All Echo devices suddenly stop seeing and discovering devices -> Expecting too many devices about node-red-contrib-amazon-echo

[Barabba11]

I have an Echo 2 Plus and I've a similar, but different problem. I've somethin like 40 devices configured, in the beginning Alexa take not few time to discover them all, some of them appearing available after the "45 seconds" she asked. And when retrieved it will not search for more of them, it gives a "refuse tone", to search I need to disassociate it from account, reset it and start searching again from zero.
It wasn't like that in this winter, maybe they update the firmware to a worse version.
Maybe the problem can somehow be caused if the nodes have similar names, for example lights kitchen and lights sofa. I'm going to redo all and use unique names.

[mabunixda]

There seemed to be an firmware upgrade because i and users of my node ran into the same problem...

my own installation stopped working over the weekend without changes - so the firmware upgrade seems most valid reason for this :-(

[nicolaiort]

@Barabba11 thanks for your input could you provide a short feedback if choosing more unique names had any input :)

[wongnam]

It seems that it will not recognize the device any more if there are more than 16 devices connected at the same time.

[Barabba11]

I haven't chances to test it now, but I suggest to do this and try again: keep press the configuration button on echo device until it turns orange and delete echo device from your Amazon account. Then search again for devices. Please report it here

[wongnam]

I've just tried on Echo dot 1st gen with no luck.

[nicolaiort]

+1 for trying the "reset"/reconnect, sadly nothing changed
(Echo Dot Gen 2).

But adding devices one by one makes it appear that my device limit it around 20. But it keeps changing every time I try.
++EDIT: Hard limit for discoverable devices seems to be 18 now for me++

Really strange.

[Barabba11]

We're facing problems with new firmwares, I've already noticed them twice some months ago and never replied me, maybe they did this with some intentions to allow the connections only of original devices (and not clones).
I've some questions for you, does Alexa refuse to search with a sound that we can associate as "negative answer/refuse"? I had that.
Are you sure you really reset it? Alexa should say that, and before you need to deassociate it from Amazon. It will take some time.
Another thing I noticed, it can not detect all suddenly, some devices Alexa don't say about and they don't work, but after some minutes it does detect without saying it.

Our developer is not more here, who knows about the future, maybe we can think to move to another module. DO you have other suggestions?
Thank you

[wongnam]

You set up 2 separate systems on 2 different raspberry pi and have node-red-contrib-amazon-echo to control more than 16 to 20 devices on each system, you will see that echo can received most of the devices of both systems combined.

After I have done the above test, I can conclude that the limit of the number of devices is not due to echo dot, but the cause of the node.

[Barabba11]

there is another thing you should consider when you use 2 or more Echo, if they are subscribed to the same account it looks that only the first who discovered the device will insteract with it, the second one will comunicate the first one the command and the first will act like a bridge. Thats means a delay on communications (probably the second should send to Amazon sever the command which will transmit it to the first Echo) and that if the first echo is switched off the second won't work.
Here only the creator of module can clear to us, but there is no logic to track how many devices it can be soociated. The module simply replies to Echo requests:

1. Broadcast from Echo on the LAN at port 80, Hallo? Someone there?
2. Module: Yes I'm here, what you want? .... .... Yes I'm the device you ar elooking for, and I have this ID.. (assigned by Node Red), I also have this ID, and this ID, and this.. (maybe here there is the mistake.. too many ID in one IP address, maybe all of them replying at the same time.. ).
3. the process seems stupid, module just reply on requests, when they come. There may be a problem on the module side about advicing Alexa how many devices it emulates, maybe too many answers in one time and Echo doesn't expect that.

[nicolaiort]

Well @wongnam seems to be right. I tried the same via VMs. Although this is not a preferable solution.
Maybe something loadbalancer like within the node logic could emulate something similar, but that's definitely too next level for me to try out.

And as a part of an answer to @Barabba11:
The echo devices talk seperatly to node red. I tried simply shutting one down and setting up special firewall routes. They have no problem of communicating by themselves locally.
The command itself goes directly from the echo dot to the node red instance. Only the voice data leaves to the Amazon servers as far as I can tell.

I'm gonna start to try out some other nodes an see if I can find some without this limitations.

[Barabba11]

@Niggl1999 do you use different Amazon accounts for each Echo?

[nicolaiort]

@Barabba11 No they are both on the same account (also same apartment, same network)

[nicolaiort]

In the meantime I tried more alternatives:

• node-red-contrib-alexa-local -> Didn't work at all for me
• node-red-contrib-alexa-home (by @mabunixda) -> No luck either

[Barabba11]

if you have the chance put them into 2 different accounts and do the experiment again.
But before that you can advice if turning off the first Echo the second one isn't more able to send anything. That was looking evident by someone in the past who posted here, it would be interesting anyway to repeat the experiment. Thanks

[dbarchmann]

Any news on that topic? Just recently discovered the same problem and wondering if anyone has found a solution yet?

[dbarchmann]

Found a solution for my problem. I recently replaced my Echo Dot 1st gen with an Echo Show 5. Seems that control and discovery of the device was handled by the Dot. With the Dot running again I can control and discover devices.

[nicolaiort]

Hi @dbarchmann, how many "echo devices" do you have configured in Node Red?

At least at my end nothing now has happened -> Still only able to configure ~16 devices before everything starts failing

[dbarchmann]

Hi @dbarchmann, how many "echo devices" do you have configured in Node Red?

At least at my end nothing now has happened -> Still only able to configure ~16 devices before everything starts failing

I do have only 2 devices running. So can't confirm if more than 16 will work.

[nicolaiort]

@dbarchmann Ok thank you anyway :)

[datech]

I've just done a test with 70 devices which my Echo Dot 3 managed to discover.

Feel free to re-open the issue if you still experience such problems.

[Barabba11]

Chances are the HUB is replying too quick with all devices in awhile and Echo doesn't manage it properly. It would be good to add some delay from HUB between Echo is descovering each device

[datech]

Amazon increased the discovery timeout from 20s to 45s, and I think this solve the issue.

[Barabba11]

As I tested the first Echo, 1 year ago, it was always 45 seconds and I haven't any troubles about add devices, the first time and later, I could always discover again and add another one. But after march/april something changed, Alexa refused to check for new devices, it replied a refuse sound. To discover again it was necessary to remove all devices from amazon account, remove that echo too, keep pressing the config butto n on Echo till it resets, import it again on amazon account.
And devices became slower to discover, some of them didn't work after the 45 seconds, there wer not existing, they become recognized after 5 minutes (ALexa told she found another device), or maybe 10 minutes, or maybe 20..
Internet connection was always optimal, just something went wrong. Tomorrow I'll try if they may corrected the firmware, I'll try to discover again

[nicolaiort]

My echo dot 2nd gen manages to discover all my devices (32 right now) again.
I also don't exactly why (node-red config is the same) and figured it had to do with the discovery timeout increase @datech mentioned

[jglezp]

Right now i have 20 nodes and Alexa (I have 3 dot 3rd gen and 1 echo show 5) can't find more on that nodered.
Tried with a new nodered on docker (on same server on my network) and Alexa finds this devices... So i think that there is some limit on nodered... does anybady have a solution? i need to add more devices...