Sonoff on Smart Home? Sure — But Secure!

3 Smart Home fails: devices I would NOT buy today!

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Imagine: you get up in the morning, want to raise the blind – and nothing happens. Try the app? Nothing. Try the physical switch directly? Dead. And here’s the kicker: the fault is buried deep inside a wall-mounted junction box.

That was the moment I realised: my smart home had just turned into a nightmare. And I’m not alone with experiences like this.

Today I’m showing you three devices that made it very clear to me where smart home can really go wrong. Not theoretical problems – but real fails that cost me time, money and nerves. We’re talking about 14 actuators all failing. A robot vacuum that became useless overnight. And false alarms waking me up in the middle of the night.

Watch the video – I demonstrate the problems live and show you what you can learn from them.

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Fail #1: Shelly 2.5 – When 14 actuators died at the same time

The slow death inside the wall

This is a Shelly 2.5 – an actuator for roller shutters and blinds. I have 14 of them installed. Fourteen! Nearly all in junction boxes, permanently wired behind wallpaper and plaster. My expectation was pretty clear: install once, close up, forget it. Set and forget.

On the software side I was happy for a long time: locally controllable, great Home Assistant integration, no cloud dependency. Exactly what you want.

And then the drama began.

The same defect – 14 times

In all – yes, literally all – of these Shelly 2.5 actuators, one component failed after some time, one by one. All fourteen, always the same defect. Morning routine, raise the blind? Nothing. App? Nothing. Physical switch? Dead.

Now here’s the real nightmare: these things are of course sitting in junction boxes. That means: open the wall, pull out the actuator, desolder the capacitor, solder in a new one, reinstall, close the wall. Per actuator. Fourteen times.

That was a genuine maintenance disaster for me. And I’m not alone. There are masses of reports about this Shelly generation online.

In the video I show you exactly what went wrong and how I carried out the repair. The detailed repair guide is in this separate article.

Small consolation: repair is possible

With a soldering iron you can swap the faulty component for a few cents in parts. But honestly: do you really want to open 14 wall boxes and replace capacitors?

Important note: this problem affects specifically the Shelly 2.5. The successors Shelly Plus 2PM and the Gen 3 and Gen 4 are ones I use heavily myself and have had zero failures with so far. So this isn’t about bashing the manufacturer across the board.

The key lesson

Wait for long-term community experience before buying new products. First generation? Let others be the testers. Second generation with solid reviews over a year? Then go ahead.

Fail #2: Shark robot vacuum – When the cloud kills your integration

From smart home star to useless appliance

The second device frustrated me in a completely different way. It’s about my Shark robot vacuum. And upfront: the hardware is perfectly fine. It vacuums well, navigates decently, does its job.

For months I had it deeply integrated into my smart home. Built automations along the lines of: “When nobody’s home, start cleaning.” The Home Assistant integration ran perfectly. This wasn’t a toy – it was a solid, reliable part of my daily routine.

Watch in the video how well the system worked – before everything fell apart.

One app update. One dead integration.

And then, one morning: automation triggers – nothing happens. Home Assistant shows: connection lost. Maybe a bug? Open the app – it works. Robot starts via app. But the Home Assistant integration? Dead. Still dead weeks later. Permanently.

What happened? The Shark app had updated itself automatically – as apps do. Completely normal, in the background. Without me actively deciding anything or consciously triggering it.

But with this update, something had changed in the cloud interface. The result: the Home Assistant integration was broken. No workaround, no fallback, no local API.

The moment of realisation

That was the moment I understood: I didn’t buy a device I’m in control of. I bought a device whose capabilities can change at any time via a server update. Without my consent. Without warning. And I can do nothing about it.

In the video I explain in depth why this is a fundamental problem with many cloud-dependent devices.

Imagine buying a car – and a year later the manufacturer says: “Sorry, the radio only works with our app now.” That’s exactly what happened here. Except that the “radio” in my case was the entire smart home integration.

The lesson: an exit strategy is mandatory

Cloud is convenient – but you always need an exit strategy.

Is there a local API?
Can I flash alternative firmware?
Does the device work without internet?

Bose recently handed us a similar case. If that interests you, here’s the article about Bose SoundTouch.

Fail #3: Sonoff Zigbee motion sensor – The night-time false alarms

Bought cheap, paid dearly

The third device looks harmless at first glance: a Sonoff Zigbee motion sensor. Cheap, bought 10 of them, quickly integrated, classic use case for lighting automations.

