Local API SwitchBot Hub Mini
Znarf
Hey
Is there any way that I could use the hub without the cloud?
Usage:
I would like to integrate it in my local smart home. So a http command would be the easiest way.
Nice day
7
Comments
Dear customer,
You can visit the link below to get the local API you asked for.
https://github.com/OpenWonderLabs/SwitchBotAPI
If you have any other questions, you can submit a feedback request on the app. Our support team will assist you furthermore.
SwitchBot Team
Hi,
The cloud-based API is great. However, like the original poster, I would like to be able to send API requests directly to the mini hub at home. I do not want to rely on the cloud services.
Thanks,
Richard
SwitchBot Support Global
The github discussion/support is dead.
When you visit that there are several reports MONTHS open and no responses what so ever from the development team, not even a message that they will look er not look into it.....
The Cloud API is nice but it is not reliable. Also, it's very easy to hit the daily limit if one is using, for instance, lots of bots because one needs to query the state separate from the push (with Home Automation), taking a lot of requests... or being forced to wait between requests.
We would also be saving YOU computing power :), you can still have the usage data with some sort of auditing API in your hub, but please, please let us code against the hub itself and not the cloud. I had a lot of hopes for my system of Switchbot bots and thermostats, but so far I can't really use it much because of the Cloud being so unreliable.
Great products though...
I totally agree with Juan.
Is there any way I may set up a local server to communicate with SwitchBot.
For internal project, the current cloud service may suffice but custom server should also be supported in near future for reliability.
It is essential for a more serious home automation system to even work completely without a working internet connection. I could live with limited functionality if the cloud is not available at some times to not get push notifications. But the general functionality must be there. Also the APP should then use the local hub IP and not going via the cloud (which might be unavaliable at times).
Falling back to cloud if the local network is not available would be great then.
I am personally using IOBroker where the limits of the cloud (throtling) are breaking the usability completely. There is no way on realtime infos as far as I know (door opene etc).
Maybe it is a missing implementation thing here - but are you not offering websocket streams to get immediate responses if a door opens via the cloud? Maybe the app is using bluetooth here.
You can check the answer on GitHub from one of the developers https://github.com/OpenWonderLabs/SwitchBotAPI/issues/19#issuecomment-834967972
No plan to implement local support ... so better look for a different product.
And no plan to provide any support to allow 3rd parties to implement such a local API. For example the Home Assistance community
Such a shame.
Switchbot, for what it is worth, is still a small company, and they have had their developers flat out making new products and trying to get the cloud API working and the like. Maybe that is not the solution we want, as we want a local API, but it makes sense to their business side for developers to try and make competitive products.
That said, Github issue :Add Local API Support · Issue #19 · OpenWonderLabs/SwitchBotAPI (github.com)
Check the comment from Switchbot's @Minsheng on 23 November. It's slow progress and there is no time frame, but it's not an outright no. In fact earlier comments have even been encouraging people to find and write unofficial support if they have the time to.
Let's keep some hope they will bring us a local API. It might be harder than it looks. :)
I'm tempted to rant about hardware companies generally underinvesting in software, but I won't. I want to believe there's a business reason for SwitchBot to push cloud services, otherwise it doesn't make much sense to me that they wouldn't support a healthy opensource community that's willing to make their hardware better supported, so they can focus on more exciting stuff than a local API.
I'd totally get that project started and organized, I'm just lazy and don't want to do reverse engineering for a company that does not appreciate the community.
My pitch is: a healthy opensource community with good support would differentiate SwitchBot and help them focus their resources on innovation. Heck, I'll write the business plan if you want!
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