Linksys Tri-Band Velop Routers Gain HomeKit Support

[gk4]

That sounds good until you try to do anything sophisticated. For example there are no comparison operations ("when outdoor temperature - indoor temperature >=5 degrees"), the delays that are offered are limited (and don't seem to work in many circumstances), the programming environment is extremely clumsy, there are no debugging tools (eg logging), etc etc. You can make some progress by running HomeBridge (which allows you to control non-HomeKit accessories and, more usefully, provides a variety on synthetic accessories like virtual weather stations, sun position, virtual switches, virtual timers, ...

You can make even more progress by running Home Assistant. Similarly to HomeBridge, it will allow you to forward all non-homekit compatible devices to homekit, but its also it's own standalone Home Automation platform. You can write your own automations in there, you can fully debug them, you can view raw sensor/event data coming in.

These days, I use HomeKit so that I can control my devices through my phone when I want to manually control them - but almost all automations are in HomeAssistant. The only ones still in HomeKit are location based ones.

 

[Jamone]

You can make even more progress by running Home Assistant. Similarly to HomeBridge, it will allow you to forward all non-homekit compatible devices to homekit, but its also it's own standalone Home Automation platform. You can write your own automations in there, you can fully debug them, you can view raw sensor/event data coming in.

These days, I use HomeKit so that I can control my devices through my phone when I want to manually control them - but almost all automations are in HomeAssistant. The only ones still in HomeKit are location based ones.

Yup! I love Home Assistant

 

[name99]

You can make even more progress by running Home Assistant. Similarly to HomeBridge, it will allow you to forward all non-homekit compatible devices to homekit, but its also it's own standalone Home Automation platform. You can write your own automations in there, you can fully debug them, you can view raw sensor/event data coming in.

These days, I use HomeKit so that I can control my devices through my phone when I want to manually control them - but almost all automations are in HomeAssistant. The only ones still in HomeKit are location based ones.

Can I control HomeKit ONLY devices through Home Assistant? The last time I looked at all these things like Hubitat and Home Assistant the impression I got was that they can feed data into HomeKit, but they cannot extract data from HomeKit, nor can they control through HomeKit.

 

[name99]

Can I control HomeKit ONLY devices through Home Assistant? The last time I looked at all these things like Hubitat and Home Assistant the impression I got was that they can feed data into HomeKit, but they cannot extract data from HomeKit, nor can they control through HomeKit.

And looking at Home Assistant programming now (at a very cursory level) I don't see much there that's an improvement over Apple. The logging/debugging may be better, but the basic functionality is the same. For example I see no way to trigger based on something like "outdoor temperature is higher than indoor temperature". Same complaint as I have with Apple, that the system won't given me a proper programing language (with arithmetic, variables, and if/then), just a few ways to construct rules.

 

[Jamone]

And looking at Home Assistant programming now (at a very cursory level) I don't see much there that's an improvement over Apple. The logging/debugging may be better, but the basic functionality is the same. For example I see no way to trigger based on something like "outdoor temperature is higher than indoor temperature". Same complaint as I have with Apple, that the system won't given me a proper programing language (with arithmetic, variables, and if/then), just a few ways to construct rules.

Are you familiar with Node red?

 

[oneMadRssn]

I looked at the UDM and was pretty excited after watching reviews from people on youtube. Then I spent a bunch of time in the Ubiquiti sub on reddit and its reliability is almost universally panned in there. Youtube and standard reviews are fine, but with routers - longer term reliability and stability is really important and something that doesn't usually get caught in review.

For example, one thing I only really picked up on after trolling reddit is that the UDM firmware is still in Beta. It's technically UDM Pro firmware w/ beta support for UDM (or at least that's how it's labelled by Ubiquiti). The actually non-Beta UDM firmware is stuck at 1.5.6, which in the sub is almost universally considered unstable.

The subreddit has a policy of pushing all positive comments to the weekly sticky thread. That leaves only complaints on the main page and search results. The mods recently recognized that this is a problem and are changing the policy.