And at first I thought: okay, maybe a bit sensitive. Adjust the calibration, reduce the range, tried everything.

But then reality hit:

The night-time horror

Middle of the night – light comes on. I wake up, fall back asleep. Half an hour later: again. Three, four times per night. After two weeks I was nearly going mad.

I first thought: a bug in my automation. Checked all the logs. But no: the sensor is genuinely reporting motion. Where there isn’t any.

Same during the day. Light comes on when nobody’s in the room. Shadow from outside? Reflection? An insect on the sensor? No idea. But it doesn’t matter – because the result is the same: the system isn’t reliable.

In the video I demonstrate what these false triggers feel like and what impact they have on your trust in the system.

Unreliability is the death of any automation

In my view, this is the death of any automation. Because sooner or later you start disabling automations. Deactivating sensors. You lose trust in the system.

I replaced these sensors consistently with Aqara motion sensors. More discreet, significantly more reliable – and suddenly the system works. No more false triggers. No more waking up at night. Just: it works.

Not a brand problem, but a product problem

Important: this isn’t a general Sonoff problem. I use plenty of other Sonoff devices myself – Sonoff Basic or S20 plug switches for example – flashed with Tasmota. Local, no cloud, rock-solid for years. Except once, a capacitor issue there too – but that stayed a one-off.

The motion sensor is therefore a specific product problem, not a brand problem.

The lesson: test first, then scale up

Test sensors in everyday use before buying ten of them. One sensor for €10 is cheap – but ten faulty sensors are €100 of e-waste.

Unreliable sensors cannot be “optimised”. No tuning, no configuration makes a bad sensor good. Replacing them decisively is the only solution.

Three golden rules for your smart home purchases

From these three fails I’ve developed three rules I explain in detail in the video:

Rule 1: Have an exit strategy

Ask yourself:

Is there a local API?
Can I flash alternative firmware?
Does the device work without internet?

If all the answers are “no” – think very carefully before buying.

Rule 2: Wait for community experience

Wait for long-term reviews. Read user reports. Only install critical actuators where you can reach them again if needed. So junction boxes only with absolutely proven hardware.

Rule 3: Test sensors thoroughly

Testing one sensor in real life for two weeks might cost you €10. Test first, then buy. Not the other way around.

The opposite: the best devices

If you want, in the next video I’ll do exactly the opposite: Three devices that have run absolutely reliably for years. That I would buy again immediately. That cost me zero maintenance.

Watch the video and write “YES” in the comments if that interests you!

Or do you have a smart home device you could throw against the wall? What was your biggest fail? I’m looking forward to your stories in the comments!

Home Assistant A-Z: M is for MQTT – The Invisible Glue of Your Smart Home

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the A-Z Series: M is for MQTT

In today’s episode of our Home Assistant A-Z Series, we’re diving into a topic that works quietly in the background and yet is absolutely essential: MQTT! It’s the invisible glue that brings almost any device into your smart home. Without MQTT, my smart home would grind to a halt in many places – but why is that?

Today I’ll explain in simple terms (promise: no complicated technical jargon!) what MQTT is, why it matters so much, and how I’ve integrated 52 devices with it in my Home Assistant setup.

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What Is MQTT? 30 Seconds of Theory, Jargon-Free

Let me explain MQTT so simply that anyone can understand it – even if you’re not deeply technical.

The Problem Without MQTT

Normally, Home Assistant has to talk directly to every device. That means:

Home Assistant needs to know how to control the device
What data the device sends
In what units the data arrives
What interface the device uses

For every single device, Home Assistant needs its own dedicated integration. That’s a lot of work and limits the number of supported devices.

The Solution: MQTT as a Middleman

MQTT steps in between and simplifies everything dramatically:

Home Assistant only needs to know how to read from an MQTT server
The device only needs to know how to post its data to MQTT
The MQTT Broker (server) mediates between the two

The Brilliant Advantage

This has a huge advantage:

✅ The device can support MQTT and doesn’t care whether you’re using Home Assistant, OpenHAB, or any other smart home solution

✅ Home Assistant doesn’t care which device you have – as long as it speaks MQTT

MQTT is therefore a supremely universal solution for integrating as many devices as possible into Home Assistant, without Home Assistant needing to explicitly support each device!

