Alexa Says My Device is Not Responding: What Do I Do?

Smart Home Glitches and How to Resolve Them:

Fixing Issues with Amazon's Alexa

Smart Home devices are fantastic, when they are working properly.  But like any other electronic device, Smart Devices can experience errors.  So what do you do when you ask Alexa to turn on the lights, and she tells you a device is not responding?  Today, we're going to look at troubleshooting errors with Alexa and your Smart Home Devices.

Alexa Says "I'm Having Trouble Connecting to the Internet."  What Do I Do?

Like any wi-fi device, Alexa can experience connectivity issues.  A user generally discovers the Echo or Dot has lost connectivity when they issue a command, and Alexa responds with "I'm having trouble connecting to the Internet right now."  Additionally, the light ring will flash red rather than blue.  Despite the fact my Dot is the closest device to my router, it seems to experience connectivity problems more often than my other Alexa-enabled devices.

Sometimes, connectivity issues are caused by a blip in the wi-fi. This blip might be caused by interference from a microwave, a cordless phone, a back-up beeper, or any number of things that can cause wi-fi "noise."  I find often, if I wait a few seconds and reissue my command, the connectivity issue resolves itself.  If it doesn't, the next step is to reboot the malfunctioning Alexa device.  You may use the power button on the top to reboot Alexa, however, I often find it easier to yank the power adapter, wait about 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.  That way, I do not inadvertently turn off the microphone by mistake.  Like with most electronic devices, rebooting can clear about 80% of issues.  

The WeMo Smart Outlet (Smart Home Series, Part 5)

The WeMo Alexa-Compatible Smart Outlet,  Part 1
(Smart Home Series, Part 5)
Building a Smart Home with Alexa and WeMo

Learn to Set Up Your Wemo Smart Outlet
And Voice Control It, Using your Amazon Echo or Dot

This is part 5 in a series about building an Alexa-Powered Smart Home without breaking the bank.  It is a continuation of our in-depth course on using Alexa and the Amazon Echo family of devices.  Our last three parts discussed using the Alexa app, discovering all it can do, and setting it up to best work for you. (Links to the previous parts of this series can be found in the sidebar.)  Now, we are going to talk about using Alexa to control third party devices, starting with Smart Outlets.  And today, we're specifically going to talk about the WeMo Family of Smart Outlets. We'll walk you through setting up a WeMo Mini Smart Outlet, and pairing it with Alexa and your Echo device.

What is a Smart Outlet?

Simply put, a Smart Outlet is one that can be controlled remotely.  Early Smart Outlets came with their own remote controls, and using that, you could toggle the outlet state. As technology developed, they through WiFi into the mix. Now, you can still find outlets that come with their own remotes. But they are of little utility in a modern Smart Home.  Today, you want an outlet that can be controlled via WiFi or Cellular Data, from either inside or outside your house. It is this type of Smart Outlet we will be discussing in this post.

So in other words, Smart Outlets add WiFi and Remote control to standard outlets, and by extension, to your existing appliances.  Whatever you plug into a Smart Outlet becomes a Smart Device, capable of being controlled remotely, from your couch, car, or office. And if that device is a WeMo, it means you've added Alexa voice control to that device as well.