Today we are going to focus on setting up a Sonoff Basic switch. You have seen our article on this little device in the previous Alexians tests.
Its use is very varied and we will detail one of them: the installation of the Sonoff in a ceiling light.
We will be interested in both the connections and its pairing with the EWilink application of the brand (with its subtleties).
The installation of Sonoff
You will find in the small box of the Sonoff Bassic switch the device as such as well as 4 screws and a manual in English / Chinese.
The first step will be to disassemble your ceiling light because you will have to get your hands dirty. Of course, turn off the light and switch it off for added security. Take a good look at your wires and their connections so as not to make a mistake later. Then prepare two wires of sufficient length. Indeed, these two wires will go from Sonoff to your ceiling light. It is therefore necessary to come screw these at the level of the output part of Sonoff (N and L).
Then insert and screw in the input part the two incoming wires (those coming from the ceiling). Turn on the power and there, a green light should light up. If so, everything is well connected. Do not reassemble your ceiling light immediately because you will need to have access to the Sonoff for commissioning.
Pairing with EWelink
The logic of the installation is the same as for most connected devices: download the associated application on the store of your smartphone and then the Skill on the application Alexa.
Regarding the EWelink application, the first step will be to register by entering your email and a password. Then select the + at the bottom middle.
From there, there are two possibilities to pair the Sonoff. The fast or normal mode, which hardly ever works, and the "forced" mode. We will directly use the forced mode. To do this, turn on the Sonoff by pressing the small black button once. Your ceiling light should come on. Then keep this button pressed for 5 seconds until the green LED flashes twice quickly and once for a long time, in a loop. Keep the button pressed again for 2 seconds until the green LED flashes continuously. Then select "next" and enter your Wi-Fi credentials (you will also need to activate your GPS).
After authorizing access to the application, the search for our Sonoff Basic switch begins.
Once detected, the application asks you to rename the switch and confirms its addition. Your Sonoff will then connect to your Wi-Fi for the first time to converse with the EWelink servers. It may take a minute or two.
The time that your device connects, the Wi-Fi icon is yellow and blue thereafter. If it lasts too long, look at the way the LED flashes and by referring to the instructions you will find out the problem. Most of the time, it's an error in the Wi-Fi code (a space at the end for example). No other choice in this case than to start over from the beginning ...
When everything is connected, then go to the application settings through the configuration of the device (the 3 small dots at the top right when you are on the page of your device, then settings). This will allow you to update the version of the Sonoff program, which takes a few minutes. From there, a new option is available: Power on state. The interest is real. In the event that you turn off your ceiling light with your wall switch, you can choose, when you turn it back on, whether your Sonoff turns on, remains off or resumes its last setting. And therefore to use your ceiling light in the event of a Wi-Fi problem, for example.
The next step will be to activate the skill under the application Alexa and search for new connected devices (see the tutorials on connected bulbs if you want to know how). By entering the settings of your connected device, you can make it consider a light by Alexa and no longer as a switch.
And There you go ! You can now reassemble your ceiling light, it is finally connected thanks to a Sonoff Basic switch !! It's not very complicated, but you still have to know how to do it. This tutorial concerns a ceiling light, but you can order household appliances or even garage doors. But that's another story !
