No smart home accessory conversation?

[Xmann]

If so, please point me to that topic. I could not find one.

Anywho, we are closing in 2 weeks on our new home in Tennessee and I'm making plans on adding smart features such as doorbell, wifi, security, lights, etc etc etc.

I'm looking for some real world experiences instead of professional reviews. Anyone have anything they can share?

I'm leaning towards the Nest Hello, Nest Thermostat, and Simplisafe to start. Also Google WiFi router.

[hentzau]

There was a thread about smart lighting, but it was concentrated somewhat on the Philips Hue offerings.

[Isgrimnur]

I picked up two Blink cameras on the Prime Day sale. I have not yet mounted them. They offer arming scheduling to avoid alerts every time you pass by them in the morning. The motion activation/alert requires physical LOS, so having them behind a window isn't going to work. So I'll need to mount the front door one outside in a high location, and probably purchase a locking mount.

[raydude]

We have a four story townhome. TV room is on the first floor, living room, kitchen and kids play area on second, bedrooms and washer/dryer on third, and my office/man cave is on the top floor. I hated having to shout at other family members on different floors or trying to listen to muffled shouts. So I got 2 Amazon echos and 2 dots during an Amazon Prime sale and put them in different areas of the house. Now we just drop in on each other or broadcast to all devices when we need to.

[stessier]

I'm pretty anti-smart home stuff and you seem pretty sure of your path, but in case you haven't, I'd suggest searching out Nest/Google's history with bricking products and the privacy implications around smart doorbells.

[LordMortis]

I'm pretty anti-smart home stuff and you seem pretty sure of your path, but in case you haven't, I'd suggest searching out Nest/Google's history with bricking products and the privacy implications around smart doorbells.

I'm smart-home curious. IoT is fascinating but then so is Internet security as are the lengths people to go to maintain legacy equipment. The three together largely end up with my Debbie Downer attitude of "stuff is work."

[Jeff V]

I have a Google Wifi router that struggles to project a signal to the upstairs or basement. I have an Ecobee thermostat that does what it claimed to do, plus now the kids have fun with it asking Alexa to play various songs. I have Ring2 doorbell awaiting installation. I have an Alexa-enabled washing machine that I've not yet configured because I can't think of why I would want my washing machine to be "smart".

Despite putting up more fencing over the weekend, my dog still found a way to jailbreak this morning and I had to give up the search because I was running late. A neighbor captured her and brought her home, I'm thinking the next smart thing I buy will be a smart dog collar.

[Z-Corn]

You sure you wanna go with SimpliSafe?

[LawBeefaroni]

We have Blink cameras, Google WiFi mesh, and Phillips Hue lights.

I wouldn't say we have a "smart home" but those three are all working well.

We still have a traditional alarm system because chopping cable and DSL lines is a common strategy before an attempted break in (we've had it happen) but they haven't tried cutting electric yet.

[Lorini]

The belief is that Google will be releasing upgraded mesh routers that will be compatible with the new WiFi 6 standard. So you might want to wait on the routers.

[Xmann]

The belief is that Google will be releasing upgraded mesh routers that will be compatible with the new WiFi 6 standard. So you might want to wait on the routers.

Whoa, good info. Thank you.

[Blackhawk]

I have kids. They're voice activated and capable of carrying out complex instructions.

"Turn off kitchen light"
"Get drinks from store"
"Clean out bird cage"

The voice detection is spotty, though. I sometimes have to repeat myself.

[hentzau]

I have kids. They're voice activated and capable of carrying out complex instructions.

"Turn off kitchen light"
"Get drinks from store"
"Clean out bird cage"

The voice detection is spotty, though. I sometimes have to repeat myself.

Yeah, but the responses I get back make it more like a smart-ass home.

