Home Automation For the love of Harry Potter

My wife doesn't know how I spent 250 quid on an Eero set up but she does realise how amazing it is. Since upgrading much of the house hold to a smart home now means I have over 30 devices and it's started to have an effect. The router virgin media supplied me with just wasn't cutting it.

Since installing the change has been night and day. And yeah I realise its obviously going to be better than a bog standard router but I can go outside and get double the speed I was getting inside. I also don't think you need a full mesh set up unless you're in a big house with lots of black spots but I now have close to maximum speed on WiFi on all 3 floors.

submitted by /u/meerkat23
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What is the best home security camera system?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:06 AM PDT

Moving to a house from an apartment and just want to make sure I'm set up securely. Looking for two cameras for the front and kitchen door.

Can anyone recommend a system to me? I'm looking for simple and basic and easy to use essentially. Would love to just stick one up.

I've looked at Ring, Simplisafe, Blink.. I honestly don't know which one is best as they're all somewhat comparable. There are also a lot of off brand cameras on Amazon that are much less expensive but I really don't trust reviews on that site anymore.

Thanks in advance!

Update: Thank you so much for all your responses and recommendations. You've all given me a lot of food for thought and I feel much better about the options I have. I really appreciate it and will update when I've picked a system.

submitted by /u/Avulpesvulpes
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Auto-Open Room Doors for Roomba

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:49 AM PDT

I'm trying to help my parents build a smart-home. My mom likes to keep things clean, and lightly sweeps the kitchen every night, so I was thinking a Roomba would be a great addition. She's also pretty particular and doesn't want to see it out in the open. (Docking stations are ugly?) So, ideally the docking station would be hidden in a closet and a Braava or Roomba would come out to sweep at 3-4AM.

I was thinking about it, but if I could automate the opening of a closet/pantry door, then the dock could be hidden there. The roomba could be on a schedule, and right before it comes out, the door could be opened.

The thing is, all the door solutions I've seen are $500. Is there a cheap/easy way to do this?

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I’ve got an obsolete wired security system. Could I reasonably repurpose this harness to power a tablet?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:01 AM PDT

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GE Smart Switch just clicking

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 04:55 PM PDT

I have a ZW4003 GE Smart Switch on a multi-switch (3) circuit. I installed it 3 years ago and have had no issues. Yesterday it just started clicking when we asked the Alexa to turn it on. No lights coming on, just a constant clicking every second. The only way to stop it was to ask the Alexa to turn it off. I tried manually toggling the switch but it did nothing. I pulled the switch from the wall and all the wiring looks good. Is this thing just dead? If so, what is the appropriate replacement model? I don't think they make this one anymore. Thanks in advance.

submitted by /u/wwj
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Connect a GE wall heater to the internet?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:07 PM PDT

I would love to connect my GE wall heater which does not have an external thermostat to the internet. I am tired of controlling it manually. Am I out of luck here? Can't seem to find any easy options. I live in a rented apartment and can't change this.

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Does anybody know of any smart alternatives to these switches/outlets?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 11:43 PM PDT

submitted by /u/yayoshorti
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Samsung washer/dryer Alexa

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 11:04 PM PDT

So, I can't seem to add my Samsung washer/dryer to Alexa. I'd like to have Alexa tell my my cycle is done, but for some reason Alexa won't "discover" my washer/dryer. I've tried enabling the smart things skill as well as the Samsung smart home appliances skill. When I try to discover the washer/dryer on the Alexa app it only discovers the bulb I have connected to the smart things app (a Shelly actually). Anyone else have this problem?

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What is a good robot vacuum?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:17 PM PDT

Short of a used car this is the spammiest item I have ever tried to purchase. I believe none of the reviews. I can't tell which, if any, user comments are real. I feel like I am taking crazy pills.

Everything fragments into a tangled flowchart hell of "it depends on your needs" like it's some kind of live wire bomb diffusal which one is passable. Interestingly, as the price goes off into the stratosphere the intricacies in the (fake) decision process vanish. Wizened commenters agree... The Old Adage... You get what you pay for... Except of course if you're looking at the previous generation's models. If you're serious you really need to get a new one, the numbers for last generation's models are toy garbage, in this 15+ years matured market we are only just now getting to the era where robot vacuums are good enough for the Real World. The new ones finally got the AI, they finally don't get stuck on the edge of the rug, they finally got to the baseline quantity of pascals in suction to where you can start to take them seriously.

If the robot vacuum does 70% as good a job sweeping my studio apartment as I do then it will just barely be worth its stupid inflated price for reliably automating a chore. I am between a used Roborock S5 Max and a used Deebot Osmo 950 but I can't believe they will be substantially different, have no idea how much they are really worth, and have no confidence that they will function at all for my entirely reasonable and generic purposes.

What a grift!!!

submitted by /u/enthdegree
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USB extender for ZWAVE dongle wih HomeSeer

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:24 PM PDT

I'm considering moving to a HomeSeer setup, either using the RPI, or installing their software on a device of my own. I want the hub to be in a network closet in the basement, and this is in a far corner of the house, not ideal for a Zwave network, obviously.

