Evohome Wifi - Push Firmware Controller Upgrades

[HenGus]

Reading about the problems that Nest owners have been experiencing, I was wondering whether Honeywell are looking again at pushing firmware upgrades to the Evohome WiFi Controller in Winter without user intervention?

[DBMandrake]

Yes I saw that today.... Whoops....

This is exactly what I was thinking when I said in another thread I suspected Honeywell were (rightly so) playing it cautiously, especially given that it's their first over the air update for any evohome system. I think we have a couple of confirmed cases of firmware updates from users in another thread who did not ask for the firmware update, so my guess is they are already doing a carefully staged roll out where they roll out updates in blocks and then wait to see if any feedback comes back before doing the next block.

They're able to monitor the system (at least superficially) to confirm that it is still running after the update - I was told by email when I got mine updated after asking for it that they had monitored the system for a few hours after the update to confirm the system was working ok.

Another thing that occurs to me is that only units that are connected to the internet via wifi and signed up with the portal will receive updates - and if you have signed up with the portal then you have provided contact details to Honeywell so they could potentially get in touch with a customer to warn them if an update failed and rendered the system non-functioning.

[HenGus]

Sadly, if you are second home owner or away from home, a botched firmware upgrade that requires a controller re-set may prove expensive if the weather is particularly cold. Can the wifi controller be re-set via the App?

[The EVOHOME Shop]

Owners of the Honeywell Voice Controlled Wi-Fi Thermostat have already experienced many firmware updates without issue. I have one with evohome in our home and it has performed seamlessly. I know Honeywell keep their cards close to their chest, but this is a very responsible organisation.

This is the second time Nest have been in the public eye, over major software 'bugs' - last time was smoke alarms that could be turned off. Anyone that knows about OpenTherm technology will also know the embarrassment Google/Nest have also put themselves through just lately - the Gen 3 Nest Thermostat was supposed to modulate OpenTherm boilers... Lets just say it didn't work out quite that way!

I have full confidence in Honeywell and know how serious the whole team take the evohome project.

[HenGus]

Owners of the Honeywell Voice Controlled Wi-Fi Thermostat have already experienced many firmware updates without issue. I have one with evohome in our home and it has performed seamlessly. I know Honeywell keep their cards close to their chest, but this is a very responsible organisation.

This is the second time Nest have been in the public eye, over major software 'bugs' - last time was smoke alarms that could be turned off. Anyone that knows about OpenTherm technology will also know the embarrassment Google/Nest have also put themselves through just lately - the Gen 3 Nest Thermostat was supposed to modulate OpenTherm boilers... Lets just say it didn't work out quite that way!

I have full confidence in Honeywell and know how serious the whole team take the evohome project.

Richard - ever the Honeywell evangelist. I do not doubt the professionalism or expertise of the Honeywell team; indeed, I spent 35 years of my life relying on their avionic systems. That said, it is a brave man that thinks that firmware upgrades can never go wrong - for reasons that may well be outwith Honeywell's control. The concerns that I have read about the recent Nest issue is that people are not concerned that there has been a problem with the upgrade per se: their concern is that they may not be in a position to re-set the system with the concomitant risk of freezing/burst pipes. Perhaps there needs to be some end-user intervention in the firmware upgrade process?

FWiW, my Sky HD box was upgraded overnight a couple of weeks ago, and the first that I knew of it was, when I turned the TV on, I got the BSoD. A manual power down/re-set cured it.

We shouldn't forget that ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ George Santanya

[G4RHL]

Good idea, an email to users to tell them there has been a firmware upgrade. Sometimes an upgrade can require a power down. Perhaps not an email to tell a user when it has been done but when it will be done which is better as it can be prepared for at the consumer end.

[rh63]

Another option would be that a message/warning in the evohome screen (and possibly also the screen of the iphone/android app) tells the user that an update is available and that the user can decide when to apply the update.