# Connect with Home Assistant

In recent years, as people's demand for home security, convenience, comfort and artistry has increased, home automation has become more and more popular. [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/), a popular open-source home automation platform, provides a secure and convenient central control system. In this article, we will introduce you how to use EMQX Cloud MQTT Broker to connect with Home Assistant.

## Prerequisites

Before connecting your Home Assistant to the EMQX Cloud, ensure you have deployed an MQTT broker.

### Deploy MQTT Broker

<!-- @include: ./deploy_mqtt_broker.md -->

## Home Assistant Initialization

If you are using MQTT for Home Assistant for the first time, please refer to the [quick start](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/mqtt).

1. Install Home Assistant

   In this example, we use Docker to quickly install Home Assistant.

   ```bash
   docker run -d --name="home-assistant" -v /opt/homeassistant/config:/config -p 8123:8123 homeassistant/home-assistant
   ```

   Then access the Home Assistant service via the local IP with the corresponding port, e.g., x.x.x.x:8123, to create an account.

   ![homeassistant_create_account](./_assets/homeassistant_create_account.png)

2. Enable advanced mode (**optional**)

   Advanced broker options are accessible only when advanced mode is enabled, such as MQTT features, Websocket, and TLS/SSL verification.

   ![homeassistant_advaced_mode](./_assets/homeassistant_advaced_mode.png)

3. Add Integration

   Go to Home Assistant's settings, choose `Devices & Services`.

   ![homeassistant_choose_type](./_assets/homeassistant_choose_type.png)

   Click `+ Add Integration` and fill in MQTT.

   ![homeassistant_add_integration](./_assets/homeassistant_add_integration.png)

   Then you could enter the `Connection information` for the broker.

## Connect over TCP Port

   This section describes how to connect a homeassistant client to MQTT broker over TCP port.

1. MQTT connection

   - Fill in the broker address, port, username and password (if it exists).
   - Select `TCP` for MQTT transport.

   ![homeassistant_mqtt_connection](./_assets/homeassistant_mqtt_connection.png)

2. WebSocket connection

   - Fill in the broker address, port, username, and password (if they exist).
   - Select `WebSocket` for MQTT transport and fill in the WebSocket path as `/mqtt`.

   ![homeassistant_ws_connection](./_assets/homeassistant_ws_connection.png)

## Connect over TLS/SSL Port

   This section describes how to connect a homeassistant client to MQTT broker over TLS/SSL port.

1. MQTT over TLS/SSL connection

   - Fill in the broker address, port, username, and password (if they exist).
   - Select `Auto` for broker certificate verification.
   - Select `TCP` for MQTT transport.

   ![homeassistant_mqtts_connection](./_assets/homeassistant_mqtts_connection.png)

2. WebSocket over TLS/SSL connection

   - Fill in the broker address, port, username, and password (if they exist).
   - Select `Auto` for broker certificate verification.
   - Select `WebSocket` for MQTT transport and fill in the WebSocket path as `/mqtt`.

   ![homeassistant_wss_connection](./_assets/homeassistant_wss_connection.png)

## Test Connection

   After filling in the connection information, click the `Submit` button. Your EMQX Cloud deployment is now integrating with Home Assistant. Congratulations!

   ![homeassistant_connection](./_assets/homeassistant_connection.png)

   Click `Configure` to complete the publish or subscribe topic.

   ![homeassistant_pub_sub](./_assets/homeassistant_pub_sub.png)