PHLocation V1 Plug-In [No Longer in Development - See PHLocation2]

[michaeldecharon]

Help

I'm not Paul, but I think I can help. GeoFency posts directly to your HomeSeer server. In the PHLocation plug-in configuration General Settings you set a port, a username and a password for posting to the server. Then you need to create a port forwarding rule in your router to forward a WAN external port to a LAN internal port at your HomeSeer IP address. I use port 8256 for PHLocation. Then you will need to either use a DDNS or know your router's external IP address. The following is copied from the PHLocation userguide

Geofency Configuration (Plug-In Side)
Configuration is almost identical to the other user types with the exception that you will need the device ID from the Geofency app. The easiest way to obtain this is to run a test upload from the app. The device ID will then be displayed in the HS log in the form of an error message that the current device ID does not have a corresponding plug-in device. Once you have the device ID go to users / devices and add a new Geofency user type.

Geofency Configuration (Mobile App Side)
Each fence created in the app has individual server settings. Create a new fence and then select Webhook from the settings. Tap Event -> URL Settings.
Switch on Notify on Entry and enter the URL http://yourhomeseerserverortnumber/phlgeofency
Switch on Notify on Exit and enter the URL http://yourhomeseerserverortnumber/phlgeofency
The plug-in currently doesn't support the Notify on Error feature so leave this switched off.
Set POST Format to Default
In Authentication enter the user name and password configured previously in http server settings.
Tap the Test Enter and Test Exit buttons. If everything is configured properly you should see new fence devices created and updated in HS3.

Every fence you create will need t have the same URL entered for posting. The "http://" is required.

I've tried everything, nothing works.

First i've tied it at home so i can use my local ip-adress from Homeseer, so that i don't have any issues with fowarding a port.

In the Geofency app i've entered the url:
http://yourhomeseerserverortnumber/phlgeofency

yourhomeseerserver is my local homeseer ip-adress, the same i use to log into my homeseer
portnumber is like your example 8256

In de plug-in i've entered 8256 for Listening port No under PHL HTTP Server Settings, after that i filled in the User Name and Password, which i also use in de Geofency app under Authentication. POST F

When i press the button Enter in the Geofency app nothing shows up in my homeseer log and after a while a get the message: "Failed the request timed out" in the Geofency app.

So i've tried something else: i've entered the url, wich i use in the Geofency app in my browser on the same pc that's running homeseer, now i see something happening

I got some information in my homeseer log and a message in my browser: missing fields. Now i've entered the same url in safari on my iphone, connected with my local WIFI-network. And nothing happens

Can someone please help me out?

[Daweeze]

If your running Windows Firewall, make sure HSPI_PHLocation.exe has a Public and Private TCP Port exception for the port you have selected. That's what did it for me when I hit the same wall. I tested by temporarily disabling the Windows Firewall and it started working so I knew.

-Travis

[michaeldecharon]

If your running Windows Firewall, make sure HSPI_PHLocation.exe has a Public and Private TCP Port exception for the port you have selected. That's what did it for me when I hit the same wall. I tested by temporarily disabling the Windows Firewall and it started working so I knew.



-Travis

Thanks Travis for you're quick reply!

I will try it when i get home

[michaeldecharon]

It works Travis, thank you! Now i have to figure out hoe to make a rule in Windows Firewall [emoji2]

[S-F]

It works Travis, thank you! Now i have to figure out hoe to make a rule in Windows Firewall [emoji2]

The rule needs to be for the port not the plugin or it won't work. There is a feature request for that functionality though.

[glacket]

I am still stuck trying to configure phlocation with egigeozone. I setup a server profile and attached it to the fence I configured. The server profile successfully connects during testing. homeseer does not appear to update though even though my phone shows me going in and out of the zone. I have not setup known places. Do known places have to be setup even though I already setup a fence location? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[sooty]

I am still stuck trying to configure phlocation with egigeozone. I setup a server profile and attached it to the fence I configured. The server profile successfully connects during testing. homeseer does not appear to update though even though my phone shows me going in and out of the zone. I have not setup known places. Do known places have to be setup even though I already setup a fence location? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

This might sound stupid but did you enable the zone on the mobile device?

Paul..

[glacket]

Yes, I have the zones enabled. I think I got it somewhat working. It now appears to acknowledge when I enter and leave a zone, but the problem now is if I have more than one zone, the second zone gets this error(java.net.connectexception:failed to connect to host)

[sooty]

Yes, I have the zones enabled. I think I got it somewhat working. It now appears to acknowledge when I enter and leave a zone, but the problem now is if I have more than one zone, the second zone gets this error(java.net.connectexception:failed to connect to host)

OK. I'm busy tomorrow until 13:00 UK time but after then I can help you to resolve the issues you are experiencing.