In the video, I explain this even more clearly with a diagram!

A Live Look: 52 Devices via MQTT in My Smart Home

Enough theory! Let’s look at a real smart home and see everything I’ve integrated with MQTT.

In my MQTT integration in Home Assistant, I can see: 52 devices connected via MQTT. That’s more than half of all my devices! Without MQTT, my smart home would be capable of considerably less.

Let’s look at some concrete examples:

Aqara Motion Sensors via Zigbee2MQTT

I have several Aqara motion sensors distributed throughout my smart home – in the hallway, bathroom, storage room, and other areas.

How are they integrated?

The sensors speak Zigbee (a wireless protocol)
I use Zigbee2MQTT – the universal gateway for Zigbee devices
Zigbee2MQTT translates Zigbee signals into MQTT messages
Home Assistant reads these MQTT messages

The brilliant part: Zigbee2MQTT supports hundreds of different Zigbee devices from a wide variety of manufacturers. Set it up once, and everything works through the same pipeline!

In the video you can see the motion sensors live in the dashboard!

Philips Hue Lights via Zigbee2MQTT

My Philips Hue lights also run via MQTT – likewise through Zigbee2MQTT!

Why not the official Philips Hue Bridge?

Good question! The Hue Bridge would certainly work too, but:

✅ With Zigbee2MQTT I skip the need for an extra bridge ✅ Everything runs through the same infrastructure (one Zigbee stick) ✅ Completely local – no Philips cloud required ✅ Cheaper (no expensive Hue Bridge needed)

Hue lights also speak Zigbee, so they can communicate with Zigbee2MQTT just as easily as the Aqara sensors!

Where I use Hue lights:

Bedroom (for the wake-up light)
Terrace (for evening lighting)

In the video I’ll show you what the Hue lights look like in the MQTT dashboard!

Sonoff Devices with TASMOTA Firmware

Another great example: Sonoff devices. These are smart relays and sensors – similar to Shelly modules.

My configuration:

I’ve flashed most of my Sonoff devices with TASMOTA firmware. This is an open-source, alternative firmware that:

✅ Works completely locally (no cloud)
✅ Natively supports MQTT
✅ Is far more flexible than the stock firmware
✅ Is more secure (open source, no backdoors)

The Sonoff devices communicate via Wi-Fi (not Zigbee!) and send their data directly to the MQTT Broker.

Examples in my setup:

Smart plugs
Relays for light control
Temperature sensors

In the video I go into more detail on TASMOTA and show you what the devices look like!

Xiaomi Light Sensors for Automations

I have two Xiaomi light sensors mounted on the outside of the building. They continuously measure brightness and help me with various automations.

What I use them for:

Automatic lighting (e.g., terrace lights at dusk)
Blind control (automatically closing when the sun is intense)
Energy management (cloud cover = lower PV output)

These sensors also speak Zigbee and run via Zigbee2MQTT through MQTT into Home Assistant.

In the video I show you the live sensor readings!

Wallbox via EVCC

A particularly cool example: my wallbox for the EV is also integrated via MQTT!

How does that work?

I use EVCC (Electric Vehicle Charge Controller) – intelligent software for managing the wallbox. EVCC can:

PV surplus charging (only charge when the solar system produces enough power)
Use dynamic electricity prices (charge when power is cheap)
Monitor all values (charging power, battery level, costs)

EVCC publishes all these values to MQTT, making them available in Home Assistant.

What I get via MQTT:

Current charging power (in kW)
Total energy meter (total amount charged)
Current charging price (for dynamic tariffs)
Grid price and electricity rates
EV state of charge (in %)

All this data can be used in automations or displayed on dashboards!

More on EVCC is available in my dedicated video – link in the video and description above!

In the video I show you the wallbox entities live in the MQTT dashboard!

Why MQTT Is So Important

After all these examples, it’s clear: MQTT is the backbone of my smart home!

The Advantages at a Glance

Universal: Almost any device can speak MQTT
Vendor-independent: Whether Aqara, Philips, Sonoff, or Xiaomi – they all use MQTT
Protocol-agnostic: Zigbee, Wi-Fi, even Ethernet – everything ends up at MQTT
Future-proof: New device? If it speaks MQTT, it works
Local: No cloud required, everything stays on your own network

In the video I go even deeper into these advantages!

