I have a garage opener, and it’s been recogninzed by Alexa as a plug, so i cannot say “open garage”, but I have To say “turn on garage”. Is there a way To fix this?
So what is the device (model/#) controlling the garage door?
Eachen PSF-B01-GL
You can change this in Alexa app. Go to Devices and find your “opener”. There are only two types of devices possible in Alexa: switch and light. Therefore, the best solution is to create a routine and say whatever you fancy to open.
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Switch or light is the same. You have to say for both “off or on” and not “close or open”. I had anorher opener before, and in Alexa was a Opener, with the garage icon.
There was probably an ‘opener’ because you were using a specialised device or a dedicated Alexa skill. Eachen PSF-B01-GL is a switch indeed. So how else should it be identified?
No offence, but it’s a waste of time to discuss. Do as advised and create a Routine (Alexa app → More → Routines → [+] → When this happens → Voice → Enter phrase and then Add action → Smart home → Plugs). This way you can open the garage door with any spell like ‘Alexa, open the gate’. It will be just the way you like it.
No offence at all, we are just discussing. But the device it’s been sold as an opener, not as a switch, it has pictures, form factor, sensors with cable, so it’s a little bit disappointing To end up with a switch. It’s only a matter of software.
I’ve already done routines as you suggest, everything works fine, but I have two problems. When I close it I recieve two notification, one open again, and one close, cause when you tap for close it takes several seconds to put close magnetic sensors, and the device think the door still open for a while.
The other problem is that when my wife opens with the remote I can’t turn on lights in the garage, cause you can’t use a switch as a trigger in routines.
Can you explain lights/remote situation? I don’t get it.
You say that the device is sold as a set. Give a link so we can see it. Eachen is offering this: EACHEN Garage Door Opener With Monitor Sensor GD-DC5 (EWelink APP) - EACHEN-DIY YOUR SMART HOME
Yes, the kit is that one. But I also have normal remote to open the garage door. With the old garage opener, when I open the door with the remote, the sensor feels it, and the routine turn on the garage light (it’s a smart plug with a led strip).
With the Eachen i can’t do this, because you can’t use a Switch To trigger a routine.
So I have a routine when i say “open garage”, it opens and turn on the garage lights, but I can’t do the same when using the normal remote
“Normal Remote” is, I believe, a radio remote control. A device operating both with such a remote and on a WiFi network has usually interoperability limitations. This is most likely due to the design of the ‘opener’ and its software. The eWeLink app has nothing to do with this, nor does Alexa. I would suggest contacting Eachen to clarify. This forum has no connection to it.
I was asking To find out if someone had a walkaround. It’s not a matter of interoperability, it’s only the magnetic sensor that does the trick. When it feels the door opening it send a notification To alert you, and also To trigger routines.
But if the device is a garage opener you can trigger a routine, with a Switch you can’t.
So, the problem is that the app recognize it as a switch.
I’m in contact with the ewelink support, to see if they can list the Eachen as opener and not as switch. Also with a mod to the Alexa skill, to do the same.
Suppose the app recognizes your “opener” as you like. What would it change? It’s just names. It is rather kind of self-locking thing, with reed relay and all that follows. Why do you believe that a switch cannot trigger scenes (routines)? Mine do.
It’s not just a name, ad a opener can have a lot of options, like notification for door keep open. No, in Alexa you can’t use plug o lights as trigger, but only as actions after the trigger (in Alexa is a plug, because is a Switch in eWeLink).
The problem is all in eWelink and the skill by them.
Your device is a plug because it’s a switch? Very odd indeed.
Yeah, the eWelink Skill tells Alexa that is a plug…
So they have to fix the app or the skill…
May I know the device ID of this door opener? You can check it on eWeLink App > Device Settings page.
The brand is Eachen
Hi there, thanks for the screenshot. The information for the device shows that it is a plug.
Please allow me to explain why the door opener you purchased is actually a plug.
First of all, eWeLink offers plug modules to the manufacturers. However, after the manufacturers buy the plug modules, they can change them into other things, including door openers. In spite of this, the modules are still recognized in eWeLink as plugs, regardless of their transformation. For this reason, eWeLink tells Alexa that it is a plug.
Edit,
eWeLink doesn’t make our own devices nor to sale any of them, simply put, we provide IoT modules to OEM partners or manufacturers, who make their own devices based on the product plans they made, so eWeLink can not know the device types or specific models eventually.
We can only know the original type of the module and sync it to third-party platforms like amazon Alexa via cloud linking, if the OEM partner or manufacture strictly follow the module’s type to make their devices, there will not be issues like you said.