This guide provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a smart home using open-source platforms, DIY smart devices, and custom automation projects. The guide covers the basics of setting up a smart home, including selecting the right devices, integrating systems like Google Home, and understanding connectivity protocols and voice assistants.
To build a smart home, one must first decide on an ecosystem, such as Google, Amazon, or Apple, and then purchase components such as sensors, bulbs, security cameras, speakers, and more. Connecting these components to a hub that communicates can be challenging, but it is essential to understand connectivity protocols and choose the best products.
To begin building a DIY smart home system, one should set goals, download the latest Raspberry Pi operating system, and download the latest Raspberry Pi operating system. A main control device like Amazon Echo or Google Nest can be used, along with lights that can be controlled with a phone, thermostats for temperature settings, security devices like cameras and smart locks, sensors that detect movement or temperature changes, and plugs that can be turned on or off with a phone.
The guide emphasizes the importance of consolidating controls, weighing price and quality, setting the scenes, and using multicontiguous screen devices (MCSD) to make the process easier. It also highlights the benefits of making your house a smart home, whether you are tech-savvy or a beginner, using home automation.
In conclusion, this guide offers a comprehensive guide on how to create a smart home without breaking the bank. By following these steps, you can create an automated, accessible, and affordable IoT space in your home.
📹 How to Build a Smart Home 101
Turning your home into a smart home is easier than you think! You may even have some products that are already compatible.
What qualifies a home as a smart home?
A smart home is a convenient setup where appliances and devices can be controlled remotely or automatically through an internet connection. These devices are interconnected, allowing users to control functions like security, access to the home, temperature, lighting, and a home theater. Smart homes can be set up wirelessly or hardwired, and offer convenience and cost savings. However, security risks and bugs persist, and while full-scale home automation can cost thousands of dollars, smaller individual products can cost less than $100.
How to create your own smart home?
A smart home can be built by purchasing various components and connecting them to a hub for communication via a smartphone. However, this can be expensive and time-consuming. For those with simpler needs, a few inexpensive products can provide most of the conveniences of a high-end smart home on a more modest budget. Ensure that the products are compatible with each other to build a solid foundation for expansion over time.
It’s essential to know which smart home products don’t depend on a hub to operate, as hubs offer advantages like a single user interface. A good wireless router is essential, and a hub-free system can be built by following these common ways.
What is the cheapest way to start smart home?
Smart plugs, smart bulbs, and budget-conscious surveillance options are essential for home automation. Smart plugs, like TP-Link and Kasa, integrate with popular smart home ecosystems like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Philips Hue and Wyze offer adjustable lighting and smartphone app control for energy savings. Budget-conscious options like Wyze Cam v3 and Blink Mini offer reliable surveillance at a fraction of the cost, with features like motion detection, night vision, and cloud storage compatibility.
Can I turn my home into a smart home?
To create a smart home setup, consider adding smart assistants like Google Home, Belkin Wemo Mini Smart Plug, and Nest Learning Thermostats. Once you have your budget and setup in mind, decide whether or not to use a smart hub like Google Home, Amazon Echo, or Samsung SmartThings. A smart hub allows you to control all your components through one device, eliminating the need to switch between different apps on your phone.
For example, if you have just one or two devices, you can control them using your smartphone. However, if you plan to add multiple components from different manufacturers, a smart hub is recommended as it allows you to control all your devices through one device.
What are disadvantages of smart home?
While smart homes offer a range of benefits, including energy efficiency, customization, and convenience, they also present certain challenges. These include high costs and a reliance on the internet.
What is DIY smart home?
Home automation is the process of integrating functions between devices through the transmission of information between appliances. It involves controlling all aspects of your home with a single panel or devices like a mobile phone. The integration of artificial intelligence has made the system even smarter. One DIY home automation project is a security system. This system can deter burglars and enhance your living experience by allowing you to remotely lock and unlock doors, monitor and allow family members to enter even when you’re not home. Additionally, you can place a security camera to monitor the room and view real-time pictures on your phone.
Is smart home profitable?
