2023.12 Ping integration changes & scan_interval

parautenbach · December 9, 2023, 2:47pm

It’s not only about the value, but also the config option, which is being deprecated for all integrations that still uses it. It’s not specific to the ping integration. This was an architectural decision by die HA core team. I don’t think any debate on that point will change it.

Ildar_Gabdullin · December 9, 2023, 3:13pm

I tend to agree that “scan_interval” could be / should be deprecated:

Less experienced users will use a default freq.
More experienced users will use an automation - it is MUCH BETTER: you may update conditionally, you may stop updating. These things were not possible (if I am right) with “scan_interval”.

123 · December 9, 2023, 3:19pm

The first time the automation is triggered, the value of last_triggered is none and the subtraction will fail with an error message.

You can mitigate it with a default filter but the resulting template won’t be simpler than this:

{{ now().timestamp() | int(0) % 90 == 0 }}

mwav3 · December 9, 2023, 3:38pm

Oh boy, do you mean these options?

If so, many integrations use that, and this could become a mess. I might not be understanding this right though and haven’t been able to find the discussions in github around this. Do you have any links you can share with discussions around deprecating the integration’s config options? Definitely curious to know more about this.

petro · December 9, 2023, 4:14pm

Config options are not being deprecated.

petro · December 9, 2023, 4:14pm

Standard Polling Frequency

The standard Ping polling frequency in 2023.12.0 is 5 minutes. This has been updated in 2023.12.1 to a polling frequency of 30 seconds.

Consider Home

Consider home will be available in 2024.1.x. If you join the beta, you can have it as early as December 28th 2023.

Altering Default Polling Frequency

To alter the default polling rate:

Disable polling (Note this does not disable a single poll that occurs at startup)
- 3 vertical dots → System Options → Turn off Enable polling for updates.

Create an automation with any polling rate you desire using any number of available triggers.
Heres a typical automation with a 15 second polling rate for multiple ping entities

trigger:
- platform: time_pattern
  seconds: "/15"
action:
- service: homeassistant.update_entity
  target:
    entity_id:
    - sensor.ping_device1
    - sensor.ping_device2

quaqo · December 9, 2023, 5:16pm

The comeback is great news! Thanks! Do you happen to know why it wasn’t documented in 2023.12 release notes as a breaking change?

quaqo · December 9, 2023, 5:20pm

Just curious, as I already explained how I feel (I agree with the change but not with the timing): do you know why the Nmap Tracker scan_interval wasn’t removed when it was moved to config flow/UI?

parautenbach · December 9, 2023, 6:37pm

I have unfortunately no idea. I can only speculate. It could’ve been an oversight. I only used the nmap tracker for a short while when I started using HA ~5 years ago, but I dropped it so haven’t followed its updates too closely. Perhaps one of the core devs see your comment and can chime in.

quaqo · December 9, 2023, 6:37pm

Thanks anyways!

teskanoo · December 10, 2023, 10:00pm

I have just upgraded to 2023.12.1 and have discovered that the service I used to call ‘ping.reload’ has also been removed. Probably not a bad thing as I may have been using it incorrectly in the first place (4 years ago) in an attempt to re-ping all my family’s phones shortly after the front-door opened.

petro · December 10, 2023, 10:36pm

Just change that to homeassistant.update_entity listing out the entities that ping the phones.

teskanoo · December 10, 2023, 11:27pm

Thanks petro - I ended up doing this (as I need to call in in a few places)

script:
  alias: phones_ping_update_entity
  sequence:
    - service: homeassistant.update_entity
      target:
        entity_id: "{{integration_entities('ping')|select('contains', 'binary_sensor.ping_phone_')|list}}"
      data: {}
  mode: queued
  icon: mdi:cellphone-arrow-down
  max: 11

Mariusthvdb · December 11, 2023, 7:07am

right, I forgot to add what I usually add with these this.attributes.last_triggered :

if this.attributes.last_triggered is not none else true}}

that would be confirmation of your comment… not simpler at all

liminal · December 11, 2023, 9:58am

Has anyone found the new integration flaky as well?

Now my phones seem to flap on/ off. I have a TTS to greet family members, now it goes off every time someone walks into the kitchen

Ive tried re-adding the devices, but that seems to not make a difference as well as not being able to name the device

You need to add it as a host then go in and change it.

Why was this done at all??

blackie333 · December 11, 2023, 10:07am

It’s sad to see changing integration from yaml to GUI most of the time means degradation (less user settings and flexibility).
Could the HA team somehow force the integration developers to implement all existing yaml parameters to GUI before accepting the GUI version?
Because now when in the release notes I see my active integration moving to GUI always makes a sad smiley on my face (knowing I will loose more than I gain)…

liminal · December 11, 2023, 10:09am

What does ping count even mean? its not in the doco.

liminal · December 11, 2023, 11:08am

Is anyone else getting this flapping, it just goes on and on

Mariusthvdb · December 11, 2023, 11:24am

it’s your phone saving battery power and disconnecting from the wifi …

this is with the default scan_interval.

it will be solved when consider_home is implemented next update (2024.1)

anon63427907 · December 11, 2023, 1:52pm

Yes, i just copied everything from latest branch into my own home assistant and you can adjust consider home on the UI, which should eliminate flakiness.

It should be better named as consider not home because whenever the device is pinged, it is assumed at home but it should be offline for consider home duration in seconds to become not home.

I setup my ping sensor to 10 seconds and consider home to 30 seconds and it is not flakey anymore.

Overall, many of us spent lots of time on this just because there is a believe that people might abuse ping sensor to disturb other services. And the way we solve the problem, just making it harder to abuse and hope that not bad actors or naive ones found it out