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***OFFICIAL*** Smart Home thread (1 Viewer)

Otis

Otis

Footballguy
We've in recent years been discussing smart home stuff in the Amazon Echo thread, and the cut the cord thread, but the discussions don't really fit, and with smart home tech only on the rise, we probably should have a thread dedicated to that. 

This is that thread.  We probably can link to some of the relevant posts in the Amazon Echo thread to get this moving  

Alexa, turn off the living room lights.

 
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I have a nest and an "Aladin Connect" garage door.  I don't want one of the listening devices.  My phone can already do most of that stuff.  The door locks... Meh, someone could get in through the garage with code or wifi if necessary.  I want to get cameras, but if I have had them for the past 4years I would have captured absolutely nothing.  I live in a pretty decent neighborhood.  If I were to add any additional smart home devices I may get a frequently used light or two.  I already have a clapper that I never use anymore.

 
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I recently worked on a cyber security meeting for a large bank. Really eye opening and scary how easy it is to get hacked. The best advice I heard revolved around smart home technology. Smart appliances, video monitoring, etc are all the weakest link because those companies don't focus on the security aspect and are easily hacked. Once they break into your baby monitor, they are in your system. The advice: Put all of that stuff on a separate server away from your vital information. HTH

 
comfortably numb said:
Help me understand the point of Alexa and echo.

My wife wants one and when I ask why what does it do i don't get a real answer.

I think she just wants someone in the house that listens to her
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We use ours constantly. We have the echo or a dot in almost every room and they are now so integrated into our lives that its odd not to have them when we travel etc. 

Samples of how we use it in the kitchen while cooking etc:

Alexa - how many teaspoons in a tablespoon

Alexa - set a timer for 12 minutes

Alexa - play some cooking music

Alexa - cabinet lights 100% 

Alexa - dim dinning room to 50%

Alexa - Flash news briefing

Alexa - add almond milk to the shopping list

Alexa - what time is Spiderman Homecoming Playing

I could go on and on. A majority of our lights are now smart bulbs, I have hue light strips under our cabinets, behind my tv, hue blooms all over the house etc and these are all controllable via the echos.

My wife absolutely hated it at first. Thought it was stupid, was constantly asking me to ask Alexa to do this or do that, but now she is all in. The game changer  for her was when I started setting up IFTTT triggers.  The one that sold her was that when we say "Alexa, 'trigger good night" all of our essential lights are turned off, non essential lights are dimmed down low (these act as night lights in the kitchen,1st floor and basement), and the fan in our bedroom turns on. 

 
Use a Logitech Harmony Hub to control TV/AV receiver/cable box.

Alexa, turn on the TV or Netflixx, channel 4, HDTV, etc... Hassle to set up all the keywords but works great once its set up.

Alexa turn on the family room light at sunset. Turn off the family room light at random between 10:00pm and 11:30 pm. We have LIFX lights that I received as gifts, and you can control them from your phone when travelling also. 

Been looking at a smart home hub like Samsung Smart Things, but havent decided which brand yet.

 
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One Alexa Echo and one Honeywell Smart thermostat, currently.  Installing 4 security cameras (with a max capacity of 8) when I get the time to do so.  Considering some of the lighting stuff, but not sure how much I'd honestly use them.  That's it for now.

 
Phil Elliott said:
Use a Logitech Harmony Hub to control TV/AV receiver/cable box.

Alexa, turn on the TV or Netflixx, channel 4, HDTV, etc... Hassle to set up all the keywords but works great once its set up.

Alexa turn on the family room light at sunset. Turn off the family room light at random between 10:00pm and 11:30 pm. We have LIFX lights that I received as gifts, and you can control them from your phone when travelling also. 

Been looking at a smart home hub like Samsung Smart Things, but havent decided which brand yet.
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This is where I need the most help.  Operating the TV is a nightmare for everyone but me...which makes it a nightmare for me.  Need to get alexa to turn on my tv and set the right input(HDMI 1 is fire tv, HDMI 2 is Tivo with all the locals) Also need to get her to control the volume.

