Why doesn't Homekit " just work"?

Question

Why doesn't Homekit " just work"?

OK, so I have a newly build connected home running homekit. Or rather trying to run homekit. Here are my devices:

7 Netatmo wifi security cameras, one of them connected to router over a wifi TP-link powerplug.

2 Ring elite doorbells (wired), connected to homekit over hoobs plug in

2 wifi Meross Garagedoor openers

2 bluetooth Nuki smartlocks with wifi bridge

6 Hue wifi spots and lamps

1 AppleTV 4k - wired to router over 2 switches.

4 iPhones - connected over wifi

1 iPad Air 2 - connected over wifi

1iMac 4K 2014 - connected over wifi

1 MacMini 2020 - wired to router over 2 switches

The homekit network is run over my Appletv 4k hub.

So here is the problem. Homekit constantly crashes, meaning several or like now, even all, devices show the dreaded "no response". Right now none of the above devices are responding in homekit, but all of them are accessible through the manufactorers' apps. This happens both over 4G/5G when I am away, but also over the home wifi network when at home.

I am at my wits' end. I have tried two different routers. One internetbox from the internet supplier, but also an ASUS AC-5300 flashrouter running dd-wrt. I have deleted and reinstalled all different accessories twice and reconnected them to the home hub. I have deleted My Home and done a clean install on a virgin new homekit account twice now, again installing everything anew. You can imagine the face of my wife when the garage doors, lamps, or even locks are simply not working. It makes life a pain in stead of being helpful.

The past year I have been seriously asking myself for the first time why on earth I keep spending top dollar on Apple devices if it just doesn't work. I was waiting for the new iPad pro to come out. I am expecting 2 homepod minis in May hoping they will function better as a homekit bridge than the appletv. But I am thinking of just cancelling them and switch to a completely different brand for home automation.

So I have a few very simple and straightforward questions:

1) Why doesn't homekit work properly and how can I fix it?

2) If you can't help me fix it, what brand do you recommend for the kind of devices I mention above so I can actually make my home automation work? I am definitely not married to apple anymore.

Apple TV 4K, tvOS 14

Posted on Mar 16, 2021 4:40 AM

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Answer 1

Vancouver22

Level 8

37,658 points

Mar 17, 2021 1:17 PM in response to Most Frequent Flyer

If your home hub isn't working as expected

Check that your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, or iPad is up to date.
Make sure that the user signed in to iCloud is the primary Home app user, and not an invited user.
Turn on iCloud Keychain and two-factor authentication for your Apple ID.
Check that the device that you set up as a home hub is in your home, connected to your home Wi-Fi network, and powered on.

Your Apple TV and iPads can be used as HomeKit Hubs (not Bridges), the other Apple devices will not and you can’t choose which acts as a the Hub. Everything needs to be on the same wifi network and signed in with the same Apple ID (iCloud account) You can try resetting HomeKit on you Apple TV by going into your user account - sign out of iCloud- Restart the device, then sign back into iCloud - Go to AirPlay & HomeKit and set that back up, following the on screen instructions to assign a Room. On your iPad in Settings - scroll down to Home - Use this iPad as a Home Hub

Set up your HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, or iPad as a home hub - Apple Support

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Answer 2

jcasapple

Community Specialist

Mar 17, 2021 6:55 AM in response to Most Frequent Flyer

Hi Most Frequent Flyer,

We're glad you've reached out through Apple Support Communities for help with HomeKit and your smart home accessories. Let's go over all possible options to ensure your devices work reliably going forward.

We'd like to share a couple of helpful guides to start. These will help ensure that nothing small but important has been missed when laying down the fundamentals of a well-connected home. With wireless networks that have a larger number of connected devices, it's a good idea to re-examine the basics methodically to resolve unexpected behaviors.

First, you'll want to refer to the information in this guide to verify that your router is configured optimally to work with HomeKit and your Apple devices:

Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support

Once you've verified all settings are configured properly, you'll want to follow the instructions in this guide carefully to see if you can detect and resolve potential sources of interference that may be adding noise to your wireless signals:

Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference - Apple Support

We're here for you if you've got any questions whatsoever.

Have a great day!

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Why doesn't Homekit " just work"?

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