Since I have to use a USB Zwave antenna dongle, can I use a USB extender, like a USB over CAT6 to put just the antenna in a more central part of the house? I have lots of CAT6 runs all over the place.

Or... should I be using the Z-Net device? I'm not quite clear if that is its purpose.

submitted by /u/spaghetticablemess
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ZigBee smart plug with power monitoring (UK)

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 04:20 AM PDT

Hi Guys,

I've got several Tuya smart plugs in my system at the moment. Two of them died, so I'm looking to replace with something a little more high end (and less China)

It seems sensible to use ZigBee as I've already got a Hue setup, the power draw is lower, and it doesn't overload my WiFi with 12+ individually connected devices.

Only problem - I've got quite used to routines based on power monitoring - mainly to try and reduce vampire power draw: turning the monitors off when the PC goes into standby, etc.

The only smart plug I can find that's all three of these is the Samsung Smart Plug 2019. But it's £30 a pop! Does anyone have any slightly cheaper suggestions, or smart strips (WiFi or ZigBee) that have power monitoring?

submitted by /u/-QueHoreEs
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1500 sqft 3 story half duplex automation

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 07:40 PM PDT

Hey Home automation guru's,

I've just purchased a newly built home and was looking to setup some basic quality of life automation, security cams and ability to run scheduled tasks (e.g. sunset outdoor lights on). My wife has graced me with $1200.

Additional details:

Live in Canadian prairies so it gets pretty chilly (-15c to -35 c).

Most items would have to be available to purchase in CAD

Do not want to pay subscription fees

Would like to have this as a rental down the road, so I would be okay to leave the cameras and door locks in but hopefully migrate everything else with me.

Current thoughts:

Heat/cooling - Ecobee 4 with 1 sensor (269.99) Water sensor: Dlink wifi smart water sensor 2pk (Costco 89.99) Security cams: thinking of either the swann or lorex offerings for a 4 camera system with smart speaker integration

Looking for:

Smart switches Mesh network router Deadbolt Video doorbell Etc?

I would love to go to some type of automation system ( e.g. hubitat, smart things, etc) but not sure where to go. I want to stay away from using wifi but am not entire against it, provided it doesn't has a large response time.

Would love your opinions, recommendations as well! Thanks

submitted by /u/kingshahmoo
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Anyone know how to automate this RF remote for a whole house fan.

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 07:08 PM PDT

submitted by /u/Gregg2233
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Shelly1 ideas

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 01:52 PM PDT

I've got 2 dumb devices that I'd like to connect to hass - one is a ceiling fan that has a remote only and does not have a wall switch and the other are landscape lights. The landscape lights have a transformer/timer.

I imagine for the landscape lights, I would interrupt the power after the transformer and before the lights, then just make the transformer always on and have shelly control whether or not the lights are on. But what about the ceiling fan? This fan has 4 speed settings AND a light. Can the shelly1 handle that?

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I installed this to automate my vertical blinds. It has a banshee inside!

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 08:59 AM PDT

submitted by /u/Quintaar
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We have a Wavelink outdoor WFi extender that seems to be adequate, but I'd like to know if there is something better available?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:38 PM PDT

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Bond Home and Quiet Cool RF

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 03:54 PM PDT

Anyone get the Bond Home bridge to work with the RF remote for a Quiet Cool whole house fan?

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Virtual three way......switch

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 03:36 PM PDT

I have a zwave dimmer (GE) connected to room lights but want to add another switch in a spare slot I have on the other side of the room. I can power the switch but won't be able to connect a traveller or load to it. What would you recommend I use?

submitted by /u/chef_32
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Are there LED recessed downlights that dim well with Lutron Caseta AND have tunable color temp via Zigbee or Z-Wave?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:35 AM PDT

I need to replace 10 6" recessed LED downlights (integrated trim and bulb) in my house since they buzz badly with the Lutron Caseta dimmers I've started installing, and only dim to about 40% perceived low end. I would like to be able to set the color temp to change throughout the day via SmartThings, but the downlights I'm finding with variable color temperature only change it via a switch on the back, like these. It's not a ton of lights, so I don't mind paying a premium. Can anyone recommend a good product?

submitted by /u/morrisdayandthethyme
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Nest Outdoor Cams —> Samsung Smart TV

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 12:43 PM PDT

submitted by /u/a_computer_adrift
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Can I replace only the front door unit with a video doorbell and still ring the other intercoms in the house?

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 10:42 AM PDT

submitted by /u/sassifras
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Privacy-preserving smart thermostat

Posted: 25 Jul 2020 09:36 AM PDT

What is the privacy maniac's preferred smart thermostat? I'd like to find one with a variety of features including remote control that provably does not interact with any systems outside my LAN. Does such a thing exist?

submitted by /u/scolbath
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Saturday, July 25, 2020

Home Automation For the love of Harry Potter

Home Automation For the love of Harry Potter

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