[The Meal]

Ecobee (Gen 3) with 5 remote sensors
Amazon: 5 Dot (Gen 1), 2 Dot (Gen 2), 1 Show (Gen 1), 2 Show 5s, 2 Sonos speakers with Echo functionality
Kasa/TP-Link: 8 smart indoor plugs, 1 outdoor plug, 1 2-way smart switch
myQ: 2 garage doors
Nanoleaf: 1 (15-panel Gen 1 Light Panels)
LinkTap: 2 remote sprinkler controllers
Ring: Pro, remote chime
Annke: 2 remote pan/tilt cameras
Tend: 1 remote fixed camera
Dyson: 1 wifi fan
SensorPush: 1 remote sensor, 1 hub
Hue: 3 Hubs, 5 Dimmer remotes, 2 Tap remotes, 9 indoor motion sensors, 1 outdoor motion sensor, 69 lights (10x A19 Color 600 lumen, 21x A19 Color + Gen 3, 2x A19 White 800 lumen, 2x A19 White lux 750 lumen, 2x Bloom, 10x BR30 Color 630 lumen, 6x BR30 Color + Gen 3, 2x BR30 White, 6x E12 Color +, 2x Go, 1x Iris, 1x Lightstrip & Extension, 2x Lightstrip 6', 1x Lightstrip 5m (3rd party), 1x Outdoor Strip 2m)

What are your questions?

[edit:]
Budweiser Red Light
Ecovacs Deebot N79S
Harmony Hub & Elite Remote
Circle cameras: 5x Logi Circle, 2x Logi Circle 2 wired

[Isgrimnur]

Budweiser Red Light

What's the lag on that?

[Blackhawk]

Ok, if someone wanted a single camera for a single enclosed entrance, but has limited carpentry ability, what would they go with?

Not something I desperately need, but something I've been wanting for a while.

[Isgrimnur]

The Blink comes with a camera, a mount that goes in with two screws, a base station to translate between the camera and your router, and a phone app.

[Smoove_B]

I know people that rave about Arlo but I don't have any personal experience with them.

[The Meal]

Budweiser Red Light

What's the lag on that?

Generally I have to inject 17 sec additional lag to correspond to the internet feed into the house.

[Isgrimnur]

Budweiser Red Light

What's the lag on that?

Generally I have to inject 17 sec additional lag to correspond to the internet feed into the house.

So about $10/second.

[The Meal]

Ok, if someone wanted a single camera for a single enclosed entrance, but has limited carpentry ability, what would they go with?

Not something I desperately need, but something I've been wanting for a while.

I mounted a wired Circle 2 (using their outdoor kit) above our front door. The Ring Pro came with the house (and it's generally garbage), so the Circle 2 gets all the use.

Requirement would be an outdoor plug within 12 feet from the mounting location. The actual mount involved drilling a plastic mounting plate into the wood frame of my front door (I think it's 2 screws), then mounting a handful of plastic retention clip screws along the wired travel to keep things from looking too janky. Total time? 45 minutes and use of a ladder.

[coopasonic]

I have around 30 devices on wifi... not entirely sure what they all are.
We have a ring doorbell pro (updated version to be installed, they sent it to us for free without us even asking) and a ring spotlight cam.
Three nest carbon monoxide detectors
One ecobee thermostat and I will at some point get a second for the upstairs
echo dot that came free with the ecobee
another echo, the one that is basically an alarm clock replacement, whatever that is called
I have some smart lights that were never installed, no recollection on brand
orbi mesh wifi system
three harmony smart remotes with hubs
myQ smart garage door opener
Rachio smart sprinkler controller
Tesla super smart car
A couple of Tile location devices

I think that's pretty much everything... not counting a couple smart TVs and a Roku of some sort.

[rittchard]

Thanks Meal, finally someone who has more smart home crap than I do lol!!!

I've been experimenting with various stuff for the last 5 years or so. There's been a lot of hit or miss and lots of resetting, etc. but in general when things are working well I'd say they are worth the effort. Also note that a lot of it depends on how good your wifi network is, so often times you might want to blame the devices when the real problem is limitations with the wifi setup.

Nest - the thermostat has a nice/fun interface that resembles the original ipod. Being able to command it remotely and set up schedules, etc is all very nice, and while I've had limited success, being able to command it from Alexa is also pretty sweet. What I don't like is that it seems to have some "smart" features/algorithms that seem like it may occasionally override what I really want. I believe the reality is just that I turned something on that perhaps I didn't mean to, or maybe some software bugs. For the most part though I give it a thumbs up.