Just keep that in mind. The sub is intended to help people having problems, so of course all you will see there are problems. That doesn't reflect the at all the very high % of people that are super happy with their UDMs.

That said, yes Ubiquiti can do better. But the UDM spent a looong time in beta and it's more polished than many other Unifi releases at launch. Also, for what its worth, it's basically the only game in town. What other routers do you know of that have a very good wave2 AP, a robust QoS, SQM, very advanced pro-level network controls, all in a user-friendly single-pane-of-glass UI, for ~$350?

 

[HDFan]

Not about to give them an extra $14 a month just to rent their modem/router that's far outdated.

First, the Xfinity Wifi6, it's a combo modem/router. They are always dumbed down when compared to a separate system. The Orbi, Linksys and Alien AmpliFi are all much more powerful. Plus you buy them once, they are yours. You pay Xfinity monthly for years for a dumbed modem/router and it's never yours, plus you end up paying more out of your pocket.

Agree that it is not the most powerful available. Certainly is not "far outdated", as it is similar to a current Netgear 4 antenna 2 band AX router. Since I am likely already getting maximum AX speeds I have no need of an 8 antenna system. Nor is it dumbed down in term of its capabilities, but Comcast does replace the modem manufacturers software with their own. If you like to configure target wake time, extension channel, group key rotational interval, set the roaming assistant RSSI go for it. The Comcast modem isn't for you. I don't. It is a nomenclature issue. I call it simplified, you call it dumb. I want it to just work without intervention.

I had separate components, purchased modem and router, for years. Now I don't want the hassle of having to debug an additional component. I push things pretty hard, and this last week have been working with developers of 3 different products trying to fix problems. One of them is an internet issue which has had support and development teams shaking their heads for 2 weeks now. They have made multiple code changes in their servers with no result. Almost daily 1 hour calls. Is the problem my router? My Cisco firewall? My 10 Gbe smart switch? My computer firewall? .... I have a 4th issue with a router which has been with the vendor's development team for almost a year now. I had to engage executive management to try to get the issue resolved, but their development group is slow. I have probably spent at least one work week on this issue alone. I don't need any more problems.

Comcast seems to be updating their modems more frequently. All I had to do to move to their AX one was to call and they sent it at no charge. The rental fee I have paid is probably less than the cost if I had replaced the similar components on a purchased system. The first testing of Docsis 4.0 modem testing has started. By the point my cumulative monthly rental will equal the cost of my current modem the new one will likely be available. Another call to Comcast and I'm up to date again.

 

[Prorege1]

UDM software (as well as UDM-Pro and UXG-Pro) lacks basic features and buggy as hell. UDM hardware is outdated at this point. It’s not WiFi6 and the AP integrated in the UDM is a low-cost UAP-NanoHD, which covers only about 1,000 sq feet. You would need to get additional Ubiquiti APs or range extenders to cover a larger area.

I own a lot of Ubiquiti devices. At this point, if you want to buy new gear, go for WiFi6. In my case, I use Ubiquiti WiFi5 APs that are a class higher than the cheap AP integrated in the UDM. My network is stable, but it took me a long time to get it to the stable state because every Ubiquiti firmware upgrade broke some functionality on my network. I finally decided to stop upgrading the firmware about 2 years ago. That’s not a good solution for the network stability.

If you want to go with Ubiquiti, check out their new consumer-grade Alien WiFi6 mesh router with a satellite unit for $699 or without the satellite unit for $399. It’s a much better solution than the UDM for a consumer environment.

Our solution at the moment (waiting for Wifi6 to become cheaper/standard) = Ubiquiti non wifi UDM Pro as sole router connected directly to the internet provider fiber connection & Ubiquiti Unifi switch. Our older Google 3 puck mesh wifi is connected and it's just working with no stability issues. Last time I upgraded a router was 15 years ago, but the UDMP setup was actually easy for a noob like me and the recent UDM Pro firmware is working well in my opinion.

