Why must our phone configure the the hub using Bluetooth?

timothy.dude

Hey Flic Team,

I just received my flic hub! I'm currently playing around with it and noticed something that could be improved. And that's to do with configuring the hub.

For the initial setup, I guess I understand why we must use bluetooth to set it up. But for the subsequent configurations (i.e. adding more flic buttons, etc), why must we still use bluetooth? I mean, since the hub is already connected to our home network, shouldn't we be able to use the WiFi network?

I can't help but compare it to my LIFX bulbs, where as long as its connected to WiFi, I'm good to operate it over WiFi or data.

Thanks!

anthonyjamesreinking

@Emil I'm having issues with setting up the new hub I just received.
I have successfully added it to my network using Ethernet NOT WiFi.
I have added it to my phone successfully, but once it's added and I click on the hub icon, it states "Loading Configuration" then "Authorizing Credentials", both of which are successful...then it just times out.

Now I'm suspicious that I need to be closer to the hub the change any settings...

Bluetooth is in no way shape of form superior, to me being able to wander my home, with my cell phone on WiFi and configure and control things.
Please don't tell me that everytime I want to change a setting I have to be close?

gautej.johansen

I would like to use my mac for configuring the different https commands, so it would be great if we could configure the hub without Bluetooth.

Copy/pasting long scripts is not as easy on your phone, as it is on your computer or mac.

Ron

@emil said in Why must our phone configure the the hub using Bluetooth?:

Do you see any problems using Bluetooth?

Yes, I can't work on my hub when no home. If you used WiFi I could connect to my VPN and work on the hub.

I also can't open the app to show people how to set things up. When away from home the app is useless.

I also can't use the app to use a virtual button or to just issue "Execute" for a physical button configuration.

All of these things would be nice but instead I find other ways since your app can't do any of it. For that reason Flic is a very small part of my home automation and I would switch to an alternative "Button" in a second if it had better features and wasn't so buggy.

Don't get me wrong, I like my flic hub. I just suspect if it doesn't start fixing issues that existed since the beta program it will fail and my investment will be trash. I have 11 buttons and two hubs. That is quite a chunk of change ridding on this software getting better.

Emil

We found it to be the easiest solution. The hub is most likely in Bluetooth range when you want to configure it, it always works regardless if your phone is on Mobile Internet or on WiFi (and the same network as the hub). We also find Bluetooth to be fast enough for configuring the hub. Do you see any problems using Bluetooth?

We could of course add a IP layer and configure the hub through that in case the phone and the hub both are on the same network, but it takes resources and we haven't found any reason for doing so yet.

We think our method is far more superior than WiFi-based devices. They tend to be quite annoying if you want to reconfigure the WiFi SSID/password settings for example, if the device is on a network you can't reach/connect to from your phone.