Installation: How to Get MQTT Into Home Assistant

Convinced and ready to use MQTT? No problem – the installation is surprisingly easy!

Option 1: Home Assistant OS (recommended for beginners)

If you’re running Home Assistant OS, MQTT is just one click away:

Step 1: Go to Settings → Add-ons

Step 2: Search for “Mosquitto broker” (this is the MQTT server)

Step 3: Install the add-on and start it

Step 4: Home Assistant automatically detects the Broker and suggests the integration

That’s it! No complex configuration needed. The Broker is running and ready to use immediately.

Option 2: Home Assistant Core / Docker

If you run Home Assistant Core and manage everything via Docker, you can start the Mosquitto Broker as a separate container:

Docker Compose example:

mosquitto:
  image: eclipse-mosquitto:latest
  ports:
    - "1883:1883"
  volumes:
    - ./mosquitto/config:/mosquitto/config
    - ./mosquitto/data:/mosquitto/data

Then add the MQTT integration in Home Assistant and provide the IP address and port (1883) of the Mosquitto container.

In the video I show you both installation methods!

Configuration: Almost None Required!

The beauty of MQTT: it requires almost no configuration!

The default port (1883) works out of the box
No complex settings
Ready to use immediately

Of course, for added security you can also:

Set up a username and password
Enable TLS encryption
Configure Access Control Lists (ACLs)

But for getting started, the default configuration is perfectly sufficient!

Connecting Devices to MQTT

You now have an MQTT Broker running – but how do devices connect to it?

Zigbee Devices: Zigbee2MQTT

For all Zigbee devices, I recommend Zigbee2MQTT:

What you need:

A Zigbee USB stick (e.g., ConBee II, Sonoff Zigbee 3.0)
The Zigbee2MQTT software (as an add-on or Docker container)

Setup:

Plug in the Zigbee stick
Install Zigbee2MQTT
Enter the MQTT Broker details (usually done automatically)
Pair devices (put them into pairing mode)

Done! All Zigbee devices appear automatically in Home Assistant.

Wi-Fi Devices: Native MQTT Support or TASMOTA

Some devices (e.g., Shelly, ESPHome devices) natively support MQTT. Simply enter the MQTT Broker IP in their settings – done!

Other devices (e.g., Sonoff) can be flashed with TASMOTA and then have MQTT enabled.

In the video I walk through concrete examples!

Software Integrations: EVCC and Others

Many software tools like EVCC can publish their data to MQTT. In the respective configuration, you enable MQTT and provide the Broker details – and the data flows straight into Home Assistant!

Creative Use Cases for MQTT

Beyond plain device data, you can also use MQTT for creative purposes:

Build Your Own Sensors

With ESPHome or TASMOTA you can build custom sensors and integrate them via MQTT:

Temperature and humidity sensors in the garden
Water level sensors for plants or cisterns
Door contacts in unusual locations
PIR sensors for motion detection

Exchange Data Between Systems

MQTT is perfect for sharing data between different systems:

Home Assistant → Node-RED → MQTT
MQTT → Grafana (for beautiful dashboards)
MQTT → InfluxDB (for long-term data analysis)

Trigger External Automations

You can trigger external tools via MQTT messages:

Start the 3D printer when the solar system has enough surplus
Activate the irrigation system when soil moisture is low
Arm security systems based on presence

The possibilities are endless!

Pitfalls and Tips

To wrap up, here are a few important tips from my own experience:

Tip 1: Plan Your Topic Structure Early

MQTT uses Topics for organization. Think through a sensible hierarchy from the start:

1
2
3

home/living-room/temperature
home/living-room/humidity
home/bedroom/temperature

Not:

1
2
3

temp_living-room
humidity_living-room
temperature_bedroom

A clear structure will save you a lot of headaches later!

Tip 2: Use Retained Messages

For status values, you should enable Retained Messages. This way the Broker stores the last known value – even if a client restarts.

Tip 3: Understand Quality of Service (QoS)

MQTT defines three QoS levels:

QoS 0: Fire and forget (fast, but unreliable)
QoS 1: Delivered at least once
QoS 2: Delivered exactly once

For smart home purposes, QoS 1 is usually sufficient.

Tip 4: Use Discovery

Many tools (e.g., Zigbee2MQTT, TASMOTA) support MQTT Discovery. This means devices register themselves automatically with Home Assistant – no manual configuration needed!

