Posted January 5, 20232 yr Hey everyone - I am planning to implement home automation in a new home I'm moving into. I want to make sure I start off in the right direction, but it seems there is so much to consider. I am trying to figure out which smart system I should go with (Alexa, Google, etc), and other considerations I should keep in mind. For context, I have the following items I would ideally like to link up to the system: I use Android mobile devices, and my wife uses Apple. We have Android TV's / media sticks running Google TV (Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, YouTube Music) Will have a solar system with a Daiwa inverter - WiFi enabled EZVIZ wireless outdoor security cameras with NVR (I am looking at expanding this, so now is the time to change if that makes sense) I plan to get WiFi Universal IR Remote/s to control the older non-smart devices like non-smart TV's, home theater, and aircons. I have "piped speakers" throughout the new house - it currently has a media connection point in main bedroom to plug an old HiFi into, which then plays the sound to all rooms with ceiling speakers. Each room has its own switch to control volume. I would like to connect a smart device to this so that I can start playing music by voice command anywhere in the house rather than going all the way to the bedroom to start it up. Individual rooms can still be controlled by the manual switches though. I was thinking of hooking up a smart speaker like Google Nest Mini there, but seems it doesn't have a media output - maybe an Echo is better for this? I plan to install Sonoff or other smart devices like light switches, power switches, geyser switches, curtain automation, etc. There seems to be a lot being said about "Matter" being the new "thing" to consider for universal device connections in the future, so I'm guessing I need to take that into consideration too. My objective is to start with a few things and build up over time, so anything I do now must be as future proof as possible. I want the experience to be as seamless as possible - i..e no constant technical troubleshooting or glitches. While I am technically inclined, I want anyone to be able to use the system including my very non-technical wife and my children. I'm also trying to understand why I would put multiple smart speakers around the house rather than just using a phone with Google Home on it to control things? I mean obviously the convenience is a factor but is there more to it? Any suggestions on way forward - things to consider, brands to avoid or give preference to, lessons learnt, etc? Much appreciated! David
January 5, 20232 yr Hi David and welcome to the forum. Your question can and will open up a can of worms..hahah. there is a lot going on in the Home Automation space. If you were an all / mostly Apple / iOS home then i would have leaned towards a Homekit environment - but i think we can rule that out. In the Android space google home works well with the speakers as you mentioned (Nest hubs / minis) and it also works well with Sonoff and other similar devices. Its pretty straightforward but it DOES lock you into the google ecosystem - which may be a good or bad thing depending where you sit. It is also less customisable and for instance i am unable to get my alarm or my inverter to show up in Google home Since you say you are technically inclined then maybe something like Home Assistant would be an option for you - especially since you will have multiple device types. You are not limited to only Google compatible devices but you can bring in HomeKit, Zigbee, Sonoff, Matter devices as well. It IS a bit of work to get up and running in it and it can be a rabbit hole - the front-end view that your family would use is one you would design and the community support is quite good and positive. Below are some example dashboards i have put together for my home - a single dashboard uses / talks to multiple device types In terms of advice: A good base will set you up for success - choose your components and framework carefully as it can get expensive if you have to change / replace devices Ensure your network is also setup properly - maybe you are or are not worried about network segmentation etc. for IoT devices but ensure this is done properly upfront Wife approval factor is key - YOU might love the new doodads and automations but they are useless if the WAF is not there and never used Don't buy products on the promise of a future feature - they may never come Don't tie yourself down to 1 manufacturer - different tools for different jobs - actually - the right tools for each job Ensure you can still have a functioning house when there is no internet - you don't want the lack of internet to impact your ability to turn on or off devices Have fun 🙂 Edited January 5, 20232 yr by mzezman
January 9, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, JTUBB said: Hi mzezman, I really like some of your dashboard work.. Do you give lessons? Thank you - i dunno about lessons but happy to walk you through them and share the YAML code as well - a lot of it is a mixture of copy-paste and trying to figure it out as well. Also checkout ese videos >>
January 13, 20232 yr On 2023/01/05 at 4:37 PM, mzezman said: Ensure you can still have a functioning house when there is no internet - you don't want the lack of internet to impact your ability to turn on or off devices Hi all I also want to start doing some home automation, but it seems very difficult to find devices that are not cloud based (all wifi devices ?) From what I read, one should buy either Zigbee or Z-wave devices and let them communicate directly to a dongle in the home assistant RPI. The availability of Zigbee or Z-wave devices seems very limited.
