Tech enthusiast Sam Wilkinson successfully bypassed the cloud-only restrictions of his Dreo CLF513S ceiling fan by building a custom radio-frequency bridge to integrate the device into Home Assistant.

Key Points

• Sam Wilkinson reverse-engineered the Dreo CLF513S ceiling fan remote, which operates on the 433.92 MHz radio frequency band.
• Using an RTL-SDR, Wilkinson captured the remote's on-off keying signals to identify specific command patterns.
• The custom hardware solution utilizes an ESP32-C6 microcontroller paired with an RFM69HCW radio transceiver to transmit fan commands.
• The project enables local control of the fan via the MQTT protocol, removing the need for the manufacturer's proprietary cloud-based smart home application.

Why it Matters

This project demonstrates how hobbyists can reclaim control over smart home appliances that rely on restrictive, cloud-dependent ecosystems. By utilizing affordable microcontrollers and radio hardware, users can achieve local integration and improve the privacy and reliability of their home automation setups.