Nest Cam - I have one outdoor cam that has been very reliable, and an older one that hasn't. YMMV

Ring Doorbell - I've used different iterations of it, and for the most part its been pretty reliable. If you pay for the service you can get video recorded which may be nice. The main function of being able to see who is at the door works well but I find where I live is almost not used because it's so rare for someone to stand by the door. I live in a gated community though so that's part of it. But even at my old house, it was fairly rare when I'd get to use it to see who is there remotely. I think maybe once or twice in all the years I've used it did I actually use the talking interaction function. The good news is it seemed to work.

Ring Camera - Similar to Nest I have an additional outdoor cam which has been very reliable

Lights - I have a hodgepodge of lighting solutions, and that's probably what is used the most on a regular basis. Every now and again I have to reset something or another, but when things are working smoothly it's fantastic. You might think it's super lazy but there are times you don't think about when, say, you have a bunch of groceries in your hands or you are coming up the stairs, and you can just yell at Alexa to turn the lights on. And of course it makes turning off the lights to go to bed more fun because I just say "computer, turn bedroom off" while I'm already in bed. This is the kind of thing that doesn't make a big difference until you get used to it, but once you do, it's a real nice to have.

Music - this was my original first use of Alexa, and while it has it's ups and downs, in general it's been a great addition to the home. Now that it can play from Apple Music, I can use any of my devices for music without double paying. I also use a HomePod set.

MyQ - I got my garage door setup finally and this is another nice to have. There have been a couple of times I was caught outside and needed to get to the garage, and the ability to command it from my phone was very useful. More useful is being able to check the status on those days I can't remember whether I closed it or not.

[Daehawk]

If its not too personal what city in TN are you hitting up. Nashville and Chattanooga both have great hospitals.

[Isgrimnur]

Sounds like he got the University of Tennessee Medical Center job.

[Xmann]

Sounds like he got the University of Tennessee Medical Center job.

Yep, UT Medical Center. Nurse manager Neuro/Spine Unit.

[rittchard]

I know people that rave about Arlo but I don't have any personal experience with them.

I used to have a full Arlo setup and it worked great. The biggest thing about Arlo is that the cameras can be truly wireless, meaning they operate on batteries, and the camera unit is magnetically attached to the mount for easy removal and replacement of batteries. This is both good and bad. It means you can get them into places other cameras might not be able to go because there's no power connection. The bad news is if you place them in too accessible a spot someone could theoretically just grab it without effort. Of course they would be caught on camera as they were doing so so that's the deterrent. The other thing about Arlo that was nice (i don't know if still the case) but they didn't charge extra for keeping video footage stored.

[Z-Corn]

I built a front door camera with a Raspberry Pi Zero W. Cost with SD card and mount and power supply...maybe $30?

Quality is not great. Software is labyrinthian to navigate but open-source and free. To really get full use I had to build a Linux server.

But it was a fun project!

[Xmann]

Haven't done much research, but how much a difference does it make to have something like Simplisafe vs. some cameras?

I realize you pay for monitoring and what not, but for those that opted for cameras and no monitoring, what is your thoughts?

[Z-Corn]

Maybe a camera array and a dog that's willing to bark?

[Xmann]

Our current good boy, Dimebag Darrell, is at the bottom of the barking and threatening list.

However, we are definitely considering a larger more "watch dog" type companion for Dimebag.

[Pyperkub]

I'm pretty anti-smart home stuff and you seem pretty sure of your path, but in case you haven't, I'd suggest searching out Nest/Google's history with bricking products and the privacy implications around smart doorbells.

I don't like the idea of having a network accessible door lock, among other things. Yes, a key can be copied, etc. but that's a one-off physical tool generally. Doors which could in theory be unlocked via a virus or network hack as a result of a scan, etc. freaks me out.

I need to have control over the IoT devices in our house, and the data which goes out. Smart TV? Wireless disabled unless I need to update the firmware. Smart Clothes Washer? Why the fuck would I want that? We went for the most reliable system we could find.

