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I stopped losing some Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices in Home Assistant after I flashed two compatible ESP32 boards with ESPHome and placed them in separate weak-coverage areas. That improved reception in my setup; it is not a guarantee that every device will stay connected. The practical fix is to add BLE coverage where it is needed, while checking that the device and its Home Assistant integration are supported.
How an ESPHome Bluetooth proxy helps
A Bluetooth proxy is an ESPHome node that relays BLE data to Home Assistant. As ESPHome explains, “Home Assistant can expand its Bluetooth reach by communicating through the Bluetooth proxy component in ESPHome.” Home Assistant’s Bluetooth integration gathers observations from proxies alongside any USB Bluetooth adapters, and individual device integrations use that data. A proxy extends BLE coverage; it does not add support for a device that Home Assistant cannot otherwise integrate, and it does not support classic Bluetooth. ESPHome Bluetooth Proxy documentation
The important distinction is whether a device broadcasts advertisements or needs an active connection. Many sensors send advertisements that a proxy can hear without maintaining a connection. A device that needs an active Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) connection—for example, to read, write, or subscribe to data—uses one of the proxy’s limited connection slots. So a proxy does not permanently connect every nearby Bluetooth device.
Why I used two boards, and when two make sense
I put one proxy near each of two areas where Bluetooth reception was weak. That gave Home Assistant another listening point in each location. Two nodes make sense when devices are separated by distance, walls, or other obstacles and each proxy can be placed near a different group of devices. If your devices are all in one area, first try placing one compatible proxy well; adding a second is not a documented guarantee of longer range or fewer dropouts.
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ESPHome’s documentation explains how proxies extend reach but does not publish a measured reliability gain for a two-proxy setup. My result is personal, not a controlled before-and-after test: the change helped with devices in my home, but location, device behavior, radio conditions, and integration support all affect the outcome.
What to check before flashing or buying an ESP32
Check the exact chip and board variant rather than relying on the “ESP32” label alone. ESPHome’s ready-made generic Bluetooth proxy project targets plain ESP32 boards; it does not apply to ESP32-C3 or other variants. Use the supported shopping query “ESP32 development board,” then verify that the specific board matches the project and configuration you intend to use. ESPHome ready-made projects
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| Option | Network and power | Compatibility and placement |
|---|---|---|
| Generic plain ESP32 proxy | Wi-Fi; use the board’s supported power arrangement. | ESPHome’s ready-made generic project is for plain ESP32, not ESP32-C3 or other variants. Wi-Fi makes placement more flexible where wireless network coverage and power are available. |
| Olimex ESP32-POE-ISO (including EA variant) | Ethernet and PoE; ESPHome’s ready-made installation disables Wi-Fi and requires Ethernet. | A wired connection can suit a fixed location with Ethernet access. ESPHome says the EA variant has an external antenna and may provide better Bluetooth range; it is an option, not a requirement for a two-board Wi-Fi setup. |
Board details and installation options are listed on ESPHome’s ready-made projects page. Do not assume that a board with a similar name uses the same chip or works with the same preconfigured project.
How many Bluetooth devices can one ESP32 proxy handle?
There is no single device count that describes every workload. Advertisement-only sensors do not occupy active GATT connection slots, while devices that need sustained connections do. ESPHome’s current Bluetooth Proxy documentation gives an ESP32 a default of three simultaneous active connection slots. It says each configured slot uses about 1 KB of RAM and recommends not exceeding five slots to avoid stability and memory problems. Five is a configuration ceiling recommendation, not a promise that five connections will be reliable on every board or workload. ESPHome Bluetooth Proxy documentation
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ESPHome’s ESP32 BLE documentation also lists a default maximum of 12 notification registrations. If an active device fails while registering notifications, an ESP_GATT_NO_RESOURCES status (128) can point to that limit. These connection and notification figures describe different constraints; increasing connection slots does not necessarily resolve a notification-registration failure. ESPHome ESP32 BLE documentation
Set up and place the proxy nodes
- Confirm the device type and integration. Check that the device uses BLE and that a Home Assistant integration supports it. A proxy cannot make an unsupported device compatible.
- Choose a compatible ESP32 and ESPHome proxy configuration. For the generic ready-made project, use a plain ESP32 board and follow the current installation instructions on ESPHome’s ready-made projects page. The Olimex Ethernet/PoE route is different: its ready-made installation requires Ethernet and disables Wi-Fi.
- Connect the ESPHome node to Home Assistant. Once the node is configured and online, Home Assistant’s Bluetooth integration can use it as a proxy. Exact interface labels and navigation can vary by Home Assistant version, so follow the setup prompts for the version you run rather than assuming a fixed menu path.
- Place each node near the devices it should serve. In my setup, I used two nodes for separate weak-coverage areas. ESPHome recommends keeping a proxy close to its BLE devices and, where possible, at least 3 meters from network equipment such as racks, routers, and switches. This is placement guidance, not a guaranteed range.
- Allow the default scanning behavior to work first. ESPHome says its defaults suit most users; changing scan interval or window generally offers no meaningful benefit and can increase CPU use and network traffic. Aggressive settings can overheat PoE proxies or destabilize Wi-Fi proxies.
What to troubleshoot when devices still disconnect
- Recheck BLE and integration support. Confirm that the device is BLE rather than classic Bluetooth and that the Home Assistant integration supports it.
- Confirm the proxy is online and configured for the actual board. A wrong chip target or an offline node means the intended coverage is not available.
- Improve placement before changing scan settings. Move the node closer to the device and away from network equipment. For two nodes, make sure each is near a distinct weak-coverage area rather than placing both together.
- Identify the device’s communication pattern. If it broadcasts sensor advertisements, investigate reception and placement. If it requires an active GATT connection, check whether connection slots are occupied by other continuously connected devices.
- Inspect ESPHome logs for active-connection errors. The
bluetooth_connectionlog tag is relevant to active connection issues. Look for resource-limit clues such as ESP_GATT_NO_RESOURCES status 128 when notification registration fails. - Check resource and version constraints. Compare configured connection slots and notification registrations with ESPHome’s documented limits, and check the ESPHome and ESP-IDF versions actually installed before changing settings.
Why ESPHome version matters for BLE scanning
Scanning behavior can depend on ESPHome and ESP-IDF versions, so advice about defaults is not timeless. In its 2026.8.0 release post, dated August 19, 2026, ESPHome developer Jesse Hills says ESP-IDF 5.5.5 fixed a coexistence bug that made BLE scans run far longer than the configured window. The release notes also describe changed ESP32 scanning behavior: with ESP-IDF 5.5.5 or newer, the default scan window matches the interval when using Wi-Fi coexistence. Check the documentation and release notes for the versions you run before adjusting scan parameters; a setting discussed for one version may not describe another.
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