Smart Home

[uzivkovic97]

Hi everyone.

 

I want to make my house smart. For beginning I am planning to make only my bedroom smart to see how it goes.

 

I want to put smart light, some rgb strips around ceiling, smart switch for those lights so I can control them that way or via phone. Also want to put couple of smart plugs, smart thermostat for heating and smart blinds.

Don't want to control any of above via voice because I don't want any corporation to listen to me. Would like to connect every smart device localy. I would make separate local network without internet for that and connect some phone/tablet to that network only to control devices.

 

So, can I connect all devices on some software runing on raspberry pi or do I need something like Fibaro Home Center?

Also I would like to control everything on my phone/tablet only via one application to make it easier.

 

Thank you in advance.

[Lurick]

If you want smart without internet then look at Zigbee and Zwave devices with something like a Vera Controller or similar.

[Applefreak]

4 minutes ago, Lurick said:

If you want smart without internet then look at Zigbee and Zwave devices with something like a Vera Controller or similar.

I agree with @Lurick here. Also make sure that those devices and the raspberry run on their own isolated network, no internet access whatsoever. Smart means self enslavement if data can be accessed remotely. Smart thermostats or any other kind of critical infrastructure are full of spyware unless you can build one yourself. So with that in mind, make your own choices. 

[jaslion]

5 minutes ago, Applefreak said:

I agree with @Lurick here. Also make sure that those devices and the raspberry run on their own isolated network, no internet access whatsoever. Smart means self enslavement if data can be accessed remotely. Smart thermostats or any other kind of critical infrastructure are full of spyware unless you can build one yourself. So with that in mind, make your own choices. 

Yeah it's so easy to mess with it. Like my old neighbors had a smart washing machine that was 3 years old and some kids found a way to make it do all sorts of things. I had to come over and physically disable the antenna's inside so it could not communicate anymore as those kids kept making it wash and wash and waste huge amounts of energy and water.

 

Thing is this thing wasn't even connected to the internet they never set it up as they just got a good deal on it and it was better than others in the same pricerange.

[shoutingsteve]

Does your current router offer a guest network?  You can just use the guest network in your current device and disable internet connection to that network (or cap it at 1 kb per month of data quota)

Doing it this way will allow you to use any brands you want.  You will need to put your phone onto that network during setup, though.

[uzivkovic97]

1 hour ago, Lurick said:

If you want smart without internet then look at Zigbee and Zwave devices with something like a Vera Controller or similar.

I already checked Zwave devices and most of them don't look good. ex: I found some WISE light switch that is made of aluminum and glass and has touch controls, but works on 2.4GHz wifi.
Couldn't find anything else that looks good.

[uzivkovic97]

1 hour ago, Applefreak said:

I agree with @Lurick here. Also make sure that those devices and the raspberry run on their own isolated network, no internet access whatsoever. Smart means self enslavement if data can be accessed remotely. Smart thermostats or any other kind of critical infrastructure are full of spyware unless you can build one yourself. So with that in mind, make your own choices. 

I will make isolated network for sure. Though, I live in a small village and there aren't many ppl who know that kind of stuff or even if they know they won't mess with you...

[uzivkovic97]

1 hour ago, shoutingsteve said:

Does your current router offer a guest network?  You can just use the guest network in your current device and disable internet connection to that network (or cap it at 1 kb per month of data quota)

Doing it this way will allow you to use any brands you want.  You will need to put your phone onto that network during setup, though.

It does offer guest network. So, some brands require internet in order to work?
I am thinking of buying some tablet just for controling all stuff. 
If most brands require me to have internet connection I guess I will have to do something similar to what you said.

[shoutingsteve]

18 hours ago, uzivkovic97 said:

It does offer guest network. So, some brands require internet in order to work?
I am thinking of buying some tablet just for controling all stuff. 
If most brands require me to have internet connection I guess I will have to do something similar to what you said.

not internet, just a network.  You said you wanted to keep your network seperate and wanted to keep them offline.  The best way to do that without purchasing more equipment (a dedicated router) would be to utilize the guest network.  Some routers don't allow you to turn internet off completely for the guest network (as the only purpose of a guest network is to have internet access for guests and to keep them from getting to your personal files)  but they ALL let you limit speed and limit the total throughput monthly/weekly/daily.

[uzivkovic97]

5 hours ago, shoutingsteve said:

not internet, just a network.  You said you wanted to keep your network seperate and wanted to keep them offline.  The best way to do that without purchasing more equipment (a dedicated router) would be to utilize the guest network.  Some routers don't allow you to turn internet off completely for the guest network (as the only purpose of a guest network is to have internet access for guests and to keep them from getting to your personal files)  but they ALL let you limit speed and limit the total throughput monthly/weekly/daily.

I understand that but I would feel much safer to put them on separate network. 
Actually no one answered my question

 

Can I connect all devices on some software runing on raspberry pi or do I need something like Fibaro Home Center?

Also I would like to control everything on my phone/tablet only via one application to make it easier.

Any help on that?

[shoutingsteve]

Oh! ok, back to your question.  I only have smart plugs, but I can tell you this much from installing them.  Each company makes their own apps (most available from google store or the apple store so you could use a tablet), and so if you want to control them all from the same app, you will need to go with the same brand for everything.  I use plugs that work with "Smart Life" app (generic from amazon, don't even have a brand on them) but the app does let you set groups and profiles for them.  You should be able to set presets like "away" where the lights are off and the thermostat is lower, or "company" where all the lights are on and the thermostat is warmer, or "in laws" where the thermostat is completely off and the shades are drawn with all the lights off.

[uzivkovic97]

On 1/27/2021 at 3:02 AM, shoutingsteve said:

Oh! ok, back to your question.  I only have smart plugs, but I can tell you this much from installing them.  Each company makes their own apps (most available from google store or the apple store so you could use a tablet), and so if you want to control them all from the same app, you will need to go with the same brand for everything.  I use plugs that work with "Smart Life" app (generic from amazon, don't even have a brand on them) but the app does let you set groups and profiles for them.  You should be able to set presets like "away" where the lights are off and the thermostat is lower, or "company" where all the lights are on and the thermostat is warmer, or "in laws" where the thermostat is completely off and the shades are drawn with all the lights off.

Thank you very much!

 

I will try to find everything from the same brand.

[YoMz]

I am in the same boat as @Lurick here for recommendations... if you want to build a "smart home" then the smartest thing you can do is to make sure none of the things in that build is connected to the internet for security purposes...