We have a couple of roombas, but not the network connected ones.

Echos, Facebook frames, Google microphones? Staying away until I have complete control of my data.

[Jeff V]

I'm pretty anti-smart home stuff and you seem pretty sure of your path, but in case you haven't, I'd suggest searching out Nest/Google's history with bricking products and the privacy implications around smart doorbells.

I don't like the idea of having a network accessible door lock, among other things. Yes, a key can be copied, etc. but that's a one-off physical tool generally. Doors which could in theory be unlocked via a virus or network hack as a result of a scan, etc. freaks me out.

I need to have control over the IoT devices in our house, and the data which goes out. Smart TV? Wireless disabled unless I need to update the firmware. Smart Clothes Washer? Why the fuck would I want that? We went for the most reliable system we could find.

We have a couple of roombas, but not the network connected ones.

Echos, Facebook frames, Google microphones? Staying away until I have complete control of my data.

You forgot to add "keep of my smart-mower manicured lawn!"

[MHS]

Ecobee (Gen 3) with 5 remote sensors
Amazon: 5 Dot (Gen 1), 2 Dot (Gen 2), 1 Show (Gen 1), 2 Show 5s, 2 Sonos speakers with Echo functionality
Kasa/TP-Link: 8 smart indoor plugs, 1 outdoor plug, 1 2-way smart switch
myQ: 2 garage doors
Nanoleaf: 1 (15-panel Gen 1 Light Panels)
LinkTap: 2 remote sprinkler controllers
Ring: Pro, remote chime
Annke: 2 remote pan/tilt cameras
Tend: 1 remote fixed camera
Dyson: 1 wifi fan
SensorPush: 1 remote sensor, 1 hub
Hue: 3 Hubs, 5 Dimmer remotes, 2 Tap remotes, 9 indoor motion sensors, 1 outdoor motion sensor, 69 lights (10x A19 Color 600 lumen, 21x A19 Color + Gen 3, 2x A19 White 800 lumen, 2x A19 White lux 750 lumen, 2x Bloom, 10x BR30 Color 630 lumen, 6x BR30 Color + Gen 3, 2x BR30 White, 6x E12 Color +, 2x Go, 1x Iris, 1x Lightstrip & Extension, 2x Lightstrip 6', 1x Lightstrip 5m (3rd party), 1x Outdoor Strip 2m)

What are your questions?

[edit:]
Budweiser Red Light
Ecovacs Deebot N79S
Harmony Hub & Elite Remote
Circle cameras: 5x Logi Circle, 2x Logi Circle 2 wired

I think you forgot the Nest.

[coopasonic]

I don't like the idea of having a network accessible door lock, among other things. Yes, a key can be copied, etc. but that's a one-off physical tool generally. Doors which could in theory be unlocked via a virus or network hack as a result of a scan, etc. freaks me out.

Unlocking the door means nothing without physical presence. If they have physical presence they don't need any tech to break into your house. A rock will do just fine. You do have windows in your house, right?

Not picking on you, but I've heard the same concerns before and I can't get too worked up about some tech savvy person breaking into my house when any random meth-head can do it with little effort. The tech-savvy person is probably also savvy enough to know there are much better targets. My wife's engagement ring is about the only thing worth stealing in our house. It's insured. *shrug* Hell, she doesn't even wear it so yay if someone does steal it.

[rittchard]

Haven't done much research, but how much a difference does it make to have something like Simplisafe vs. some cameras?

I realize you pay for monitoring and what not, but for those that opted for cameras and no monitoring, what is your thoughts?

Keep in mind with Simplisafe you can just get the hardware and not sign up for monitoring. Basically it depends on what your main intended use case is and what level of "security" you are trying to achieve. If you just want a simple/cheap deterrent, you can just put up fake cameras and/or fake signs.

