Ping device_tracker: which options may be used?

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

Consider a PING device_tracker.
These options are described for device_tracker:
here:

1. interval_seconds:
   default: 12
   Seconds between each scan for new devices. This only applies to local device trackers, not applications that push updates.

2. consider_home
   default: 180
   Seconds to wait till marking someone as not home after not being seen. This parameter is most useful for households with Apple iOS devices that go into sleep mode while still at home to conserve battery life. …

I wonder are these options work for PING-based trackers as well?
And since HA 2023.12 a “scan_interval” is not supported for PING; so, what about “interval_seconds” ?

[Mesmo (David)]

I have this automation working to replicate interval_seconds:

But am at a loss re. consider_home (for exactly the same reasons) - any thoughts on this would be greatly received.

[quaqo]

@Ildar_Gabdullin

consider_home
default: 180
Seconds to wait till marking someone as not home after not being seen. This parameter is most useful for households with Apple iOS devices that go into sleep mode while still at home to conserve battery life. …

I wonder the same about consider_home, I feel is a functionality that has been just ignored: there’s no official advise on how to move forward. I read and appreciated your solution with an additional binary sensor, but it’s just too much honestly to replace one line!

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

@Mesmo

interval_seconds

Yes, it seems to be same as scan_interval and may be implemented by “time_pattern” trigger.
See this also.

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

@quaqo

I read and appreciated your solution with an additional binary sensor, but it’s just too much honestly to replace one line!

Agree. Too cumbersome.

[Ildar_Gabdullin]

May be a bit unrelated thing:
when adding a PING integration - 2 entities are created:
– device_tracker
– “connectivity” binary_sensor

Assume you got an automation to update a device_tracker (every 1 minute).
The binary_sensor is updated right after updating the device_tracker - no need to have TWO automations )))

A useful feature.

[quaqo]

@Ildar_Gabdullin

The binary_sensor is updated right after updating the device_tracker - no need to have TWO automations )))

Because they’re exactly the same, without consider_home. In fact, ATM they’re a duplicate (one is a connectivity class entity, the other a presence one), but they represent the same data.

Also what happens if I need the device tracker to be updated less frequently but still want to ping the “device”? Can I have two different intervals? I think I can’t. That’s why consider_home is even more important to have.