Access of Supla MQTT from other docker instances (Homeassistant)

[PeterP]

Dear Sirs,
in my dockerized environment I have instance from Homeassistant with the default net setting ‚host‘ on port 1823 running.

I have also Supla in docker on port 8080&443 and activated MQTT broker via .env variable with MQTT broker port on 8883

But the broker ports seems not to be exposed to docker.

How can the Homeassistant connect to port 8883 MQTT if it‘s not exposed? As both containers do not share the same network (I assume)….

How to setup perhaps a 3rd port in Supla which can be accessed from outside for MQTT?

Any help possible on this questions?

Thank you in advance!

[pzygmunt]

You must have your own MQTT broker to which the Supli server and Home Assistant connect.

[PeterP]

Really? I was reading that Supla contains a MQTT broker and activated the feature in the env. file.

All descriptions I found about Supla MQTT is that it could be used from Homeassistant to read the data from Supla devices.

I just should connect to the Supla MQTT broker.

That is what I want to do….

I mean, why it‘s called broker in case it‘s only client?
And where should one configure the MQTT topics of the devices to send over MQTT in Supla?

Maybe the last point I could find out after I connected the devices to supla.

But please explain how to connect to the supla MQTT broker…

[klew]

Official SUPLA servers have MQTT broker included. So if you use those servers, you only have to connect your client to SUPLA`s MQTT broker.
However in case of self-hosting, MQTT broker has to be installed separately.

You don't configure topics. Those are defined in SUPLA server and server publish them to the broker. If I remember correctly, server add some "random" user specific prefix at the begining of all topics.

[PeterP]

That’s really not good news.
So the MQTT broker variables in Docker instance are fake?
I read a lot about people using Supla MQTT - and there was some indication that they do not talk about the public instance.
Also some ressource and tutorials explain to set the MQTT variables and to connect. So they are also fake news.

So only the public Supla cloud supports it?

What a shame!

Or what do you mean with ‚official Supla clouds‘ versus self hosted…..?

I always was thinking that Supla is an open source
and can be used either with your public instance or even self hosted with supla docker.

That was the reason for me to buy some Zamel parts. And really: does it make sense (as both are cost free for users) to make difference of Supls Cloud docker to the public instance?

That‘s now very irritating to me.

And: in case I now use a mosquitto MQTT broker:
how do I connect my Supla to it, did not find any information how to use another MQTT broker to receive the Supla device data. To do that, there must be possibility to define the topics, send rate, etc. in Supla….And you told me that‘s not provided. So it’s s dead end.



Best Regards
Peter

[klew]

Public servers just have SUPLA server installed and mosquito broker installed as well.

On self-hosted it's expected to do basically the same: install SUPLA server and mosquito broker.

Just install docker version of mosquito broker and configure it.

On self-hosted scenarios, people often want to use MQTT for other systems beside SUPLA. Broker from official servers doesn't allow to publish topics from external devices, so majority of people would end up installing another broker anyway and configuring bridge between them.

Cloud you please explain why do you hesitate to install it on your own? It takes less time than writing on forum

[PeterP]

Hi, even if I install a mosquitto, how to set credentials for it in Supla. There‘s no explanation to do, no dialog to setup a connection to an external broker.

And I’m just be shocked that the Supla MQTT broker does not exist as I read, that you can always use it - even if you want to connect external devices.

And I‘ve got some hints to set up the Supla MQTT broker via the .env variables in docker.

So you‘re telling different story and the first point iis still secret.

Csn you explain how to connect my docker supla cloud to mosquitto, please?

[pzygmunt]

In the self-hosted version, we don't pre-install an MQTT broker because it would be redundant for many users. Typically, if someone has Home Assistant, they install an MQTT broker. Then, all you need to do is provide the broker's IP address and credentials.
I'll try to run HA with MQTT to show you a sample configuration.

[PeterP]

thanks!

meanwhile I set up mosquitto in docker and connected an external device and also Home assistant. So from that point no issue. I see that device in Homeassistant via MQTT.

Still not know how to send any data to that broker from Supla as it‘s not described and have not found a dialog within Supla to use mosquitto as MQTT broker.

More help here is very appreciated.

And I still say: the manuals of supla are some kind of irritating , claiming to offer a Supla MQTT broker.

Not sure why it‘s not supported when you say it‘s contained in the public version. However I hope I can find out with your help to send device data from a supla device client (e.g. Zamel energy meter) to mosquitto - and still having the data in Supla cloud for other means.

(I know I potentially can switch the protocol from supla to MQTT on the device itself, but I do want to keep Supla protocol on the device)

[klew]

And I still say: the manuals of supla are some kind of irritating , claiming to offer a Supla MQTT broker.

Not sure why it‘s not supported when you say it‘s contained in the public version.

Usually by "public server version" we usualy mean "Cloud hosted" (not the self-hosted variant).

Could you please provide links to those manuals/sources which says so?
We'll improve our documentation and provide some examples.