Yeelight light bulbs

Currently got my yeelights connected to the china server but I think to be able to use them on alexa, they need to be on another server (Singapore ?). To be able to use on the Mi home app, home assistant and alexa - what’s the best server to setup my bulbs.

In my opinion, no server. Use any server for initial setup, it doesn’t matter which one. Then after its setup and you integrate with Home Assistant, cut off access to the outside world. They will still function like normal in Home Assistant. The app will not work however. Alexa will work if you setup integration through HA, I just use emulated hue and it works fine for turning them on/off.

As @silvrr said, block the bulbs from the internet as soon as you’ve set them and use Home Assistant for direct control or with Alexa emulated_hue or, with a bit more effort, HAASKA or the HA Cloud dependent on your preference.

Apart from the obvious benefits, those bulbs chatter with the home server constantly if not blocked.

I use the Singapore server for yeelights - then they appear in the yeelight app and you can turn on LAN mode. If you configure with the China Server you need to use the MiHome app and get the token. Whichever server you use, you can block it after to stop it contacting the mothership.

With Google Assistant, it now directly talks with/supports the Yeelight app and also MiHome. I prefer this native integration as if GA goes tits up with the HA link I still have control until I can fix it. I still have them and my Xiaomi WiFi switches in Home Assistant as well. I would think Alexa is similar or you can use work arounds…

dont you still need the lights to have internet access to control from the native google home access?

Yep. Of course. But I don’t mind that… just a lot of other people seem to not like it and want to block it.

so if I move to the Singapore server I can’t use Mi Home app.

No you would use the Yeelight app instead. Using that you can switch on LAN mode as well and control in Home Assistant without having to retrieve the token. They are still setup using your MiHome account though so in Google Assistant (assume Alexa is similar) when I add the MiHome to home control it has the Yeelights and also my Xiaomi WiFi switches.

For the record, I have all my yeelights in the yeelight app via the Singapore server (I’m in Australia), with LAN mode enabled, but no direct internet blocking.

I can use HASS or Google home to control them, with no issues.

( i have xiaomi kit in MI Home, via China server - I’ve not yet migrated to somewhere closer, or blocked)

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Yep. Exactly the same for me here (in Aus too)

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Apologies, I’d always assumed you were one of those weirdos from across the Atlantic, does explain the otherwise odd hours you seemed to be about :slight_smile:

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I’ve also got a xiaomi phillips bulb which I access through the Mi Home app. Don’t think alexa is picking up that bulb

Good day, can you describe the steps to block the bulb from accessing internet? Thank you

This is pretty unique to your router.

You will likely need to assign the bulb a static IP based on its MAC address.
From there you will need to use your routers available tools to limit the bulbs access to the outside world. Some routers may not have this feature available.

Thank you, I did assign a static ip but cant find a function to bloke access. Using Netgear Orbi.
Read their forums and there’s was a suggestion to block service to the ip:port. Tried with port 55443 but I can still turn it on and off from the app, which I presume means still connecting to the cloud.

If you don’t have a specific blocking function you can use Parental controls, which all routers seem to have nowadays, to totally restrict access.

thank you. Will check that option.