Help with kessil ap700

[jcl123]

Hello, I thought I would chime in on this, as I work in IT as a systems engineer.

I have not had a need to do this as of yet, but if I wanted to access my AP700's remotely, you would of course first set them up to connect directly to your home Wifi.

Option A - port forward
Once that is done, as others have mentioned, you would have to create a port forwarding rule in your router so that you could access it from the Internet outside your local network. Might just need to figure out what port/protocol it is using so you know specifically what to forward. And I would make sure you are using a strong password.

Option B - VPN (probably how I would do it)
You can setup free VPN servers (I have one) that would allow you to connect to your home network remotely. This would have the added advantage that it would be completely transparent to the Kessil application, it would work just as if you were at home. So from your phone or tablet, you could connect to the VPN and then run the app. The downside of course is that, you have to setup the VPN, which is a little complicated if you have not done that before / aren't that familiar with it.

Option C - remote PC
Also as mentioned, I think this is a really ugly way to do it, but you could setup an android emulator (I do have one of those, they are nice) on a PC, and then remote to the PC from outside. This would be really difficult to use from a phone, and probably a pain from a tablet. If I did this at all I would probably do the remote from a laptop or similar.

I hope that is helpful. Be sure to update your firmware first if you are having problems.

Yes, the app is not that good, but Kessil is a lighting company not an app company, so my expectations are really low in the first place.

I was thinking about how you might reverse engineer the app / controller so that you could make some kind of cloud connector to control it with APEX, maybe with IFTTT or something. Might be beyond my skill set and time constraints though.

-JCL

 

[JoshKReef]

Does the app have a way to set the IP / hostname of the light? I thought it just scanned the network you are on. Option A wouldn't work if you can't set that info in the app. Option B is my favorite. I recommended option C originally, it's lame, but will work.

 

[jcl123]

Does the app have a way to set the IP / hostname of the light? I thought it just scanned the network you are on. Option A wouldn't work if you can't set that info in the app. Option B is my favorite. I recommended option C originally, it's lame, but will work.

Now that you mention it, I don't remember, I would have to check it when I get home.

But, it would be easy enough to just create a DHCP reservation that would effectively give you the same thing.

-JCL

 

[jakeh22]

Love this feedback.

 

[JoshKReef]

How would it ever be able to find the light if you aren't on the same network? It wouldn't be discoverable on a mobile network or not your home network even with above, right?

 

[jcl123]

How would it ever be able to find the light if you aren't on the same network? It wouldn't be discoverable on a mobile network or not your home network even with above, right?

I am assuming you are talking about option A yes?

It would depend on if it is possible to manually specify the address in the app, ideally to a name that you could then put into something like DynDNS, that then points to your port forward.

If that is not possible, then likely Option A would not work. Option B is attractive due to this issue.

-JCL

 

[JoshKReef]

I am assuming you are talking about option A yes?

It would depend on if it is possible to manually specify the address in the app, ideally to a name that you could then put into something like DynDNS, that then points to your port forward.

If that is not possible, then likely Option A would not work. Option B is attractive due to this issue.

-JCL

I thought you were trying to say option A is possible even if you can't specify an address. If so, I was curious how. I understand using a free host name service to keep your IP updated, but did not understand how to force it to try that address.

 

[jcl123]

I thought you were trying to say option A is possible even if you can't specify an address. If so, I was curious how. I understand using a free host name service to keep your IP updated, but did not understand how to force it to try that address.

Yeah, I don't know either.

But, it is conceivable that someone has a way to do this, if you checked the IoT forums or something, because I could see other people wanted to do the same thing for other types of devices.

-JCL

 

[Callok]

Currently I have noticed the lights wig out and won’t turn on randomly.

I am wondering what you mean by "wig out"? I am not sure why you want them to "turn on randomly". The programing is supposed to be for a set schedule.

I have been running 2 AP700's since 2015, which I first programed via an ipad, and now through android, and they have always been stable and reliable. Perhaps other AP700 owners can chime in regarding their experience with the stability of the programing. There might be a problem with your unit and the fix is to find out whats wrong rather than having to control it remotely. I would contact customer service and explain to them the problem, they may be able to help diagnose what is causing it to "wig out". Just my 2 cents.

