Hi! First time posting here.
So, I’ve recently bought two Aqara cameras (Hub G3). I connected a few Aqara thermostats to them as I’d like to be able to control them via Google Home as well and I’ve had sync issues connecting devices via the NabuCasa cloud service. Due to the limitations with automations on the Aquara platform, I’d like to do that within Home Assistant. As I understand it, all Aqara hubs should be able to integrate into Home Assistant via HomeKit with no issues, if you have the pairing code (which I do).
Issue: Even though they are on the same network, HASS cannot discover them (neither automatic discovery nor by going through the “add integration” button). Has anyone found a way to connect the G3 camera hubs as HomeKit Controllers? Sadly, I have no Apple devices available to try troubleshooting with those.
System: Dedicated Win10 machine, HASS running in VirtualBox
Additional apps on the device: Plex, Syncthing
Hey @ONYX, I don’t have one of those myself but there are a few things you can check. Get any mDNS service browser (I used an Android app simply called “Service Browser” until a recent Android update broke it) & look for _hap._tcp devices. You should be able to view the device’s attributes, specifically the sf attribute. If it is 0, the device thinks it is already paired. If it is 1, the device can be paired.
I’ve just tried to find _hap._tcp with two different apps, “mDNS Discovery” and “Service Browser”. Interestingly, there seems to be no such entry. I did find _aqara-setup._tcp which announces different attributes, though. None of these attributes are called sf either.
It could be possible that those specific devices cannot be paired to HomeKit once they’re set up through the app. That would explain why HASS is able to detect them on the network for a second after or during an update. Discussions on this topic in the Aqara subreddit claim that being signed in to HomeKit as well as the app is working for them which is weird if this actually was the issue.
It seems as though the camera doesn’t advertise itself as being available for HomeKit pairing.
@ONYX it’s worth trying a reboot of the hub & then checking. There’s a clause somewhere in the HAP spec that says devices should only advertise HAP for a few minutes if they are unpaired. After that, HAP shuts down.
@lambdafunction, thanks for that info! This is the one information I was missing. It seems that I was too patient when trying to connect via HomeKit. I’ve now tried to set it up right after the reboot and everything works as intended now. You absolutely made my day
Are you happy with the G3s so far?
I’m thinking about buying one myself but every other thread makes it seem like there are lots of problems.
Do you have full functionality of the G3 when connected via HomeKit? Including Aqara Zigbee devices connected to the G3 hub?
Well, that depends on what you’re looking for.
I bought two G3 hubs because of their no subscription camera features - the hub functionality was just an added bonus.
TL;DR: HomeKit works as intended, no issues. Some devices or features may not be working as expected via HomeKit. Most of the issues can be fixed by connecting those devices directly through zigbee2mqtt \ ZHA \ deconz.
In combination with 64 gigs of storage SD-cards added per camera, they allow me to record around two days of continuous footage which is more than enough for my usecase. If you want all the camera features to be supported via HomeKit, you’ll be disappointed, though.
HomeKit video only allows you to stream low resolution live video to your HASS instance. If you’re ok with using the camera functionality through the aqara app, you’ll be pleased to know that most of the devices registered to the hub will work perfectly fine, though.
Right now I have four radiator valves, three temperature sensors and a leak sensor connected to one of the two hubs. The HomeKit connection to HASS works flawlessly, including full local control even when the cameras can’t connect to aqara servers.
If you’re interested in integrating stuff like buttons or the cube, you might get mixed results as - at least in my case - HASS did not receive any information about button press events. I’d recommend connecting those kinds of input devices directly to your HASS instance (i’m running a second zigbee2mqtt network but ZHA or deconz would be fine, too). You can still trigger aqara devices using those buttons when connected through z2mqtt etc. So as long as you are able to get those set up there should be no hard feelings.
@serialoverflow, I hope this helps! Just ask if you need further information
Thanks a lot, that sounds great.
What’s your experience with the radiators?
Those are the reason why i’m considering getting the G3 as hub. Because at least the “open window detection” does not seem to be supported with Z2M. Up until now i have mostly Aqara devices and everything connected directly to Sonoff with Z2M. But i’m thinking for some integrated mechanisms like Radiator with external temp and window contact detection using the Aqara hub might be better? Plus i have the option to get all features out of complex devices like the G3, albeit then probably not well integrated with HA via HomeKit.
The TRVs work well for me. The only major issue I had with them was that you can only set three different scheduled temperatures via the aqara app which does not even work very well. I have solved this by scheduling temperature changes through the Scheduler Component in conjunction with the Scheduler Card.
I’ve bound temperature sensors to the TRVs through the aqara app - this works without issues. HASS handles open window detection for me which allows me to run a few more automations than just window open temperature down. For example, opening the window also directly controls fans to start / stop.
If you’re just looking into buying the G3 for its features regarding the TRVs only, I’d recommend checking out Better Thermostat and Better Thermostat UI first as those components might already be serving you better than the aqara app could.
I think both ways of integrating are fine. If you’re interested in using the G3 anyways and like the added benefit of your devices being accessible via the aqara cloud, buying the hub shouldn’t make you feel much buyer’s remorse. If that’s not too important for you, you might be better off integrating those devices directly through z2mqtt - especially as you’re probably integrating them into an already existing mesh which could result in more stable connections to the TRVs overall.
Does this mean that you were able to successfully integrate the G3 hub’s camera into the Apple Home App (HomeKit), the Aqara Home app and Home Assistant?
I own a G3 hub, too, and could only integrate it into Apple Home and Aqara Home – but Home Assistant doesn’t see it when I try to add it via the HomeKit Controller integration.
Am I doing something wrong? Is there a step-by-step guide available somewhere?
Nope, as far as I know, you must choose to either integrate devices into Apple Home or into HASS which also “speaks” HomeKit. You can share devices and entities from HASS to Apple Home afterwards, though.
Make HASS entities available for Apple Home: see this.
However, do look at supported device / entity types for each integration. I personally don’t use Apple Home but I suspect that some features (e.g. video feeds) may not become available in Apple Home when bridged via HASS.
after a certain time if it is not associated the port is closed from device.
I resolved reboot device and right after reboot ha, now a new device from homekit is out.
Hi! I could integrate my G3 into HASS, allowing me to see the stream, 2 (?) mute switches, movement detection and little more on Lovelace. To do this integration, I had to reset the G3 device, install it on HomeKit, then uninstall from HomeKit before seing it on HA. So, now, it is no longer connected to Aqara Home (Android) or HomeKit (iOS).
Is there a possibility to use the G3 with BOTH Home Assistant AND the AQARA App?
Thanks in advance!
Tried to integrate via matter to home assistant. Here is the result.
I can control this devices in Aqara home, Home kit and Home assistant.
I used Sonoff Dongle E with multipan firmware.
Cannot integrate via home kit. Device just dosn’t appears in my HA devices!
temperature down. For example, opening the window also directly controls fans to start / stop.