After that I'd like to get a dot plugged into my whole house speaker system so I could feed those speakers using alexa.

 
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Phil Elliott said:
Use a Logitech Harmony Hub to control TV/AV receiver/cable box.

Alexa, turn on the TV or Netflixx, channel 4, HDTV, etc... Hassle to set up all the keywords but works great once its set up.

Alexa turn on the family room light at sunset. Turn off the family room light at random between 10:00pm and 11:30 pm. We have LIFX lights that I received as gifts, and you can control them from your phone when travelling also. 

Been looking at a smart home hub like Samsung Smart Things, but havent decided which brand yet.
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Damn, @Phil Elliott, your the man.  Just a few days ago (prime day) I was trying to find whether it was possible to connect Alexa to my Harmony Hub.  I'm so excited right now!

I don't suppose you know whether or not you can use it to control other devices like PS4 and Apple TV?  My mom comes over about once a month and watches my son.  If I could get this figured out to the point my son could control it, I'd save myself a phone call every time she's over.

 
Buddy Ball 2K3 said:
We use ours constantly. We have the echo or a dot in almost every room and they are now so integrated into our lives that its odd not to have them when we travel etc. 

Samples of how we use it in the kitchen while cooking etc:

Alexa - how many teaspoons in a tablespoon

Alexa - set a timer for 12 minutes

Alexa - play some cooking music

Alexa - cabinet lights 100% 

Alexa - dim dinning room to 50%

Alexa - Flash news briefing

Alexa - add almond milk to the shopping list

Alexa - what time is Spiderman Homecoming Playing

I could go on and on. A majority of our lights are now smart bulbs, I have hue light strips under our cabinets, behind my tv, hue blooms all over the house etc and these are all controllable via the echos.

My wife absolutely hated it at first. Thought it was stupid, was constantly asking me to ask Alexa to do this or do that, but now she is all in. The game changer  for her was when I started setting up IFTTT triggers.  The one that sold her was that when we say "Alexa, 'trigger good night" all of our essential lights are turned off, non essential lights are dimmed down low (these act as night lights in the kitchen,1st floor and basement), and the fan in our bedroom turns on. 
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I've come to realize in my older age that I am pretty lazy and none of these things appeal to me. Perhaps if I had it and was using it I would do d it fun and useful but am not seeing the appeal for me.

 
jamny said:
I recently worked on a cyber security meeting for a large bank. Really eye opening and scary how easy it is to get hacked. The best advice I heard revolved around smart home technology. Smart appliances, video monitoring, etc are all the weakest link because those companies don't focus on the security aspect and are easily hacked. Once they break into your baby monitor, they are in your system. The advice: Put all of that stuff on a separate server away from your vital information. HTH
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This. I'll go ahead and expend the effort to flip a lightswitch the old fashioned way and keep my home network at least secure-ish. 

 
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Phil Elliott said:
Use a Logitech Harmony Hub to control TV/AV receiver/cable box.

Alexa, turn on the TV or Netflixx, channel 4, HDTV, etc... Hassle to set up all the keywords but works great once its set up.

Alexa turn on the family room light at sunset. Turn off the family room light at random between 10:00pm and 11:30 pm. We have LIFX lights that I received as gifts, and you can control them from your phone when travelling also. 

Been looking at a smart home hub like Samsung Smart Things, but havent decided which brand yet.
Click to expand...
Longtime SmartThings user here.  I believe Otis is as well. The platform was pretty shaky for the first couple years and took a lot of patience.  But they have responded well and it is pretty stable now. There is no comparison in functionality between SmartThings and all other current options.  And their community is second to none.  The almost open platform allows you to achieve just about anything you can conceive and the community is incredibly helpful.

 
jamny said:
I recently worked on a cyber security meeting for a large bank. Really eye opening and scary how easy it is to get hacked. The best advice I heard revolved around smart home technology. Smart appliances, video monitoring, etc are all the weakest link because those companies don't focus on the security aspect and are easily hacked. Once they break into your baby monitor, they are in your system. The advice: Put all of that stuff on a separate server away from your vital information. HTH
Click to expand...
Separate server?  I think this is a very different scenario they are discussing and not home automation. IOT on the same business network where they have localized servers with sensitive data is, of course, a bad idea.  Has been for years and businesses generally run separate networks for Things.

