Network Configuration
UltimateSensor Mini v2 connects over WiFi, Ethernet (with optional PoE) or Thread. This page explains the options, how provisioning works and how to switch between them.
Quick Overview
| Option | Firmware | Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiFi | WiFi variants | USB-C | Default. Provisioning through the SmartHomeShop setup/fallback portal or Bluetooth (Improv BLE). |
| Ethernet | Ethernet variants | USB-C or PoE | Wired W5500 Ethernet. With a PoE switch or injector the network cable also powers the device. |
| Thread | Thread variants | USB-C | Local Home Assistant only, through a Thread border router. See Connect via Thread. |
WiFi, Ethernet and Thread are separate firmware builds. The device runs one of them at a time.
WiFi Setup
- Power the Mini v2 with USB-C.
- Provision WiFi in one of two ways:
- Improv BLE: open Home Assistant on your phone; the device is discovered automatically and asks for your WiFi credentials.
- SmartHomeShop setup portal: connect to the
ultimatesensor-mini(older firmware:ultimatesensor-mini-v2) access point. The password is the same as the name. The portal configures WiFi and lets you choose Home Assistant, SmartHomeShop App cloud and the matching WiFi/Ethernet plus Basic/Complete firmware family.
- After connecting, Home Assistant discovers the device via the ESPHome integration.
WiFi requirements: 2.4 GHz network, WPA2 or WPA3. The diagnostic entities show IP address, SSID and signal strength.
Mini v2 does not include Improv Serial. Both ESP32-C6 hardware UARTs are reserved for LD2412 and LD2450/LD2460.
Ethernet & PoE Setup
- Flash an Ethernet firmware variant (see the Firmware Guide).
- Connect the network cable. With a PoE-capable setup the same cable powers the device, so no USB-C is needed.
- The device gets an IP address via DHCP and is discovered by Home Assistant automatically.
The Ethernet firmware disables WiFi and Bluetooth completely.
Switching Between WiFi and Ethernet
Use UltimateSensor Mini V2 Firmware Variant on the device page in Home Assistant to point the update entity at the other variant. Then enable and install through the UltimateSensor Mini V2 Firmware update entity. Your Home Assistant history and calibration settings are preserved.
Going from Ethernet back to WiFi? Use the web flasher over USB-C, because the network can drop before the WiFi firmware is installed. The web flasher returns the device to its factory settings.
Thread
Mini v2 can also join a Thread network for fully local Home Assistant use, with no WiFi credentials on the device at all. This requires a Thread border router and a USB flash. See Connect UltimateSensor Mini v2 via Thread.
Local Operation & Privacy
All sensor data goes directly to Home Assistant over your local network via the ESPHome API. The local firmware variants only contact the internet to check for firmware updates from the SmartHomeShop manifests and to get the time from NTP servers; cloud variants additionally sync with the SmartHomeShop app.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Check |
|---|---|
| Hotspot not visible | Wait 1-2 minutes after first boot; the hotspot only appears when no WiFi is configured or the connection fails. |
| WiFi keeps disconnecting | Check signal strength in the diagnostic entities; 2.4 GHz coverage at the mounting spot matters. |
| Ethernet firmware but offline | Check the cable and switch port; the device needs DHCP. |
| PoE does not power the device | Confirm your switch/injector delivers 802.3af and that PoE is enabled on the port. |
| Not discovered by Home Assistant | Device and Home Assistant must be on the same network/VLAN with mDNS allowed. |