The Smart Home market is expected to generate revenue of US$154. 4bn in 2024, with a CAGR of 10. 67, resulting in a market volume of US$231. 6bn by 2028. The average revenue per installed Smart Home is expected to be US$365. 60. The market consists of the sale of networked devices and related services that enable home automation for private end users (B2C). These devices are connected via a gateway to the Internet, primarily for controlling, monitoring, and regulating functions in a private household. The Internet of Things is essential for remote control and communication between devices.
How much does it cost to make your house a smart home?
The cost of a professional installation for smart home systems is divided into three main costs: devices, labor, and wiring. Devices typically make up the majority of the bill, but labor and wiring can be expensive, especially for large homes. On average, labor costs between $80 to $100 an hour, with larger appliances or complex systems costing more. Wiring can be costly, especially for fully wired systems and large systems.
Rewiring an entire home typically costs between $2, 000 to $4, 000, but larger homes can cost upwards of $10, 000. To determine the baseline costs of any installation, consider the type of protocol and wiring you want to use, which is how devices on your home’s IoT (Internet of Things) communicate.
What are the three key components of a smart home?
A home automation system comprises three principal components: a smart hub, a smartphone application, and a smart device. These components function in concert to facilitate the creation of a smart home sanctuary. To remain informed about the most recent advancements and prevailing trends within the field of smart home technology, we encourage you to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which will deliver updates on the latest product reviews and developments.
What is the disadvantages of smart home?
While smart homes offer a range of benefits, including energy efficiency, customization, and convenience, they also present certain challenges. These include high costs and a reliance on the internet.
Do smart homes use a lot of electricity?
The use of smart devices, including power strips, bulbs, and thermostats, has the potential to reduce energy consumption. However, the use of speakers and cameras may have the opposite effect, leading to an increase in energy usage. Despite the security, home monitoring, and peace of mind they afford, these devices were not designed with energy savings in mind.
📹 I Tried Building the PERFECT Smart Home: What I Learned (Mistakes Included)
Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:00 What’s the Goal? 1:50 What Needs Automating? 2:40 What Devices Do We Need? 5:53 Smart Home …
This is only the beginning to get you in the right direction! Let me know what you want to learn more details about below. One thing I forgot to say is that many of these smart products are referred to as IOT (internet of things) devices. There are thousands of products you can choose from so make sure they will connect the way you want before you buy them!
I have a question, I want to set up a google smart home with door lock for the front door, garage door, smart bell, and nest thermo, with nest display for the kitchen. Oh and wifi switches for certain rooms. Which product would you recommend for each one to work with google and google voice?? And add some cameras for extra security??
After adding the WiFi smarthome devices too my network my network seems more unreliable than it used too be I’m using openhab as my controller hue for bulbs but have Google home and tplink WiFi sockets You mention Strain on the router what’s the best way too solve this remove ip provided router for something else like pfsense or should I upgrade the WiFi Infasfructure itself add more aps? Running switches ect fairly big network for home
If you connect a Sengled Hub to control Sengled lights, I assume it will also be able to work with Alexa, correct? Why does the Sengled light that I bought along with my Echo Dog gen 3 (they were a bundled promo deal at Best Buy) connect to Alexa and not require a hub? I assume they both work and connect to each other through my wireless router, “wi-fi”, but does the capability mean the Echo Dot gen 3 has at least a rudimentary hub built into it? How much “strain” do smart bulbs put on a wi-fi system? I’m guessing it shouldn’t be very much, but am I wrong? And given this article was made over a year ago, I want to ask just to be sure: ONLY Sengled bulbs will work with the Sengled hub, is that correct? If that’s the case, it kind of limits one’s options.
Hi Brett, I have two questions, one is, if you have a Samsung Smarthing can you voice control this with Alexa? Meaning that if I have an Echo Show 2nd Gen can I connect this to control Samsung Smarthings? And the second one is if I have a Lutron Caseta Smart Bridge can I also control it with Echo Show (Alexa)? I’m planning to build my automation through Alexa and I already have a Caseta Smart Bridge and I’m trying to capture the broader range of communication protocols (Z-wave, Zigbee, etc) as I’m planning to install article surveillance and door locks, etc.
