Alexa events no longer firing

[dshmaui]

I'm unsure what happened, but I'm using this node-red integration for my home assistant setup. It was working earlier this morning, but now the Alexa events are no longer firing, even though I haven't changed anything. I tried reloading the Alexa login, restarting node-red, and restarting home assistant, but none of that seemed to work. I'm on the latest version of the node. Any advice or fixes would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: The whole node isn't broken, sending commands to Alexa still works, the node just won't fire events from Alexa

[chx0003]

Exactly the same thing here

[canabang]

the same, since yesterday

[brunialti]

same here in Italy

[Antani69]

Same, since yesterday :(

[githubwesseln]

the same, since yesterday

[johnnygal]

Yes, same here. Was working 18 hours ago but not firing now. Tried restart of nodered.

[C450lly]

Same here as of around 9pm yesterday UK time (though some dodgy responses for several hours before that).

This has happened before on node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2, which I understand these nodes are based on:
586837r#193
I'm working my way through that thread to understand the fix, and whether it might be applicable here too...

The Echo devices now appear to have multiple IP addresses on my network, and I've seen more than one Alexa master device IP address as well. It looks like Amazon may have changed something.

The Alexa Event node is initialising and listening, and not triggering on events.
The Alexa Routine node appears to be working correctly.

Restart of node red and Echo devices does not change anything. Creating a new account does not change anything.

Any help appreciated.

[broeselstein]

the same, since yesterday
(Germany)

[niwre2019]

Same here, also Germay.

[rdappel]

U.S. also.

[bdydrp]

Likewise for Australian accounts
Been like this for about a week

[Hummelchen01]

Since yesterday evening, the event [On Device Activity] no longer works for me (Austria) on a voice input via the Alexa Echo devices.

• Partially other events are working.
  I'm afraid Amazon/Alexa API has changed or disabled a feature.
  Does someone know an alternative solution for such disturbances?

[bst056981]

same here , i have tried a complete reinstall on a VM and same issues no activity for on device activity im in the USA

[drvirtue]

Same here. (U.S.) Using the latest node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2-applestrudel (5.0.27)

[axelpip]

Same here using version 5.0.27 on service host layla.amazon.de, page amazon.de, language de-DE. I am implementing a workaround using an Alex routine to flip a virtual switch (openhab) and then get the last active device via GET -> ACTIVITIES node which still works.

[ichbinsjasicher1]

hab das gleiche problem (austria). gibt es eine lösung? bzw wird daran gearbeitet ? lg

[brunialti]

All this is embarassing. I spent a lot of time to integrate alexa with my system, even with chatgpt. Now it is half dumb,
Do any of you have any other alternative node to the device event one? Do you suggest any microphone device acting locally able to hear a command after a wakeup word and pass it via any nodered node?

[gerlinl]

I have just started looking into this Rhasspy.

https://rhasspy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsAlz76PXJQ

I don't need too much brain power, just enough to understand the 20 phrases or so I use for my automation system, so I am hoping it is enough. If it works for me, I plan to run a central server (an existing Ubuntu server on a NUC), with a few satellite instances running on PI4s with something like Jabra Speak 410s attached. This is not cheap for a multi-room setup, I have a couple of extra PI4s already, so it is worth a shot. If this can break my cloud dependencies, I will be a happy camper. It looks like there may be cheaper ways to go with the satellites, I just started looking this today.

[gerlinl]

Whisper may be another option, though it sounds like it may need more horsepower to run quickly:

https://github.com/openai/whisper

I know they have integrated it into Home Assistant, not sure if there is node-red package or not.

[brunialti]

I should have a look at an ESP box running willow.

[sdholden28]

Same here using version 5.0.27 on service host layla.amazon.de, page amazon.de, language de-DE. I am implementing a workaround using an Alex routine to flip a virtual switch (openhab) and then get the last active device via GET -> ACTIVITIES node which still works.

@axelpip can you post or link your nodered flow for this? I've got openhab and nodered linked up but I'm struggling with the last active device node.

