This is a good point. I didn’t think about that. If I’ve added multiple channels to a think, and then linking multiple channels to one item, the rule that is triggered by that item will know which channel triggered it, even if the channels are on a “Generic MQTT Thing” as opposed to on the broker? That is indeed another good way of doing it of which I was not aware.
Rather than repeat things how about we continue in this thread where we’ve touched many of the same issues? I kind of only meant this thread to be a “simple” question, it probably gets confusing for others trying to follow now that it’s split into two threads.