January 13, 20232 yr 20 minutes ago, sjp said: Hi all I also want to start doing some home automation, but it seems very difficult to find devices that are not cloud based (all wifi devices ?) From what I read, one should buy either Zigbee or Z-wave devices and let them communicate directly to a dongle in the home assistant RPI. The availability of Zigbee or Z-wave devices seems very limited. Which devices are you looking for that are Zigbee? If you get Sonoff devices and integrate them into Home Assistant then you can use Sonoff Lan which means the devices work on the LAN. Tuya also has LocalTuya which does the same - then you wont need the web
January 13, 20232 yr 35 minutes ago, mzezman said: Which devices are you looking for that are Zigbee? If you get Sonoff devices and integrate them into Home Assistant then you can use Sonoff Lan which means the devices work on the LAN. Tuya also has LocalTuya which does the same - then you wont need the web Hi Mzez I was basically looking for the Zigbee version of these: (I don't care about the energy metering part of these) https://www.takealot.com/smart-wifi-power-plug-switch-for-south-african-2-3-pin/PLID63166267 https://www.takealot.com/sonoff-th-origin-20a-with-waterproof-temperature-sensor/PLID91375033 https://www.takealot.com/smart-wifi-geyser-timer-with-energy-metering-smart-life-tuya-app/PLID91403075 https://www.takealot.com/tuya-wi-fi-smart-timer-switch-16a-circuit-breaker-din-rail-1p-ap/PLID92495523 Oh, so you can communicate with Sonoff and Tuya devices without the internet. What do you need in order for the "sonoff lan" and localTuya respectively to work ? Some gateway device(s) or just certain HA plugins ? Also, can you have a mix of Sonoff and Tuya devices ? Or is it advisable to stick to one brand ?
January 13, 20232 yr 3 minutes ago, sjp said: Hi Mzez I was basically looking for the Zigbee version of these: (I don't care about the energy metering part of these) https://www.takealot.com/smart-wifi-power-plug-switch-for-south-african-2-3-pin/PLID63166267 https://www.takealot.com/sonoff-th-origin-20a-with-waterproof-temperature-sensor/PLID91375033 https://www.takealot.com/smart-wifi-geyser-timer-with-energy-metering-smart-life-tuya-app/PLID91403075 https://www.takealot.com/tuya-wi-fi-smart-timer-switch-16a-circuit-breaker-din-rail-1p-ap/PLID92495523 Oh, so you can communicate with Sonoff and Tuya devices without the internet. What do you need in order for the "sonoff lan" and localTuya respectively to work ? Some gateway device(s) or just certain HA plugins ? Also, can you have a mix of Sonoff and Tuya devices ? Or is it advisable to stick to one brand ? As far as i know there aren't zigbee devices that match those ones you listed. An alternative would be to get Shelly devices (im not too clued up on them) but they also function locally - you cand ecide for fully local or via the web IIRC If you use HomeAssistant then you can mix and match Tuya and Sonoff with no issues. On your phone though you would need the eWeLink app for Sonoff and Smart Home for Tuya - but HomeAssistant just works and once setup you don't even need to go back into those phone apps. SonoffLan and LocalTuya are just plugins - no additional gateway required. The Tuya devices do have to be connected via cloud first THEN you can port them to LocalTuya - there is a key you need from the Tuya IoT cloud
January 14, 20232 yr On 2023/01/05 at 10:48 AM, David Bann said: I have "piped speakers" throughout the new house - it currently has a media connection point in main bedroom to plug an old HiFi into, which then plays the sound to all rooms with ceiling speakers. Each room has its own switch to control volume. I would like to connect a smart device to this so that I can start playing music by voice command anywhere in the house rather than going all the way to the bedroom to start it up. Individual rooms can still be controlled by the manual switches though. I was thinking of hooking up a smart speaker like Google Nest Mini there, but seems it doesn't have a media output - maybe an Echo is better for this? Hi @David Bann Google used to have the Chromecast Audio devices which allowed for streams to be sent to multiple Chromecasts, unfortunately it was discontinued in 2019, partly due to them infringing on Sonos patents I believe. It was a great way to allow streaming to multiple amplifiers and some amplifiers even came with it built in, Onkyo amongst others and there were some JBL portable speakers that it came with as well. There has been some talk of them re-releasing a newer version of it. https://www.androidcentral.com/accessories/audio/rumors-swirl-about-google-resurrecting-chromecast-audio In the mean time there are the Sonos speakers which has a very good multi zone system (not cheap I know). Alternatively you could use some Google Nest speakers. https://store.google.com/us/product/nest_audio?hl=en-US There is a pretty good review of Home Speaker systems on Tomshardware https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-google-home-speakers
January 14, 20232 yr 19 hours ago, sjp said: Hi Mzez I was basically looking for the Zigbee version of these: (I don't care about the energy metering part of these) https://www.takealot.com/smart-wifi-power-plug-switch-for-south-african-2-3-pin/PLID63166267 https://www.takealot.com/sonoff-th-origin-20a-with-waterproof-temperature-sensor/PLID91375033 https://www.takealot.com/smart-wifi-geyser-timer-with-energy-metering-smart-life-tuya-app/PLID91403075 https://www.takealot.com/tuya-wi-fi-smart-timer-switch-16a-circuit-breaker-din-rail-1p-ap/PLID92495523 Oh, so you can communicate with Sonoff and Tuya devices without the internet. What do you need in order for the "sonoff lan" and localTuya respectively to work ? Some gateway device(s) or just certain HA plugins ? Also, can you have a mix of Sonoff and Tuya devices ? Or is it advisable to stick to one brand ? You can mix using Home Assistant, I have both on my install, you will just need to have the integrations for both of them installed obviously. If you want to use the Zigbee ones you will obviously just need to have a Zigbee gateway as well.
