ESP8266

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ESP8266/ESP8285 is a single chip Wifi solution. Basic ESP8266 boards are very inexpensive and can be easily flashed to work with AutomationManager. Power is provided by low cost USB charger blocks (or any surplus USB charger). The boards can be combined with Arduino sensors and relays to automate just about anything. See below for automation ideas and how to get started.

Be very cautious of low end IoT "cloud only" devices that have recently become available for purchase. Using them introduces some very serious risks to your home network and to your privacy. See below for details.

Here's a better solution: many of these devices can be reprogrammed with custom firmware that eliminates these risks while preserving the low price point. The custom firmware provided here connects them directly to AutomationManager using an open API that is completely local - no external connections are required.

The following devices are now working with AutomationManager, though almost any ESP8266 that can be reprogrammed should work as well:

There are many uses for these devices, see ESP8266 Uses for some examples and ideas.

Custom firmware (see MppDevice Downloads) is available to communicate directly with Automation Manager where they will behave as good as or better than WeMo for a lot less money. When using this firmware you can block ALL access of these devices to the internet (it does need to be locally accessible by AutomationManager/WemoServer).

Not to worry about the flashing - you can always return it to stock or another firmware choice - check with the manufacture or the other dozens of custom firmware sites. Of course only the custom firmware on this site works directly with AutomationManager.

Getting Started

Follow these steps to get up and running:

    1. Select a device type and Flash the new firmware to work with AutomationManager

    2. Open ESP8266Devices from the AM menu and find the device

    3. Configure the device appropriately for your use.

You can check for updates using the AutomationManager/ESPDevices "i" menu button, or by looking at the status of each of your devices. Devices can be reflashed/updated Over the Air (OTA) without needing to reconnect them to a USB port. See "Update firmware" in AM or visit the device's web page.

MppDevice REST (Open Interface)

Use this interface to test the devices with a browser or REST client, or implement your own custom devices. See: MppDevices REST.

What's wrong with inexpensive cloud devices?

Many far east manufacturers now supply low cost "IoT" devices often based on these chips. Most (if not all) of the overseas sourced cloud devices have a few flaws so be very cautious when purchases these low cost devices. Tuya is a very good example of the risks.

    • They are often pure "cloud" devices, which means they work by connecting directly to internet servers managed by the manufacturer.

    • Often their servers reside in the far east where they lack laws protecting internet privacy.

    • The devices seldom have local APIs - they work through your internet connection to the vendor servers and back to their app. This can be slow and if the vendor servers or internet connection is down you're stuck until it comes back up.

    • If the vendor goes out of business and takes down their cloud you're stuck.

    • Their apps are often awful! And they may capture inappropriate personal data when you sign up - phone numbers, emails, etc.

    • The devices are seldom properly certified (FCC, CSA, UL, CE, etc). So be careful!

These apps collect your personal information - your home address, your SSID and password, your email ID, etc. Turning off remote access only prevents *you* from reaching your devices remotely. The manufacturer or application owner still has complete access as almost all routers allow internal devices to call out without restriction - in this case to the application servers. There the manufacture can harvest your data, control or update your device firmware, and can be victims of hacking which would expose your personal information.

I would be very uncomfortable letting a questionable device call out of my router to create a bridge through my firewall. One can't be certain what data is being exchanged. These devices have free access on your internal network where they can reach the rest of your PCs, etc. Configure the network very carefully to isolate them and protect yourself. Even then a thorough session with NMap and WireShark would be recommended.

IoT connected devices can be hijacked to serve as bridges into your network which can then open your network completely: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/11/mass-router-hack-exposes-millions-of-devices-to-potent-nsa-exploit/

Opensource has risks too: https://it.slashdot.org/story/18/12/01/2217231/nodejs-event-stream-hack-reveals-open-source-developer-infrastructure-exploit