Maybe try it again now.
I just downloaded it ezlo.wifi_device_generator.tar.gz and it was 7kb in file size.
No joy. Tried downloading again and again it is zero bytes. Deleted from my Private Plugins and then copied from the marketplace. Downloaded again and still empty.
Also tried with a different plugin - MQTT - same result - a zero byte download. I’m doing this on my Windows PC. I don’t have an Ezlo hub nor do I have Softhub running on this PC. Is that the problem?
Running into the same issue. Can download existing ones in my private plugins but cannot “install” or “upload” new ones.
Yep, I can go to marketplace and copy the IP Device Generator Plugin to my Ezlo. But, when I return to my Plugins and try to Manage Installation for IP Device Generator, I just get errors: “An error occurred while installing”.
Also, if I click on Download, I just get a blank screen.
Hello @Dan-n-Randy ,
We’ve replicated and escalated the issue for further review.
Thank you for the report.
Regards.
Would someone be willing to create a tutorial for how to do this for a very simple WiFi light switch? Just an on/off controlled one (no dimming). It seems WiFi devices are far more price competitive than ZWave. I’d like to add a wifi one to my system just for an A vs B test with ZWave.
Do you already have the Wifi switch ?
What ever wifi switch you use needs to be locally controllable via TCP / HTTP etc.
Like a Shelly one maybe. Not something I know much about to be honest as all my switches are Z-Wave.
How would it be if a database were created with Wifi devices where all parameters are known, where you can look up how to configure it?
Or even better: A wizard is installed where you select your WiFi device and then only IP and user/PW have to be entered.
I don’t think that the normal user will be able to integrate a Wifi device as it is.
Surely its down to the user to read the user manual of their wifi device to discover the http commands that can be used to control it. That’s what I did for my Hikvision cams.
I don’t think Ezlo can be expected to have a database for every wifi device that can be controlled locally via http commands.
Perhaps they could create some templates though for some of the more well known and popular devices however.
And more experienced users can create templates and publish them for other users to use as I have in this example.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get these HTTP commands out at all. The fact that this is in the instructions or data sheets from the manufacturer is, in my opinion, rather the exception. Of course, users could create and upload templates. I just don’t know if this type is the right one for it. I can understand that EZLO cannot use large resources here. But maybe EZLO can provide the basic framework. I was thinking of the following:
The user creates a template/integration for a Wifi device and uploads it to the EZLO database. From now on, this device will appear in the Add Device Wizard with the marking “not verified”. Other users now add this Wifi device via the wizard and can rate this integration with a button. If a number x of users have rated the integration as OK, the device is considered checked in the assistant.
I agree. The user manual for these devices are more targeted at installation, wiring, and pairing to a known system and control app. In the cae of ZWave device they say very little about the commands support let alone how to use them. That said the likes of Google Home and Amazon Alexa are discovering these control strings and embedding them to those products so it can’t be impossible to reverse engineer this.
I know with cameras such as FOSCAM they control via HTTP Get and Post method. They document this in a CGI User Guide which recently became available under NDA only.
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Perhaps I should of said to read the device manufacturers HTTP API documentation rather than “user manual”. Presuming their device supports and has such an API.
That is something outside of the scope of the topic in this thread and outside of the scope of this Ezlo IP/WIFI device Generator plugin.
The Google Home and Alexa voice assistants and the device manufacturers both construct tools for their devices to be integrated into the voice assistant apps / eco systems. Usually cloud based APIs and user account authentication and syncing etc.
When its all working properly again Ezlo will / do have services and skills that enable us to expose all our paired devices on the Ezlo hub (and virtual devices for that matter) to be placed into the voice assistant apps and thus be controlled by them.
Voice assistant integration is another topic and subject.
Your Foscam HTTP CGI comment is a better example of using this Ezlo plugin to control some aspects of your Foscam cameras.
Basically any devices, services, applications locally or even via the Internet (cloud based) that has a HTTP API for controlling it, could potentially be used with this Ezlo device generator plugin.
For example I created a virtual switch here sending http commands to IFTTT and web hooks to control something.
Perhaps I misspoke. I wasn’t suggesting that Vera or Ezlo control WiFi devices through a voice assistant as a gateway, such as some Google Home or Alexa . Rather I was saying if these home assistant devices have figured out the IP communications needed to control WiFi switches, thermostats, and dimmers then it should be well within the wheelhouse of Ezlo to figure out how to control them directly as well. ZWave seems to be dying and WiFi devices seem to be winning the market battle. Ezlo needs to support WiFi enabled devices natively. Or at least have a plan to get there eventually.
Here’s a thought. How about just selecting one token WiFi enabled on-off switch and putting in a method to add that device just as a ZWave device is added today. Start with one of the more popular models just to go through the exercise and see how difficult it is and start the journey of adding WiFi devices to the repertoire as well. Let’s say the Leviton DW15A-1BW ( I have a few of the Leviton DZPA1-2BW’s which is a similar but ZWave product that works well on Vera and Ezlo). It would be interesting to do an A vs B evaluation.
I agree with what you are saying.
Ezlo have released a Sonoff plugin in the marketplace. Haven’t tried it as I have no sonoff devices. But one would assume it can control those types of wifi devices locally via the lan.
And they announced the other day they are working on a Tuya Smart Life “Nucal” integration.
Nucal being Ezlo’s cloud based integrations along the lines of IFTTT. That would be cloud to cloud integration but is better than nothing at this stage.
And yes if Home Assistant can easily add these types of Wifi devices, then they should do the same.
This particular plugin really isn’t geared up for fully automated adding of wifi devices however. You need to know the http requests you need to be making to the target device etc unless someone else has made and published a template.
