Deconz - Rename Devices/Entities correct

Configuration
1

What is the correct Way to manage Deconz / Phoscon Devices?

I want to streamline all my Devices/ Entities. If i need to replace a Device, i never want to go through all my Automations/Scripts again :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Generally, i Add/Edit a Device via the DeCONZ/Phoscon-Addon. After a Restart, in Deconz and HA Devices it is fine, while in the (Autogen)Dashboard and Settings->Entity it isn’t updated. So i edit the corresponding Entitiy, and do a restart again. It seems to be fine.

  1. Is this overall the correct Procedure?
  2. In Case i will need to swap a Device, can i just delete the Device in DeCONZ, in HA->Devices and HA->Entities, and afterwards following the upper Procedure to give the new Device the SAME Name + Entity? Any Drawbacks, Leftovers i need to think of?
  3. Sensor / Switches have more than one Entity belonging to one Device (e.g. Battery). I found out, for a like above renamed Motion-Sensor, the Battery-Entity is missing. What do i need to do, to have all Entities named how i want it, and be prepared to replace them?

Bonus: :smiley: I first thought of naming all Devices more ‘technically’, like “light.hue_e14_multicolor_4”. But there seems to be no real Venefit, while i always need a Cheatbook open.
So my Plan is, to name all Entities to: domain.room_Device - e.g. “light.kitchen_tablelight”. If more than one Device for a ‘Function’, all Devices with Suffix-Numbers, and grouped. What do you think?

2

Entity ids will never change on restart once it’s been created (if it reports a unique id). You can change it manually though

I also name the room and what light. If there are multiple lights in the fixture I typically add the position or direction to distinguish between the different lights

3

Sounds good! :slight_smile:

The other Option i thought of, was to set up Groups for every Light, even with just one Device. It might make it easier to change Devices, while not touching any Automation/Script. Thoughts on this?

Then this would be the only Problem im facing. How can one control the entities of an Device in DeCONZ, if it is more than one Entity? For the Motion-Sensor i tried it - the Battery Entity is just gone.

4

Do you really already plan to replace everything? Else I wouldn’t bother going the groups route.

An entity in home assistant represents a part of a full device in deconz, depending on the device you will get one or more entities together representing more of the whole device. You also have the device registry that bundles those entities together representing the whole deconz device.

You can use that device in automations directly as well.

5

Yes, i think of replacing everything - its already a pain with my non-intuitive, not-streamlined Entities. And there are more Devices to come :slight_smile:
I like the Idea of “Group → Ceiling Light - let me just add, remove the Devices as i like”. It might make sure that i will never have to go through all Automations, even if would have to re-add all Devices.
So no Drawbacks for the Group Route, aside i have to set it up once one by one?

I don’t get that. Lets get it straight - assumed i add a Device in Deconz with more than one Entity - how and where can i edit the Entiti(es) as needed?
The way i did it - Edit the “Main” Entity in Settings->Entities - resulted in the Loss of the other Entity.

6

I still haven’t found a Way to rename my Deconz-Entities, when there is more than one Entity belonging to that Device.

Anybody an Advice, whats the proper Way to rename those Entities corrrectly?