Home Assistant (Home Automation)

What this is

Self-hosted home automation platform used to control and automate devices across the network.

Why I set this up

To centralise control of smart home devices and enable automation (lighting, sensors, integrations, etc.).

Where it runs

Host: micropc
Network: Host mode (required for discovery features)
Access (local): http://192.168.86.100:8123
External access: Reverse proxy (secured via Cloudflare Tunnel)

Docker Compose

services:
  homeassistant:
    image: ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable
    container_name: homeassistant
    network_mode: host

    environment:
      - TZ=America/Santo_Domingo

    volumes:
      - /opt/docker/homeassistant/config:/config

    restart: unless-stopped

    labels:
      - diun.enable=true

Key Configuration Notes

Network

Uses network_mode: host
Required for:
- mDNS discovery (e.g. ESPHome devices)
- UPnP / local integrations
Without this, many devices will not auto-discover

Storage

/opt/docker/homeassistant/config → all configuration and data
Contains:
- configuration.yaml
- automations
- integrations
- database

Integrations

Works with:
- ESPHome
- MQTT (if configured)
- Various smart home devices

Timezone

Set via:
```
TZ=America/Santo_Domingo
```
Ensures correct scheduling for automations

Setup Steps

Create config directory:
```
/opt/docker/homeassistant/config
```
Start container:
```
docker compose up -d
```
Open web UI:
```
http://192.168.86.100:8123
```
Complete onboarding in browser

Problems / Fixes

Devices not discovered

Cause: not using host networking
Fix:
- Ensure network_mode: host is set

Cannot connect to ESPHome

Ensure both:
- ESPHome and Home Assistant are on same network
- mDNS is working

Slow performance

Check:
- CPU usage
- Number of integrations
Consider moving database or tuning recorder settings

Container restarts or crashes

Check logs via Dozzle
Common causes:
- Corrupt config
- Integration issues

Result

Centralised home automation system
Device discovery working via host networking
Stable operation with Docker Compose

Notes

Requires host networking for full functionality
Core service in homelab setup
Frequently updated → monitor via DIUN
Logs monitored via Dozzle