Network

You can change the hostname, the IP address, and the Wi-Fi network of your Home Assistant system under Settings > System > Network. These settings are only available on Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users..

The Network page also has settings for the Home Assistant URL, the network adapter, and the HTTP server. For these, refer to Remote access to Home Assistant, the Network integration, and the HTTP integration.

When you open Home Assistant after changing the hostname or the IP address, keep the rest of the address the same: http:// or https://, and the port, if your address has one. For example, http://homeassistant.local:8123 becomes http://kitchen.local:8123.

On Home Assistant ContainerHome Assistant Container is a standalone container-based installation of Home Assistant Core. Any OCI compatible runtime can be used, but the documentation focus is on Docker. [Learn more], the operating system of your computer manages the network. To change the IP address, the Wi-Fi network, or the hostname, use the settings of that operating system.

Changing the hostname

The hostname is the name of your system on your network. By default, it’s homeassistant, so you can reach Home Assistant at homeassistant.local. If you have more than one Home Assistant system, give each one its own hostname to avoid hostname conflicts.

Prerequisites

  • Administrator rights.
  • Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users..

To change the hostname

  1. Go to Settings > System > Network.
  2. In the Hostname section, enter the new name, and then select Save.
  3. Reboot the system.
  4. To open Home Assistant, use the new name.
    • For example, if the new hostname is kitchen, homeassistant.local in your address changes to kitchen.local. Keep http:// or https://, and the port.

Setting a static IP address

By default, your router assigns an IP address to Home Assistant. This address can change, for example, after a restart of your router. A static IP address doesn’t change.

Instead of a static IP address, you can also reserve an IP address for Home Assistant in your router. This is called a DHCP reservation. The router then always assigns the same address. For the steps, refer to the documentation of your router.

Prerequisites

  • Administrator rights.
  • Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users..
  • The IP address that you want to use. Choose an address that no other device uses, and that is outside the range of addresses your router assigns automatically.
  • The IP address of your router, which is usually the gateway address.

To set a static IP address

  1. Go to Settings > System > Network.
  2. In the Configure network interfaces section, select the tab of your network interface, for example, eth0.
  3. Expand IPv4, and select Static.
    • For an IPv6 address, expand IPv6 instead. It uses Subnet prefix instead of Netmask.
    • To turn off an IP version for this interface, select Disabled.
  4. Enter the following settings:
    • Under IP address, enter the address that you want to use. To add more addresses, select Add address.
    • Under Netmask, enter the netmask of your network, for example, 255.255.255.0.
    • Under Gateway address, enter the IP address of your router.
    • Under DNS server, select a DNS server, or select Custom and enter the IP address of your router.
  5. Select Save.
    • Home Assistant warns that you might lose the connection.
  6. To open Home Assistant, use the new IP address, with the same http:// or https:// and port as before.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network

If your system has a Wi-Fi adapter, Home Assistant can connect to your network over Wi-Fi instead of an Ethernet cable.

Prerequisites

  • Administrator rights.
  • Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users..
  • A device with a Wi-Fi adapter.
  • The name and the password of your Wi-Fi network.

To connect to a Wi-Fi network

  1. Go to Settings > System > Network.
  2. In the Configure network interfaces section, select the tab of your Wi-Fi interface, for example, wlan0.
    • If there is no tab for a Wi-Fi interface, Home Assistant didn’t find a Wi-Fi adapter on your device.
  3. Expand Wi-Fi, and then select Search networks.
  4. From the list, select your Wi-Fi network.
  5. Select the security type of your network, Open, WEP, or WPA-PSK, and enter the Wi-Fi password.
  6. Select Save.
    • Home Assistant warns that you might lose the connection.
  7. To open Home Assistant, use the address that your router assigned to the Wi-Fi interface, or the hostname, for example, homeassistant.local. Keep http:// or https://, and the port.

Resetting a network interface

If you changed the settings of a network interface and want to start over, you can reset it. This sets IPv4 and IPv6 back to Automatic, removes the DNS servers, and forgets the Wi-Fi network.

Prerequisites

  • Administrator rights.
  • Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users..