First off, most modems, for many years, have been dual modem and wireless router. Having a separate one when not used as a range extender seems odd as most can send a signal all over the house supposing there are no impediments to the signal. Second, there really IS an important issue with 2.4ghz and 5ghz wifi on your modem. When 5ghz first came out, your older wifi printer couldnt see it and the 5ghz and 2.4ghz signals did not naturally interact together. That has changed, since, so that anything connected to 5ghz will find your printer on 2.4ghz but if the person setting up the Google wireless home units has an older modem with wifi built in, it may be a problem when connecting to a printer if the modem is near them and they use 5ghz. Lastly, 5ghz is faster but the area it covers is smaller. 2.4ghz is slower and covers more area. If you are getting a good download and walking with your device and it slows down the speed of the download, you probably have auto switched from 5ghz to 2.4ghz. As a rule, walk into another room and you lose 5ghz. Be aware that caulking insulation kills wifi so you may need range extenders. If the range extenders see your 5ghz, you can get that speed for a longer distance. Extremely old houses that use horse hair for insulation also have the same problem as horse hair will kill the wireless signal, too.
What I can’t figure out however is how to connect a smart garage door to IFTTT? I could setup some things like use geofencing so that if my car leaves the geofence for at least 5 minutes, enter “away” mode and when the car comes back – open the garage. I can’t connect the garage door to the same SmartThings hub, because I live in an apartment and the garage is too far. I could get an LTE wifi thing, get another SmartThings and connect the door to it, but can I make it part of the same “home”?
Most of my pre-existing smart devices are only supporting Alexa but not Google home and don’t plan to even add GH in the future (like Ring secruity cameras) which suxs so if I want to use their smart functions I’ll be forced to buy an Alexa….can I have both in my home controlling different devices?
After my smart home reached over 40 zwave & zigbee devices, i had to move my smartthings hub to the middle floor to stop devices from dropping off the network. I think device connections had to make too many “hops” from device to device, from the basement to the top floor. Something to keep in mind….
Good info in this article. We’ve had Lowe’s IRIS system for quite awhile. Of course, now they’re out. So I’m trying to recreate that system as well update with voice automation. So I’m wanting a system that is voice controlled while at home, yet driven by ONE app when traveling. Is any such system other than HomeKit or professionally monitored system such as ADT? I don’t want Apple Homekit because of their pricing and their proprietary products.
Hi and Greetings from the UK, I have just started with this technology, and being a 73 year old retired electrician, with mobility problems, I found your article both instructive and informative, I can do most installation work the physical part but I have to get my son and grandson to do the programming part. Many thanks for sharing it, I use the Amazon devices where ever around the house, it does make my life easier. Kindest regards
This is what I’ve been waiting for! I was making a list of questions as we went along and I was up to six but you kept answering them for me! 😂 By the end of the article, I only had one question left. Most of my light fixtures are also ceiling fans. If I get smart switches, would they be able to control the fan?
I love the content of the article, but I disagree on one aspect. The idea of a Smart Things or similar hub is so you are not locked to one protocol. Zigbee tends to be cheaper than Z-Wave in most places, but some things are better as Z-Wave. Having a hub with both menas you have the option and they all interact nicely together. If you want to get more advanced later, things like Home Assistant (open source) or Home Seer (commercial) support mixed technologies, like Smart Things does, so you can reuse all your existing products. It would cost a lot more to stick to just one protocol. Having choice means saving money :). Other than that, the article was great and the content well presented.
Hi Brett… I have a different scenario … suppose I have smart appliances and I have smarthings application in my note 9 + bixby voice command … I can add all my smart home appliances (smart TV – smart light switches – washing machine – ring 2 – sound bar, and others to smart things and control them by voice command of bixby or download google home application… what do you thing? do I still to buy Samsung hub or echo 2? one more concern If I have amazon fire tv cub and amazon Alexa will there be in conflict in receiving voice command?
