[APP][Pro] HomeKit Controller - for a better Homey

[Peter_Bittner]

@Martin_Verbeek

Generic procedure to add a device.

1. Add your Homekit capable device to the app that came with the device and configure it.

2. If added with iOS device, remove the device from the iOS Home app, a device only can have one controller.

3. Most of the time the device can be discovered and added now, using the PIN.
   Additional services are made available over time, as its capabilities. But in some cases it can take multiple minutes that the homekit service is advertised on the network.
   As a start the Apple defined services and capabilities. When available some other vendor specific might be added as well.

I have gone through these steps. But still not able to discover the FP2. I’m assuming I select Homekit over IP.
Appreciate some help.

[David_De_Smedt]

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone (or Arie) can help me investigate what appears to be a HomeKit Controller discovery issue.

Environment
• Homey Pro (2023)
• HomeKit Controller 2.1.19
• Aqara FP2 firmware v1.3.6_0003.0099
• Apple TV configured as Home Hub
• Same LAN
• Synology network
• FP2 connected to 2.4 GHz WiFi

What works
FP2 works perfectly in the Aqara app.
FP2 can be paired with Apple Home immediately using the official HomeKit QR code.
Apple Home communicates with the FP2 correctly.

What does NOT work
HomeKit Controller never discovers the FP2.

I have tried:
• Removing the FP2 completely from Apple Home.
• Waiting until it disappears.
• Powering the FP2 off for more than 5 minutes.
• Powering it back on.
• Trying HomeKit Controller BEFORE adding it back to Apple Home.
• HomeKit over IP.
• HomeKit over Thread.
• Manual HomeKit setup code supplied by Aqara Technical Support.

The result is always:
“No new devices found.”

The HomeKit Controller debug log shows:
getMDNSPairableDevices for tcp
pairing found devices: []

So HomeKit Controller appears to find zero pairable HomeKit devices.

Aqara Technical Support has been very helpful. They even retrieved the original HomeKit pairing code and QR code from their backend. Apple Home accepts that QR code immediately, so I don’t believe this is an Aqara or FP2 issue.

Has anyone successfully paired an FP2 with HomeKit Controller 2.1.19 recently?

Or does this look like an mDNS discovery issue?

I’m happy to perform additional tests if needed.

Thanks!

David

[David_De_Smedt]

Additional diagnostics

I performed some additional network diagnostics that may help narrow this down.

The HomeKit Controller log consistently reports:

pairing found devices: []

To verify whether the FP2 was advertising HomeKit on the network, I used Avahi on a Linux machine (Synology NAS) connected to the same LAN.

Running:

avahi-browse -rt _hap._tcp

only discovers these HomeKit accessories:

• Homey Pro
• HomeKitty F91C

The Aqara FP2 never appears.

I also ran:

avahi-browse -at | grep Aqara
avahi-browse -at | grep Presence
avahi-browse -at | grep 192.168.1.239

All three return no results.

Current situation:

• FP2 works normally in the Aqara app.
• Apple Home pairs with and controls the FP2.
• Apple TV is configured as the Home Hub.
• FP2 is connected to the same LAN (2.4 GHz WiFi).
• HomeKit Controller never discovers the FP2.

I’ve attached a screenshot of the Avahi output. I can also provide the HomeKit Controller log screenshot if needed, but the forum currently limits me to one embedded image because this is a new account.

Based on these diagnostics, it appears the FP2 is not advertising a HomeKit (_hap._tcp) service that HomeKit Controller can discover on the network, even though Apple Home can pair with and control it normally. Does that point to an FP2/mDNS issue, or could HomeKit Controller still be missing something during discovery?

[David_De_Smedt]

@MartinVerbeek

I performed some additional diagnostics after my previous post.

• Factory reset of the FP2 completed.
• Apple Home immediately discovers and pairs with the FP2.
• Apple Home controls the FP2 correctly.
• HomeKit Controller still reports “No new devices found”.

I also verified the network using Avahi (avahi-browse -rt _hap._tcp). Other HomeKit accessories are advertised correctly, but the FP2 never appears.

Would it be possible to enable more detailed logging of the raw mDNS advertisements that HomeKit Controller receives, rather than only logging the list of pairable devices? That would help determine whether:

• the FP2 is advertising but being filtered out, or
• the FP2 never appears in the discovery process at all.

I’m happy to run any additional diagnostics if that would help.

Addition:

Aqara has now confirmed in writing that the FP2 advertises its HomeKit service using the standard _hap._tcp mechanism and that this behaviour does not change with firmware updates.

However, on my network an Avahi scan still only discovers Homey Pro and another HomeKit accessory. The FP2 never appears, even though Apple Home immediately discovers and pairs with it.

Does HomeKit Controller use a different discovery path than a standard mDNS browser such as Avahi, or is there additional debug logging that could show the raw advertisements HomeKit Controller receives?