SugarMate is noticeably less responsive when going via NightScout; there are update delays of quite a few seconds. The app has a separate “Nightscout Source Delay” which delays each update, it’s initially set to 60s but mine is now set to 30s. It seems that it also somehow manages to delay updates until it is in the foreground. When using Dexcom Share it seemed to manage to keep up most of the time. Of course they are swapping to the Dexcom real-time APIs which work very differently so there is no way of knowing whether it will be better or worse than NightScout until they release it.
Like @TomH I would certainly remove the NightScout intermediary if I could, although I like the NIghtScout display itself (I like the blue line predictions). I’m tempted having got this far to see if I can implement it (NightScout) myself using a local server that I control.
@jbowler I’ve noticed the delay you mention and periodic “OLD” designation appearing on the Sugarmate app, even when the Dexcom app itself is fine. I thought it might be just my implementation/tech; your mentioning it makes me think otherwise. I also agree the NightScout app itself looks interesting, different layout/color’s/et al. Need to check on Apple Watch interfaces/apps, but the cost per year for the T1Pal or DIY NightScout implementation bears watching too.
@Jim_YYC My intention was (think I succeeded) to sign up for month-to-month. They have a special Sugarmate user set up page, fairly straightforward (still looked put together by a software engineer vice a non-techy type) and result in nearly immediate flow of information.
I went with T1Pal because they seemed to have good customer service and that are offering a no-thought-required setup, but they are in the US so they are covered by the HIPAA as I am in the US too. 10BE (NS setup guide) is based in Germany so they are covered by the much stronger EU regulations, in particular GDPR; certainly a safer bet if you are in the EU, maybe even the UK (but who knows.)
I looked at 10BE, it’s cheaper but doesn’t seem to have the active support that T1Pal has been providing on the NightScout FB pages. I wanted zero-thought so went for the $12/month option rather than $5/month.
My Sugarmate, fed by T1Pal, stopped working at 7:11 am today. Have tried resetting iPhone, checked T1Pal NightScout (no data there either). Sent T1Pal support and email asking for reps on troubleshooting, no response as yet. Anyone else having problems? I just read Amazon Web Services has had wide-spread problems today which may be (part of) the cause? Fortunately, Dexcom’s app is still working.
@Jim_YYC Thanks for the feedback! I received an em from Mike Sommer at T1Pal. Followed a couple of recommendations from him and provided info back. Hopefully it will resolve in near future, but no joy so far. It’s amazing how dependent we become on tech… If all else fails, I can use Dexcom until Sugarmate testing is done.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) was being severely impacted earlier today, however I have not noticed any issues with T1Pal/SugarMate - I get odd delays, but today has looked like every other day. I am in Oregon and the primary AWS site that was having problems was “the East Coast”, since some of their global operations work from there the problem had wide-spread impact.
EDIT (in italics): CGM ITG comments show that Heroku was also down in a contiguous timeframe. The Heroku status page is here:
It seems to me (despite the comments in CGMITG) that Heroku might be using multiple AWS servers (portals, there’s some magic word for the things that are down - see the El Reg comments) and this might only be hitting some Heroku and T1Pal users.
After suspecting for some time it was my problem (I’ve been revamping my network and, in particular, my pi.hole based ad blocking - it blocks a lot of amazon I eventually consulted “Down Detector” and it immediately showed me the problem was widespread. If you look at their listed problem sites you will see that Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T all showed problems at the same time so it’s very possible your problem was connectivity, either via the cell system or via your ISP, My connectivity is, indirectly, via Charter (I think; my ISP’s provider) and my systems are resilient against anything except complete disconnection from the internet.
and here is El Reg’s analysis, likely more thorough than others you will find on the mainstream media:
Meanwhile I’m still in the throes of trying to localize my NIghtScout - i.e. remove my dependence on T1Pal, or Heroku or Atlas. There’s no documentation about how to do it, but it seems like it’s not too difficult beyond the need for MongoDB (64-bit computer required) and NightScout’s use of an antique Node.js (v12 max.)
@jbowler Thanks for all the info! I’m tech inclined, but aged out of knowing it all a couple of years back so wont pretend to understand it all. I live in Loudoun County, VA; supposedly about 90% of internet traffic flows through here (according to the county and various tech statements). Several of AWS’s largest facilities are within a couple miles of my house. We have so many absolutely huge data centers, my wife and I regularly discuss what will happen to our tax base when quantum computers or whatever next step reduces servers to the size of a finger nail! I’m sure In the server wars of the future, we live at ground zero. Anyway, literally everything else internet seems to be functional except Sugarmate/T1Pal. I found out my T1Pal NightScout account isn’t getting data either so the problem lays prior to that. More to follow…
My Sugarmate app and NightScout accounts both regained data flow between 9-10 pm EDT tonight. I strongly suspect the cause was AWS outage related…that or the biggest coincidence in the world… Either way, glad things are back to working!
Yes, Heroku went back up around then, well, their status page no longer whines about an unnamed third party supplier. Mongo (Atlas) weren’t reporting problems, so I have to query the accuracy of the T1Pal blamage.
The wait is over; in case you didn’t get the email (and Tandem aren’t letting me post a link, so the link I post, sensitive information deleted, is their fault):
To restore access to CGM data from Dexcom:
Update the Sugarmate™ app to the latest version (2.7.1) in the App Store
WARNING, DANGER WILL ROBINSON, WARNING WARNING WARNING
DO NOT “UPGRADE” YOUR SUGARMATE APP ON THE Iphone UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
More information when I have got to the ass[sic - I got 4 stars for the correct spelling] end of this.
EDIT: yep. They have disabled T1Pal and, in general, NightScout using the Dexcom “share” (they refer to it as “bridge”). I have a sequence of screen shots but, so far as I can see, it’s not just T1Pal it is any nightscout (including roll-your-own) that access data off the bridge. How they work this out is an entertaining question - apparently they are able to back-door the NightScout URI to discover it is using the “bridge”.
Ok, so I’m going ballistic. I just deleted SugarMate. I want to remove the ability for the iPhone Dexcom app to upload my data; I’ve done that, temporarily, by blocking the Dexcom sites my iPhone is accessing. Here is the problem:
No. All my blood sugars are Copyight (c) John Bowler, and no one else. I have worked years on these blood sugars, they are unique, they are mine. I haven’t chopped off an ear, but I might be on my way to losing an eye.
So I have deleted SugarMate.
I really like the Dexcom G6. It works. I really hate people who encounter an opportunity to make the world a better place and use it for abusive purposes. (Yes, I believe Van Gogh was abused.)
I received an email today from Sugarmate re: “Sugarmate CGM data is back online”.
Here are their instructions:
To restore access to CGM data from Dexcom:
Update the Sugarmate™ app to the latest version (2.7.1) in the App Store
Reconnect your data source, you will be prompted to do this when you open the updated version of the app.
Unfortunately, they are discontinuing their Nightscout bridge support:
Please note: The Share2Nightscout bridge support for accessing CGM data will no longer be supported in version 2.7.1 of the Sugarmate app. If you are currently using this connection method, you will need to update your app and reconnect before reestablishing CGM data.
I eventually consulted “
