BLE tracker over bluetooth_proxy

ESPHome
1

Hi everyone,
I have tried to set up a bluetooth_proxy using ESPHome but no devices are reported to home-assistant.
Here is my configuration of ESPHome:

substitutions:
  name: esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4
  friendly_name: BT-proxy
packages:
  esphome.bluetooth-proxy: github://esphome/firmware/bluetooth-proxy/esp32-generic.yaml@main
esphome:
  name: ${name}
  name_add_mac_suffix: false
  friendly_name: ${friendly_name}
api:
  encryption:
    key: REDACTED


wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password

bluetooth_proxy:
  active: true

esp32_ble_tracker:
  scan_parameters:
    interval: 1100ms
    window: 1100ms
    active: true

logger:
  level: VERBOSE

The following is in my configuration.yaml:

device_tracker:
  - platform: bluetooth_le_tracker  
    interval_seconds: 12
    consider_home: 180
    track_new_devices: true

I can see the bluetooth_proxy device in my ESPHome integration in home-assistant:

image
image3106×143 19.7 KB

I also see from the logs that the ESP device does start scanning:

INFO ESPHome 2023.6.3
INFO Reading configuration config/esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4.yaml...
INFO Starting log output from esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4.local using esphome API
INFO Successfully connected to esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4.local
[22:56:47][I][app:102]: ESPHome version 2023.6.3 compiled on Oct 25 2023, 22:46:40
[22:56:47][I][app:104]: Project esphome.bluetooth-proxy version 1.0
[22:56:47][C][wifi:543]: WiFi:
[22:56:47][C][wifi:379]:   Local MAC: 40:91:51:FC:F5:C4
[22:56:47][C][wifi:380]:   SSID: [redacted]
[22:56:47][C][wifi:381]:   IP Address: 192.168.1.105
[22:56:47][C][wifi:383]:   BSSID: [redacted]
[22:56:47][C][wifi:384]:   Hostname: 'esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4'
[22:56:47][C][wifi:386]:   Signal strength: -64 dB ▂▄▆█
[22:56:47][C][wifi:390]:   Channel: 2
[22:56:47][C][wifi:391]:   Subnet: 255.255.255.0
[22:56:47][C][wifi:392]:   Gateway: 192.168.1.1
[22:56:47][C][wifi:393]:   DNS1: 192.168.1.1
[22:56:47][C][wifi:394]:   DNS2: 0.0.0.0
[22:56:47][C][logger:301]: Logger:
[22:56:47][C][logger:302]:   Level: DEBUG
[22:56:47][C][logger:303]:   Log Baud Rate: 115200
[22:56:47][C][logger:305]:   Hardware UART: UART0
[22:56:47][C][bluetooth_proxy:088]: Bluetooth Proxy:
[22:56:47][C][bluetooth_proxy:089]:   Active: YES
[22:56:47][C][safe_mode.button:022]: Safe Mode Button 'Safe Mode Boot'
[22:56:47][C][safe_mode.button:022]:   Icon: 'mdi:restart-alert'
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble:238]: ESP32 BLE:
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble:240]:   MAC address: 40:91:51:FC:F5:C6
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble:241]:   IO Capability: none
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble_tracker:590]: BLE Tracker:
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble_tracker:591]:   Scan Duration: 300 s
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble_tracker:592]:   Scan Interval: 1100.0 ms
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble_tracker:593]:   Scan Window: 1100.0 ms
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble_tracker:594]:   Scan Type: ACTIVE
[22:56:47][C][esp32_ble_tracker:595]:   Continuous Scanning: True
[22:56:47][C][mdns:108]: mDNS:
[22:56:47][C][mdns:109]:   Hostname: esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4
[22:56:47][C][ota:093]: Over-The-Air Updates:
[22:56:47][C][ota:094]:   Address: esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4.local:3232
[22:56:47][C][api:138]: API Server:
[22:56:47][C][api:139]:   Address: esp32-bluetooth-proxy-fcf5c4.local:6053
[22:56:47][C][api:141]:   Using noise encryption: YES
[22:56:47][C][improv_serial:032]: Improv Serial:

But no bluetooth nor BLE devices are reported to home-assistant.

2

Do you supported devices (ie they have an integration) in range of it?

3

Shouldn’t it at least see my smartphone? There are multiple bluetooth devices in the same room.
Just a short extract of the devices available from my laptop (placed next to the ESP32):

root@g:/home/g# bluetoothctl scan on
Discovery started
[CHG] Controller 3C:58:C2:F1:AB:75 Discovering: yes
[NEW] Device EC:FA:5C:7D:C9:90 Living Room TV
[NEW] Device FC:19:28:0C:1A:A7 Lemorele 280C1AA6
[NEW] Device B8:27:EB:D6:6F:EF MusicaSalotto
4

Nope. Only if you have it setup to broadcast as an iBeacon (via an app).

The BT Proxy just forwards everything it sees to HA that then utilizes it IF there’s an integration for the data.

5

Oh… So I can’t use it to track my smartphone without setting it up as an iBeacon?

6

Nope. There IS a feature in the HA app to do this but it seems to be very mixed at working. Never worked for my phone (but another app did). I didn’t care enough to go that route though.