Not many homes have this scenario at all.

 
comfortably numb said:
Help me understand the point of Alexa and echo.

My wife wants one and when I ask why what does it do i don't get a real answer.

I think she just wants someone in the house that listens to her
Click to expand...
If you want a couple Echo's you can have mine for 1/2 price.  I got 2 for a gift, and haven't opened them.  

 
Ron Swanson said:
Separate server?  I think this is a very different scenario they are discussing and not home automation. IOT on the same business network where they have localized servers with sensitive data is, of course, a bad idea.  Has been for years and businesses generally run separate networks for Things.

Not many homes have this scenario at all.
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No, this meeting was geared towards showing employees how to protect their work and personal information on the job, at home and when they travel. Obviously, it's not a typical thing to do but the guy giving the presentation recommended it for home use and says that's how he has it set up at home since he's a tech junkie. he mentioned the smart bulbs being the most vulnerable since they won't ever have updates/patches if hackers find a way in.

 
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I'll agree it was pretty spotty for a long time but has been much more stable recently.



 



One of the settings I mentioned above, the alert if I left the lights on, is actually a program I wrote myself in the SmartThings app, using the open software and reading their forums. There was no pre-made functionality for that program, so I took the Garage Door program they did have, switched the sensor to a light switch, added the code to add checks for the cell phone presence. I don't even know what programming language they use, I'd never used it or learned it before, but it was pretty close to Java so I was able to cobble it together by looking at other open source programs they had.
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Groovy

 
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I have a Nest and two Echos, and am just dipping my toe into Smart Home. Is the consensus that Smartthings is the clear leader?

 
That's the only one I would buy at the moment. But I'd venture to say whatever you buy is a short term investment.  These systems are only just now beginning to get some mainstream adoption and once it gains traction I think the landscape will change rapidly, even within the existing companies.  For example, I think Samsung is already showing signs of moving towards combining the SmartThings hub with their whole house internet. I'd buy it, use standard protocol devices, and plan to use it for a year or two and upgrade.

 
New Echo functionality with Fire TV/Fire Stick is pretty cool for cord cutters.  Pair a certain Echo to a certain Fire TV, and then you can say "Alexa, turn on Sling TV," and my fire stick comes out of sleep (so the TV comes on), and goes right into Sling.  Pretty cool.  Need to figure out whether it can go the next step and actually start playing one of the sling channels.  

 
Searched quickly, but didn't see this covered elsewhere-

Read about some buffering issues with Sling even with upgraded higher level internet. Any insight? True or exaggerated?

 
Here's my problem:

I have a basement theater, next to the theater area are 5 recessed lights.  These lights are controlled via a four-way switch with dimmer.  One is located at the top of the stairs, one at the bottom of the stairs, one at the bar.  When they were installed, my brother messed up the wiring (I think) a bit to where you can turn it off, on, and dim from the top.  From the other two you can turn the dimming down some or turn the lights off, but not back on.  Or, it could possibly be a hardware issue.  I don't know.

Anyway, I'm thinking I'd like to use my Amazon Echo Dot in the basement to control those lights so I don't have to screw around with the dimmer anymore.  Do any of you guys know what products I'd need to try and make that possible?

 
Anyone use Netatmo? I like their window/door sensors in combination with a camera. It links up with the Apple HomeKit. Any other companies to go with? I currently only have a single nest camera.