 

[jakeh22]

I am wondering what you mean by "wig out"? I am not sure why you want them to "turn on randomly". The programing is supposed to be for a set schedule.

I have been running 2 AP700's since 2015, which I first programed via an ipad, and now through android, and they have always been stable and reliable. Perhaps other AP700 owners can chime in regarding their experience with the stability of the programing. There might be a problem with your unit and the fix is to find out whats wrong rather than having to control it remotely. I would contact customer service and explain to them the problem, they may be able to help diagnose what is causing it to "wig out". Just my 2 cents.

Typo man they wig and and won’t turn on sometimes randomly his happens it’s not an every day occurrence. I already emailed them and received an email in return

 

[jakeh22]

Many people have had the same problem I read it in other forums and posts. Not being able to turn it on or off when our apex units give us the ability to is bs. I need to be able to turn it on from my phone when I am at work or coming home late and want to keep it on for some reason. I do special effects on movie and TV sets so I need my stuff full proof while I am at work for 16 hours let alone out of the house for 20

 

[jcl123]

Many people have had the same problem I read it in other forums and posts. Not being able to turn it on or off when our apex units give us the ability to is bs. I need to be able to turn it on from my phone when I am at work or coming home late and want to keep it on for some reason. I do special effects on movie and TV sets so I need my stuff full proof while I am at work for 16 hours let alone out of the house for 20

You could probably tell what they are doing from the power monitoring in the Apex (or if you had a PAR meter or something), just take note of how much power they use at different modes.

Also, you could control them with the Apex, set them for an "always on" mode, and the Apex could turn them on and off on a schedule, you would just not have the slow ramp up / ramp down in brightness, but people have been using other types of lights that can't dim for awhile.

By the way, if you want "fool proof" as you say, as in reliability and consistency are important due to your schedule, I would not suggest picking a relatively "bleeding edge" device like the AP700 with a sometimes temperamental app. I know you already have them, but just saying.... Yes, they should be better/easier etc. for what they cost, I don't disagree. I guess for me the performance is so good it "out-shines" (sorry) it's weaknesses.... Hell I burned the table with them while I was setting them up.

Personally I would be happy if they just had a jack to control them like the other Kessil's, and make the whole app thing optional. There is a USB port on them, I wonder if they could come up with an adapter or something.

And I agree with Callok, and my own experience with Kessil support has been good, but I think you will have to have a bit of patience and you should be able to get it to work.

-JCL

 

[jakeh22]

You could probably tell what they are doing from the power monitoring in the Apex (or if you had a PAR meter or something), just take note of how much power they use at different modes.

Also, you could control them with the Apex, set them for an "always on" mode, and the Apex could turn them on and off on a schedule, you would just not have the slow ramp up / ramp down in brightness, but people have been using other types of lights that can't dim for awhile.

By the way, if you want "fool proof" as you say, as in reliability and consistency are important due to your schedule, I would not suggest picking a relatively "bleeding edge" device like the AP700 with a sometimes temperamental app. I know you already have them, but just saying.... Yes, they should be better/easier etc. for what they cost, I don't disagree. I guess for me the performance is so good it "out-shines" (sorry) it's weaknesses.... Hell I burned the table with them while I was setting them up.

Personally I would be happy if they just had a jack to control them like the other Kessil's, and make the whole app thing optional. There is a USB port on them, I wonder if they could come up with an adapter or something.

And I agree with Callok, and my own experience with Kessil support has been good, but I think you will have to have a bit of patience and you should be able to get it to work.

-JCL

I got it to work that day but my girlfriend had to physically touch the on button. When I got home it paired to my phone I clicked it and it was on it’s normal setting. My problem is this I noticed my ph was low and things were a bit strange for the day. My gf texted me and said the lights still were not on at 11am. I want to be able to click on and have it still ramp up and or be able to put it on a setting and keep it like that till I get home. but in the event i want to be able to control it. Turning it on constant without ramping up and down defeats the entire purpose of the light. I love hem just wish I could control it and have that fully wireless setup I wish for. Almost there.

