Home Automation - Smartkit

[SauRoNZA]

Let me handle that ...

@SauRoNZA !

Ha ha, I will actually get some of these in the year probably to fiddle with.

Very interested in running automations based on zones inside a room.

Seen some crazy some especially people running big open plan spaces where the Xbox turns on when you approach it and sets the channel etc, but if you just go sit on the couch instead it powers on the Tv and goes to Plex and so on.

In my Kitchen/Lounge/Dining room area I could see it work quite well to have the lights “follow” you.

 

[Dolby]

where the Xbox turns on when you approach it and sets the channel etc, but if you just go sit on the couch instead it powers on the Tv and goes to Plex and so on.

In my Kitchen/Lounge/Dining room area I could see it work quite well to have the lights “follow” you.

Those are some pretty bifty uses .

I wonder how fast it is, being WiFi which is traditionally slower (bar the Shelly Motion and a few other devices)

 

[SauRoNZA]

Those are some pretty bifty uses .

I wonder how fast it is, being WiFi which is traditionally slower (bar the Shelly Motion and a few other devices)

Why would a WiFi switch be slower? If it was battery based maybe, but these are wired in so they are pretty much instant.

Update times are linked to power source, not the technology used to transmit the data.

 

[Dolby]

Why would a WiFi switch be slower? If it was battery based maybe, but these are wired in so they are pretty much instant.

Ah true

 

[Ma’bad]

I thought Alexa was a dying breed, what’s the advantage of using their products?
Pundits are saying Amazon is probably going to close that division down in due course because it’s never made a profit, quite the opposite it’s cost them vast amounts of money.

In my experience, Alexa excels in understanding my commands, while Siri often struggles and tends to redirect to web pages. Additionally, Alexa devices are more budget, and they can also be used as speakers for Home Assistant.

 

[SauRoNZA]

In my experience, Alexa excels in understanding my commands, while Siri often struggles and tends to redirect to web pages. Additionally, Alexa devices are more budget, and they can also be used as speakers for Home Assistant.

I have the opposite experience.

Alexa just doesn’t understand me or simply can’t put two and two together to do what I need done whereas Siri gets it first time every time.

Except for “geyser” which I need to pronounce like a weirdo and she then repeats it back to me like I would have said it.

The only thing Alexa does nicely which Siri doesn’t do at all is the “Turn X on for 30 minutes” type of commands.

 

[Dolby]

The only thing Alexa does nicely which Siri doesn’t do at all

Well, it also integrates with everything and plays plays nicely with others

 

[SauRoNZA]

Well, it also integrates with everything and plays plays nicely with others

It integrates with “most” things while being deeply lacking in configuration options and it doesn’t play with anyone else at all.

The only thing that truly integrates everything is Home Assistant.

 

[airborne]

What Zigbee hubs do people use/recommend?
Sonoff Pro hub seems to be popular but I'm not too sure what I should be looking out for when it comes to a hub.

And what is the difference between the full blown hubs and little USB Hubs, difference in range or functionality?

 

[Tinuva]

What Zigbee hubs do people use/recommend?
Sonoff Pro hub seems to be popular but I'm not too sure what I should be looking out for when it comes to a hub.

And what is the difference between the full blown hubs and little USB Hubs, difference in range or functionality?

If using with Home Assistant or zigbee2mqtt, the usb is simpler and works direct. The wifi hub requires you to establish a tcp connection over the network and wifi adds to the reliability dependent on your wifi network stability.

 

[Mzezman]

What Zigbee hubs do people use/recommend?
Sonoff Pro hub seems to be popular but I'm not too sure what I should be looking out for when it comes to a hub.

And what is the difference between the full blown hubs and little USB Hubs, difference in range or functionality?

I’m using the Aqara hub m2, granted I don’t have many zigbee devices but it works well for my use case. I have a sonoff zigbee lying is a drawer somewhere - couldn’t get it to work so have no use for it right now. It’s on stock firmware though, it is said it works better when flashed

 

[Dolby]

It integrates with “most” things while being deeply lacking in configuration options and it doesn’t play with anyone else at all.

The only thing that truly integrates everything is Home Assistant.

If I get Siri - what can it do out of the box?

Apple don't like others.

I know you always disagree - but it's true of most their services. Everyone knows this.

Look at Apple Music and how limited it is because they've decided to keep it closed? It's the same as Siri - cool to many a few hardcore Apple users, but most would see it as inferior.

