Choosing an eco-system and getting started

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Choosing an eco-system and getting started

Rhinosaur

62 posts

Master Geek

#311165 20-Dec-2023 11:17

Can anyone suggest a jumping off point? I’m having trouble buying my first smart-home product because I’m not sure which eco-system to commit to. I think I’m hesitant because I don’t understand what it means, in practise, if I mix and match products from different manufacturers.

Long-term I like the idea of Home Assistant (not cloud reliant), but I need to get going with something a bit more plug and play or I’ll never get started!

I’ve identified these areas that we could really benefit from:

- Entry lock (Aqara U100)
- Auto roller blind motors (to block the heat on hot days while we’re out - would need to communicate with a temp sensor? And also night mode)
- Sensibo
- Sensor security lights (I have two new non-smart lights, but we’d sometimes like to turn them off and the light switch is in a very awkward place)
- Security cameras
- Storm water tank and pump monitoring (simply, “is it working as expected?”)
- Weather station
- I think it would be fun to have a screen in the kitchen to interface with all of the above (“show me security camera footage”, “show weather history” etc) as well as on phones

We are an iPhone family if that means anything.

gehenna

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#3173630 20-Dec-2023 11:22

Some good resources on YouTube:

Automate Your Life - YouTube - his Smartthings video yesterday is interesting...

Everything Smart Home - YouTube - his presence sensor is magical and very worth it. Home Assistant centric

Bud's Smart Home - YouTube Smartthings centric

Smart Home Solver - YouTube More about devices and routines than any single platform

Mark Watt Tech - YouTube also Home Assistant centric

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amanzi

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#3173631 20-Dec-2023 11:24

Watch this video for a good explanation of where to start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_gVtou4xnE

If you're an iPhone family, you can stick with devices that work with Apple Home and stay in that ecosystem. Later, you can add Home Assistant to the mix to give you more power and integration options.

KiwiSurfer

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#3173637 20-Dec-2023 11:49

Following this thread. I am looking for security cameras that aren't reliant on cloud connections and can be easily managed by my husband who's not very tech inclined.

gehenna

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#3173776 20-Dec-2023 16:12

KiwiSurfer:

Following this thread. I am looking for security cameras that aren't reliant on cloud connections and can be easily managed by my husband who's not very tech inclined.

There is some content on here already about that if you do a search. Otherwise best to create your own thread on the topic so it doesn't get lost in the noise.

Mehrts

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#3173779 20-Dec-2023 16:30

KiwiSurfer:

Following this thread. I am looking for security cameras that aren't reliant on cloud connections and can be easily managed by my husband who's not very tech inclined.

@KiwiSurfer, have a look at Reolink's range of cameras & systems Sold locally through PB Tech, or abroad via Amazon.

Simple to use, and nicely priced with regular updates to the cameras, computer-based app, and phone-based app. Of course there are limitations with cameras at this price-point (such as blurry IR night vision), but there are work-arounds.

They don't need to be connected to the internet in order to function. Either use the NVR with built-in HDD for recording, or use Micro-SD cards in each camera.

Rhinosaur

62 posts

Master Geek

#3173959 21-Dec-2023 09:20

Thanks, there's some great info in those vids! Getting underway with HomeKit seems like a no-brainer, and perhaps an upgrade to HA down the line.

So I guess the first step is to upgrade one of our aging ATVs with a new version, and get something like a LIFX lightbulb for some Stranger Things style testing.

I understand that when I get the doorlock I'll also need the Aqara hub (and then I can assume other Aqara products will work well with HomeKit?). I'm keen to hear any recommendations for roller blinds and security lights (separate sensor or all-in-one?). I might also need some kind of temperature or multi-sensor for triggering?

gehenna

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#3173962 21-Dec-2023 09:30

If you do go with Homekit, look at HomeBridge which acts as an integration middleware between non-Homekit and Homekit devices. I will say Homekit is a more expsensive route, for actual dollars, but others like HomeAssistant are more expensive on your time. So it'll be a trade off. My Smartthings environment works great on both my iPhones and Androids, and has the benefit of working with many brands such as Aeotec, and I can get buttons/switches/sensors cheaply. I don't have any complex routines, just turn some things on and off automatically, and in my home office i tinker with the presense sensing stuff to see if theres anything useful I can do.

Rhinosaur

62 posts

Master Geek

#3173982 21-Dec-2023 10:05

Thanks, so I can think of that like a Hue Bridge or Aqara Hub, but for everything else? I have a very old Raspberry Pi which is apparently compatible...