[DanPatten]

Is this a problem with this plugin or alexa-remote2?

@bbindreiter

[C450lly]

Is this a problem with this plugin or alexa-remote2?

@bbindreiter

I've just tried installing node-red-contrib-alexa-remote2 on different instance of node red, appears to have the same problem.

[tom666-debug]

Same here since ~2 weeks now. Guess some changes on the Alexa-API side needs to be adapted.

[bbindreiter]

Is this a problem with this plugin or alexa-remote2?

@bbindreiter

Sorry, I haven't had the time to check it yet. 99% some change in the Alexa API.

Although it is tempting, its not reliable to build a smart home based on the reversed engineered Alexa API.

[brunialti]

Is this a problem with this plugin or alexa-remote2?
@bbindreiter

Sorry, I haven't had the time to check it yet. 99% some change in the Alexa API.

Although it is tempting, its not reliable to build a smart home based on the reversed engineered Alexa API.

Yes. But are there nodered stable alternatives for voice input in your opinion ?

[tjareson]

A reliable path in my opinion is the workaround via a simulated light bulb. As this is simulated hardware (like hue for instance) I think it is more likely that this support will exist for a long time - otherwise a lot of smart lights would become useless with Alexa.
I define then a routine for each command which sets one simulated light bulb to a certain dimming level, which I check then in Node Red. Issue is: I need a seperate routine then for every command, which is a bit annoying to maintain.

[bbostock]

Same problem here in the UK. returned from vacation to find my "Good Morning" command no longer made it through to HA to do all the fancy stuff.

[bbindreiter]

Not one we can buy of the shelf, at least I am not aware. And it makes sense because cloud gives them control and more revenue.

I have seen some DIY projects that run on Raspberries, e.g. Rhasspy. Also some development on HA.

The suggestion from #138 (comment) to use a fake light bulb device and set up some routines that set the brightness (0-100) is not bad. I use it myself (a little different). You can then can map the values to a command of your choice.

So for instance define a routine "Close Garage door" that actually sets the brightness of the fake lightbulb to 0, and "Open Garage door" sets it to 1. This change you can pick up in node-red and act on it.

https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-amazon-echo-theukshadow

[tom666-debug]

This approach will only work for some event types. In my case I need to catch the event type "On audio player state change"

[bdydrp]

@invictagunner
Ateast we can establish in your 1st scenario the node works as designed.

Until now, I was un aware the echo's have internal temp sensors (I only have the 3rd gen dots) so unfortunately I can't assist with the 5th gen models and getting the response to show in a debug node

[invictagunner]

@bdydrp Thanks very much for your help. For info our Echo Dot gen 2 has got a temperature sensor. I think there are several different models.

[questuk]

Found this online ... How to check if your Echo has a temperature sensor
If you're unsure what version Echo you have and if it's on the list, then head into the Alexa app on your smartphone, find the Echo you're interested in and tap on it. You'll see the temperature in the "status" section.

I have 4th gen and according to Amazon it has one, but on looking at my status it does not 😦

[dpgh947]

I thought temp sensor only came out on the Dot on gen 5. I have gen 2 and 3 dots and they don't have one. I have an Echo Plus gen 2 which does.

[invictagunner]

Looking at mine more closely I have been using the description Echo Dot too loosely. It is in fact an Echo Plus gen 2. Sorry for any confusion. All I really know is that I have a job preventing my wife from throwing it out of the window!!! Plus Alexa will not tell me the temperature. Perhaps she is put off by my wife continually saying it is too cold.

[invictagunner]

Correction - Alexa will tell me but not Node Red

[x-MaxG-x]

Coming back to the original topic of this thread:
I found one further hint on the github page of Apollon77, which help me getting back my "Audioplayer State Change" and "Device Activity" notifications.

locale the location of the alexa-cookie2 library in your npm tree
check if there is a file like .../alexa-cookie2/lib/formerDataStore.json - if existing please delete them
get new cookie via proxy

Afterwards I got on all of my active accounts the notifications back.