In the video I go into these tips in more detail!

Conclusion: MQTT Is Indispensable

After all of this, it’s clear: MQTT is absolutely indispensable for my smart home!

What I wouldn’t have without MQTT:

52 fewer devices
No Zigbee devices
No flexible wallbox integration
Far fewer options for custom projects

MQTT makes a smart home flexible, open, and future-proof. It’s one of the reasons I value Home Assistant so highly!

Make sure to watch the video – there you’ll see everything in action live!

Your Experiences?

What do you integrate with MQTT?

Let me know in the comments:

Which devices do you use over MQTT?
Do you have creative use cases?
Are you using Zigbee2MQTT or other gateways?
What questions do you have about MQTT?

Repairing the Sonoff S20 Smart Plug: The 26-Cent Fix

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Sound familiar? Your Sonoff S20 smart plugs worked reliably for years, but suddenly they keep dropping their WiFi connection. A restart fixes things — for a few hours. Then the same thing happens all over again. You simply can’t build a reliable smart home on devices like that.

The good news: in most cases you can fix the problem yourself for under a dollar in parts. The secret lies in a tiny component that loses its electrical properties after a few years.

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The Common Problem: Unstable WiFi Connection

Recognizing the Symptoms

The problem tends to show up in a very characteristic way:

The Sonoff S20 sporadically drops its WiFi connection
After a restart everything works again for minutes to hours
The device stops responding to commands from the app
The LED blinks irregularly or shows error states

The Root Cause: Capacitor Aging

What looks like a WiFi problem at first glance actually originates in the plug’s power supply. After some research it became clear: the electrolytic capacitors used in these devices lose their rated parameters after a few years.

This causes instability throughout the entire power supply circuit — instability that the ESP8266 microcontroller cannot handle. In the worst case the device eventually dies completely.

The $1 Repair: Step by Step

What You Need

One 330µF/16V electrolytic capacitor
A soldering iron and some solder
A Phillips screwdriver
Desoldering braid (helpful but optional)
Common sense when it comes to safety

Important safety notice: Never work on the plug while it is connected to mains power!

Opening the Case

The Sonoff S20 is surprisingly easy to open. Remove four Phillips screws and you have access to the circuit board. The video shows you step by step exactly where the screws are located and how to open the case safely without damaging anything.

Identifying the Culprit

The problematic capacitors are easy to spot. They are the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply area of the board. The main suspect is the 330µF/16V capacitor located between two IC chips.

The tricky part: these capacitors look completely normal from the outside. No bulging, no visible damage — yet they are faulty. The video shows you exactly where to find the suspect capacitors and how to tell them apart from other components.

Removing the Faulty Capacitor

To replace the capacitor you need to partially loosen the board so you can reach the solder joints from the back. The relevant contacts sit between the two chips and need to be carefully desoldered.

The video shows the soldering iron work live, including tips for avoiding damage to the board. Clearing the holes after removing the old capacitor is covered in detail — that is the trickiest part of the whole repair.

Installing the New Capacitor

When inserting the new 330µF/16V electrolytic capacitor, polarity is critical:

Negative lead: Marked with a thick stripe
Positive lead: The other side (longer leg)

The board markings show you exactly which way the capacitor goes. Positive on top, negative on the bottom — following the markings on the board. The video demonstrates slowly and clearly how to identify the correct polarity and align the capacitor properly. Getting this wrong would destroy the entire power supply!

Reassembly

When reassembling, pay close attention to the correct positioning of the button. The small transparent plastic piece must sit precisely on its pins, otherwise the manual button will no longer work.

Also make sure the cables are routed so they do not conflict with the socket contacts. The video shows the small but important trick with the button — miss it and you will regret it later!

The Moment of Truth

After screwing everything back together comes the exciting part: the first power-up. If everything was done correctly, the LED starts blinking happily and the plug connects to the WiFi without any trouble.

The video shows the successful result live: the repaired Sonoff S20 is fully reachable at its IP address and switches flawlessly — something that was not possible before. That moment is genuinely satisfying and proves the effort was worth it.

Why the Repair Is Worth It

Sustainability Over Throwaway Culture

Instead of throwing away the “broken” plug and buying a new one, you invest about 30 minutes of time and under a dollar in parts. That is not only sustainable — it is also educational.

Other Affected Components

If replacing the first capacitor does not solve the problem, the other electrolytic capacitors in the circuit may also be affected. The repair principle stays the same.