January 14, 20232 yr 21 hours ago, sjp said: Hi all I also want to start doing some home automation, but it seems very difficult to find devices that are not cloud based (all wifi devices ?) From what I read, one should buy either Zigbee or Z-wave devices and let them communicate directly to a dongle in the home assistant RPI. The availability of Zigbee or Z-wave devices seems very limited. Zigbee or Z-Wave are just alternative ways for devices to communicate with your Home Assissant/The internet Cloud rather than just using a normal wifi connection. It has almost no bearing on whether the devices are cloud based or not (most are). Most devices now adays can be re-flashed with alternative firmware if you are will to get your hands dirty and don't mind a bit of soldering. In most cases it is easier just to connect your smart switches to the wifi network and let them speak to your Home Assistant over the wifi network Main reasons for a device using Zigbee or Z-Wave instead of wifi are: - Lower power consumption, very important for devices running of batteries, wifi devices generally need to be connected to power. - Longer range - up to +100mtr - No congestion of your wifi network with smart devices Disadvantages are: - Lower bandwidth - You need a Zigbee/Z-Wave gateway for the device to be able to speak to your network/the internet cloud Devices like battery operated irrigation controllers, smart door locks, door opening switches are often zigbee
January 14, 20232 yr On 2023/01/09 at 8:06 PM, mzezman said: Thank you - i dunno about lessons but happy to walk you through them and share the YAML code as well - a lot of it is a mixture of copy-paste and trying to figure it out as well. Also checkout ese videos >> Thanks, will watch those and see if I can get some of your results. one I really liked was the time left on battery at current consumption..
January 14, 20232 yr 5 hours ago, JTUBB said: Thanks, will watch those and see if I can get some of your results. one I really liked was the time left on battery at current consumption.. Once you get your Home Assistant and Solar Assistant talking then you can give me a shout and we can work through the steps. It's not too complex
January 20, 20232 yr Author On 2023/01/05 at 4:37 PM, mzezman said: Hi David and welcome to the forum. Your question can and will open up a can of worms..hahah. there is a lot going on in the Home Automation space. If you were an all / mostly Apple / iOS home then i would have leaned towards a Homekit environment - but i think we can rule that out. In the Android space google home works well with the speakers as you mentioned (Nest hubs / minis) and it also works well with Sonoff and other similar devices. Its pretty straightforward but it DOES lock you into the google ecosystem - which may be a good or bad thing depending where you sit. It is also less customisable and for instance i am unable to get my alarm or my inverter to show up in Google home Since you say you are technically inclined then maybe something like Home Assistant would be an option for you - especially since you will have multiple device types. You are not limited to only Google compatible devices but you can bring in HomeKit, Zigbee, Sonoff, Matter devices as well. It IS a bit of work to get up and running in it and it can be a rabbit hole - the front-end view that your family would use is one you would design and the community support is quite good and positive. Below are some example dashboards i have put together for my home - a single dashboard uses / talks to multiple device types In terms of advice: A good base will set you up for success - choose your components and framework carefully as it can get expensive if you have to change / replace devices Ensure your network is also setup properly - maybe you are or are not worried about network segmentation etc. for IoT devices but ensure this is done properly upfront Wife approval factor is key - YOU might love the new doodads and automations but they are useless if the WAF is not there and never used Don't buy products on the promise of a future feature - they may never come Don't tie yourself down to 1 manufacturer - different tools for different jobs - actually - the right tools for each job Ensure you can still have a functioning house when there is no internet - you don't want the lack of internet to impact your ability to turn on or off devices Have fun 🙂 Wow this is some great info! Thanks so much for taking the time to respond in such detail with screenshots - looks really impressive! Now I'm getting quite excited to get a setup like this in my new home 🙂
January 20, 20232 yr Author On 2023/01/09 at 8:06 PM, mzezman said: Thank you - i dunno about lessons but happy to walk you through them and share the YAML code as well - a lot of it is a mixture of copy-paste and trying to figure it out as well. Also checkout ese videos >> Awesome - I will definitely have a look at this - thanks!
