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Accessing Home Assistant Outside Your Home Network

Home Assistant Outside Network

This article is part of the Home Assistant Series. Other articles in this series:

  1. Understanding Home Assistant: Your gateway to a smarter home
  2. Running Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi
  3. Running Home Assistant in a Docker Container
  4. Setting up Home Assistant
  5. Home Assistant Green – All-in-one-solution
  6. Accessing home assistant while away

We have now looked at what Home Assistant is, how it works, how to set it up on both a Raspberry Pi and a Network machine. We also had a quick look at the Home Assistant Green all-in-one solution. However, getting Home Assistant set up is the core of home assistant, but if you can’t monitor your smart home when you are not at home makes the appeal a lot less. So today, let’s look at setting up your network to allow you to access your Home Assistant instance when not on your home network.

Why Access Home Assistant Remotely?

Remote access to Home Assistant allows you to:

  • Monitor your home while traveling.
  • Receive notifications about events like motion detection or door openings.
  • Control devices even when you’re not connected to your home Wi-Fi.
  • Ensure peace of mind knowing you can manage your home from anywhere.

Functions Your Router Will Need

To set up remote access, your router needs the following capabilities:

  1. Port Forwarding: This feature allows incoming internet traffic to be directed to Home Assistant.
  2. Dynamic DNS (DynDNS) Support: Since most home internet connections use dynamic IPs that change over time, DynDNS maps a consistent URL to your IP address.
  3. Firewall Settings: To ensure security, you’ll need to adjust these cautiously to allow external traffic to Home Assistant.

Setting Up DynDNS

What is DynDNS?

Dynamic DNS (DynDNS) assigns a fixed domain name (like myhomeassistant.dyn.net) to your changing home IP address. This makes it easier to access your Home Assistant without remembering or checking your IP address constantly.

Steps to Set Up DynDNS

  1. Choose a DynDNS Service Provider: Some popular free or affordable options include No-IP and DuckDNS.
  2. Register an Account: Sign up and create a domain name. For instance, you might choose myhomeassistant.duckdns.org.
  3. Configure Your Router:
    • Log into your router’s admin panel.
    • Locate the Dynamic DNS section (usually under advanced settings).
    • Enter your DynDNS credentials and chosen domain.
  4. Update Regularly: If your router doesn’t support DynDNS, you can run a script or app on a device in your home to update your IP automatically.

Tips for Choosing DynDNS URLs

  • Keep it simple and memorable, like tech-decode-smart-home.duckdns.org.
  • Avoid using personal information in the URL for added security.
  • Test the URL after setup to ensure it resolves to your home network.
DynDNS TP-Link
A screenshot of setting up Dynamic DNS in a TP Link Router

Configuring Home Assistant for Remote Access

  1. Enable External Access:
    • Update the Home Assistant configuration file (configuration.yaml) to allow connections from outside your network.
    • Example: http: server_port: 8123
  2. Set Up Port Forwarding:
    • Log into your router’s admin panel.
    • Forward an external port (e.g., 8123) to Home Assistant’s internal IP and port.
  3. Secure Your Connection:
    • Use HTTPS by setting up a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
    • Install the NGINX Home Assistant SSL proxy add-on for added security.

Security Considerations

When accessing Home Assistant remotely, security is critical:

  • Use Strong Passwords: Ensure your Home Assistant account and DynDNS account use unique, strong passwords.
  • Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of protection to your Home Assistant login.
  • Restrict Access: Limit port forwarding to only the necessary ports. Avoid using common port numbers (e.g., 80 or 443).
  • Regular Updates: Keep your Home Assistant and router firmware updated to patch vulnerabilities.
  • Monitor Logs: Check Home Assistant logs for any suspicious activity.

Summary

Accessing Home Assistant from outside your home network enhances convenience and ensures you stay connected to your smart home. By setting up DynDNS, configuring your router for port forwarding, and taking security measures like SSL and 2FA, you can securely manage your devices remotely.

Remember these key steps:

  1. Ensure your router supports DynDNS and port forwarding.
  2. Set up a reliable DynDNS service to get a consistent URL for your network.
  3. Secure your Home Assistant setup with HTTPS, strong passwords, and restricted access.

By following these steps, you can enjoy the full power of Home Assistant from anywhere while keeping your network safe.

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