 

[Young@Heart]

Hey guys I was wondering if there was a way to be linked to my ap700 and be able to control the lights while not home. Currently I have noticed the lights wig out and won’t turn on randomly. In that case I use my firstick so android tablet when not home or my iPhone when I am home. I notice the iPhone stays paired and the tablet sometimes takes a minute. How do I connect to WiFi or my apex and control it besides the on off on apex

Not sure if you could set it up(I have not tried yet), but i would think it would work in theory - use a VPN to your network and from your router (which they say your kessil can be connected to - you should be able to control or from tablet from inside your network. Come on Kessil get it together.

 

[Midrats]

Why not just take advantage of the warranty and get a new light?

 

[jakeh22]

Why not just take advantage of the warranty and get a new light?

The lights are fine we are trying to figure out how to pair it while not home

 

[Midrats]

The lights are fine we are trying to figure out how to pair it while not home

You said that they don't turn on sometimes and that's why you need remote control didn't you?

 

[Young@Heart]

Just a thought...Why not install an android Emulator on your PC at home then install the Kessil app on it. Use something like Screen Connect (Not Team Viewer) and access your computer via internet. I mentioned a VPN prior to this, but I thought a Remote Control Program would be better. Now you need to setup the program prior to this. I have not tried this, but I am getting ready to.

I believe you can find an android emulator for free on the internet.

Now a plea for all Kessil owners to step up and Contact Kessil
- The Software needs to be improved (for the money we spend - I think we have the right to ask for improvement)

• We need an application that works on Windows (Most used OS on PCs)
• Need to make the application so you can interact with it over the internet (like the AI Prime)

 

[scott11106]

i think that i am having the same issue, i have the lights programmed through the kessil app to use dusk/dawn and then move into normal lighting mode but i have the apex turning the power off to the lights at night as i dont want to be lighting the tank (moonlight) all night every night but the apex turns them on in the morning and the dusk/dawn works but it goes to crap after that and they either turn off or stay dusk dawn all day.

anyone have a solution to this? i guess i could turn the dusk/dawn off and not use the apex to power that way the light itself is not effected by apex, i have them using a timer program in apex but maybe i need to put "always on"?

 

[Ranjib]

Ok folks, i'll shade some lights on this, but before that, let me clarify I have not read the whole thread. And the advice shared here are my learning from setting up reef-pi as access point / remote access etc.

Ok, so this
1) device (AP700) has a wifi module in it
2) Most wifi module can be configured in either of two ways. a) it connects to another network (like your mobile or laptop) or b) it creates its own network, and let other devices join that (this is what ap700 is doing). When we setup tethering or mobile hotspot in our phone, we ask the phone to act this way. The wifi modules rarely be configured to do both
3) When we do port forwarding, it essentially works by forwarding a device's port that is connected to the home network. Hence the device must be connected to the router's network for this scheme to work. AP700 does not do that, hence its unlikely to work for it. It does not connect to your home network (from what i understand) thus theres no way to forward a port from this device

In short, you don't have an easy out of the box hack to get this going.
Now what else we can possibly do. If I am you, I'll start with this
1) Determine how ap700 is controlled. I,e. when I connect to ap700 from a device what API it is using to control the device. This is crucial to control ap700 programmatically from another device. I don't know if ap700 can be controlled from laptop/browser, if so, this should be easy.
2) One this is done, i;ll use an intermediate device (i prefer raspberry pi) with two network connection. Like two wifi or one wifi and one ethernet. One of the wifi will be connected to home network, another one will to ap700. Then I'll write a program that will bind to a port on the home network, and provide an API/web ui to control the ap700, and when instructions received, it will use the other network (thats connected to ap700's wifi network) to dispatch the command. This is what we call a proxy. Once this is working (can be tested in home network), it will be trivial to just port forward this intermediate device and control it from anywhere in the world using the internet. Internet -> intermediate device (port forwarded) -> ap700 (using the other network).

I don't expect to someone not familiar with programming /computer to be able to do this, but I thought I'll share this to help everyone understand whats going on. For some reference, a raspberry pi is 10$ device, and I think the whole setup might be less than 20-30$. Coding does not really cost anything . If I get my hands on ap700 anytime, I'll definitely give this a shot.