January 20, 20232 yr Author On 2023/01/14 at 9:26 AM, Sc00bs said: Hi @David Bann Google used to have the Chromecast Audio devices which allowed for streams to be sent to multiple Chromecasts, unfortunately it was discontinued in 2019, partly due to them infringing on Sonos patents I believe. It was a great way to allow streaming to multiple amplifiers and some amplifiers even came with it built in, Onkyo amongst others and there were some JBL portable speakers that it came with as well. There has been some talk of them re-releasing a newer version of it. https://www.androidcentral.com/accessories/audio/rumors-swirl-about-google-resurrecting-chromecast-audio In the mean time there are the Sonos speakers which has a very good multi zone system (not cheap I know). Alternatively you could use some Google Nest speakers. https://store.google.com/us/product/nest_audio?hl=en-US There is a pretty good review of Home Speaker systems on Tomshardware https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-google-home-speakers Thanks - shame that things aren't more universal and open yet. Seems to be heading that way (hopefully), but I like the sound of Home Assistant as it seems to cater for a mix and match of whatever devices are available - seems more future proof since I would only have to switch out individual devices if needed, and not throw out the whole bunch if a certain brand lags behind.
January 29, 20232 yr On 2023/01/14 at 7:33 PM, mzezman said: Once you get your Home Assistant and Solar Assistant talking then you can give me a shout and we can work through the steps. It's not too complex Hi Mzezman, I have my HA running with some nice dashboard bits. Solar Assistant works fine, but I cannot seem to get MQTT working with it to pull SA into HA. I guess I need to restart With a fresh MQTT install on my HA and then recheck all the SA instructions.
January 30, 20232 yr 7 hours ago, JTUBB said: Hi Mzezman, I have my HA running with some nice dashboard bits. Solar Assistant works fine, but I cannot seem to get MQTT working with it to pull SA into HA. I guess I need to restart With a fresh MQTT install on my HA and then recheck all the SA instructions. I havent set it up yet but SA just presents as a MQTT device to HA and allows 2 way comms. If you have any MQTT devices setup then it should already be done on the HA side.
January 30, 20232 yr 11 hours ago, JTUBB said: Hi Mzezman, I have my HA running with some nice dashboard bits. Solar Assistant works fine, but I cannot seem to get MQTT working with it to pull SA into HA. I guess I need to restart With a fresh MQTT install on my HA and then recheck all the SA instructions. There are a couple of things you will need to check: 1 - in etc/mosquitto/conf.d/ you need a file names solar-assistant.conf with the data below (using your SA's IP address of course 2 - In your solar assistant configuration you need the following setup 3 - In your mosquitto broker configuration Once thats all done you restart HomeAssistant and reload the broker and then it should all work
February 10, 20232 yr On 2023/01/30 at 10:44 AM, mzezman said: There are a couple of things you will need to check: 1 - in etc/mosquitto/conf.d/ you need a file names solar-assistant.conf with the data below (using your SA's IP address of course 2 - In your solar assistant configuration you need the following setup 3 - In your mosquitto broker configuration Once thats all done you restart HomeAssistant and reload the broker and then it should all work Perfect on the above. Many thanks. Now I turn my eyes to Olarm integration via their API.
February 11, 20232 yr 19 hours ago, JTUBB said: Perfect on the above. Many thanks. Now I turn my eyes to Olarm integration via their API. Does Olarm NOW have an API for HomeAssistant? Please share your progress and how it looks? I left Olarm for this very reason - it took so long for them to release the API
February 11, 20232 yr I believe the API is in BETA. I’m not making much progress myself, but did find the link below and am trying to get it running. https://community.home-assistant.io/t/olarm-integration/384560/30 I managed to get the API logging a call with there support, and using curl or the https link, I can see all available data in JSON, but stuck at that point. Will add more later.
February 12, 20232 yr On 2023/01/20 at 7:42 AM, David Bann said: Awesome - I will definitely have a look at this - thanks! Here is my energy dashboard to give you some ideas. I've just converted to plotly graphs.
February 13, 20232 yr 18 hours ago, slipx said: Here is my energy dashboard to give you some ideas. I've just converted to plotly graphs. Wow this is cool, I usually see dashboards with too much information on and think "that piece of information is actually useless on the screen", but this is really great how it puts all the information you have on the screen but in a convenient location. Can you shell out some code for some of this, specifically the SOLAR / BATTERY / AC round graphs at the top, and then the Sunsynk replica image below them?
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