Have a great weekend.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I used to have a Cisco commercial AP. And then they dropped it. It just worked. *shrug*

 

[gk4]

Also, for what its worth, it's basically the only game in town.

agreed, that’s the dilemma I’m in. I can get near flawless reliability from an eero setup, or the extensive control from a UDM. But I can’t get both in the sub $500 consumer market.

 

[gk4]

And looking at Home Assistant programming now (at a very cursory level) I don't see much there that's an improvement over Apple. The logging/debugging may be better, but the basic functionality is the same. For example I see no way to trigger based on something like "outdoor temperature is higher than indoor temperature". Same complaint as I have with Apple, that the system won't given me a proper programing language (with arithmetic, variables, and if/then), just a few ways to construct rules.

yeah, you can do that with home assistant. You likely were looking automations but you need to look at scripting/templating. Automations are usually shown as being very simple in examples since the most common use case is extremely basic stuff. But the automation triggers can be scripts, which would allow things like mathematical operators in conditionals.

with that said, are you sure you can’t do that in shortcuts? Here is one a made below showing a quick example of how you would be able to use math operators. I thought you just meant that’s it’s annoying to write these in the shortcuts app rather than a proper IDE

 

[Philly-GUI-Dude]

Has anyone received the firmware update yet? I keep checking, but nothing for me.

All I’m seeing in the comments are discussions regarding other unrelated to the topic discussions.

hoping this will also fix my repeated disconnects I get with my 5 Linksys Velop tri-band system

 

[macdragonfl]

Has anyone received the firmware update yet? I keep checking, but nothing for me.

All I’m seeing in the comments are discussions regarding other unrelated to the topic discussions.

hoping this will also fix my repeated disconnects I get with my 5 Linksys Velop tri-band system

I agree this thread is way off topic. But I am checking everyday no update as of now.

 

[name99]

yeah, you can do that with home assistant. You likely were looking automations but you need to look at scripting/templating. Automations are usually shown as being very simple in examples since the most common use case is extremely basic stuff. But the automation triggers can be scripts, which would allow things like mathematical operators in conditionals.

with that said, are you sure you can’t do that in shortcuts? Here is one a made below showing a quick example of how you would be able to use math operators. I thought you just meant that’s it’s annoying to write these in the shortcuts app rather than a proper IDEView attachment 960344

Are Shortcuts created like you did above "Automated" in the sense that they live on a device like an AppleTV and fire automatically as appropriate? In your example, sure, you can read the various data and decide to do something, but what's TRIGGERING when the script activates?

As far as I can tell all you have done is write a ShortCut that reads HomeKit data (and perhaps launches a HomeKit Scene) which is NOT the same thing as creating a HomeKit Automation.

Right now it seems that the best you can do is
(a) have the thing as a Shortcut that lives on your phone (meaning it does NOT live on the aTV, and is constrained by phone limitations and presence) and
(b) triggers via something like running every five minutes to see if the values involved have changed enough to trigger the script.


I know it sounds like I am endlessly whining, but the reason I am whining is that no-one involved in this space (including helpful amateurs like yourself) seems to be actually trying to do these things for real, meaning no-one sees how hopeless the tools are. In this case, for example, the point is not ONLY "read some variables and make decision", it's do that (read variables, make decision) IN THE CONTEXT OF HOME AUTOMATION -- which means in the context of being triggered by changes in the sensors of interest, and in the context of running on an always-on device (aTV or HomePod).

 

[name99]

Are you familiar with Node red?

I looked at Node Red and gave up. I'm too old for this barely documented "we are cool simply because we exist and are different" ****.
If you want to impress, speak to me like an adult telling me what you can do, and what you can't do. Don't give me a buzzword filled marketing catalog of the various ways you are so wonderful and leave it to me to figure out how to integrate you into my life.

