Connection timeout / WiFi connectivity issues after updating to ESPHome 2026.3.3

[mmxdog]

Hi,

I am experiencing a connection issue after updating my firmware to ESPHome version 2026.3.3.

It seems like the device is having trouble maintaining a stable WiFi connection or the API is failing to connect. I keep getting a TimeoutAPIError with a strange IP address (which looks like a public IP instead of my local network IP) when trying to connect via Home Assistant.

Has anyone else encountered this issue with the latest version, or is there a known workaround for this?

Below is my source code (YAML):

substitutions:
  devicename: wc-counter
  friendly_name: $devicename

external_components:
  refresh: always
  source:
    type: git
    url: https://github.com/Lyr3x/Roode
    ref: master

esphome:
  name: $devicename

esp8266:
  board: d1_mini

logger:
  level: ERROR

api:
  encryption:
    key: "xxx"
  services:
    - service: recalibrate
      then:
        - lambda: "id(roode_platform)->recalibration();"

ota:
  - platform: esphome
    password: "xxx"

wifi:
  ssid: !secret wifi_ssid
  password: !secret wifi_password
  min_auth_mode: WPA2
  ap:
    ssid: "wc-Counter Fallback Hotspot"
    password: ""

captive_portal:

web_server:
  port: 80
  version: 3

i2c:
  sda: 4
  scl: 5

vl53l1x:
  calibration:
    ranging: auto

roode:
  id: roode_platform
  sampling: 2
  roi: { height: 16, width: 6 }
  detection_thresholds:
    max: 85%
  zones:
    invert: true

button:
  - platform: restart
    name: $friendly_name Restart
    entity_category: config
  - platform: template
    name: $friendly_name Recalibrate
    on_press:
      - lambda: id(roode_platform)->recalibration();
    entity_category: config

number:
  - platform: roode
    people_counter:
      id: counter
      name: $friendly_name people counter

binary_sensor:
  - platform: status
    name: $friendly_name API Status
  - platform: roode
    presence_sensor:
      name: $friendly_name presence

sensor:
  - platform: roode
    id: roode_sensors
    distance_entry:
      name: $friendly_name distance zone 0
      filters:
        - delta: 100
    distance_exit:
      name: $friendly_name distance zone 1
      filters:
        - delta: 100
    max_threshold_entry:
      name: $friendly_name max zone 0
    max_threshold_exit:
      name: $friendly_name max zone 1
    min_threshold_entry:
      name: $friendly_name min zone 0
    min_threshold_exit:
      name: $friendly_name min zone 1
    roi_height_entry:
      name: $friendly_name ROI height zone 0
    roi_width_entry:
      name: $friendly_name ROI width zone 0
    roi_height_exit:
      name: $friendly_name ROI height zone 1
    roi_width_exit:
      name: $friendly_name ROI width zone 1
    sensor_status:
      name: Sensor Status

  - platform: wifi_signal
    name: $friendly_name RSSI
    update_interval: 60s

  - platform: uptime
    name: Uptime Sensor
    id: uptime_sensor
    update_interval: 60s
    internal: true
    on_raw_value:
      then:
        - text_sensor.template.publish:
            id: uptime_human
            state: !lambda |-
              int seconds = round(id(uptime_sensor).raw_state);
              int days = seconds / (24 * 3600);
              seconds = seconds % (24 * 3600);
              int hours = seconds / 3600;
              seconds = seconds % 3600;
              int minutes = seconds /  60;
              seconds = seconds % 60;
              return (
                (days ? String(days) + "d " : "") +
                (hours ? String(hours) + "h " : "") +
                (minutes ? String(minutes) + "m " : "") +
                (String(seconds) + "s")
              ).c_str();

text_sensor:
  - platform: roode
    version:
      name: $friendly_name version
  - platform: roode
    entry_exit_event:
      name: $friendly_name last direction
  - platform: template
    name: $friendly_name Uptime Human Readable
    id: uptime_human
    icon: mdi:clock-start
  - platform: wifi_info
    ip_address:
      name: IP Address

Below is my error log:

INFO ESPHome 2026.3.3
INFO Reading configuration /config/esp8266-counter.yaml...
INFO Starting log output from wc-counter.local using esphome API
INFO Successfully resolved wc-counter.local in 0.014s
WARNING Can't connect to ESPHome API for wc-counter.local: Timeout while connecting to [AddrInfo(family=<AddressFamily.AF_INET: 2>, type=<SocketKind.SOCK_STREAM: 1>, proto=6, sockaddr=IPv4Sockaddr(address='xxx.xx.xxx.xx', port=6053))] (TimeoutAPIError)
INFO Trying to connect to wc-counter.local in the background