Again, refer to the plugin’s documentation pages to see example configuration snippets and explore all of the different customization options. (For my Synology setup, the easiest approach was to download the file through the web panel, edit it locally on my Mac, and then upload it back to the NAS’s storage.) This single file lists all the various parameters for all of the HomeKit accessories you want to expose.įor the Broadlink plugin, we need to add an entry to the platforms array of the JSON object and define the accessories inside of that. You can access this file through the file system, and edit it using a text editor. Homebridge is managed using a configuration file called config.json. This is wholly separate to the Homebridge plugin configuration, so you don’t need to bother with it. You have to use Broadlink’s app to connect the blaster to the WiFi network, but don’t bother actually setting up any accessories using Broadlink’s app. The Broadlink RM is about the size of an Apple TV, so it’s quite small and discreet. The blaster needs to have line-of-sight to the fan, but it doesn’t have to be dead on. This downloads the appropriate package and installs it to your system automatically.Īt this point, plug in your IR blaster in the same room as the accessory (or accessories) you intend to control. To install the plugin, I opened up a terminal command line in the Homebridge console of the Synology web interface, and typed: Helpfully, the plugin has extensive documentation of its own, so it’s quite easy to follow along. Then, the next step is to install the Homebridge plugin which knows how to connect to the Broadlink RM IR blaster. You can find complete installation instructions for Homebridge on Synology here. I elected to install Homebridge on my Synology NAS, which is always running as our house’s Plex media server anyway. You can run Homebridge on a Mac, a Rasberry Pi, pretty much anything that can act as an always-on server. The first step is to set up a Homebridge server itself if you don’t have one already. How to set up an Infrared accessory in HomeKit using Homebridge All the IR stuff is wrapped up neatly in a Homebridge plugin and this means it will show up in my HomeKit home like any other accessory. The fan will see the incoming IR and dutifully perform the commands. In the end, the blaster will essentially send out the same Infrared codes as the fan’s remote. Instead, the plan was to connect the Broadlink RM to Homebridge using this community plugin. However, the app is terrible and I have no interest in using it. The RM connects to WiFi, so you can connect to it from an app and beam out Infrared commands remotely. The key to all of this is an IR blaster called the Broadlink RM. ( What is Homebridge? Homebridge is a third-party, unofficial, bridge server that can expose all sorts of accessories to the HomeKit platform.) Instead, I bought a fan with an Infrared remote control specifically because my plan was to use Homebridge. This means a smart plug is not the solution. You then have to press another button to actually start up the fan. When you plug them into power, which is what a smart plug is effectively emulating, they just sit there. As they have settings like fan speed and oscillation to manage, they don’t simply turn on when the power turns on. Unfortunately, tower fans are not so simple. The smart plug toggles the power on and off at your command, so it’s perfect for things like floor lamps. With a HomeKit smart plug, you can very quickly add smarts to a lot of accessories. The most obvious route to add a dumb appliance to the HomeKit ecosystem is to use a smart plug. I bought a standard fan with an IR remote control and set out to induct it into my HomeKit home using Homebridge… Unfortunately, there aren’t really any to speak of.Īfter years of waiting, and a particularly hot summer, I gave up and explored the enthusiast route. There are some HomeKit ceiling fans already on sale, but what I’ve been holding out for is a HomeKit tower fan for my office. Theoretically, HomeKit supports fans as a smart home accessory.
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