Fix Tapo and Home Assistant Integration Problems

Facing Problems with Tapo and Home Assistant Integration?

Integrating your TP-Link Tapo smart devices—whether they are cameras, plugs, or bulbs—into Home Assistant opens up a world of powerful, local-first automation possibilities. However, the path to a seamless connection isn't always smooth. Many users encounter frustrating issues during setup, from devices not being discovered to entities becoming perpetually unavailable.

This troubleshooting guide is designed to address the most common problems faced when linking Tapo devices with Home Assistant, helping you build a more reliable and responsive smart home.

The Foundation: A Stable Network Configuration

Home Assistant communicates with your Tapo devices directly over your local network. This means that network stability and proper configuration are paramount.

### Set a Static IP Address

This is the most critical step to prevent future headaches. Your router, by default, assigns IP addresses to devices dynamically (using DHCP). This means your camera's IP address could change when it reboots, causing Home Assistant to lose track of it.

1. Log in to your router's administration page.
2. Find the list of connected devices and locate your Tapo camera or plug. Note its MAC address and current IP address.
3. Look for a feature named 'DHCP Reservation', 'Static IP', or 'Address Reservation'.
4. Create a new reservation, assigning the current IP address permanently to the device's MAC address.

This ensures your Tapo device will always have the same IP, so Home Assistant will never lose its connection path.

Common Integration and Setup Issues

If your network is solid, the problem likely lies in the configuration process itself.

### Authentication Failed

When you add a Tapo integration in Home Assistant, it will ask for a host (the static IP address you just set), a username, and a password. This is where many users get stuck.

• This is NOT your TP-Link Cloud Account. The username and password required here are for the local ONVIF or RTSP account on the camera itself.
• You must create this account within the Tapo mobile app.
  1. Open the Tapo app and go to the camera's settings.
  2. Look for 'Advanced Settings' or a similar menu.
  3. Find the 'Camera Account' or 'Device Account' section.
  4. Create a new username and password here. This is the username and password you must use in Home Assistant.

### Camera Stream Not Working

If you've connected the camera but can't see the video feed in your dashboard, you've likely missed a step.

• Enable the RTSP Stream: In the Tapo app's advanced settings, you need to ensure the RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) toggle is enabled. This is what makes the local video stream available.
• Use the Correct URL: The RTSP stream URL is typically in the format rtsp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@IP_ADDRESS:554/stream1. The Home Assistant integration usually handles this for you, but if you're setting it up manually, ensure you're using the correct address and port (554 is the default for RTSP).
• Use the tapo_control Integration: For the best experience and control, it's highly recommended to use a custom integration like tapo_control from HACS (Home Assistant Community Store). It provides better support for streams, motion detection sensors, and controls than some of the core integrations.

Why Are My Entities 'Unavailable'?

This is a classic symptom of the IP address problem mentioned earlier. If you have not set a DHCP reservation, and your router or camera reboots, the camera may be assigned a new IP. Home Assistant, still trying to connect to the old IP, will mark the device and its entities (like the motion sensor or switch) as 'unavailable'.

If this happens, you'll need to:

1. Find the camera's new IP address from your router's device list.
2. Go to the Integrations page in Home Assistant, find the Tapo integration, and reconfigure it with the new, correct IP address.
3. To prevent it from happening again, set up that DHCP reservation.

By ensuring a stable network foundation with static IPs and using the correct local device credentials, you can overcome the most common Tapo integration problems and unlock the full potential of your devices within Home Assistant.