Today I tested version 3.0.0.141 of the plug-in with the latest version of EgiGeozone 2.0.2 and 3 zones. Everything worked as expected both in the plug-in and the mobile app so I expect it is a configuration issue.

If you are using the latest version of EgiGeoZone (2.x) then the configuration is different than shown in the plug-in user manual. With v2.x you set up a single server profile and assign this to your zones (fences) so if i works for one zone it should work for all.

Paul..

[glacket]

OK. I'm busy tomorrow until 13:00 UK time but after then I can help you to resolve the issues you are experiencing.

Today I tested version 3.0.0.141 of the plug-in with the latest version of EgiGeozone 2.0.2 and 3 zones. Everything worked as expected both in the plug-in and the mobile app so I expect it is a configuration issue.

If you are using the latest version of EgiGeoZone (2.x) then the configuration is different than shown in the plug-in user manual. With v2.x you set up a single server profile and assign this to your zones (fences) so if i works for one zone it should work for all.

Paul..

Hey sooty,

no problem at all I appreciate any help. Right now I removed my second zone(work) so now all I have is my home zone, which I just tested for the first time successfully. Now as long as it works 90ish % of the time ill be happy. every other proximity detection(wifi, Bluetooth) I have used has been too slow or just unreliable, and maybe im doing it wrong but I have spent hours and hours combing forums trying to get presence detection working. im hoping this is the golden egg especially if it will support I beacons in the future. that would be awesome!

[michaeldecharon]

The rule needs to be for the port not the plugin or it won't work. There is a feature request for that functionality though.

That did the job.

Thanks!

[sooty]

Hey sooty,

no problem at all I appreciate any help. Right now I removed my second zone(work) so now all I have is my home zone, which I just tested for the first time successfully. Now as long as it works 90ish % of the time ill be happy. every other proximity detection(wifi, Bluetooth) I have used has been too slow or just unreliable, and maybe im doing it wrong but I have spent hours and hours combing forums trying to get presence detection working. im hoping this is the golden egg especially if it will support I beacons in the future. that would be awesome!

I sent you an email earlier today but not received a response as yet. I'm available now for a couple of hours if you would like me to take a look at the issues you're having. You can email me at paul.huddlestone@gmail.com

Paul..

[Guest]

I tried to set up Geofency to work with PHLocation. I succeeded in opening a port and having the IOS app to reach my server and leave an ID in the log. The ID seems to be something like: [A#####A#-####-#A#A-####-A##A#####AAA]. When I enter that as my user ID (with and without the brackets, the ID stays at NA status in HS3.

Can someone help?

Edit: suddenly it started working by using the codes between brackets. Swore that I tried that quite a few times... Never mind; getting late probably... It works and I'm now over to the testing phase :-)

[glacket]

I sent you an email earlier today but not received a response as yet. I'm available now for a couple of hours if you would like me to take a look at the issues you're having. You can email me at paul.huddlestone@gmail.com

Paul..

hey Paul,

I found the problem(s), apparently at the time i received the original egigeozone not updating error, it was because my isp was down. I also horrifically totally suck, like embarrassingly bad, at setting up event logic in homeseer and isy. these problems caused the issues i was having. those issues are fixed, the only issue im still having is slow lock on times which i dont know if anything can be done about that. it somestimes takes about a minute- minute and a half to realize im in the zone and by that time its too late, im already at the door.

[sooty]

hey Paul,

I found the problem(s), apparently at the time i received the original egigeozone not updating error, it was because my isp was down. I also horrifically totally suck, like embarrassingly bad, at setting up event logic in homeseer and isy. these problems caused the issues i was having. those issues are fixed, the only issue im still having is slow lock on times which i dont know if anything can be done about that. it somestimes takes about a minute- minute and a half to realize im in the zone and by that time its too late, im already at the door.

During some recent testing I found an issue with EgiGeoZone (not sure if it exits with any of the other geofencing apps). If a zone changes state then that change is immediately uploaded from the app to the server (PHL plug-in in this case).

If the internet was not available on the mobile device for whatever reason then that upload would fail but the zone would still be updated in the app which would cause the zone state in the plug-in to be out of sync. Basically the app would not retry to send failed updates.

I passed on my findings to the developer of EgiGeoZone and he has implemented a fix so tomorrow I will do some testing with it and report back.

Paul..