eWeLink Remote no cloud mode

As part of the eWeLink platform, R5 operation requires a connection to the cloud even when it involves a parent device. Strange, as the eWeLink Remote was intended to replace RF remotes that did not need the cloud. Not sure why Sonoff came up with it that way. Not a good idea and it will probably be difficult to get away from this dependency. Is it possible to make the eWeLink Remotes work locally?

19 posts were split to a new topic: Scene buttons & local option

A post was split to a new topic: Does iHost Matter Bridge Support Water Leakage Sensors?

@ward Is it likely that someone answers my original question? I asked about something else and it made topics for several threads.

Sorry for missing out.

About the R5 issue, I’m pinging Sonoff @Daniel_Zhan as well as eWeLink staff @songal

Thank you.
As I suggested several post above, your moderator should move everything but the first post to the Free Discussion section. This is because we have deviated fundamentally from the initial issue.

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We actually strayed from the main topic? But there is one more issue related to R5. Will the R5 remote control be transferred to matteri via ihost matter bridge?

There are no such plans as far as I know; please create a feature request if you want this feature.

A post was split to a new topic: Local scene issue with Zigbee Bridge pro

Hi Jam3, have just tested an R5 as a subdevice for an M5 switch with 1.2.3 FW version and effectively can control the M5 when there is no wifi network.

Tested in my LAB just disabling the wifi from the router and it worked right away. Tested power cycling the M5 to have it turn on without internet / WiFi network from start and was able to keep controlling the parent device.

I am using a basic SCENE to relate one button of the R5 to one button of the M5 and using the REVERSE action.

Could you please further ellaborate your failure scenario?

Regards, Mario.

Before I further elaborate my scenario, let me ask you one question. How do you run scenes with no connection to eWeLink cloud?

It just runs locally. Similar to when you relate 2 zigbee devices with ZB Bridge Pro.

See the attached screen capture, very basic scene…

It works locally because the app on your phone is running. Disable the app on your phone and try again.

It works, cause it is the way it was designed and marketed. See remarks in red from the R5s ITEAD product page.

Can see the M5 offline in the app and it still works, tested the M5 on local mode and it still works, tested with the phone in plane mode and it still works, turned the phone off an it still works.

I am testing in a very basic SCENE, perhaps you are trying a much more complex SCENE that requires cloud services.

I´ve been installing multiple homes relaying on this functionallity and never had any complain about that for the moment.

if you add R5 to ihost and want to control the MINIR4 device, you must have Wi-Fi turned on.
Ihost receives the signal from R5 and sends the command to MINIR4 via Wi-Fi.

If the device supports ewelink Remote, IHOST should first use ewelink Remote to control the device.
Question: Can information sent between Ihost and minir4 using ewelink Remote be bidirectional? Of course, I’m not talking about R5 ( I’m talking aboutonly information exchange between IHOST - MINIR4).
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If you add R5 to MINIR4 you can control it without Wi-Fi. ( Only in this situation we have 100% local control - direct between R5 - MINIR4.

**** THERE IS ONLY ONE CONDITION ****
The scene works locally, but first you need to use ewelink clouds to save the scene on the MINIR4 device, which serves as an ewelink remote gateway. )

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Will the popcorn phenomenon ever be abolished? if there is a scene in which I press R5, turn off two devices 1 and 2. ( device no. 1 is turned off and then device no. 2 is turned off.).

devices should turn off simultaneously.

@mario.bianchi I’m curious as to how you link the channel in R5 to the action performed by the M5 or MINIR4, so that without a scene, pressing any button turns that device on/off. I’m assuming you’re using the eWeLink cloud only (no iHost).

Yes, I am creating the SCENE in the eWeLink app, rather than on iHost or ewelink web.

As the SCENE involves controlling an output of the same device acting as the EWELINK GATEWAY for that R5 remote, it just runs without the need of cloud service or any other assistance.

Do not know the details behind that “magic”, but it just works.

Perhaps you are using the REVERSE action in the SCENE and you should rather use ON / OFF ? This requires to assign the ON action to a certain key / gesture and the OFF action to another key / gesture.

Other alternative is to choose a “pilot device” (ideally the same hosting the ewelink gateway), you will control only taht device with the R5 remote and do a couple of scenes “copying” it status into the rest. When that pilot device turns on, the rest do the same. Then another scene for when the pilot device turns off. This way you will achieve that conistency.

I only use on/off. If I use REVERSE, I can’t use an external switch because there is a loop.
If MINIR4 acts as a gate, the delay is not big.
The biggest popcorn is if R5 is added to Ihost and the scene is performed on ihost. It sends command to devices over WiFi.