HowTo: Node Red / FritzBox – presence detection with the FritzBox

An important event that your SmartHome should be able to react to is the occupant's presence status. For example, you can switch off lights when they are absent or switch on radiators when they are present.
If you happen to still have a FritzBox, this presence detection is particularly easy.

All you need is a FritzBox, NodeRed and the MAC address(es) of the resident smartphones.

How to implement presence detection with the FritzBox in NodeRed is described in the following article.

Safety instructions

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Requirements

Helpful articles:
To be able to use this configuration, NodeRed should of course already be installed.
How to prepare a RaspberryPi and then install NodeRed on it is described in the following articles.

The following articles describe what has to be done to prepare the RaspberryPi so far:
RaspberryPi – setup for nerdiys!
RaspberryPi – The first configuration!
RaspberryPi – Control the RaspberryPi via SSH
NodeRed – Installing NodeRed on the RaspberryPi
NodeRed – Install new nodes

Tools required
-no-

Required material:

In the following list you will find all the parts you need to implement this article.

Log into the NodeRed configuration interface

Before you can edit your NodeRed configuration, you must - if activated - first log into the NodeRed configuration interface.

Install FritzBox node

In order for NodeRed to communicate with your FritzBox, you need to install the node "node-red-contrib-fritz". How to install nodes is described in the article NodeRed – Install new nodes described.

Enter FritzBox node configuration

So that the FritzBox node you have just installed can also communicate with your FritzBox, you must enter your FritzBox login data in the node configuration.

Node code for presence detection

Presence detection via the FritzBox basically works by checking which smartphones are logged into the FritzBox's Wi-Fi or network.

First you have to insert the node code listed below into your NodeRed configuration.
Then you need the MAC addresses of the smartphones whose presence you want to detect. You must then enter this in the configuration of the Fritz!

Node code:

[
    {
        "id": "cf98613.60e11a",
        "type": "comment",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "name": "PresenceHandy1",
        "info": "",
        "x": 210,
        "y": 720,
        "wires": []
    },
    {
        "id": "eedc08fb.12b8f8",
        "type": "inject",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "name": "PresenceHandy1",
        }, "props": [
            {
                "p": "payload"
            },
            {
                "p": "topic",
                "vt": "str"
            }
        ],
        "repeat": "60",
        "crontab": "",
        "once": true,
        "onceDelay": "1",
        "topic": "",
        "payload": "{'NewMACAddress': 'XX: XX: XX: XX: XX: XX: XX'}",
        "payloadType": "jsonata",
        "x": 260,
        "y": 780,
        "wires": [
            [
                "38b70c39.68f504"
            ]
        ]
    },
    {
        "id": "c546f3f1.387d1",
        "type": "debug",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "name": "PresenceHandy1",
        "active": false,
        "tosidebar": true,
        "console": false,
        "tostatus": false,
        "complete": "payload.NewActive",
        "x": 680,
        "y": 760,
        "wires": []
    },
    {
        "id": "1c07ae94.c6b621",
        "type": "trigger",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "name": "",
        "op1": "PresenceMobile1 is logged into the network",
        "op2": "0",
        "op1type": "str",
        "op2type": "str",
        "duration": "0",
        "extend": false,
        "units": "ms",
        "reset": "0",
        "bytopic": "all",
        "outputs": 1,
        "x": 950,
        "y": 780,
        "wires": [
            [
                "38b38282.c0058e"
            ]
        ]
    },
    {
        "id": "3c25ea32.a803d6",
        "type": "change",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "name": "",
        "rules": [
            {
                "t": "set",
                "p": "payload",
                "pt": "msg",
                "to": "payload.NewActive",
                "tot": "msg"
            }
        ],
        "action": "",
        "property": "",
        "from": "",
        "to": "",
        "reg": false,
        "x": 700,
        "y": 840,
        "wires": [
            [
                "1c07ae94.c6b621",
                "379d6bd2.312594"
            ]
        ]
    },
    {
        "id": "379d6bd2.312594",
        "type": "trigger",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "name": "",
        "op1": "PresenceMobile1 is no longer logged into the network",
        "op2": "0",
        "op1type": "str",
        "op2type": "str",
        "duration": "0",
        "extend": false,
        "units": "ms",
        "reset": "1",
        "bytopic": "all",
        "outputs": 1,
        "x": 950,
        "y": 860,
        "wires": [
            [
                "59fcf739.918c68"
            ]
        ]
    },
    {
        "id": "38b38282.c0058e",
        "type": "pushbullet",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "config": "274f4530.883c1a",
        "pushtype": "note",
        "title": "Presence",
        "chan": "",
        "name": "",
        "x": 1170,
        "y": 780,
        "wires": []
    },
    {
        "id": "59fcf739.918c68",
        "type": "pushbullet",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "config": "274f4530.883c1a",
        "pushtype": "note",
        "title": "Presence",
        "chan": "",
        "name": "",
        "x": 1170,
        "y": 860,
        "wires": []
    },
    {
        "id": "38b70c39.68f504",
        "type": "fritzbox-in",
        "z": "7289f257a02aeac1",
        "device": "eef817a2.74b848",
        "name": "",
        "service": "urn:dslforum-org:service:Hosts:1",
        "action": "GetSpecificHostEntry",
        "arguments": "{'NewMACAddress':'value'}",
        "x": 460,
        "y": 780,
        "wires": [
            [
                "c546f3f1.387d1",
                "3c25ea32.a803d6"
            ]
        ]
    }
]

It is important that you update the MAC address entered in the FritzBox node after importing the NodeCode. This should of course correspond to the device whose presence you want to monitor. How you can find out the MAC address(es) of devices in your network is described in the article Display/find out the IP address of the devices in the network mentioned.

Set a fixed MAC address for the smartphone

Some smartphone manufacturers have now started to randomly change the MAC addresses of their devices. This is a security feature so that your smartphone cannot be tracked in potentially unfamiliar WLANs.

In our case, however, it is a hindrance as we identify the smartphones by the fixed MAC address. You should therefore deactivate this function for your Wi-Fi.

Disable random MAC address on Android 11:

Switches to:

• Settings
• Connections
• WLAN
• Click on the cogwheel next to your (connected) WLAN
• Extended
• MAC address type -> Set to "Phone MAC"

Deactivate random MAC address under iOS:

On iOS, this function is somewhat cryptically hidden under the term "Private WLAN address". You can find it under:

• Settings
• WLAN
• Network (the one you are currently connected to)
• Private WLAN address -> deactivate

Have fun with the project

I hope everything worked as described for you. If not or you have questions or suggestions please let me know in the comments. I will then add this to the article if necessary.
Ideas for new projects are always welcome. 🙂

PS Many of these projects - especially the hardware projects - cost a lot of time and money. Of course I do this because I enjoy it, but if you think it's cool that I share the information with you, I would be happy about a small donation to the coffee fund. 🙂