Wemo setup from stock to openHAB

I have several wemos that work great with openHAB, but they were all setup with the iOS app before wemo switched to cloud control (that change is what led me to openHAB).

I’ve now bought a new wemo, and the wemo app will not activate it without me making a cloud account. It’s my understanding that if I activate the wemos with a cloud account, they are permanently locked out of local (and therefore openHAB) control?

Whether or not that is true, I don’t like the idea of relying on a manufacturer app to setup a device to work with an open source platform, which leads me to:

Is there a way to setup a wemo (tell it what WiFi to connect to and whatever else happens during initial setup) without relying on a pre-cloud version of the official wemo app?

Yes, but you have to roll back your iOS OR Android App to an older version. I have over 30 WeMo’s in the house - it’s a very important piece of the OH infrastructure.

I have Android and I keep mine on version --> com.belkin.wemoandroid.1.24.201.apk

You have to search on the web for an iOS version that you manually install vs. through the app store. I don’t know iOS so I’m not sure how manual installs work.

Keep in mind, once you downgrade it - the app store will continue to try to upgrade it so you may have to change a iOS setting to stop it from upgrading.

Best, Jay

There is no way to get an older version on iOS😩 so Android is the only way to go

I saw your other post suggesting that; I’m wondering if there’s some way to complete the initial setup without the app at all, by interfacing directly with the Wemo. I don’t have any idea if it’s possible or how someone might go about that.

As far as using the older 1.24 Android app, I bought a cheap Android phone to try it out. I tried version 1.24 as well as version 1.24.2 and neither one could configure the Wemo Insight I bought.

Under version 1.24, I connect to the Wemo’s wifi network, open the [rolled back] Wemo app and the Insight shows up as if it’s already configured, but the status light is blinking orange-green-orange-green showing it has not been configured. If I choose “add a wemo”, the app instructs me to connect to the Wemo’s network and will go no farther. I tried resetting the Wemo several times, using the button as well as using the app, but was not able to make any progress towards setting it up.

Under version 1.24.2, the same thing happens except after instructing me to connect to the Wemo’s network, it just sits there searching and searching, eventually timing out by asking me to connect to the Wemo’s network. This version also shows the Wemo immediately as if it’s been configured (but again, it hasn’t, and it is not accessible from my actual wifi network).

I’m thinking this particular Wemo is broken, or maybe has a newer version of firmware than what the app can support, I don’t know. I’ve spent hours with it though and it’s about to get returned.

I would return it and get a replacement. I have done this with some of the wemo’s. Either they were returned and resold or they were refurbished in my opinion.

It shouldn’t take that long to setup via app or OH normally.

Best, Jay

I’ve heard that you can set up a Wemo with the Google Home app, but haven’t tried it. Frustration with Wemos (I bought my first one in 2013 and had 10+ at one point) led me to replace almost all of them with TP-Link Kasas a couple of years ago. The only ones I’m still running are the Wemo Maker and Wemo Motion.

If you’re sticking with Wemo because you already have some, keep in mind that openHAB doesn’t care who makes your device. I had to break myself of that mindset when I jumped into OH.

Kasas are typically cheaper than Wemos and, in my experience, far more reliable.

The inertia you describe is part of it; in this particular case I wanted the current-monitoring abilities of the Wemo Insight. In general, I like the build quality of Wemos and I am slightly distrustful of TP-Link after their router was found to have a backdoor a while back.

The other part is if openHAB supports a hardware, then I’d really like to see that hardware supported off-the-shelf, if it’s possible.

Addressing your point more directly: is there an attractive (preferably open-hardware) solution to an energy monitoring switch that works with openHAB out of the box? I imagine one could hack something together with a ESP, but I’d prefer UL listed since we’re dealing with line current.

Kasas work locally with openHAB, so once you set them up you can deny them Internet access. You can also get Z-Wave plugs with energy monitoring. If you’re in the US or Canada, Zooz makes some great Z-Wave gear.

For open source, you could look at Tuya devices flashed with Tasmota firmware, but I don’t know if there are any that have energy monitoring.

EDIT: a quick Amazon search reveals what might be the exact thing you need: a Tuya-based plug that’s UL listed.

And here’s the Tasmota template for it.