causing entry and exit of fences to be delayed up to the polling rate plus a minute.

The combination of GeoFency and native iCloud support has been nearly flawless for us.

[MNB]

Randy, many thanxs for the explanation, this plug-in is a little more complex than most and for those of us who don't breath and live Geo fencing can easily become clueless (speaking for myself). Your guidance is most appreciated. Mike

[randy]

Finalizing on setup values; iCloud update rate, what is a realistic value? I currently have 5 minutes. Also for Geofency I have only two devices; Root and Not Near (see attached) does that look correct? I assume if I add more fences that I would get two additional for each additional fence?

Why is Country, Post Code (UK?), Town are Unknown on Mike's iPhone device?

If you could review my attachment and verify that they look correct/appropriate. Thanxs Mike

I will try to answer at length tomorrow.

GeoFency accounts create a root and a near any fence device to begin with. When you have your phone set-up and it communicates entry or exit of a fence you have defined in the phone, PHLocation will create the fence location device automatically.

We generally poll iCloud accounts at varying rates depending on nearness to a fence location, how far from home we are, battery level, etc. Ours default at 10 minutes and we might speed them up to 1 minute after leaving a known location and slow them to 15 minutes when at a known location. 5 minutes should be OK, but if your battery life is not badly impacted, you might want to go to 2-3 minutes. It is a balance between how frequently you want it updated weighed against battery life. We have 2 7 plus phones and they end the day at 75-80% battery using the rates i describe above.

I see a lot of problems in your screenshot and will try to go over them tomorrow.

[MNB]

Randy, any observations/suggestions?

[randy]

Randy, any observations/suggestions?

GeoFency requires the following

• The HTTP server for PHLocation must be configured with a port, username and password. It must be running
• You will need to set up port forwarding rules on your router/firewall to forward the WAN port to the same LAN port at your HomeSeer's LAN IP address
• You will need either a DDNS service that points to your WAN IP, or you will need to know your (fixed) WAN IP
• You need to set up one or more fences in GeoFency. Those fences must be configured to post to your DDNS URL or WAN IP and port number. The username and password will need to be provided for authentication.
• The Geofency root device will need to be configured with your phone's unique ID, this is done by making a test post through the Webhook of the GeoFency app.
• Once you have done the test and configured the root device, a fence will be automatically created in HS by the next postings from the app. These can be done manually through the webhook, or will be created as you enter/exit fences you have created on the phone.
• Fences for iCloud devices are created in the plug-in.
• As you discovered since yesterday, you actually have to move your phone so that all of the iOS devices get updated.
• You seem to have a number of "New User" devices. You might want to look into user setup and delete any incomplete or unused users.

With regard to adjusting polling rates, I will see if I can find where I posted on it before.

[MNB]

Randy firewall question do I have to create Inbound/outbound for both TCP and UDP? I'm assuming that both local and external are using the same port number?

[randy]

Randy firewall question do I have to create Inbound/outbound for both TCP and UDP? I'm assuming that both local and external are using the same port number?

The ports are up to you. The forwarding rule needs to go to the configured port in PHLocation and needs to come from the port configured in GeoFency. I don't see any advantage to using different ports, so I use the same external and internal ports. As for the firewall, I created inbound rules for TCP and UDP, though I believe TCP is used. I did not create an outbound rule.

[MNB]

Randy, I found you post re changing iAccount polling interval

=rprade;1236651

Questions;

1. I can see where/what value you change the "iAccount Randy iAccount Interval" what is "Default" as set in "Randy -Default when home - 30 minutes" and Randy - Increase interval when NOT home"?

2. What is "Location Randy GF GF Home" I assumed it was GeoFency Home Fence?

3. What is Event "Location Randy - Force update"

Looking at this set of events it looks at GeoFency for state and iCloud account polling states only. Do you perchance have anything similar that uses iPhone, GeoFency and iBeacon cross collation for location events, or point me to previous posts?

I seem to have minor revelations with PHLocation, I've added Known Places User->Place devices which updated my iPhone with nearest known places and gave me bunch of additional associated devices they seemed to be Like iFences?

[MNB]

Randy, if you could have a look at my latest devices, I believe I now have;

• Working icloud
• Working iPhone
• Working Fence (2x) using GeoFency
• Working Near Me (iPhone Fence?)

Am I missing anything that you can see?

One nuance that I did not pickup on within the various threads, is when you first do a HTTP test that the error message Device ID will always be the same for that iPhone so in essence you will only have two User/Devices one for the iPhone and the other for GeoFency. For some reason I was expecting different device ID's for each different fences, but instead when your in that particular fence (in GeoFency) and you execute a HTTP test the server picks up on the fence particulars and creates another fence device within the HS3 GeoFency devices, in my case I have only two fences currently established and now have two Geofency devices. Does that make sense?

The problem I had earlier with getting fault messages when trying to send Test HTTP from GeoFency has to do with my firewall. I ended up turning all three of the firewall profiles (Domain, Private, and Public) to OFF, which solved my problem and I was able to get the proper error msg in the HS3 log. I notice that at times it seem to be a hit and miss success get successful messages on GeoFency and see the error msg with device ID. In my frustration I downloaded GeoFancy which seemed to provide a much better success rate, at times I seem to get a surplus 3 error messages with device IDs. I got my first successful fence device with GeoFency and quickly ditched GeoFancy (may have to relook at it at a later date).