I’ve been experimenting with automating my birdfeeder camera setup, and it’s been quite an adventure! The camera operates in Wi-Fi AP mode, which, while convenient for wildlife monitoring, posed a challenge for integration into my home network. After some research, I discovered that the camera’s AP mode can be triggered via BLE with a simple command. This led me to explore using an ESP32-based proxy device to handle the BLE communication and automate content downloading without disrupting my home Wi-Fi connection.The process involved setting up the proxy to periodically connect to the camera, download new recordings, and then upload them to a local storage solution. While I initially considered adding another Wi-Fi adapter to my HomeAssistant setup, concerns about signal stability and complexity led me to focus on a dedicated ESP32 solution with additional storage. This approach not only simplifies the setup but also ensures minimal impact on my existing network.I’ve also explored the possibility of flashing the device with openIPC, though I’m hesitant to proceed without more thorough testing. For now, the ESP32 proxy seems like the most reliable and scalable solution. If anyone has experience with similar setups or suggestions for optimizing this process, I’d love to hear your thoughts!This project has been a great learning experience, blending hardware hacking with automation scripting. It’s exciting to see how creative solutions can bridge the gap between off-the-shelf devices and seamless integration into a smart home ecosystem. I’m eager to continue refining this setup and welcome any insights or tips from the community!