 

[Jamone]

Velop firmware download is now up for v1. waiting on v2 now

 

[gk4]

Are Shortcuts created like you did above "Automated" in the sense that they live on a device like an AppleTV and fire automatically as appropriate? In your example, sure, you can read the various data and decide to do something, but what's TRIGGERING when the script activates?

As far as I can tell all you have done is write a ShortCut that reads HomeKit data (and perhaps launches a HomeKit Scene) which is NOT the same thing as creating a HomeKit Automation.

Right now it seems that the best you can do is
(a) have the thing as a Shortcut that lives on your phone (meaning it does NOT live on the aTV, and is constrained by phone limitations and presence) and
(b) triggers via something like running every five minutes to see if the values involved have changed enough to trigger the script.


I know it sounds like I am endlessly whining, but the reason I am whining is that no-one involved in this space (including helpful amateurs like yourself) seems to be actually trying to do these things for real, meaning no-one sees how hopeless the tools are. In this case, for example, the point is not ONLY "read some variables and make decision", it's do that (read variables, make decision) IN THE CONTEXT OF HOME AUTOMATION -- which means in the context of being triggered by changes in the sensors of interest, and in the context of running on an always-on device (aTV or HomePod).

Yeah, I use shortcuts like this but I never had a need to do one with math operators so I wrote that just to test the concept.

For myself, the things I want to trigger on are me (or my family members) entering/leaving home, me entering rooms (aka triggered via motions sensor). So obviously those are well supported in homekit as activation triggers.

Temperature sensor based triggers do exist. I don't know if the HomeApp supports it as a trigger - but looking online there are many poeple doing it with the eve app. In case you didn't know, the Eve app (free) is used by a lot of people because it exposes the full range of homekit triggers available on an aTV while Apple has traditionally not fully exposed them all.

Going beyond HomekIt and back into Homeassistant - in home assistant everything is an automation trigger. If a 'device' sends an event to HomeAssistant - home assistant can trigger anything you want to write based off that event. I put device in quotes, because technically it doesn't even need to be a device. In homeAssistant, any plugin you install can send events as if it was a device. So if you didn't have an external temp monitor, you could install a plugin to pull local weather info from whatever weather service - and have temp change events pushed into HomeAssistant as if you were getting temp events pushed to you from an actual device.

 

[Eluder]

Velop firmware download is now up for v1. waiting on v2 now

Sadly, they already pulled it, lasted for a day or two. Seems like there are some issues based on what we're seeing on their community forum.

 

[k1121j]

.

Can you share which model of orbi you have and is it HomeKit compatible? Linksys has been a utter disaster for me

i have the RBR40 router and 3 RBS 20 Satellites no problems with home kits i have philips hue lights and other home kit accessories for garage doors etc

 

[Philly-GUI-Dude]

Sadly, they already pulled it, lasted for a day or two. Seems like there are some issues based on what we're seeing on their community forum.

was this update supposed to update itself? Or was it one we had to force? I’m eagerly awaiting this thing to happen.

 

[Eluder]

was this update supposed to update itself? Or was it one we had to force? I’m eagerly awaiting this thing to happen.

It looked like a mix of both, initially auto update and then they posted it on their support site. Then they pulled it after a couple of days. I did manage to download the FW before they took it down, but I’m not sure I want to risk updating at this point. Oddly enough they pushed out another iOS update and it still talks about HomeKit support.

 

[fatTribble]

Am I reading this cor that the firmware update for v1 to support HomeKit is not yet available?

 

[iphonehype]

Not sure if I should get this or wait for Wifi 6 versions to become cheaper :/

 

[Eluder]

Am I reading this cor that the firmware update for v1 to support HomeKit is not yet available?

It's finally out for both v1 and v2 routers.

 

[longpath]

It's finally out for both v1 and v2 routers.

What version for the V2 routers adds HomeKit support? I just checked for available updates and none are available; but I still have 2.1.13.200506., which the app claims is "Up to date".