Successfully Installing Home Assistant on Linksys EA6500v2 Router

After several attempts and a bit of troubleshooting, I finally managed to install Home Assistant on my Linksys EA6500v2 router running Tomato Firmware. I wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone else who might be going through a similar process.

First, I followed the guide to install Entware on the router. This was a crucial step as it allowed me to install the necessary packages like Python3 and pip. I encountered a few hiccups along the way, especially with partitioning the disk, but the community forums were incredibly helpful in guiding me through those issues.

Once Entware was set up, I moved on to installing Python3 and the required dependencies. I found the GitHub wiki on Self-installation of Python modules to be an invaluable resource. It provided clear instructions on how to set up the packages needed for Home Assistant.

The next step was installing Home Assistant itself. I used the setup tools and wheels, and then installed Home Assistant. I also set up an MQTT Broker using hbmqtt, although I later switched to mosquitto-nossl due to reliability issues with hbmqtt. The process involved a lot of trial and error, but the satisfaction of seeing everything work smoothly was worth it.

I daemonized both Home Assistant and the MQTT Broker to ensure they run continuously on the router. This involved setting up the correct paths and configurations to prevent any issues during runtime. It was a bit tricky, but with some research and experimentation, I got it sorted out.

Overall, the installation was a rewarding experience. It not only enhanced my understanding of router configurations and package installations but also allowed me to integrate Home Assistant into my smart home setup. I’d like to thank the community for their resources and support, which made this journey much smoother than I anticipated. If anyone has questions or runs into issues, feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to help!