Video here adding Shelly Wifi switches to Home Assistant. Its all automated and the user doesn’t need to know or think about HTTP requests or APIs.
Where as this Ezlo IP/Wifi Device Generator plugin is just a generic plugin, for any old thing that you can send a HTTP request to. So you need to know what those HTTP requests are.
Ezlo would need to do specific “add device” wizard integrations for these types of Wifi devices, like Shelly, Sonoff, Tuya, eWeLink etc.
Some could be local integrations, others may need to be cloud based.
It would be interesting to see the Ezlo Sonoff plugin in action and how that actually works and integates? And how easy it is for the user.
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As @cw-kid already explained the usage of our “IP device” templates, you already can create your own configuration for any wifi device that accepts direct HTTP requests and create a device on the system with it. There is also the feature to share that configuration template so that others can download it directly.
So these features are already working. I suggest you to try these features, if you have a device which accepts simple HTTP commands. and please tell your feedback after you try.
we are already working to find and gather simple wifi devices and create templates for them. It is in progress. But as you already discovered, it takes time. You need to get through API documentation actually get the device and do the tests. Soon we will come up with templates for commonly available devices. Shelly is one of them.
We can definitely take into consideration the “Leviton DW15A-1BW” device as well.
And for the “native” integration discussion, home assistant contributors are also creating integration “plugins” for the core platform and users just download them and then do the configuration necessary to make it work. So there is no magic “native” integration.
We started this process to make it easier for anyone to create an integration to make our platform integrations become richer, faster. This of course applies to some of our user with the knowledge of using HTTP commands. Just like any other platform additions/plugins would need a knowledge requirement. You can stay tuned about the templates created by Ezlo or other power users if it is more suitable for you.
In addition, we will continue improving the IP device plugin in any way we can to make it become more easy, seamless and feel native to the users in close future.
So an idea for that could be adding authentication to the IP Device plugin for example. (OAuth or API token) So that we can cover more HTTP integrations.
Any other device integration request or feature feedback is more than welcome. Please share them as well.
As @cw-kid already explained the usage of our “IP device” templates, you already can create your own configuration for any wifi device that accepts direct HTTP requests and create a device on the system with it. There is also the feature to share that configuration template so that others can download it directly.
we are already working to find and gather simple wifi devices and create templates for them. It is in progress. But as you already discovered, it takes time. You need to get through API documentation actually get the device and do the tests. Soon we will come up with templates for commonly available devices. Shelly is one of them.
We can definitely take into consideration the “Leviton DW15A-1BW” device as well.And for the “native” integration discussion, home assistant contributors are also creating integration “plugins” for the core platform and users just download them and then do the configuration necessary to make it work. So there is no magic “native” integration.
OK thanks for the response. My feedback is the IP template process is targeted to fringe superusers who are professional software developers or very advanced hobbyists. If this is your target market you are fine.
I suspect thought that if you want to be relevant in HA you will need to cast a (much) wider net. That means insulating the user from such minutia and detail. Just as you mask all the detail of ZWave devices today (you support many dozens if not low hundreds) you will need to support IP devices in a similar way. Its not reasonable to ask a user to research the HTTP command syntax and enter it into a cryptic tool to “roll your own” device driver. The superuser will do this but the average user will just run away. Also the market forces of WiFi devices are showing that ZWave is on a tough trajectory. Equivalent WiFi devices are as little as 1/2 the price of ZWave so ZWave will eventually go the way of the dinosaur.
I do agree device manufacturers can create the templates for you. If you look at any of of the WiFi device vendors they proudly display Google Home, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, … support. Have you enabled them with an Ezlo SDK so they can build you a plug-in or template for Ezlo (see below example)
?
You have some tough product management questions to think about at Ezlo. I think if you frame them based on your desired end user market you will be more successful. The problem with this forum is that it is self selected to more advanced users (or superusers) and that might give you a false read of market requirements.
I doubt you can make an interesting business merely targeting superusers. Numbers too low.
I wish you well either way
Example WiFi Plug in Switch from web:
KTMC Mini Wifi Outlet, Product Description
Bulid A Safe & Smart Home with KTMC
Compatible with Alexa
Works with Google Assistant
IFTTT Compatible
Why no Ezlo Support?
No Hub Required
KTMC Wi-Fi mini Socket works with your existing home Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz band) without the need for a separate hub.
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Hi @curiousB
I think I couldn’t clearly state our purpose enough.
we are not targeted to superusers. We are adding a wide range of new features very frequently and it takes time to mature them enough and put them in use for everyday users. Meanwhile we do not want to hold these innovations back from anyone. thats why we open up every functionality even if it is in early beta phases , if we think that our users can benefit from it.
Every platform has these superuser tools so not only developers but also customers can develop and extend the reach of the platform. So please don’t get stuck with the idea that everyone has to use the complex tools. We are delivering the features, reaching out to anyone who can make use of them, just like plugins. Is everyone forced to write their own plugins ? No. So this tool is an easier way than the plugins. Soon it will be more easier. And then it will be 1-click. Just like you said, like a zwave device (we physically tested 1026 - not dozens- of them as you can find the list here Device Compatibility for Ezlo Hubs - Ezlo )
And now we already took big steps towards integrating wifi devices/cloud services. Both our Nucal integration and our plugins and our IP device templates and so on… So there are multiple ways of integrating devices. And it will only increase and get easier.
We can happily work on a favorite device of yours to make it easily available on the platform.
Let us check KTMC and Leviton devices and see if they can be controlled locally via HTTP requests. IF so we can do IP device template. Otherwise we can do a plugin for them. If they are available via cloud, we will create a Nucal Cloud Integration for them .So there will always be a solution on our platform.
We are in violent agreement 
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