 
Polish Hammer said:
Here's my problem:

I have a basement theater, next to the theater area are 5 recessed lights.  These lights are controlled via a four-way switch with dimmer.  One is located at the top of the stairs, one at the bottom of the stairs, one at the bar.  When they were installed, my brother messed up the wiring (I think) a bit to where you can turn it off, on, and dim from the top.  From the other two you can turn the dimming down some or turn the lights off, but not back on.  Or, it could possibly be a hardware issue.  I don't know.

Anyway, I'm thinking I'd like to use my Amazon Echo Dot in the basement to control those lights so I don't have to screw around with the dimmer anymore.  Do any of you guys know what products I'd need to try and make that possible?
Click to expand...
Get the Lutron Caseta starter kit that comes with the wireless bridge, smart switch with dimmer and Pico remote. Then get two more remotes and get three Pico wallplate brackets. What you'll have to do is basically tie off three of the switches (you won't wire anything to those switches). The fourth switch will have the Lutron smart switch. The remotes will slide into the wall plate brackets so that they look like normal switches. Once the wireless bridge and the switch are connected, you use the Lutron app to find the switch on your network. (You can name it something like, "Basement lights.") Then you use the app to pair each of the remotes to control that smart switch. Now you can dim the lights from any of the switches. Through the Alexa app, you add the Lutron skill, then you have the app find the Lutron switch. Once everything is set up, you should be able to say, "Alexa, dim the basement lights to 10 percent," and it should work. I have this set up in three places in our house that have three-way switches and it works great.

 
phandango said:
Get the Lutron Caseta starter kit that comes with the wireless bridge, smart switch with dimmer and Pico remote. Then get two more remotes and get three Pico wallplate brackets. What you'll have to do is basically tie off three of the switches (you won't wire anything to those switches). The fourth switch will have the Lutron smart switch. The remotes will slide into the wall plate brackets so that they look like normal switches. Once the wireless bridge and the switch are connected, you use the Lutron app to find the switch on your network. (You can name it something like, "Basement lights.") Then you use the app to pair each of the remotes to control that smart switch. Now you can dim the lights from any of the switches. Through the Alexa app, you add the Lutron skill, then you have the app find the Lutron switch. Once everything is set up, you should be able to say, "Alexa, dim the basement lights to 10 percent," and it should work. I have this set up in three places in our house that have three-way switches and it works great.
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Only thing I don't like about this kind of solution is if your network goes down, you're hosed and can't control your damn lights. 

For that reason I much prefer my setup. Get a SmartThings hub. (Now owned by Samsung). Replace your wall switches with GE Zwave wall switches. They can work like regular wall switches but they also link to your SmartThings hub and you can control them from the SmartThings app on your phone, set up all sorts of automations, and also control from Alexa.

I actually got tired of my girls leaving the basement lights on all the time so I put a motion sensor at the basement landing and another down in the basement. You just have to step onto the landing to go down there and the lights go on. They stay on as long as there's motion. 30mins of no motion and they auto shut off. 

I have this same setup of wall switches throughout most of my house. At dusk lights automatically come on. At night more come on. At bedtime they all shut off. Certain lights start coming back on at dawn along with heat etc. 

 
Otis said:
Only thing I don't like about this kind of solution is if your network goes down, you're hosed and can't control your damn lights. 

For that reason I much prefer my setup. Get a SmartThings hub. (Now owned by Samsung). Replace your wall switches with GE Zwave wall switches. They can work like regular wall switches but they also link to your SmartThings hub and you can control them from the SmartThings app on your phone, set up all sorts of automations, and also control from Alexa.

I actually got tired of my girls leaving the basement lights on all the time so I put a motion sensor at the basement landing and another down in the basement. You just have to step onto the landing to go down there and the lights go on. They stay on as long as there's motion. 30mins of no motion and they auto shut off. 