If you want to go beyond a deterrent and see what's going on in and around the home (and/or remotely), you can achieve that with a camera system and depending on how complex you get, you can add a DVR, etc. Hypothetically you can add some motion detection sensors as well. Simplisafe (and other full systems like ADT) add as many other motion, door and window sensors as you are willing to pay for. As a baseline these will sound a loud internal alarm so it's for the use case that you want to be alerted and perhaps scare people away if you are at home and someone is breaking in. Since it's all tied to your wifi I think it will also alert you if you are away from home. If you choose to pay for the additional service, you add an additional security service which will in turn alert the authorities, and they will show up to your door unless you give a correct password. The full Simplisafe works very similarly to ADT but leaves a lot more up to you as opposed to "professional" installers. In general the monthly cost is much cheaper than ADT.

[Isgrimnur]

Watch what you click if you look to upgrade your Sonos

It works like this: you check if one of your Sonos gadgets is eligible for the trade-up promo. Then you confirm in the Sonos app that you’d like to “trade” your current device toward a new one. Sonos instantly grants you a 30 percent discount, and then automatically starts a 21-day countdown before your old device goes into Recycle Mode (emphasis mine):

Recycle Mode is a state your device enters 21 days after recycling confirmation in the Sonos app. In Recycle Mode, all data is erased and the device is permanently deactivated so you can safely and securely dispose of it. Once a device is in Recycle Mode, it cannot be reactivated.

..
“We feel it’s the right decision to make recycling a condition of this offer,” Sonos says on the trade-up program’s FAQ page. “Taking your device to a local certified e-recycling facility is the most environmentally friendly means of disposal.” You can also get a label and ship your bricked device back to Sonos if there are no good recycling options nearby.
...
For context, all of the products that are part of the trade-up program were introduced over 10 years ago. They include:

The original Sonos Play:5
Sonos Connect
Sonos Connect:Amp
ZonePlayer 80 (ZP80), ZonePlayer 90 (ZP90), ZonePlayer 100 (ZP100), ZonePlayer 120 (ZP120)

[Isgrimnur]

ars

Following a preliminary ruling in August, the US International Trade Commission has issued a final decision saying that Google infringed five Sonos smart speaker patents. It would be possible for this ruling to result in some products like the Nest Audio, Chromecast, and Pixel line being banned in the US, but Google has prepared ITC-approved software downgrades, which remove the infringing features from users' products.

Sonos essentially invented the connected speaker category for streaming music, but the advent of voice assistants has led to Big Tech stomping all over Sonos' territory. Sonos says that while it was pitching Google for support of Google Play Music, Google got a behind-the-scenes look at Sonos' operations in 2013. Sonos says Google used that access to "blatantly and knowingly" copy Sonos' features for the Google Home speaker, which launched in 2016. Sonos sued Google in early 2020.
...
On a Google Nest Community post called "Upcoming Speaker Group changes," a Google rep tells customers:

Due to a recent legal ruling we’re making some changes to how you set up your devices and [how] the Speaker Group functionality will work moving forward. If you’re using the Speaker Group feature to control the volume in the Google Home app, by voice with the Google Assistant, or directly on your Nest Hub display, you’ll notice a few changes:

• To adjust volume on your speaker groups, you will need to adjust each speaker individually instead of using the group volume controller. You’ll also no longer be able to change your Speaker Group volume using your phone’s physical volume button.
• Most Speaker Groups should continue functioning as expected unless you have a speaker group containing other brands of Cast-based devices, like JBL or Lenovo. They need to be on 1.52.272222 or higher Cast firmware version. Check out this article on how to find your device’s firmware version or contact your device maker.
• A small set of users will need to use the "Device Utility app" (DUA) to complete product installation and updates. You may receive a prompt to download and run DUA, and it will ensure that your device is connected to Wi-Fi and receives the most updated software version.

We will continue to support our users and work to minimize any additional changes.

[Jaymann]

Remember when baby monitors got hacked? I will pass on having my toaster listening to my conversations.

[Blackhawk]

If someone wanted to specifically listen to what I'm saying, there are better ways, and if someone were to hack my Alexa... Well, they'd mostly hear my son on Discord, or discussions about what we're watching with dinner. They'd get bored pretty fast.