Setup Guide

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

• Home Assistant (any recent version)
• HACS installed (install HACS)
• A MAK grill with Pellet Boss WiFi controller
• Access to your router's DNS settings

Step 1: Install the integration

Via HACS (recommended)

1. Open HACS in Home Assistant
2. Click the three dots menu → Custom repositories
3. Add https://github.com/papac0rn/ha-mak-grill with category Integration
4. Search for "MAK Grill" and click Download
5. Restart Home Assistant

Manual installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Copy the custom_components/mak_grill folder into your HA config/custom_components/ directory
3. Restart Home Assistant

Step 2: DNS rewrite

The Pellet Boss controller resolves makgrillsmobile.com to find its server. You need to redirect that hostname to your Home Assistant IP address.

TP-Link Omada (ER8411, ER7206, etc.)

1. Log into the Omada controller
2. Go to Settings → Wired Networks → LAN → DHCP Server (for the VLAN/network the grill is on)
3. Set the DNS server to the router's own IP (e.g., 192.168.10.1)
4. Go to Settings → Profiles → DNS Records (or your router's static DNS entries)
5. Add a record: makgrillsmobile.com → <your HA IP> (e.g., 192.168.1.200)

Note: If your grill is on a separate VLAN (recommended), the grill's DNS queries go to the router on its own VLAN, the router resolves makgrillsmobile.com to your HA IP, and the grill's POST crosses VLANs to reach HA. Make sure inter-VLAN routing allows traffic from the grill's subnet to HA's subnet on port 80.

Pi-hole

1. Go to Local DNS → DNS Records
2. Add: makgrillsmobile.com → <your HA IP>

AdGuard Home

1. Go to Filters → DNS rewrites
2. Add: makgrillsmobile.com → <your HA IP>

UniFi (UDM / USG)

1. SSH into the gateway
2. Create a static host mapping:

   configure
   set system static-host-mapping host-name makgrillsmobile.com inet <your HA IP>
   commit
   save
   exit

Note: On UDM-Pro/SE, this may need to be done via the config.gateway.json method or boot scripts depending on your firmware.

pfSense / OPNsense

1. Go to Services → DNS Resolver (Unbound)
2. Under Host Overrides, add:
   • Host: (leave blank)
   • Domain: makgrillsmobile.com
   • IP Address: <your HA IP>
3. Save and apply

Generic (dnsmasq)

Add to your dnsmasq config:

address=/makgrillsmobile.com/<your HA IP>

Restart dnsmasq.

Step 3: Add the integration in HA

1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Add Integration
2. Search for MAK Grill
3. Enter a name for your grill (e.g., "MAK Grill", "Backyard Smoker")
4. Click Submit

Entities appear immediately. They'll populate with real data once the grill powers on and sends its first POST.

Step 4: Verify

1. Power on your grill
2. Within a few seconds, check that binary_sensor.mak_grill_connected turns ON
3. Temperature sensors should start showing real values

You can also test without the grill using curl:

curl -X POST \
  -d "GrillId=TEST&Temp=275&Power=ON&Probe1=165&Probe2=0&Probe3=0&GrillFlags=ATSET" \
  http://<YOUR_HA_IP>/GrillService/Service

You should get back a quoted command string like:

"setPoint=225&potStatus=&cookMode=1&zoneProbe=1&power=1"

Step 5: Create the dashboard

1. Go to Settings → Devices → MAK Grill
2. Find the Create Dashboard button (under Configuration)
3. Press it — a fully configured dashboard appears in your sidebar

See the Dashboard Guide for manual setup or customization.

Entities reference

Entity	Type	Description
Pit Temperature	Sensor	Current grill temperature (°F)
Probe 1 / 2 / 3	Sensor	Meat probe temperatures (°F)
Power State	Sensor	Reported power state from grill
Grill ID	Sensor	Grill serial identifier
Flags	Sensor	Raw grill status flags
Last Seen	Sensor	Timestamp of last grill POST (diagnostic)
Post Count	Sensor	Total POSTs received this session (diagnostic)
Connected	Binary Sensor	Whether the grill is actively posting
Flameout	Binary Sensor	Pit temp stays 35°F below setpoint for 8 min
At Setpoint	Binary Sensor	Grill has reached target temperature
Setpoint	Number	Target temperature (150–500°F, writable)
Power	Switch	Power on/off (with cooldown interlock)
Cook Mode	Select	Smoke / Grill / Sear
Zone Probe	Select	Which probe controls the zone
Create Dashboard	Button	One-press setup — creates a complete dashboard in your sidebar