Connections¶
The Connections pages configure external network services that the Genius Gateway can integrate with, including MQTT for smart home integration and NTP for accurate time synchronization.
MQTT¶
MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight messaging protocol ideal for IoT devices and smart home integration. The Genius Gateway can publish device states and alarm events to an MQTT broker for integration with home automation systems like Home Assistant.
MQTT Status¶
The MQTT status section displays self-explaning real-time connection information.
General Settings¶
Click the General Settings collapsible section to configure MQTT connection parameters.
Administrator Access Required
MQTT settings can only be modified by users with administrator privileges.
Connection Settings¶
Enable MQTT
Toggle to enable or disable MQTT functionality. When disabled, no MQTT connections or publishing occur.
URI
The MQTT broker URI including protocol and port. Supported formats:
- Unencrypted, for example
mqtt://broker.hivemq.comormqtt://broker.hivemq.com:1883ormqtt://192.168.1.100:1883
- Encrypted (TLS/SSL), for example
mqtts://mqtt.example.comormqtts://mqtt.example.com:8883or
Common MQTT ports:
- 1883 for unencrypted MQTT (use
mqtt://protocol) - 8883 for MQTT over TLS/SSL (use
mqtts://protocol)
Validation
The URI must include the protocol (mqtt:// or mqtts://) and a valid hostname or IP address.
Username
Optional username for MQTT broker authentication. Leave empty if the broker doesn't require authentication.
Password
Optional password for MQTT broker authentication. Leave empty if the broker doesn't require authentication.
Password Storage
Passwords are stored unencrypted in the device's file system. Ensure physical access to the device is restricted.
Client ID
Unique identifier for this MQTT client. Each device connecting to the same broker must have a unique client ID.
Keep Alive
MQTT keep-alive interval in seconds (1-600). The device sends a ping to the broker if no other messages are sent within this interval to maintain the connection.
Publish Message Interval
Minimum interval between published MQTT messages in milliseconds (0-1000).
Disable Rate Limiting
0 = no rate limiting. Messages will be sent immediately.
This rate limiting may be used to prevent overwhelming the broker with rapid updates, if necessary.
Clean Session
When enabled, the broker discards all information about previous sessions when the client connects.
- Enabled (checked): Start with a clean slate, no retained messages or subscriptions
- Disabled (unchecked): Resume previous session with retained messages and subscriptions
Session Persistence
Genius Gateway does not rely on the MQTT broker's persistence function, as it publishes the state of all smoke detectors to the broker on every reconnect.
It is therefore recommended to enable this feature to ensure a consistent state and stable connection at all times.
Applying Changes
Click Apply Settings to save and apply the MQTT configuration. The device will reconnect to the MQTT broker with the new settings.
Smart Home Integration¶
The Smart Home Integration section provides two MQTT publishing modes specifically designed for home automation systems.
Administrator Access Required
Smart home integration settings can only be modified by users with administrator privileges.
Simple Alarm Publishing¶
Enable simple alarm publishing
Toggle to enable/disable publishing alarm events to a central topic.
Alarm Topic
MQTT topic where alarm state is published when any smoke detector triggers an alarm.
Valid MQTT Topic Syntax
- 1-64 characters
- no wildcards
+or# - cannot start or end with
/ - no double slashes
// - no special characters except
/,-, and_
Global Alarm State Topic
More details to this Global Alarm State Topic, like its specific payload format, can be found in the MQTT API.
Device Publishing¶
Enable device publishing
Toggle to enable/disable publishing individual detector configurations and states with Home Assistant MQTT Discovery support.
MQTT Topics Path Prefix
Topic prefix used for all detector device publications.
Valid MQTT Topic Syntax
- 1-64 characters
- no wildcards
+or# - cannot start or end with
/ - no double slashes
// - no special characters except
/,-, and_
Home Assistant compatibility
The Topic path must also comply with the Home Assistant MQTT Discovery Messages requirements.
Below the topic input field, the derived configuration and state topics are displayed.
Global Alarm State Topic
More details to this Home Assistant Auto-Discovery related MQTT Topics, like their specific payload format, can be found in the MQTT API.
Applying Changes
Click Apply Settings to save the smart home integration configuration. The button is:
- Disabled when no changes are pending or validation errors exist
- Enabled when valid changes are ready to apply
Changes take effect immediately after applying.
Related Documentation¶
Integration with Home Assistant and other smart home systems is described in more detail in Smart Home Integration.
Network Time (NTP)¶
Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronizes the device's internal clock with internet time servers, ensuring accurate timestamps for logs, alarms, and event recording.
NTP Status¶
The status section displays various time synchronization information, updated every 5 seconds.
Change NTP Settings¶
Click the Change NTP Settings collapsible section to configure NTP parameters.
Administrator Access Required
NTP settings can only be modified by users with administrator privileges.
Enable NTP¶
Toggle checkbox to enable or disable NTP time synchronization.
Server¶
NTP server hostname or IPv4 address.
- Format: Valid domain name or IPv4 address (3-64 characters)
- Default:
pool.ntp.org(public NTP pool server)
Pick Time Zone¶
Select your local timezone from the dropdown list. The device uses this to convert UTC time to your local time.
Daylight Saving Time
The selected timezone automatically handles daylight saving time transitions where applicable.
Applying Changes¶
Click Apply Settings to save and apply the NTP configuration. The device will apply the new timezone and NTP server settings immediately and begin time synchronization.