Sure I will ask again, although I did include the link once before, I will try again.
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I got this response from YoLink today:
Thank you for contacting us and for using YoLink products.
The integration with the Home Assistant is under development. I think the official plug-in would be released in the near future.
Any updates, I will keep you informed.
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Yo! Bear with me as a cross-post a pretty comprehensive answer to what has been going on at YoLink since the first post, and what the future holds.
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At the risk of banishment, I will proceed to clear the air on some things here, and promote YoLink, which is even more of a viable option for lot of you since the first post. Yes, I work for YoLink, but I started as a customer. Looking to deck out my new construction home with the best home automation system I could afford, I loaded Python and HA on a Pi and went to work shopping for sensors. I made the mistake of buying a YoLink Temperature & Humidity sensor (they just had an indoor one at the time). I really loved the green packaging, build quality and appearance, all very Apple-esque. Insane long range. I had some questions and also had a couple automation settings suggestions, I emailed customer support. I received a prompt and friendly reply. Later, I found they added my requests to the app. At one point, Iâm bragging about my plans for my home over-the-top security and automation, the CEO replies to my email. Long story less long, I am working for them now. No need for HA or the 4000â of Cat 5E and 6 I put in the house for wired sensors and Arduinos, etc.
But for everyone not getting all the free YoLink stuff they can want, Home Assistant integration - No-brainer, yes. But YoLink wasnât even a thing 3 years ago, so the reason we are not already set up with an official Home Assistant integration (coming before March '22) is we have spent the first couple years of existence just fleshing out a bare-bones product line. And then, sometime this year, the world discovered YoLink and now we canât keep the stuff on the shelves. Weâre doing a brisk business in Brazil all of a sudden. I have an integrator in Turkey that wants to be signed up as a dealer (he has a 200 unit apartment building being built, going all-smart). High-rise condo market is exploding for us, as our leak sensors, Bulldog shut off combo and 1/4 mile range all make for a killer water leak detection/auto-shut-off solution. All that said, we have just been pulled in 1000 directions. We are integrator-friendly, we DO actually have a free API, and while we said weâd do this earlier in the year, we have our engineers committed to completing an official Home Assistant integration before 3/2022.
But we are developer and integrator-friendly. We have a Discord discussion for them, and for our Power User Group. We do work with MQTT and we actually do have some customers already setup, getting our devices to show up on their HA dashboards.
Our HA integration is not local yet, itâs server-to-server. Local integration is inevitable, if anything the commercial market will tip the scales in the favor for those that want local control. But some hardware is needed for this. It will likely come in the developer board and SDK we have planned - a board with all GPIOs available, and, concept designs have their way, modular I/O interfaces to DIY your own integration (e.g. 4-20mA, RS485, Bluetooth, etc.).
We do offer as a next-best-thing, our patented âControl D2Dâ device-to-device pairing, that allows for devices to work together, without WiFi, internet and even power. We have two options for dry contact inputs and two outputs/relays options.
Our efforts on product development has been paying off:
We have two fobs. AlarmFob and FlexFob. 4 buttons, each with 2 function. Control your YoLink devices and scenes arm and disarm (we have central station monitoring now), AND trigger Alexa routines and IFTTT applets.
We have added additional outdoor products, as this is an area of strength for us. Some competitors can barely get a sensor working in your mailbox in your front yard, let alone one in a metal mailbox 500â as the crow flies in your subdivision. WP siren, motion sensor, temp/humidity, temp with probe. We are adding three more TH sensors or varieties, built for wider temperature ranges and coming with lithium batteries capable of up to 10 year battery life!
I have two of them on my desk right now, but by Thanksgiving you can get your own SpeakerHub, a new addition to the family of Hubs (cellular LTE coming next), this hub can play tones and sounds and read you your messages in clear, intelligible text-to-speech (from your custom messages in automation, etc.). We think this will be a game-changer, and we also see it changing expectations for smart home for those with accessibility and visual impairments, etc.