[Apollon77]

FYI: Amazon changed things in regard to the Activity/History functionality effectively yesterday (not 100% of the requests are affected but since yesterday way more). I aleady wortk on an update to adjust the library.

[smilerz]

Coming back to the original topic of this thread: I found one further hint on the github page of Apollon77, which help me getting back my "Audioplayer State Change" and "Device Activity" notifications.

locale the location of the alexa-cookie2 library in your npm tree
check if there is a file like .../alexa-cookie2/lib/formerDataStore.json - if existing please delete them
get new cookie via proxy

Afterwards I got on all of my active accounts the notifications back.

I tried this, everything appears be online, but am still getting zero output from On Device Activity

[WhiteLionATX]

Same for me... On Device Activity does not create any output.

EDIT: I found a workaround.

1. install "node-red-contrib-virtual-smart-home" node.
2. create a virtual device with the "virtual device" node.
3. control the device as a normal/physical existing alexa device.
4. grab the output and evaluate (e.g. "ON" or "OFF") from the message.
5. control your devices.

EDIT2: IT works but I noticed that the dev wants to have 12$ per year for adding more than 7 devices and support for more than 20 device types.

[WritesWithBadCode]

Seeing a lot of workarounds focused on specific device use cases. Just want to add that my integration is to track timers in node-red so those don't really help.

[Apollon77]

@WritesWithBadCode hm ... and who said that tracking timer has issues?

[WritesWithBadCode]

Well it's another event, no? It seems that there is quite a variety of messages that come through that pipe but everyone seems most interested in finding workarounds for devices. I guess it's just me.

[Apollon77]

Yes it is another of the Push events ... but this one never had issues so far ... so logs needed

[MarcosMorelli]

I used to have this working a long time ago.
Now with a fresh build, trying to hear alexa device activity. Created a virtual device at Hass, its configured at my alexa app and for voice commands its changing the state of it. But sometimes triggers the node, most of the times it doesn't.
Am I doing something wrong?

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open for 30 days with no activity.

[WritesWithBadCode]

Yes it is another of the Push events ... but this one never had issues so far ... so logs needed

So in the course of gathering logs, in relation to timers, I didn't notice that cakebaked had been forked and I was running cakebaked. I moved to applestrudel and the timer events are coming through. Thanks!

[github-actions]

This issue is stale because it has been open for 30 days with no activity.

[github-actions]

This issue was closed because it has been inactive for 14 days since being marked as stale.

[puterboy]

I see to be having the same/similar problem.
On Device Activity works intermittently. Sometimes restarting nodered helps but mostly not.
It seems to work a few times and then it stops for a while as if some limit were reached and then later works again.
Any suggestions on how to fix?

[Cjkeenan]

@Apollon77 @bbindreiter Have either of you noticed that this is has resurfaced recently? Usual fixes like redeploys, initializations, or even fresh authentication don't seems to be helping. Just wondering if I am alone or if this is widespread. Nothing has changed on my side, its been working and on 5.0.50 for a while now.

[dpgh947]

I am still on 5.0.46 and it is still working fine. There were problems with this level months ago and it was "fixed", but I never updated because the problem went away and I have had no problems since. Whatever was changed at the time, I think the problem was transient/temporary due to whatever amazon were mucking around with at the time. May be they are tweaking stuff again and that is breaking the newer version.

[Cjkeenan]

I do sometimes wonder if it is account specific. I have 2 houses with this deployed with different amazon accounts and sometimes one house is rock solid and the other gives issues. I wonder if they have account specific quotas for the number of calls or something.

[genzo76]

For me, the 'On Device Activity' does not work; the listener does not receive anything in Italy.

[gtnscebba]

I live in Italy and sometimes it doesn't work, but most of the time the service works perfectly, like right now.

[mcarame]

I also live in Italy and I can confirm what @gtnscebba wrote.