Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to use iHome for iPhone?

iHome for iPhone is designed to work with the Indigo application version 3.x or 4.x for your Macintosh and compatible device and appliance modules. In addition, it needs to be able to connect to your Macintosh remotely, either from a WiFi device in your home, or over the inernet. If you don't already have Indigo in your home, you can try out iHome for iPhone on our test server, but the real fun starts when your home is all set up.

Is there a way I can try it before my home is ready?

iHome for iPhone is installed with the demo configuration preloaded, so you can check out how it works. If you've changed the configuration and want to get the demo back, just set the server and port settings in iHome for iPhone's configuration screen to demo.ihome4iphone.com and 1176, respectively. No username or password is required.

Ok, I have Indigo working at home, how do I set up iHome for iPhone to talk to Indigo?

There are two main steps to getting iHome for iPhone and Indigo communicating. You will first set up Indigo, and then set up iHome for iPhone.

Setting up Indigo

First, be sure the Indigo server is enabled. if you haven't done so, purchase and install Indigo on your Macintosh.

With Indito running, the server will already be started. Verify that the server is running by staring up Indigo and selecting "Start Local Server..." from the Indigo menu. Here are my settings. Of note, select "Auto start..." and "Enable remote Indigo client access". I also recommend that you "Require authentication" and enter a User name and Password. Anything will do - you will need that information when configuring iHome for iPhone on your iPhone.

Setting up iHome for iPhone

To set up iHome for iPhone, you need to know the Server address or name, which I'll describe more in a second. The other information you need all come from the Indigo settins you just did - the port, user name, and password from the Indigo Local Server settings.

The Server iHome for iPhone is referring to is your Macintosh that is running Indigo. There are two ways to connect to your Macintosh, and which way will determine what you put in the Server setting in iHome for iPhone. The first is the easiest setup, but only allows you to control devices when you are at home and have a wi-fi access point set up, such as an Apple AirPort Base Station. The second allows you to connect from anywhere your iPhone has a data signal.

Setting up iHome for iPhone - Home WiFi

This setup allows you to connect to Indigo when you are at home with a WiFi access point.

To connect to Indigo on your Macintosh, you need to tell iHome for iPhone how to find your Macintosh. You will need to know the host name or IP address of your Macintosh, and the port that Indigo is communicating over.

The IP of your Macintosh can be determined by looking in the System Preferences application on your Macintosh and clicking the Network icon. Once there, be sure the Ethernet item is selected and you will see the IP Address listed - something like 192.168.0.100. Enter that into the iHome for iPhone Server field under Server Settings and you should be good to go.

The default port for Indigo is 1176, and is already set up in iHome for iPhone. If you changed the port in your Indigo setup, change it in iHome for iPhone to match.

Setting up iHome for iPhone - Connect from anywhere

This setup is a bit more complicated, but will allow you to connect to Indigo from anywhere your iPhone has a data signal. In addition, it does not require a WiFi access point at home, but does require an always-on internet connection to your Macintosh.

Three important ideas

External IP

The device that connects your Macintosh or home network to the internet is a router, usually supplied by your internet service provider. It is reachable from anywhere on the internet if you know its IP address. It forwards any network traffic directed to it to your computer or home network. If you are on your home computer now, your external IP is 38.107.191.88. If you're not, please visit this FAQ from your home computer when convenient to obtain your external IP address. More about your External IP later.

Port Forwarding

Once network traffic is received by your router, it sends it along to your computer or home network. If your computer is connected directly to your router, you can skip this section.

If you have a home network where your router is connected to another router, such as a WiFi access point or firewall, you will need to forward port 1176 to your Macintosh that is running the Indigo server. Please refer to the documentation for that device to learn how to do this. If you can't find the documentation and don't know how to do this, try googling Port Forward and the name of your device.

Dynamic DNS

You need to read this section if your external IP address is dynamic (changes). This is something determined by your internet service provider, and for home setups, it is usually the case, although many don't change very often.

If your IP address is static (never changes), just use that as the Server setting in iHome for iPhone.

If your IP address is dynamic and you enter it into the iHome for iPhone Server setting, iHome for iPhone will work until the IP address changes. To deal with this, use one of the free dynamic DNS services available, They allow you to associate a domain name to your IP address, and use that name in iHome for iPhone in stead of the IP address. One great dynamic DNS service that offers free options is www.dyndns.com. Please visit their site to learn more about dynamic DNS.

Phew!

If you've made it this far, you have determined if you are going to use your External IP address or a domain name for your server setting, and have ensured that internet traffic that comes to your router on port 1176 is making to your Macintosh with the Indigo server running. Once you enter the server IP or domain name into iHome for iPhone, you can turn on some lights!

What is Indigo?

Indigo is an application that is installed on your Macintosh. It links your Macintosh to devices, lights, and appliances in your home so you can control them remotely.

iHome for iPhone is designed to communicate with Indigo over the internet to control the connected devices.

Where can I get compatible controllers?

Check out Smarthome. I recommend that you use Insteon devices rather than X10 - there's a big difference. See below.

What is Insteon? What about X10?

Insteon is a technology used in devices that can be installed in a new or existing home with minimal effort. They you to control lamps, appliances, and other electrical equipment in your home using your existing home wiring. Insteon improved on its predecessor, X10, by incorporating bidirectional commuication into its protocol. This means that when you tell a light to turn off, you will receive feedback that it indeed went off (or not). iHome for iPhone relays this feedback information so that when you command a device using iHome for iPhone, you will see how and when the device responded.

You can learn more by visiting www.smarthome.com/whatisinsteon.html.

Why would I want to turn stuff on and off at home when I’ not even there?

How did you get this far in the FAQ with a question like that?

Are you affiliated with Perceptive Automation, maker of Indigo or Smarthome, the makers of Insteon?

No. I enjoy using their products and wrote iHome for iPhone to work with them because they have proven to be reliable and easy to work with.

I use Windows or Linux, not Macintosh. How can I use iHome for iPhone with my setup?

iHome for iPhone was designed to work with Indigo, which, at this time, only runs on a Macintosh, so, unfortunately iHome for iPhone is not compatible with Windows or Linux.

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