eWeLink CUBE V2.3.0 Update Explainer

[ward]

Hi eWeLink Community!

We know it’s been quiet for a while on the iHost and eWeLink CUBE front. But we’re back with the new V2.3.0, which introduces some important, long-awaited features. Backup and Matter hub are finally here. We want to take this opportunity to explain the details of the past one and a half months’ development.

Backup and Restore Functionality:

One of the most significant additions in V2.3.0 is the ability to back up and restore iHost settings. This includes a wide range of data, such as:

• Added devices
• Smart scenes
• Security settings
• CAST configurations
• Docker add-ons
• Matter hub configurations
• Other general settings.

This feature provides password and encryption options to secure your data, allowing you to easily recover your settings in case of device issues or replacements.

However, eWeLink CUBE is a complex system that needs careful attention to manage its dependencies and components. Because of this, we haven’t included a firmware rollback feature yet, as it could lead to risks of bricking the device.

Initial Support for Matter Hub:

eWeLink CUBE has been supporting the Matter Bridge feature since version 1.8 a year ago, and our team keeps adding features to it – “Matter Bridge” shows 10 times in the update history! This feature allows a wide range of devices to be connected with major smart home platforms locally via eWeLink CUBE.

Now, we’re moving forward with the new Matter Hub feature, which enables your iHost to act as a Matter Controller. This means you can add, control, and manage supported Matter devices locally on eWeLink CUBE.

As a first step in beta, we support Matter plugs and on/off switches that adopt On/Off Plug in Unit (Supported Device Types - Matter) device type. Please refer to the vendor of your devices to check the information.

For supported devices using Wi-Fi, you can directly add it to eWeLink CUBE.

The latest version can automatically discover Matter devices on your local network. However, Bluetooth discovery is a work in progress. For now, please use the numeric setup code along with the Matter logo to manually pair your Matter device.

In future versions, we will support more device types (including lights and Matter Bridge), so you can control an even wider range of Matter devices locally from all the brands adopting Matter, such as Aqara, Hue, IKEA, Shelly, and Tapo.

Zigbee2CUBE Exits Beta:

The V2.3.0 update also brings several improvements to Zigbee functionality. The Zigbee2CUBE (Z2C) feature, previously in pilot beta, has been officially integrated into the platform. You can now add all supported Zigbee devices through the unified “Add Device” entry on the home page. The Z2C component offers extensive support for more devices and ability sets, also enabling our developer team to better integrate Zigbee devices with all the other features eWeLink CUBE offers, like Matter Bridge and Smart Scenes.

As the old Zigbee component is retired, certain devices may have compatibility issues and are no longer supported. If you’re having issues with your devices, try resetting and pairing them with eWeLink CUBE again. This can fix most problems that pop up during the migration. And don’t hesitate to reach out for help from us.

After the release, we also plan to make Zigbee compatibility more accessible by maintaining a list of devices that are tested to work with eWeLink CUBE. This will make it easier for you to choose new devices.

Other Features Worthy of a Look

eWeLink-Remote devices, such as the SONOFF R5 and S-MATE, can now be synced to other Matter-supported platforms via the built-in Matter Bridge. This expands the possibilities for integrating these long-distance communication devices with major smart home ecosystems.

The Smart Security feature now supports a wider range of triggers, including actions from wireless switches like the IKEA 4-key remote Styrbar, offering more flexibility in setting up automated security actions.

Homebridge compatibility has been improved, specifically with iHost OpenAPI V2, enabling smoother integration of devices managed by eWeLink CUBE with Apple HomeKit.

Last but not least

V2.3.0 is a major step forward for eWeLink CUBE and SONOFF iHost. It has grown rapidly alongside our enthusiastic community. Looking back on this year of eWeLink CUBE, we rewrote the device UI and underlying components, added more useful features to scenes, and put ongoing effort into Matter and local smart home control. I am proud to say that most of the features are driven by our inspiring community. Thanks for your accompaniment, and we hope to continue to have you with us on this journey for future releases. Thank you.

[eerke]

Does the Node Red Control Device Node have actions in 2.3 ? I’ve updated everything and rebooted it but can’t get any actions to appear for anything.
Tried creating a new virtual device and it also had no actions. Haven’t yet tried deleting a device and re-adding it yet. Have added a new sensor but sensors seem fine. It is actions in Node Red.