And I can not forget to mention our new web console. The beta version, going out this month, is geared for large, multi-site customers, like HOAs and property managers, like one with 18 sites and high-rise condos that have ~2000 sensors each in phase 1 alone (add lock management and thermostat and other aspects for rental applications and that number could easily double). So, immense systems, all brought into a condensed web browser. This tech will trickle down and be seen in our (new) app as well as a home version to run on tablets or our keypad product (both out early '22).
Weâre not for everyone, and weâre not trying to be, but if you think YoLink could be a match for you, I have no reservations telling you to give us a try. Itâs a great time to be a YoLink customer and the future is bright!
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Thanks for the update. The thing is⌠stop trying to sell the stuff all the time. Please. If someone is here, they are already interested in Yolink and probably already love the product with exception of not having HA integration and local control. Please, so you donât get banned again, simplify your posts to just include information about the HA integration and local control using MQTT. Thatâs it. No more, no less.
I really want to write in all caps for this one but I hate when others do. Please stop selling Yolink products on this platform. Please.
Again, thank you for the update on the integration and local control.
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I want to note that not everyone wants local control. In my case, I need cloud control, but integrated into HA (similar to Tuya), as the YoLink devices in question are at a remote site, using the standard cloud setup for YoLink.
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Same, I just need cloud control. Thanks.
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Not selling, just informing. All this is a moot point if we donât have devices and capabilities people need. And, in the context of local control or what cloud control users might think of as offline mode, we do have a good offering of products that can continue to work even in the loss of WiFi, internet and power, and we have input and output sensors for I/O level integration. Basically, while not to full local control yet, we do have devices and features that I think HA users would want to know existed.
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I came here when looking into flood sensors and found this thread when researching a promising product I found that fit the bill. Itâs very interesting that someone who works for the company has been actively updating the users, and thatâs pretty awesome in my opinion. However, relying on the Internet to integrate with HA is a total show-stopper for me. Generally if there is some cloud integrated devices in my HA setup then thatâs fine, but Iâm building a second HA system for a different project that must be 100% local for 90% of the time, knocking YoLink out of the running.
I could just buy the devices and wait for the âlocal access is inevitableâ statement, but I have to weigh in that the API has been discussed for a year and thatâs still not really ready for prime-time yet, and I donât want to be asking in a year from now âis it ready yet?â.
And, honestly, I donât really need yet another proprietary hub requirement for my home automation.
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Noted. But it is worth pointing out, we have âControl D2Dâ device-to-device pairing, along with a nice collection of input and output devices, for some functionality without an internet connection. Maybe thatâs not of use or applicable to your application, but for those looking for some feature we have, like crazy long range, or a battery powered valve controller, itâs worth mentioning Control. Here is a video introducing it. Itâs just a fun little intro, not meant to be comprehensive. Control D2D Device-to-Device Pairing by YoLink (Water Leak Sensor & Siren Alarm Example) - YouTube
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I suggest this thread be closed and [Eric-YoLink] be banned from the community. Here is whyâŚ
-
From what I read so far this is just a sale pitch to persuade the Home Assistant community to
purchase yolink products based on the promise for a home assistant integration. -
There is no evidence that the company made any official attempt to work with the the Home
Assistantâs developers to support the integration of any of the Yolink products (e.g. like supporting
tuya products) -
There are no official statements from Yolink, indicating any official work being done to support a
Home assistant integration, or any support of their products by any current open source home
automation. (e.g. openHub, etc). -
As suggested before by other members of the community, these are unsupported promises and
come across as very unprofessional, creating frustration and false hopes.
In conclusion, based on the above listed facts and in part supported by the feedback of other members of the community, [Eric-YoLink] appears to be a fraud. From his statements he is not a developer. He was a Yolink customer which suggests his affiliation to Yolinkâs and their products.
In the above post he states. âOur HA integration is not local yet, itâs server-to-server. Local integration is inevitable, if anything the commercial market will tip the scales in the favor for those that want local control. But some hardware is needed for this. It will likely come in the developer board and SDK we have planned - a board with all GPIOs available, and, concept designs have their way, modular I/O interfaces to DIY your own integration (e.g. 4-20mA, RS485, Bluetooth, etc.).â Realy? This raises a lot of questions!
