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Setting up Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi with port forwarding for HomeKit.

Setting up Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi with port forwarding for HomeKit.

A
Athetek
Junior Member
9
11-10-2020, 02:19 PM
#1
Hey there! Yes, you're generally right—forward the port to the Pi's IP address. This lets your devices communicate with it over the network.
A
Athetek
11-10-2020, 02:19 PM #1

Hey there! Yes, you're generally right—forward the port to the Pi's IP address. This lets your devices communicate with it over the network.

M
Mael309
Member
145
11-10-2020, 09:40 PM
#2
Ignore that. The port was 8581.
M
Mael309
11-10-2020, 09:40 PM #2

Ignore that. The port was 8581.

G
gabbylife
Member
228
11-12-2020, 07:51 AM
#3
It shouldn’t require port forwarding for HomeKit control… The system uses Apple iCloud. It functions smoothly with Home Assistant, and you shouldn’t have any open ports.
G
gabbylife
11-12-2020, 07:51 AM #3

It shouldn’t require port forwarding for HomeKit control… The system uses Apple iCloud. It functions smoothly with Home Assistant, and you shouldn’t have any open ports.

Y
YangYang
Member
131
12-02-2020, 08:23 PM
#4
Sorry for the oversight. It wasn’t functioning properly, so I checked my router and forwarded the port, which resolved the issue right away. With five Apple TVs in the house, I’ve always given them the same name, possibly causing network confusion. I can identify which one is acting as the central hub, but if I disconnect that TV, another should take over. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t let you adjust settings directly, so I’m hoping an update fixes everything. For now, the port forwarding seems to be working.
Y
YangYang
12-02-2020, 08:23 PM #4

Sorry for the oversight. It wasn’t functioning properly, so I checked my router and forwarded the port, which resolved the issue right away. With five Apple TVs in the house, I’ve always given them the same name, possibly causing network confusion. I can identify which one is acting as the central hub, but if I disconnect that TV, another should take over. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t let you adjust settings directly, so I’m hoping an update fixes everything. For now, the port forwarding seems to be working.

S
sniperboy650
Senior Member
735
12-07-2020, 01:46 AM
#5
Are you redirecting traffic for the HA app or for HomeKit to function outside your setup? I manage several HA configurations and currently lack open ports to control them through HomeKit. While I can open ports for external access via the app, that approach isn’t suitable for HomeKit—some deployments run without any open ports yet still operate smoothly. HomeKit communicates with Apple’s servers, sending data through iCloud to the hub, though the exact process may differ slightly. I use iPads and HomePods as hubs, but an Apple TV should function identically. I’m uncertain if running multiple hubs is the intended method, as it seems only one should be active at a time.
S
sniperboy650
12-07-2020, 01:46 AM #5

Are you redirecting traffic for the HA app or for HomeKit to function outside your setup? I manage several HA configurations and currently lack open ports to control them through HomeKit. While I can open ports for external access via the app, that approach isn’t suitable for HomeKit—some deployments run without any open ports yet still operate smoothly. HomeKit communicates with Apple’s servers, sending data through iCloud to the hub, though the exact process may differ slightly. I use iPads and HomePods as hubs, but an Apple TV should function identically. I’m uncertain if running multiple hubs is the intended method, as it seems only one should be active at a time.