[ward]

Do you mind sharing logs and nodes with us?

Pinged dev for a look @SuiKa

[SuiKa]

We released a new version(v1.3.1) for node-red-contrib-ewelink-cube a few hours ago.
Please upgrade and see if the problem fixed.

[SuiKa]

If the problem not solved.
Please send us some pic or video to better describe the problem.
And also node-red log is needed.
Sorry for the inconvenience we caused.

[cwagnere]

I was using the Matter Bridge to use my devices in Alexa but after the update they no longer work. Any suggestions?

EDIT: In Alexa I deactivated the “iHost” device to restart it but I can’t reactivate it, it shows me error. However, the rest of the devices connected through iHost are working, but intermittently. I must restart iHost and it works for a while, then the devices in Alexa “don’t respond”.

[eerke]

By Node Red log you mean the log within the docker section and not a log within the Node Red Interface? I will update tonight and see if it fixes it.

[SuiKa]

The log within the docker section would be fine.

[eerke]

I will create ticket to send logs file too big for forum.

[eerke]

Ticket with the file went to Eric-eWeLink (support).

[yitie]

Hey, would you please share more detail with me?
Which device(s) you Bridged to Alexa no longer work after the firmware upgraded to V2.3?
And what’s your phone’s OS, Android or iOS?

Will try to reproduce the issue you met on my side based on that.

[cwagnere]

Hi! I have an iPhone 15 with the latest version of iOS. In the Alexa app, I have 37 devices connected under iHost, and none of them are working. I’ve noticed that they disconnect during the night. Every morning I have to reboot iHost, and then everything works fine throughout the day, but it seems something happens at night that causes the link to be lost.

The first time this happened, I deactivated ‘iHost’ in the Alexa app intending to re-enable it, but I was never able to (Alexa shows an error message). However, when I reboot iHost from the settings menu, the devices in Alexa become active again.

[ward]

Hey

Thx for the feedback; to better address your issue - Matter related issues are complex - I’m gonna ask for more information.

Instead of rebooting iHost, will rebooting Alexa solve the issue?

Do you happen to have other Matter hubs? Like HomePod mini or nest hub mini? How are these devices working with other platforms?

And since it happened firstly after you changed some settings on Alexa, have you reached out to them for assistance?

[cwagnere]

I understand that the Alexa app cannot be rebooted. The closest thing to that, to my knowledge, was disabling the iHost device in Alexa and reactivating it, but as I mentioned before, this didn’t work (This wasn’t the first thing I did; I did it because after the update, the iHost devices stopped working in Alexa). In the Matter Bridge tab in iHost, I only have Alexa, but I also have Homebridge with several child bridges running as Docker containers (working without problems). My English isn’t the best, but I hope I explained it well

[cwagnere]

I’ll tell you what I discovered. Since the issue persisted, I redid the integration with Alexa from scratch in the Matter tab. Everything worked fine until I performed a manual backup in iHost. When it finished, the same thing happened, the link broke, and all the devices appeared as disconnected in Alexa. I checked my automatic backup settings I host, and it’s set to run overnight. This leads me to conclude that the backup is what’s breaking the link with Alexa, creating the need to reboot iHost for it to work again. For now, I’ll leave the automatic backup function disabled to see if the problem stops. Hope that the feedback helps

[yitie]

Great thanks for the tryout,
@ward Let’s try to reproduce the issue as cwagnere leads.

[yitie]

Hi there! We’ve tried the lead you tried and were able to reproduce the issue you described. That’s really helpful!

After the backup is done and the system comes back from a temporary freeze, the Matter Bridge doesn’t start up properly. Our team is still looking into the logs and working on a solution. We should have a patch ready within 2-3 days to fix the issue.

Oh, and I found another thing. When you use the Alexa app to scan the QR code on iHost to initial the Matter onboard procedure, there’s a page that prompts, “Did the manufacturer provide a new setup code for your device?” If you select YES, the Alexa app gets stuck in a loop, asking you to scan the code and input the code over and over again.

So, after several failed attempts, I made a success with choosing NO.

But here’s the funny part: Apple Home and Google Home don’t have this issue. It seems like there’s a logical error in the Alexa app that shouldn’t happen.