Google Assistant connect to HA fails: new router

Configuration
1

I have been successfully using a Google Assistant integration to my local home assistant running on a rpi for quite a while. I have my own domain, a dns service and set up port forwarding and a certificate on my Google mesh network that connects to another IOT network behind a netgear router. The IOT network hosts my rpi, a vera zwave controller and a couple of other wifi devices. Everything works well.

I recently switched my internet service over to Verizon 5g Home internet (ARC-XCI55AX gateway) and connected the Google router directly to the LAN connection on the Verizon router.

I now cannot link Google Assistant to Home Assistant. When I relink the account to HA I can successfully log in but then get a ‘Could not reach [Test] home assistant. Please try again.’.

I have checked logs on the Verizon router, nothing, put my Google router in DMZ mode, and even switched the Verizon router to bridge node. Nothing works.

Are there log setting I can set in HA to see if it is causing the error?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. I really want to get rid of my old ISP.

2

Sounds like this might be related to mDNS. This will be required to allow discovery of the Google Home devices across different networks.

When I implemented pfSense & segregated my iot devices onto their own network I had this issue. In my case I installed mDNS on my pfSense router but you could run it anywhere. HA had an official add-on too.

3

Could be mdns, could also be dns. Are you able to resolve your custom url to the inside ip of your ha instance? If it resolves to the external address, the new router might be unhappy about the hairpinning.

4

Great suggestion. Another path to check out.

5

Thanks. I didn’t consider that.

6

I’m not networking expert but when I nslookup from the internal rpi that’s hosting HA it resolves to my external ip address. (I have ddclient running to update my dns provider).

I’m guessing I’m hairpinning. The Google Home router doesn’t seem to mind but Verizon appears to block it.

How do I easily resolve the name internally and prevent the hairpinning? Do I need a local dns server or mDNS?

7

Add the dns server add on to ha and then put that ip in your dhcp servers dns field, then reboot the Google device. Once it picks up the internal ip for dns instead of whatever it was using, it should then resolve internally.

Jump to about the 5:00 minute mark for the dns install & config.