Controller unreachable

[simont]

Hi,

from today my controller in a remote location is unreachable from the app (which I did not update). I cannot reach the remote location until a couple of weeks. This is the first time that this happens in over 2 years, and curiosly on the same day of the news about a compulsory security update by 12 august. Is there any issue server side? The controller is configured to not automatically update, since I do not want surprises given the remote installation. I can ping it through a VPN connection, but the app says it is unreachable. I already opened a ticket 1382483. Any further advice? Thanks

[simont]

Apparently the Controller it up and running since I can access it through the local API and VPN, but the app still can not find it.

Responde from query:

"apiVersions": [

"3.14"

],

"softwareUpdateState": {

"@type": "softwareUpdateState",

"swUpdateState": "NO_UPDATE_AVAILABLE",

"swUpdateLastResult": "UPDATE_SUCCESS",

"swUpdateAvailableVersion": "",

"swInstalledVersion": "10.24.4224-2178",

"swActivationDate": {

"@type": "softwareActivationDate",

"timeout": 604800000

},

"automaticUpdatesEnabled": false

},

[AxlRose]

Your software version 10.24.xxx ist out of date. The current version is 10.29.xxx

You could write a pm to @Sam or @SmartHomeGuru including your mac address.

They should be able to force your controller to update to the current version.

[simont]

I know, I avoid updating remotely on purpose, to avoid any disruption, given the long hitory of update issues that required manual reboot. I will update in about two weeks, when I will be there. In the meantime, I expect that the system will continue to work correctly, as, according to Bosch today communication, the major certificate issue would affect systems from the 17 August.

[SmartHomeGuru]

Hi @simont, please note that the controller must be online briefly at least once every two years to update the root certificate, otherwise you will inevitably lose access via the app. Please read our notes here (only in German): https://community.bosch-smarthome.com/t5/smart-home-news/unsere-richtigstellung-zur-cloud-nutzung-un...

The certificate that expires on 17 August 2025 is another certificate in the chain and is not responsible for your current problem.

Best regards
SmartHomeGuru

[simont]

The system is always online, remote access is always ON, only automatic update is off, but it was updated last time during Christmas holidays, which is much less then 2 year....what is the problem then??

[SmartHomeGuru]

Hi @simont , I checked your MAC address and your controller has not connected to our update server for over 6 months (no polling). This means that it has not performed any certificate updates or any other updates. From our perspective, your controller is completely offline and not just the automatic updates are disabled.

Info: The controller does not perform the certificate update every day (but checks every day), only a certain period of time before expiry. If the controller is offline for too long, as is probably the case with you, you have missed this period and the root certificate has expired.

Best regards
SmartHomeGuru

[simont]

It is true that the last update was 7 months ago.

However it is NOT true that the controller is offline since then. I've connected to it yesterday, and several times per day in the last two weeks, using your app from remote, so using your cloud. If the root certificate is expired this means that is was NOT checked daily. 

Nevertheless, which is the solution now?

[SmartHomeGuru]

Hi @simont , as mentioned, the controller is offline from the update-server's perspective since 6 months. This is often due to the router and its settings, which prevent the controller from establishing a connection to our update server and cause it to be blocked. In cases such as yours, we usually recommend restarting the router and controller.

Note: Our update servers can still be accessed even with expired root certificates.

Best regards
SmartHomeGuru

[simont]

I can restart the router manually from remote, but need to be there to restart the controller. How can then trigger the update since I cannot access from the app?

[AxlRose]

One of the new features of the prevoius release is a restart of the controller from the app.

Maybe you should update from time to time 😉

[simont]

I already explained why I do not update while not present. I update whenever possible. Moreover how could I restart through the app, if the app cannot reach the controller? So your comment is out of place.

[AxlRose]

Which version of the App do you use? Also 10.24.xx?

[simont]

Unfortunately I cannot tell, since once the app fails to connect it's not possible to check anything, and in iOS there is no way to tell the current version. However it was the corresponding version, since it is known that if you update the app before the controller then you loose control, so I avoid app update as well

[AxlRose]

I'm asking because since App version 10.24.xxx it is now possible to access older controller versions. But because you're very likely on 10.24.xxx I suppose the the problem is located somewhere else. You can see the App version btw of "Smart Home" on iOS and Android in the properties of the App:

With Release 10.26.xx Bosch introduced the reboot feature on the SHC.

Maybe both new features could help you in the future if such a problem occurs.

[simont]

Ok, checked in app info and it's 10.24.1.

Are you saying that I can update the app to the latest 10.29, and it may be able to connect with an older controller (apart for this specific certificate issue)?

[AxlRose]

I don't know for sure if it's possible to access a smart home controller with 10.24.x with the App on 10.29.x. That has to be confirmed by a developer from Bosch.

But a SHC with 10.28 oder 10.27 should be possible.

[simont]

As a further note, all route from controller to outside are open, which is confirmed by the fact that I could connect using the cloud till yesterday. How can only be the update server unreachable?

[simont]

Just restarted the router. In few minutes the controller made about 50kB of traffic in and 50kB out through HTTPS, and other 30kB per direction in another minute, so it is communicating with something

[simont]

11kB packet transferred from the controller to ec2-35-159-76-129.eu-central-1.compute.amazonaws.com/

on port 443 every about 1 minute.

Sounds like a cloud server, doesn't it?