HowTo ESPHome in container (docker) on synology and connecting ESP8266

[LJL_Houben (Ludo Houben)]

Hi All

As a newbie I’m struggling with connecting my ESP32-01 (ESP8266) to ESPHome. The following steps I have taken until now and they look successfull

Installing ESPHome to synology

1. Goto Container Manager and select ‘Registry’.
2. Search for ‘esphome/esphome’
3. Select it and hit ‘Download’
   
   
4. Select the latest version if asked
   
   
5. Select ‘Image’, ‘esphome/esphome’ and hit ‘run’
   
   
6. Give the container a name and hit ‘next’
   
   
7. Under ‘advanced settings’ set the external port (I used the default 6052). Add a folder for the files (I used ‘/docker/esphome’) and set it to ‘/config’.
   
   
8. If all went well you will find the container under ‘Container’ with a green status. You can check if it runs by opening it in a browser http://<your synology ip>:6052

Setup reverse proxy in synology

1. Goto ‘Login Portal’, select tab ‘Advanced’ and hit ‘Reverse Proxy’.
   
   
2. Set the source hostname to e.g. ‘esphome.myhome.lan’ with port 80. Set the destination to ‘localhost’ with port 6052.
   
   
3. Switch to tab ‘custom header’ and select ‘create’, ‘websocket’ leave the defaults and hit ‘save’
   
   

Modify the USB programmer
Follow this manual

Get some life in the ESP-01 (ESP8266)

1. Make sure you have followed the ‘Modify theUSB programmer’ steps.

2. Goto https://web.esphome.io/ with chrome or edge browser as firefox does not support the serial programming.
   

   

3. Stack the ESP-01 onto the USB programmer

4. Push the button, hold it and insert the USB programmer into your computer. The blue LED will shortly blink.

5. Hit the connect button, select the programmer and hit ‘connect’
   

   

6. Select ‘prepare for first use’ and hit ‘install’
   

   

7. The website tries to connect and when it has, then the blue LED will blink several times each time the progress bar increases a new step.
   

   

8. When everything went OK, then you will see this screen and you can hit ‘close’
   

   

9. It will try to re-connect but fail with this screen.
   

   

10. Hit ‘close’, remove the USB programmer, wait 3 seconds and insert the USB programmer again without activating the added button. This will reboot the ESP-01

11. If it is realy the first time that you programmed the device, then get your smartphone and continue with step 12, otherwise continue with step 13

12. On your smartphone search for a WiFi network with the signature ‘esphome-web-’ and connect to it. A window will open and you can select your home WiFi. Add the required credentials and let it connect to your wifi. Unfortunally I already have done this, so I cannot add any screenshots anymore. Your device is now ready for the next part. You can skip the next steps.

13. When the device was loaded in the past, then reconnect to the USB programmer and hit the 3 dots at the end. Select ‘configure wifi’
    

    

14. When your device is discovered, then you will see the following. Hit ‘change wifi’ to change the WiFi. You may skip this if it was already correctly configured.
    

    

15. Select your home WiFi and supply the credentials. Hit ‘connect’ and wait until finished.
    

    

Create a device in ESPHome

1. Goto your instance of ESPHome, hit ‘add device’ and ‘continue’ when you get the info about a new device (you already have done this by now). Add the name of the device and hit ‘next’
   
   
2. Press ‘skip this step’ when prompted
   
   
3. Select the ‘ESP8266’ device from the list
   
   
4. Wait until the installation is finished and select ‘install’
   
   
5. Select wirelessly
   
   
6. Have patience, it needs some time to start (approx. 30 seconds), when you see data appearing then it is installing. Let the installer finish!!
   
   
7. When you see this, then the installing was OK and continue with the next part ‘Get the damn thing working’
   
   

Get the damn thing working
…yup need to find a solution for the next part