 

[airborne]

If using with Home Assistant or zigbee2mqtt, the usb is simpler and works direct. The wifi hub requires you to establish a tcp connection over the network and wifi adds to the reliability dependent on your wifi network stability.

That’s an important one I didn’t think of, so I can plug the USB directly into a RPI running Home Assistant?
Any USB hubs you can recommend?

I’m using the Aqara hub m2, granted I don’t have many zigbee devices but it works well for my use case. I have a sonoff zigbee lying is a drawer somewhere - couldn’t get it to work so have no use for it right now. It’s on stock firmware though, it is said it works better when flashed

Is it the Sonnoff Pro?
What firmware is normally flashed to them to increase the functionality?
I didn’t even realise that was a possibility and that makes the Sonoff hubs a great option because you can normally do some cool stuff with custom firmware.

 

[airborne]

If I get Siri - what can it do out of the box?

Apple don't like others.

I know you always disagree - but it's true of most their services. Everyone knows this.

Look at Apple Music and how limited it is because they've decided to keep it closed? It's the same as Siri - cool to many a few hardcore Apple users, but most would see it as inferior.

Natively it’s limited but if you are running Home Assistant it seems the sky is the limit and the Apple front end is really good, all you need is a R15pm iCloud+ subscription to access video features that would require R150pm+ from competitors and there’s probably other good stuff included that i’m not aware of.

 

[Tinuva]

That’s an important one I didn’t think of, so I can plug the USB directly into a RPI running Home Assistant?
Any USB hubs you can recommend?

For USB, the sonoff. See my post here: https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/home-automation-smartkit.909279/post-27101500

As for the ultimate hub to get, I would try and source the one I posted about here:

Home Assistant : Q&A, Tips & Tricks, Your Configs

Thanks. Will have a look.

mybroadband.co.za

There is a chinese clone of it now I see: https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt/discussions/17360
HamGeek HMG-01 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006189123338.html or https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005004862119892.html?gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt

 

[Dolby]

Natively it’s limited but if you are running Home Assistant it seems the sky is the limit and the Apple front end is really good, all you need is a R15pm iCloud+ subscription to access video features that would require R150pm+ from competitors and there’s probably other good stuff included that i’m not aware of.

Sure - if you tweak and workaround to make it work correctly, I'm sure it's a great!

And they don't really don't like others .

Apple Music is limited on everything 3rd party & a pain in the ass to get going correctly on most things because of the limitations . Again, I'm sure you can work around - but why? Isn't that what was always said about iPhone? 'It just works out the box and why do want to change anything!'.

 

[airborne]

Sure - if you tweak and workaround to make it work correctly, I'm sure it's a great!

And they don't really don't like others .

Apple Music is limited on everything 3rd party & a pain in the ass to get going correctly on most things because of the limitations . Again, I'm sure you can work around - but why? Isn't that what was always said about iPhone? 'It just works out the box and why do want to change anything!'.

This is the home automation thread dumdum, who cares what Apple Music can or can’t do.

Apple Home may not be that hot on its own, but it’s amazing in conjunction with Home Assistant, you get the best of both worlds. Nothing is perfect, neither Apple home nor Alexa, just choose your poison and stop whining, it is what it is.

 

[Dolby]

This is the home automation thread dumdum .... just choose your poison and stop whining, it is what it is.

So it's a home automation thread to discuss things like Siri and Alexa ... but as long as you can't mention limitations of devices ?
Or can we just not mention the limitations of Siri?

We can do that

We tend to turn a blind eye to limitations in most other threads , so shouldn't be too much of an issue here

 

[AfricanTech]

I’m using the Aqara hub m2, granted I don’t have many zigbee devices but it works well for my use case. I have a sonoff zigbee lying is a drawer somewhere - couldn’t get it to work so have no use for it right now. It’s on stock firmware though, it is said it works better when flashed

Which sonoff zigbee hub do you have lying around? I have a single sonoff (geyser switch) in a dead spot so it randomly drops off the WiFi - been wanting to see if a zigbee hub would solve the issue but don’t want to spend a lot just to test.

 

[airborne]

So it's a home automation thread to discuss things like Siri and Alexa ... but as long as you can't mention limitations of devices ?
Or can we just not mention the limitations of Siri?

We can do that

We tend to turn a blind eye to limitations in most other threads , so shouldn't be too much of an issue here

The full quote is "This is the home automation thread dumdum, who cares what Apple Music can or can’t do"

Stay on topic for once, nevermind that I was agreeing with your point but as per usual that goes straight over your pea sized brain and all you can focus on is "Apple is not perfect" like a stuck record.