Long-Term Stability

After the repair the plugs work perfectly again. The WiFi connection is stable, response times are fast, and reliability is back to its original level.

Practical Tips for the Future

Prevention

Electrolytic capacitors age due to heat and operating time. Avoid placing your Sonoff devices in excessively warm environments and ensure adequate ventilation.

When Is a Repair Worth It?

For devices older than 2–3 years that show the WiFi problems described above, a faulty capacitor is very likely the cause. The repair is usually successful and only takes a few minutes.

More Hardware Repair Projects Ahead

This repair shows impressively how sustainable smart home can be. Instead of discarding working hardware, we fix it with minimal effort. The best part: the video shows not just the repair itself but also the reasoning behind it — what to look for when diagnosing the fault and which pitfalls to avoid.

More Repair Guides

Fixing BROKEN Shellys – The 30-Cent Repair That Actually Works! – The same capacitor principle applied to the Shelly 2.5: solving WiFi problems with a new capacitor
Replace a Tablet Battery Yourself – Save Your Old Device in 20 Minutes! – When your old tablet needs to last hours instead of minutes as a smart home dashboard again

Note: Links marked with affiliate link are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I receive a small commission if you purchase through these links — at no extra cost to you. The revenue helps me run this blog and YouTube channel and keep creating content. Thank you for your support!
― Joachim

Sonoff on Smart Home? Sure — But Secure!

3 Smart Home fails: devices I would NOT buy today!

Fail #1: Shelly 2.5 – When 14 actuators died at the same time

The slow death inside the wall

The same defect – 14 times

Small consolation: repair is possible

The key lesson

Fail #2: Shark robot vacuum – When the cloud kills your integration

From smart home star to useless appliance

One app update. One dead integration.

The moment of realisation

The lesson: an exit strategy is mandatory

Fail #3: Sonoff Zigbee motion sensor – The night-time false alarms

Bought cheap, paid dearly

The night-time horror

Unreliability is the death of any automation

Not a brand problem, but a product problem

The lesson: test first, then scale up

Three golden rules for your smart home purchases

Rule 1: Have an exit strategy

Rule 2: Wait for community experience

Rule 3: Test sensors thoroughly

The opposite: the best devices

Home Assistant A-Z: M is for MQTT – The Invisible Glue of Your Smart Home

Welcome to the A-Z Series: M is for MQTT

What Is MQTT? 30 Seconds of Theory, Jargon-Free

The Problem Without MQTT

The Solution: MQTT as a Middleman

The Brilliant Advantage

A Live Look: 52 Devices via MQTT in My Smart Home

Aqara Motion Sensors via Zigbee2MQTT

Philips Hue Lights via Zigbee2MQTT

Sonoff Devices with TASMOTA Firmware

Xiaomi Light Sensors for Automations

Wallbox via EVCC

Why MQTT Is So Important

The Advantages at a Glance

Installation: How to Get MQTT Into Home Assistant

Option 1: Home Assistant OS (recommended for beginners)

Option 2: Home Assistant Core / Docker

Configuration: Almost None Required!

Connecting Devices to MQTT

Zigbee Devices: Zigbee2MQTT

Wi-Fi Devices: Native MQTT Support or TASMOTA

Software Integrations: EVCC and Others

Creative Use Cases for MQTT

Build Your Own Sensors

Exchange Data Between Systems

Trigger External Automations

Pitfalls and Tips

Tip 1: Plan Your Topic Structure Early

Tip 2: Use Retained Messages

Tip 3: Understand Quality of Service (QoS)

Tip 4: Use Discovery

Conclusion: MQTT Is Indispensable

Your Experiences?

Further Reading and Videos

Repairing the Sonoff S20 Smart Plug: The 26-Cent Fix

The Common Problem: Unstable WiFi Connection

Recognizing the Symptoms

The Root Cause: Capacitor Aging

The $1 Repair: Step by Step

What You Need

Opening the Case

Identifying the Culprit

Removing the Faulty Capacitor

Installing the New Capacitor

Reassembly

The Moment of Truth

Why the Repair Is Worth It

Sustainability Over Throwaway Culture

Other Affected Components

Long-Term Stability

Practical Tips for the Future

Prevention

When Is a Repair Worth It?

More Hardware Repair Projects Ahead

More Repair Guides