I have this same setup of wall switches throughout most of my house. At dusk lights automatically come on. At night more come on. At bedtime they all shut off. Certain lights start coming back on at dawn along with heat etc. 
Click to expand...
I couldn't find any other solution that would incorporate a smart dimmer into a three-way switch that would still work with Alexa. Does one exist? If the other poster doesn't care about dimming, then I probably would go with your suggestion.

 
phandango said:
I couldn't find any other solution that would incorporate a smart dimmer into a three-way switch that would still work with Alexa. Does one exist? If the other poster doesn't care about dimming, then I probably would go with your suggestion.
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Yup something like this I think should work:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Z-Wave-600-Watt-CFL-LED-Indoor-In-Wall-Dimmer-Switch-Almond-White-Paddles-12724/205798443

but there are others that may be the right ones for three way applications  (the add-on switches)  I forget which I installed.

 
To be clear I have multiple GE z wave dimmers including in three way setups. Work great. 

 
Otis said:
Only thing I don't like about this kind of solution is if your network goes down, you're hosed and can't control your damn lights. 

For that reason I much prefer my setup. Get a SmartThings hub. (Now owned by Samsung). Replace your wall switches with GE Zwave wall switches. They can work like regular wall switches but they also link to your SmartThings hub and you can control them from the SmartThings app on your phone, set up all sorts of automations, and also control from Alexa.

I actually got tired of my girls leaving the basement lights on all the time so I put a motion sensor at the basement landing and another down in the basement. You just have to step onto the landing to go down there and the lights go on. They stay on as long as there's motion. 30mins of no motion and they auto shut off. 

I have this same setup of wall switches throughout most of my house. At dusk lights automatically come on. At night more come on. At bedtime they all shut off. Certain lights start coming back on at dawn along with heat etc. 
Click to expand...
I actually started to panic a little that my Lutron switches would stop working if my Internet went down, so when I got home I looked it up. For the record, Lutron's web site says its wireless bridge doesn't require an Internet connection for the lights to work. (You won't be able to control from your phone, but the lights will still function manually.) I just tested it and it's true. 

Edit: My dad lives with us and asked if there was a way to automatically turn on the hallway light whenever he gets up to use the bathroom. I got a motion sensor and set it up so that the hall lights will come on at 10 percent dim between the hours of 10 pm and dawn whenever the motion sensor is triggered, and the lights will turn off after 4 minutes of inactivity. It's pretty cool. I'll probably set up others like that around the house. My wife says we don't need to, but I disagree because I want my house to become sentient.

 
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phandango said:
I actually started to panic a little that my Lutron switches would stop working if my Internet went down, so when I got home I looked it up. For the record, Lutron's web site says its wireless bridge doesn't require an Internet connection for the lights to work. (You won't be able to control from your phone, but the lights will still function manually.) I just tested it and it's true. 

Edit: My dad lives with us and asked if there was a way to automatically turn on the hallway light whenever he gets up to use the bathroom. I got a motion sensor and set it up so that the hall lights will come on at 10 percent dim between the hours of 10 pm and dawn whenever the motion sensor is triggered, and the lights will turn off after 4 minutes of inactivity. It's pretty cool. I'll probably set up others like that around the house. My wife says we don't need to, but I disagree because I want my house to become sentient.
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Yup I have the same setup in my kitchen. Come down the stairs in the middle of the night and the kitchen lights all come on at 10%. Works great. 

 
I would absolutely install smart Z-wave wall switches (GE), and get a Samsung Smartthings Hub.  The Hub will be able to interconnect all your lights, your locks, and you might put a motion sensor out there to sense motion and trigger the lights that way.

I've said this before in here, but when light switches are involved, I would not just get smart bulbs.  Someone turns off at the wall switch not realizing, and then your smart bulb has no power, and you can't control it.  And turning it back on probably doesn't turn it on either.  Much more user friendly to change the wall switches in your home.

Something like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUCZA1C/ref=asc_df_B01MUCZA1C5443025/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B01MUCZA1C&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193994910693&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12295622796960375592&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060351&hvtargid=pla-310821580000

 
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