Other than the modified LoRaWANÂŽ protocol communication protocol between the devices, the Hubâs esp32 encrypted firmware and the api server there is not much difference comparing to other technologies already supported by HA. There is no need for additional hardware to develop an integration for home assistant. All that is needed is the release of the source code, the sdk and the keys communicated with the developer hardware (current hub).
I personally believe that one day the hub will be hacked and local control along with HA integration will eventually surface. Yolink products are reliable from a functionality prospective. However, in the context of privacy and personal security (not Yolinkâs security which is pretty damned good), these products are not in compliance with HA vision and most of itâs users expectations.
If you do no care about your privacy and security than keep buying yolink products.
If this is true real, I suggest holding you breath for another log period of time, because all of the statements regarding yolink HA integration canât be officially verified.
The above statements can can only damage the Yolinkâs business and reputations, as integration release statements were made under this thread which did not come to fruition. The last update from [Eric-YoLink] was yet another unofficial unverified delay supported by his own personal BS. If I state that I am working for Yolink and Eric-YoLink is not, would you believe me? Just think about it!
Eric-YoLink, if you really work for Yolink, make your statements and the compelling startup history official on their website. Perhaps that will eliminate the doubt you have placed in our minds.
To the administrator of the forum, please stop supporting individuals creating false hopes and making a living on empty unsupported promises!
T
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This thread got interesting fast! I had no clue how polarizing the cloud/local thing is. I did not mean to get people upset. While I have to take exception to the modern day equivalent of tar & feathering and running out on a rail, @papa19 you are right, I should not be talking about some feature or product that does not have an official release date. I just get excited because this is what gets me excited â I am a kid working at his parentâs candy store, Iâm Tom Cruise on Oprahâs couch â and we have a lot going on and on the drawing board or in one stage of development or another (*** disclaimer: this is not an ad; no links being posted ***), itâs exciting, my job rarely feels like a job. Itâs hard to not let that come out when I talk about this company and this product. And Iâm not a salesperson by trade. I come from a strong electronics and building systems background - former technician, later designer and engineer.
So, I agree, I will try to be more careful and cognizant of my comments.
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@papa19 I donât agree with your view. Eric did help me get API access to the YoLink ecosystem, thatâs not something he could do if he wasnât working for the company (as API access is not currently available for sign up via their website). Also, Iâm also excited about the HA integration and want to hear updates (even if there is no due date). Sure, Iâd love to have a date to see the work done, however, as a developer myself, I understand that itâs hard to say when a feature will be complete.
If youâre worried that YoLink will never do a HA integration, feel free to skip this thread, never come back to it. No need to get anyone banned just to avoid you from getting your hopes upâŚ
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I would love to learn more about the YoLink MQTT integration, is there docs for that?
Based on the YoSmart FAQ section, it looks like it doesnât support MQTT.
- Question: Can I connect the YoLink Hub to my existing system using a private MQTT Pub/Sub broker?
Answer:
Sorry, YoLink does not offer MQTT support.
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are you not in our API/Developer discussion group on Discord? There are a half a dozen people actively using MQTT to see their YoLink devices on HA dashboards
do me a favor, after you come to your own conclusion and update that answer. thanks!
Hey, thanks for the quick reply. I wasnât trying to say you donât have MQTT, I quickly googled it and found the YoSmart.com website stating that MQTT wasnât available. I understand that it might be outdated information.
I do have access on Discord, I just havenât had a lot of free time lately so I havenât been very active.
Thanks for sharing the video, I am excited to use NodeRed to connect everything together!
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I donât want you banned and I think youâre an excellent salesperson. This is just the wrong place for that. I can understand your excitement because I had the same excitement when I first discovered Yolink. Im actually interested in 100% of your well written posts, just not here. Iâd just like the facts on the integration. Iâll be straightforwardâŚyou getting banned the first time made me empty my Amazon cart with 40+ Yolink products in it. If the integration works well and/or I can control locally with MQTT, I will buy many Yolink products and recommend to everyone that keeps come to me for smart home advice.
My intention was not to close this thread but instead to keep it going with relevant information.
Thanks Eric for your most recent and consolidated posts.
(edited for typos)