< HomeKat Help

Troubleshooting

The server is stopped

On a Mac, press the large power button and keep the Mac awake, logged in and connected to the network. Disable system sleep while using it as the bridge.

On an iPhone or iPad, the local server runs only while Home Kat Bridge is frontmost in Guided Access. Open the app and start Guided Access as described in iOS Tips. Starting Guided Access starts the server automatically.

After an operating-system update, restart or force-quit, open Home Kat Bridge again or place in login items to auto-restart after a reboot. If a second installation displays remote-monitoring mode, it has detected another active server on the network; check the original host rather than trying to run both as servers.

HomeKit shows “No Response”

Check these items in order:

1. Confirm that Home Kat Bridge is running and that its host has not slept or left the network.
2. Confirm that the affected device is powered and works in its manufacturer's app.
3. Open the relevant device-category page in Home Kat Bridge. Check that it is enabled, unlocked and that the device is still under Added Devices or Connected to HomeKit.
4. Look for Unreachable, Not visible on LAN, a failed cloud sign-in or another warning beside the device.
5. Check the Event Log for a lost connection or authentication error.

If every Home Kat Bridge accessory shows No Response, the problem is probably the server, network or HomeKit pairing. If only one accessory is affected, concentrate on that device's power, address, account and local-network connection.

A device is not detected on the local network

Home Kat Bridge and the physical device must be able to communicate directly over the local network. Some categories use TCP, UDP, multicast or Bonjour discovery.

• Make sure the host and device are connected to the same home network and IP subnet.
• Do not place either device on a guest Wi-Fi network that isolates clients.
• Temporarily disable VPN, security or firewall software to see whether it is blocking local traffic.
• Check the router for AP isolation, client isolation, multicast filtering or rules that prevent wireless and wired clients communicating.
• Make sure both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz clients can communicate. It is fine for a device to use 2.4 GHz while the host uses 5 GHz if the router keeps them on the same LAN.
• Restart the physical device, Home Kat Bridge and, if necessary, the router.
• Reserve the device's IP address in the router when it repeatedly becomes unreachable after its address changes.

Public, hotel and office Wi-Fi commonly blocks device-to-device communication and is unsuitable for the bridge.

Local Network permission

If Home Kat Bridge displays Local Network Connection Blocked, follow the button in the alert.

• On iPhone or iPad, open the system Settings page for Home Kat Bridge and enable Local Network, then reopen the app.
• On a Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network, allow Home Kat Bridge, then quit and reopen it.

If the Mac permission is already enabled but the alert returns, toggle it off and on, restart the Mac and try again. A stale macOS permission record cannot be reset from inside Home Kat Bridge. restart the app after changeing the permission setting.

A cloud account will not connect

Confirm that the username, password, API secret, region and data centre match the account used in the manufacturer's app. Check that the host has internet access and that the physical devices appear in that account or linked developer project.

For TPL, Tapo and newer KLAP devices must be on the signed-in TP-Link account. For Tuya, the developer project must be linked to the correct Smart Life or Tuya Smart account and data centre. For Dyson, region, country and locale must match the Dyson account, and the one-time code must be verified. See the relevant help page for detailed setup:

• TPL Outlets & Lights
• Tuya Outlets & IR Blasters
• Dyson Fans & Purifiers

Signing out and back in can refresh an expired session. Deleting saved credentials is a separate action and should be used only when you intend to enter them again.

HomeKit pairing fails

The QR code is available only while the Home Kat Bridge server is running. Keep the iPhone running the Home app on the same local network as the bridge host, then scan the code again or enter the setup code manually.

If the Home app says the accessory is already added, check every Home and room for an existing Home Kat Bridge accessory. If you intentionally want to start again, remove the bridge from the Home app or use Unpair in Home Kat Bridge and then pair it again. Unpairing removes every HomeKit connection to that bridge, so do not use it as a routine restart step.

Each Logitech Harmony television has its own pairing code. Pair it from the main Harmony page.

An accessory is missing from the Home app

Open its device-category Settings page and confirm that the device has been added, not merely discovered. Confirm that the category is enabled and its trial or subscription is active. Select Restore Purchases under Settings > General if access was previously purchased with the current Apple Account.

Look in the Home app's Default Room and check whether the accessory was assigned to another room. Harmony televisions require separate pairing; their buttons and switches are added through the main bridge.

Event Log

The Event Log records server startup, device discovery, commands, lost connections and authentication failures. On iPhone or iPad it is in a seperate tab; on a Mac it is available from the Window menu (or Cmd-L shortcut). When monitoring another Home Kat Bridge, the remote bridge's log is displayed.

Use the share button to export a dated text file. When asking for technical support, include the relevant Event Log extract, diagnostics for the affected category, the device model and hardware version, and a description of what you expected to happen.