[Th3HulK]

I bought into the smart home ecosystem - smart bulbs, smart plugs, smart thermostat. It was cool for a couple of months. Now I have four different apps, a WiFi network that occasionally drops all the bulbs, and a light switch in the hallway that I can't use anymore because the smart bulb needs to be on at the wall. Has anyone actually built a smart home that works 100% of the time, or is it just another headache?"

[DramaKing]

I bought into the smart home ecosystem - smart bulbs, smart plugs, smart thermostat. It was cool for a couple of months. Now I have four different apps, a WiFi network that occasionally drops all the bulbs, and a light switch in the hallway that I can't use anymore because the smart bulb needs to be on at the wall. Has anyone actually built a smart home that works 100% of the time, or is it just another headache?"

Yep, your WiFi seems to be getting overloaded. Had a college instructor who had over 160 devices on his network, I think. That was crazy.

I've made mistakes with smart home, too. First was getting a Wyze hub that I discovered had started requiring a subscription, instead of going Home Assistant for everything. Then I bought a smart switch so that I could use it manually or with HA. But the wiring didn't allow it. Best thing I've bought is a ZigBee bulb. Doesn't use up any WiFi airtime.

[Lefty]

I think that the more we integrate "tech" into basic things, like lights, curtains etc. The more we just become unable to deal with basic stresses, replacing a light, something that is so easy with a application that has 60 different configurations, has a login screen and constant software updates. Its f-ing insane and only makes sense if you life in a mansion or something.

Life doesn't get easier with this stuff. It gets more complicated and introduces problems that would never exist in the first place. Imagine telling someone 100 years ago that some people would have to "login" to turn on/off a light they are looking at within arms length..

[Th3HulK]

Yep, your WiFi seems to be getting overloaded. Had a college instructor who had over 160 devices on his network, I think. That was crazy.

I've made mistakes with smart home, too. First was getting a Wyze hub that I discovered had started requiring a subscription, instead of going Home Assistant for everything. Then I bought a smart switch so that I could use it manually or with HA. But the wiring didn't allow it. Best thing I've bought is a ZigBee bulb. Doesn't use up any WiFi airtime.

I heard Zigbee is the cheat code. I might be trying that if it will my life easier and reduce the headaches.
The subscription thing is exactly why I'm terrified of buying into proprietary hubs. It feels like every company is trying to nickel-and-dime you for features that used to be free. I've been looking into Home Assistant just to keep everything local, but it seems like a massive rabbit hole to set up.

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I think that the more we integrate "tech" into basic things, like lights, curtains etc. The more we just become unable to deal with basic stresses, replacing a light, something that is so easy with a application that has 60 different configurations, has a login screen and constant software updates. Its f-ing insane and only makes sense if you life in a mansion or something.

Life doesn't get easier with this stuff. It gets more complicated and introduces problems that would never exist in the first place. Imagine telling someone 100 years ago that some people would have to "login" to turn on/off a light they are looking at within arms length..

You're right. I realized I was spending more time troubleshooting why a bulb was unreachable on my phone than I ever spent just walking over and flipping a switch. The only thing keeping me sold on it is the ability to control things when I'm miles away from home.

[DramaKing]

I heard Zigbee is the cheat code. I might be trying that if it will my life easier and reduce the headaches.
The subscription thing is exactly why I'm terrified of buying into proprietary hubs. It feels like every company is trying to nickel-and-dime you for features that used to be free. I've been looking into Home Assistant just to keep everything local, but it seems like a massive rabbit hole to set up.

Yeah, IoT probably has a lot of server costs, and these companies want to turn profits now. Anyway, Home Assistant can be a rabbit hole, but only because of the stuff it can do. I've got smart lights, a smart plug, IR remotes for A/C, another WiFi air conditioner, router, WAP, Android devices, security system, Wake-On-LAN, ping for Internet connectivity alerting, weather, TV, and Nest Home Hub all connected to it.

[Th3HulK]

Yeah, IoT probably has a lot of server costs, and these companies want to turn profits now. Anyway, Home Assistant can be a rabbit hole, but only because of the stuff it can do. I've got smart lights, a smart plug, IR remotes for A/C, another WiFi air conditioner, router, WAP, Android devices, security system, Wake-On-LAN, ping for Internet connectivity alerting, weather, TV, and Nest Home Hub all connected to it.

That is a seriously impressive setup. Wake-On-LAN and the ping alerting for connectivity are genius, I never even thought about using HA to monitor if the internet drops.
Gotta ask, How long did it take you to get everything running smoothly?

[Yin Yang]

Honestly, this is why I’ve been hesitant to go all-in on a smart home. The idea is awesome, but if I need four apps just to control my lights and thermostat, it defeats the purpose. A smart home should make life easier, not give you another set of problems to troubleshoot.

[Th3HulK]

Honestly, this is why I’ve been hesitant to go all-in on a smart home. The idea is awesome, but if I need four apps just to control my lights and thermostat, it defeats the purpose. A smart home should make life easier, not give you another set of problems to troubleshoot.

Well said my friend

[DramaKing]

That is a seriously impressive setup. Wake-On-LAN and the ping alerting for connectivity are genius, I never even thought about using HA to monitor if the internet drops.
Gotta ask, How long did it take you to get everything running smoothly?

I've been adding to it over the past year-and-a-half. Probably the biggest problem was that multiprotocol support was removed from the radio, and I broke ZigBee while trying to setup Thread.

[majorphones]

The hallway switch problem is the classic one. Smart switches or a Zigbee wall remote beat smart bulbs for that, because the “dumb” switch keeps working even when the network doesn’t. Keeping everything local through Home Assistant fixed 90% of my “device unreachable” issues.

[Th3HulK]

The hallway switch problem is the classic one. Smart switches or a Zigbee wall remote beat smart bulbs for that, because the “dumb” switch keeps working even when the network doesn’t. Keeping everything local through Home Assistant fixed 90% of my “device unreachable” issues.

That's exactly what I wish I had done from the start. Putting smart bulbs in fixtures controlled by a regular wall switch is a mistake, the moment someone flips the switch, you lose control of the bulb until they flip it back.
I'll definitely look into Zigbee wall remotes.

[DAL-SHA]

Sir , I don't know what to say to you ! It is a headache indeed !
But there are some Home Automation and Smart Home Experts out there that you can consult ! Trust me , its their job to make your life easier !

[Th3HulK]

Sir , I don't know what to say to you ! It is a headache indeed !
But there are some Home Automation and Smart Home Experts out there that you can consult ! Trust me , its their job to make your life easier !

I appreciate it, but honestly, paying an expert for a standard home setup feels like admitting defeat. 😂

[Jinu]

Well, it sounds like the smart home has turned into quite a headache. I've been in a similar situation - my voice control system kept breaking and my smart lights would turn off mid-party. I guess I'd stick with a few reliable systems instead of trying to go all-in.

[Jamika]

These are all potential side effects in exchange for being physically comfortable most of the time. I haven’t used the Smart system, but I know it can be comfortable if the materials used are of high quality.