Attribute entity_id with event device_tracker_new_device not working

Configuration
1

To get a notification when a new device is discovered on my network I added the following to my Automations.

- alias: Notify when new device discovered
  trigger:
    platform: event
    event_type: device_tracker_new_device
  action:
    - service: notify.telegram
      data_template:
        message: >
          New device:
          {{trigger.event.data.host_name}}
          ({{trigger.event.data.entity_id}})
        title: New device

Unfortunately this is not working. The new device is being recognized but I do not get a notification. When I remove the {{trigger.event.data.entity_id}} itā€™s working correctly: I receive a message with the host name.
Is the attribute entity_id for this event broken with HA 0.75?

2

is this of any help?

3

Thanks, but I am afraid thatā€™s not going to help. In that thread the OP is looking for the attribute to get the entity_id. I know the attribute (according to the documentation): trigger.event.data.entity_id
Unfortunately itā€™s not giving back any data or maybe it even generates an error somewhere because the notification isnā€™t being send at all.

4

You need to look at the event response. Everything in the data section is dependent on the device that is created. This information will change between components. If entity_id is not returned in the event, that method will not work.

I recommend you turn info on in logging and look at the event data.

5

I mean, you could just use this method, but you may not always get an entity_id:

- alias: Notify when new device discovered
  trigger:
    platform: event
    event_type: device_tracker_new_device
  action:
    - service: notify.telegram
      data_template:
        message: >
          New device:
          {{ trigger.event.data.host_name if trigger.event.data.host_name is defined else "NA" }}
          ({{ trigger.event.data.entity_id if trigger.event.data.entity_id is defined else "NA" }})
        title: New device
6

Thanks for your reply! I will try this this evening.
Actually I wonder why there should not always be an entity_id for a newly discovered device. I cannot imagine a situation in which it can be empty. trigger.event.data.entity_id is a valid attribute according to the documentation and a lot of other examples.

7

Itā€™s because you are using an event trigger. Event triggers do not contain entity idā€™s because they arenā€™t always there. Almost all other triggers contain an entity_id.

8

Strange, because in these threads the entity_id is used succesfully with the device_tracker_new_device event.

and the source code for the device tracker specifies the entity_id as an valid attribute:
https://github.com/home-assistant/home-assistant/blob/714b5161767bc426f261835b4fc06519435076e3/homeassistant/components/device_tracker/init.py#L297-L300

9

Again, that is dependent on the component being used. For example, a IOS device tracker may have different event data than a ASUS router device tracker. It all depends on the component being used. Apparently the component you are using doesnā€™t give entity_id inside the event data.

10

Ah, now I get it! Thanks!

11

FWIW, hereā€™s the code in method async_see (from homeassistant/components/device_tracker/__init__.py) that fires that event:

EVENT_NEW_DEVICE = 'device_tracker_new_device'
...
        self.hass.bus.async_fire(EVENT_NEW_DEVICE, {
            ATTR_ENTITY_ID: device.entity_id,
            ATTR_HOST_NAME: device.host_name,
            ATTR_MAC: device.mac,
        })

It hasnā€™t changed for a long time. And I donā€™t see that method being overridden in any device_tracker platform code. So it would appear that trigger.event.data.entity_id should be valid no matter which device_tracker platform is being used.

Of course, that doesnā€™t explain why itā€™s not working for you. You should do as @petro suggests and look in your HA log for that event and see what data is actually logged.

1 Like
12

Apparently the entity_id is retrieved correctly (device_tracker.laplinux). The error occurs when sending the Telegram message.

  id: Telegram_new_device
  alias: 'Bericht bij nieuw netwerkapparaat'
  hide_entity: true
  trigger:
    platform: event
    event_type: device_tracker_new_device
  action:
    - service: notify.telegram
      data_template:
        title: Netwerkapparaat
        message: >
          New device:
          {{trigger.event.data.host_name}}
          ({{trigger.event.data.entity_id}})

and the error message:

Tue Aug 21 2018 19:28:26 GMT+0200 (CEST)
Error sending message: Can't parse entities: can't find end of the entity starting at byte offset 44. Args: (12345678, 'Netwerkapparaat\nNew device: Laplinux (device_tracker.laplinux)'), kwargs: {'parse_mode': 'Markdown', 'disable_notification': False, 'disable_web_page_preview': None, 'timeout': None, 'reply_to_message_id': None, 'reply_markup': None}
13

Problem solved!

@pnbruckner
@petro

The entity_id could be retrieved. Problem was the parse mode for Telegram. Default is markdown but for values containing an _ it should be html

Thanks for helping!

1 Like
14

I know itā€™s old but trying to have it working with notify.pushbullet service but it just doesnā€™t workā€¦ the problem is with message. Do you know how should it be written to work?

  - alias: Notify for new devices
    trigger:
      platform: event
      event_type: device_tracker_new_device
    action:
      - service: notify.pushbullet
        data:
          title: "New device"
          message: "New device: something"

it works but

message: >
New device:
{{trigger.event.data.host_name}}
({{trigger.event.data.entity_id}})

doesnā€™t work. What do you think?

15

try to replace data with data_template

1 Like
16

thank you! it works! I would not solve it without your help!

1 Like
17

no worries. data is for static data. If you need variables (the stuff that goes between the curly braces) you need data_template.
Have fun