To reset a network interface

  1. Go to Settings > System > Network.
  2. In the Configure network interfaces section, select the tab of the network interface.
  3. Select Reset configuration, and then select Save.
    • The reset only takes effect after you select Save.

Changing network settings from the command line

If you can’t reach Home Assistant in your browser, you can change the network settings on the command line. On Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users., connect a monitor and a keyboard to your system, or open the console of your virtual machine. The console shows the ha > prompt.

At the ha > prompt, you enter the commands directly. You don’t need to type ha first. If you use the command line of the SSH app instead, start each command with ha, for example, ha network info.

  1. To find the name of your network interface, enter network info.
    • Interface names differ between devices, for example, eth0, end0, or enp0s3. In the following commands, replace eth0 and wlan0 with the names of your interfaces.
  2. Change the setting that you need:
    • To let your router assign the IP address again, enter network update eth0 --ipv4-method auto.

    • To set a static IP address, enter the address with its subnet prefix, your gateway, and a DNS server, for example:

      network update eth0 --ipv4-method static --ipv4-address 192.168.1.50/24 --ipv4-gateway 192.168.1.1 --ipv4-nameserver 192.168.1.1
      
    • To connect to a Wi-Fi network, first enter network scan wlan0 to see the networks nearby. Then, enter the name and the password of your network, for example:

      network update wlan0 --wifi-mode infrastructure --wifi-ssid "MyWiFi" --wifi-auth wpa-psk --wifi-psk "password" --ipv4-method auto
      
    • To change the hostname, enter host options --hostname kitchen.

Troubleshooting

I can’t reach Home Assistant after changing the network settings

Symptom: I can’t reach Home Assistant after changing the network settings

After you changed the IP address or the Wi-Fi network, Home Assistant doesn’t open in your browser anymore.

Description

Home Assistant now uses a different IP address or network, but your browser still uses the old address. If the new settings are wrong, for example, an address outside your network or a wrong Wi-Fi password, Home Assistant can’t connect to your network at all.

Resolution

  1. Try the new address, or the hostname, for example, homeassistant.local, in your browser.
    • If you changed the hostname, use the new name, for example, kitchen.local.
    • Keep http:// or https://, and the port, if your address has one. For example, http://homeassistant.local:8123.
  2. If Home Assistant still doesn’t open, connect a monitor and a keyboard to your system, or open the console of your virtual machine.
  3. At the ha > prompt, let your router assign the IP address again. Enter network update eth0 --ipv4-method auto.
    • Replace eth0 with the name of your interface. To find it, enter network info.
    • If your system only connects over Wi-Fi, connect an Ethernet cable first. Or, correct the Wi-Fi settings with the command in Changing network settings from the command line.
  4. To find the address that your router assigned, enter network info.
  5. Open Home Assistant with that address, or with the hostname. Keep http:// or https://, and the port.
There’s no network after changing the network adapter of a virtual machine

Symptom: There’s no network after changing the network adapter of a virtual machine

You run Home Assistant Operating SystemHome Assistant OS, the Home Assistant Operating System, is an embedded, minimalistic, operating system designed to run the Home Assistant ecosystem on single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi) or Virtual Machines. It includes Home Assistant Core, the Home Assistant Supervisor, and supports apps. Home Assistant Supervisor keeps it up to date, removing the need for you to manage an operating system. Home Assistant Operating System is the recommended installation type for most users. in a virtual machine. After you changed the type of its virtual network adapter, Home Assistant has no network access.

Description

The new network adapter gets a different interface name inside the virtual machine. The saved network settings no longer match, so the virtual machine starts without network access.

Resolution

  1. Open the console of the virtual machine.

  2. At the ha > prompt, enter login.

    • Result: You’re now in the shell of the operating system.
  3. To remove the saved network settings and restart, enter the following commands.

    • This removes the saved settings of all network interfaces, not only the one that changed. This includes saved Wi-Fi networks and static IP addresses. After the restart, set them up again.
    rm -r /mnt/overlay/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections
    reboot
    
    • Result: Home Assistant OS creates new network settings for the new interface during the restart. Your router assigns the IP address automatically.