I have been frustrated by the lack of integration of wifi devices with VeraPlus.
Point in case, I have a Tuya based device (light) and have been scouring this forum and the internet in general for a solution to locally control it(rather than through the cloud). I have a tuya phone app that allows me to do it, so I know it’s possible.
In all solutions I have discovered both here and on the net, I have to flash the device firmware and do other mystical steps to possibly get it working both from the cloud and locally. Yet my Alexa does it seamlessly, though only through the cloud.
Surely there is a developer out there who can write a plugin or app for the VeraPlus that will make it as simple as installing the app and then putting in the IP address of the light - no flashing, no this, no that. Everything included in the app.
I would pay for an app like that - no ifs, no buts.
It’s also amazed me why there has been no PI for this, the question comes up regularly but never a taker, guess everyone has changed to platforms that support TUYA.
Speaking specifically to the case of Tuya / SmartLife IoT ecosystem, I’ve assumed for some time that their devices were not (easily) controllable without their API. I know that’s an uneducated assumption to make, yet I’m unaware of any local-acting solutions.
Following to hear what others have to say, as I own many of these devices and operate them exclusively through the SmartLife and Braumm apps in connection with Alexa.
With the new Ezlo VOI platform you will have new support for controlling devices that Vera / Ezlo does not natively support. But you’ll be able to control those devies from the Ezlo Hub via Alexa / Google Home.
However in the mean time personally if I was using Tuya WiFi devices I’d flash them with the custom firmware and control them locally via the LAN via sending http requests to them from Vera. you can do that via Lua code or there is a plugin for Vera to control http devices.
Tuya have just ditched IFTTT support as well making their products and cloud services even less attractive.
Personally I’d just stick with Z-Wave devices you get what you pay for at the end of the day.
Flash it for your security too. Soon or later, cloud based http device will experience a security breach, a downtime or both. Or you’ll have internet outage.
Anyway, shortest path is to install home assistant and call your device from Vera (with a virtual device).
I personally try to stick with zwave, unless a given http only device has local mode and the ability to be flashed.
Not necessarily. It may simply mean that your phone is talking to the same cloud that the device is.
I approached Tuya about doing a plugin and despite submitting multiple requests for developer access, I have never received any kind of reply. I am also highly suspicious of their activities (think Zoom, Tik Tok). so for the moment, rather than reverse engineering someone else’s integration to make my own (Home Assistant is always a good starting point), I’ve tabled this project.
We do have an initiative under development where you can “flash” those WiFi devices with Ezlo Firmware. This is designed to do two things
1-Operate that WiFi device locally
2-Provide a US or European server for updates etc
While we are at it (flashing the device), we are thinking about putting more capabilities into that device too!
We want this to work from our APP as “Flash this device” kind of functionality…once done…you will be able to operate the device from our App.
Of course next question will be how you can run Ezlo Platform along with Vera platform you have…There is another forums post on this.
I too have WiFi devices and and everytime I use them I get frustrated that a simple “ON” command has to travel across to globe to turn something on!
Thanks all for your input.
I agree that developers are probably holding fire because of the upcoming Ezlo/ Vera firmware issue, but I also lament that there has not been a push to develop PIs that make it easy for non-technical users to integrate such devices. (Until recently I thought a raspberry pi(e) was something my grandparents loved, and I have a Masters Degree in IT).
I like melih’s revelation about the way ezlo is going about solving this issue, putting the integration of non-core devices completely in the app so users don’t need to know the techy nitty gritty.
Hopefully the beta with ezlo and edge goes well and will be extended to veraplus, and the developments melih speaks of come to fruition.
And don’t get me wrong, I fully appreciate what the more technical people like doing as this pushes the boundaries.
^^^
You all ready have a RasPi, so why not download HASS and have a play with it?
TUYA already has an integration there.
If/when EZLO comes to fruition as melith enviages then it will be a bonus, but it will be a long time before we see it, so have a play with the Pi.
FWIW, Zigbee versions of TUYA devices are now appearing, I suspect that the TUYA Cloud was a Zigbee variant. Zigbee version is unknown before anyone asks.