Rhinosaur

62 posts

Master Geek

#3175041 23-Dec-2023 15:33

A heads-up for anyone looking at getting Nanoleaf smart bulbs, they have the 3-pack for $79.99 plus free shipping on their website. (But no shipping for 2 weeks)

Rhinosaur

62 posts

Master Geek

#3176001 28-Dec-2023 14:47

Well, I’m feeling a bit defeated by the first hurdle. These products are meant to work together, right? Here’s my last few days:

1. Bought Apple TV 4K w/ Ethernet, and a 3-pack of Nanoleaf Essentials (thanks for the price match JBHifi). Apple TV works great! Wifi is a bit flakey though, due to distance from lounge to router, so:
2. Installed network cable under house and RJ45 socket in lounge. Apple TV now connected to router via ethernet and rock solid!
3. Installed Bulb1 above front door. Works great via bluetooth with Nanoleaf app. Impossible to connect to Thread network and move to Apple Home. Suspect distance to Apple TV is the problem , so:
4. Drove to Briscoes for a cheap E27 lamp. Wife spies crystal glassware set, $$$.
5. Set up Bulb2 in new lamp and placed halfway between lounge and front door, with the understanding that the bulbs form a kind of mesh Thread network(?) for better connectivity. Was able to connect Bulb2 to Thread network and Connect to Matter (move to Apple Home), and then the same with Bulb1. Great!

Both bulbs “No Response” in Home app.

Have tried the following, all with zero change:

1. Update Apple TV firmware. (Nanoleaf firmware was also updated on installation)
2. Temporarily move lamp with Bulb2 to sit right next to Apple TV.
3. Tried every combination of restart and cold boot Apple TV/iPhone/Router/Bulbs
4. Read online Nanoleaf app needs to be deleted. Tried every combination of delete/reinstall/sync/no-sync Nanoleaf app
5. Temporarily move Apple TV to right beside the wifi router. Connect with ethernet. Connect with wifi.

Both bulbs “No Response” in Home app.

The new whisky glasses are working great though.

Edit: Tried the third and final bulb in the lamp. This time I scanned and added it directly to Apple Home without using the Nanoleaf app (in fact, the Nanoleaf app is uninstalled). Everything seemed to go through happily, however it too has a status of "No Response".

JimmyH

2886 posts

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#3176073 28-Dec-2023 20:40

I agree that all the setup can be a bit of a pain in the backside. I started down the smart home route a while back, and settled on Google as my ecosystem, and was quite an enthusiast. But I had many of the same experiences, as well as other issues.

The real problem, irrespective of which ecosystem (Google, Amazon or Apple) seems to be that manufacturers really want to push you into using their only app to control their product, are reluctant to properly expose their full APIs to anything other than their own app, and interoperability between brands kinda sucks. So I can sort of control my Nanoleaf lighting panels from Google, but lose most of the functionality etc. Plus many tie their products to their cloud servers without local control, so if they go out of business or stop supporting their products a buyer is out of luck.

The Matter standard was supposed to solve many of these issues, but seems to be something of a hot mess at the moment. There is a write-up that I think summarises things quite well here: https://www.theverge.com/23997548/matter-smart-home-2023-platforms

The best bet for making everything work seems to be Home Assistant at the moment. But I don't have the time, and doubt I have the IT skills, to go down that route at the moment.

So I still think a smart home is where I want to go. But at the moment I think the landscape is too uncertain and the chance of making an expensive miss-step is a bit high. So I have paused my smart-home spending for a while, and won't be investing further until I have more confidence about the longevity and interoperability of the types of things I have been contemplating. Despite temptation and some cracking good prices, I refrained from getting any smart home products in the boxing day sales.

gjm

808 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3176077 28-Dec-2023 21:34

Noel Leeming has had all their Aqara stuff with 25% off in the boxing day sales so I have started my jump into home automation and picked up a G3 camera / hub, door sensors and a single curtain opener for testing and now have it all running with Apple Homekit via AppleTV and some Apple homepods. Already had some smart lamps and light bulbs so have got them added as well and (touch wood) everything seems to be working fine. Have even set up the G3 camera to recognize gestures which turn my heat pump on or off. Also have the home-pod temperature gauge hooked up to tell the heat pump to turn on or off but the thermometer seems to be more of a educated guess than anything else so its a bit random.

Anyway I guess my point is stick with it, once it all comes together it's pretty cool.

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Obraik

2121 posts

Uber Geek

#3176365 30-Dec-2023 18:21

If Home Assistant interests you, then I would look to get started with it at the beginning (aka, now). The easiest way to get started with is with a Home Assistant Green box, which you can get here. Once you have HA set up, with the number of integrations it has available, you're then basically free to get whatever smart devices you want. You can then use Home Assistant to expose nearly all of those devices to HomeKit so while Home Assistant is the backend for bringing everything together, HomeKit is where you control everything (eg, with Siri). This is essentially how I do my smart home as my partner and I are both iPhone users with a couple of HomePod Minis.

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