long overdue eKeypad Plus review

[wuench]

One of my biggest issues right now is with my router. I can only connect with WiFi or 3G, not both. Because both show up as different addresses depending on how you access it and probably due to asynchronous routing. I have to disable WiFi to use EK+ in my house. There might be a routing solution, but I haven't found it yet. But it would be nice if the app allowed you to use multiple configurations automatically. So if it can't connect on one, it would try the next.

Not sure how this works for me, but it does. I point eK at my external dynamic DNS name and it works internally as well as externally. I believe it is because my router (Actiontec) NATs the packets even though they are sourced from the inside interface.

It depends on how picky your router is I think. I am running OpenWRT (linux) firmware on my Linksys and it doesn't allow NAT'd traffic to be routed from the inside without some complicated IPTables/NAT setup. I did end up fixing it. What I did was add a host entry for my external DNS name and pointing it to my Elk address. It's kludgy, but it works. So when I am inside, on wifi, the IPhone talks directly to the Elk bypassing the router. When external it uses the external IP and goes through the router....

 

[jaysonc]

Joe,

Enhanced logging of events on the Elk is one of the features I have for eK Desktop that I am working now.

eK Desktop seems to be evolving into more than just a Mac desktop version of eKeypad. With the ability to run on a desktop continuously it will provide several useful advantages to eKeypad.

- Enhanced logging detail.
- iPhone push notification support
- Connection multiplexing. Connect to multiple ELK/Ness/ISY devices and any number of cameras but only forward 1 port on your firewall.

I should also mention that my roadmap for notifications includes time based events. For example you could request a notification be sent if the alarm was not disarmed between 4pm and 6pm.

--
Jayson

You bring up a good point about using the App for monitoring, Digger, and it reminded me of something I'm trying to figure out (and best of luck with your Mom, too).

Has anyone figured out a good way to monitor the last time a particular zone was opened / closed using just the Elk and this app? My Elk also talks to Homeseer, and I can use it and DooMotion to figure out the last time a particular door was opened or closed. But the 2.3 version of Homeseer sometimes decides to stop working after a few days for some of us (they're working on that...) so I'd like to be able to monitor the last time particular zones were used. I want it to make sure our live-in house sitter is coming and going as planned to take care of the dogs when we're away, but I think it would have some useful applications for monitoring an elderly relative, or perhaps open / close status of a business. I'm thinking something with outputs being turned on and off, but I can't figure out how to show elapsed time with the app.

Joe

 

[signal15]

Actually its my mother. She fell in May and was down for 20 hours before I found her. Broken hip and heart attack. So now I have to keep a closer eye on her.

Hmm, put in the ELK, and have her wear a keyfob around her neck that she can use as a panic button to call medical help, or to notify you.

 

[Digger]

Actually its my mother. She fell in May and was down for 20 hours before I found her. Broken hip and heart attack. So now I have to keep a closer eye on her.

Hmm, put in the ELK, and have her wear a keyfob around her neck that she can use as a panic button to call medical help, or to notify you.

I am way beyond that already. If she does not use the bathroom during the day it will alert me. If she does open the refrig by 1 pm etc etc.

BTW a wrist FOB seems to be more appealing to someone then a necklace pendant type.

 

[Madcodger]

Joe,

Enhanced logging of events on the Elk is one of the features I have for eK Desktop that I am working now.

eK Desktop seems to be evolving into more than just a Mac desktop version of eKeypad. With the ability to run on a desktop continuously it will provide several useful advantages to eKeypad.

- Enhanced logging detail.
- iPhone push notification support
- Connection multiplexing. Connect to multiple ELK/Ness/ISY devices and any number of cameras but only forward 1 port on your firewall.

I should also mention that my roadmap for notifications includes time based events. For example you could request a notification be sent if the alarm was not disarmed between 4pm and 6pm.

--
Jayson

You bring up a good point about using the App for monitoring, Digger, and it reminded me of something I'm trying to figure out (and best of luck with your Mom, too).

Has anyone figured out a good way to monitor the last time a particular zone was opened / closed using just the Elk and this app? My Elk also talks to Homeseer, and I can use it and DooMotion to figure out the last time a particular door was opened or closed. But the 2.3 version of Homeseer sometimes decides to stop working after a few days for some of us (they're working on that...) so I'd like to be able to monitor the last time particular zones were used. I want it to make sure our live-in house sitter is coming and going as planned to take care of the dogs when we're away, but I think it would have some useful applications for monitoring an elderly relative, or perhaps open / close status of a business. I'm thinking something with outputs being turned on and off, but I can't figure out how to show elapsed time with the app.

Joe

Great news, Jayson. Really looking forward to that. Thanks!

 

[sharby]

All of Jayson's APPs get 5 STARS. Perfect rating for perfect support. Every since I spoke to Jayson, he has customized what my customers are looking for in an APP (for my Grandma). In addition, I cannot wait to have PTZ support on the Panasonic IP cameras. EKeypad is now part of my automation package that is being aired on Fox 5 (in NY) in a few weeks. The Smart "House" product is very big in the marketplace, and I am deploying 30-60 UPB switches per month just in lighting controls based on the availability of an Apple program.

Nice work Jayson. I'm not an Apple developer.

-=*Sharby*=-