Shipshape Gateway (Aeotec)
Homeowner Summary
The Shipshape gateway is the hub of your monitoring system. Every sensor in your home talks to it, and it passes their readings to Shipshape, where SAM watches them. If the gateway goes offline, monitoring stops until it reconnects.
Today's gateway is a round Aeotec gateway that runs Aeotec's AutoPilot software. In the Shipshape app it is called Shipshape 2nd Generation. Some homes still have the older, square Shipshape 1st Generation gateway (see Pro Detail below).
Shipshape doesn't use Samsung SmartThings, so you don't need the SmartThings app. Everything is done in the Shipshape app.
The gateway plugs into power and into your router with an Ethernet cable. It doesn't use your Wi-Fi.
How It Works
Your sensors talk to the gateway over Z-Wave, their own wireless network on 908.42 MHz in the US, separate from your Wi-Fi. The gateway sends their readings to Shipshape over the internet. It connects out on its own over an encrypted connection and proves who it is with its own security certificate, so you don't need to open ports or change your router settings.
The gateway also stays connected to Aeotec's servers. That lets Shipshape check the gateway's status and restart it remotely, even when its connection to Shipshape is down.
When the gateway reconnects after being offline, Shipshape reads each sensor's current value. Readings from the time it was offline are not recovered.
Setup
Your installer usually sets up the gateway. To do it yourself, see Connecting Your Shipshape Gateway. In short:
- Plug the gateway into an open port on your router with the Ethernet cable, and into a wall outlet with its own power adapter.
- In the Shipshape app, open the Manager tab, tap Manage Network, then Add new gateway, and scan the QR code on the gateway.
- Wait. A brand-new gateway can take up to 15 minutes the first time, because it may install a software update. Don't unplug it while that happens.
Maintenance
- Keep it powered and connected at all times. Monitoring stops when it's off.
- Use its own power adapter in a wall outlet, not a USB port on a router, TV or computer.
- Keep the Ethernet cable firmly seated at both ends.
- Don't shut it in a metal cabinet. Metal blocks the Z-Wave signal to your sensors.
Warning Signs
- The app shows the gateway as offline.
- Several sensors show offline at the same time.
- Readings stop updating for every sensor in the home.
If you see any of these, follow My Shipshape Gateway Is Showing Offline.
Pro Detail
Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Name in the app | Shipshape 2nd Generation |
| Software | Aeotec AutoPilot |
| Z-Wave | 908.42 MHz (US) |
| Connection to Shipshape | Ethernet to the home router; outgoing MQTT over TLS on TCP port 8883 |
| Inbound ports | None needed |
| Range | Up to about 130 ft (40 m) indoors without a repeater (Aeotec's rating) |
| Remote management | Status (online, MQTT connection, IP address, firmware) and restart through Aeotec's cloud |
Optimizing the Z-Wave network
In the app: Manager > Manage Network > tap the gateway > Details > Optimize Network. The app warns that it can take up to 15 minutes, and that you can't add or remove sensors while it runs. Aeotec notes that a full network update on a large network can take several hours.
Run it after you add or move a range extender, or when sensors drop off intermittently.
The 1st Generation gateway
The square Shipshape 1st Generation gateway, made by Develco, has a round button and 4 lights on top. Some homes still use it, and the app still supports it: it is in the Add new gateway list under Show more, and sensors are added to it by QR code. If any of its 4 lights is on, it has power.
Shipshape Integration
- When the gateway loses its connection, the app shows it as offline and raises a gateway offline alert for the home.
- While it is offline, no readings or alerts reach Shipshape from any sensor in the home.
- Shipshape support can check the gateway's status and restart it through Aeotec's cloud.