You didn’t talk about the main point of a smart Home: AUTOMATIONS. For those you need the software that make products from different brands communicate between them. The easier and mainstream one is IFTTT, but the brands compatible with it are less compared to software like Home Assistant, OpenHab, Domoticz etc. ( for these you need some basic skills in programming and a raspberry pie is adviced). And then there is Mi Home from Xiaomi used by many people all over the world with xiaomi products also outside of China but that it’s a way different thing. A smart Home isn’t just voice control!!!
2.4 vs 5 ghz does not change the speed of the connection.. in a perfect world they would be exactly the same. the issue is the 2.4 ghz frequency range is overrun with the number of routers in a given area vs the number of websites available on 2.4 ghz. 5 ghz has more websites but, the higher the frequency ( which is what 2.4 ghz vs 5 ghz ) is affected more by things like walls.. the higher the frequency the more you need to be what they call line of sight
How to build a smart home 101. Get / build your own server & don’t rely on Amazon products etc, control your own with a dedicated server, the expense is worth it. If you have a four bed house (eg) you’ll save in the long run & no cloud based issues etc. They’re taking people for a long expensive ride.
I’m building my smart home, a little at a time. I went the Alexa route, began with my old Echo Tap and added a couple of dots. Now I’ve got a Show and the new Show 5. Then I added the Ring doorbell. I made a mistake in getting smart plugs and switches that were different brands and was unaware of what Zigby was until I saw this article. As a result I had to set things up with five different apps. Now that it’s set up I use Alexa to control it all, so the end result wasn’t so bad. I’ve now added a remote garage door opener and a Sonos speaker. The MyQ garage door opener is awesome if you’ve ever been across town and wondered “did I close the garage?” Don’t laugh, once you hit 60 these things happen. 🙂 I also enabled Amazon Key so my Amazon packages are delivered securely inside the garage, even if I’m not home. The next step for me is to add a couple of cameras. I was surprised to hear you say they were about $25, since what I’ve seen starts at about $125. If you’ve read this far, I’d appreciate info on the less expensive cameras. To wrap up, it’s been a fun experience to build my own smart home. There was no mistake I made that I couldn’t easily correct. I renamed my Alexa’s to “Computer.” It’s so cool to be able to use voice controls like “Computer, turn on the kitchen lights.” I have a few more items to add to my smart home capabilities. Probably the biggest lesson I learned on lighting is to skip the smart home switch or bulb if all you really need is a motion sensor. That’s what I installed in the garage.
Can you please cover the following aspects also: (i) how to extend the wi-fi signal across the house in multiple rooms (ii)similarly for zigbee/zwave signal (iii) can a device be controlled by multiple voice assistants ? eg, a wifi compatible light bul- can it be switched on by, say, google assistant and switched off by, say, amazon Alexa ? (iv) limitations on controlling ( either through voice or app ) the home devices when Internet is down but the wi-fi router is up and running
Not finding it easy for a newly added sensor from SmartThings to show up in the Google Home app. Tried adding it and it shows SmartThings as an option in add devices, however it only showing Unlink SmartThings account as an option. I already have many SmartThings devices set up for a couple of years now.
Just found your website and subscribed. Thanks for the overview as I am building a new house and trying to decide platform to choose. One area of major concern is how to set up firewall to keep home network safe. A article on that would be very helpful. If you’ve done one already please provide the link.
Just a note on the dual band SSID conversation, most 2.4 GHz only compatible smart home devices only support 2.4 GHz only SSID’s. What this means is that you can’t have a smart band setup where one SSID is 2.4 and 5 GHz at the same time, this is usually set as default and allows the router to pick which wireless band is best for the device. Disable this function and create 2 different SSID’s (one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz) if any of your devices fail to connect to your wifi.
Hello, what about IR/RF products? Have you ever tried anything like BROADLINK RM PRO before? If so, do they work fine? I would be glad to know as I am planning to set up a home automation system mostly to control IR devices. Like instead of wifi/zwave smart switches, I am planning to use RF switches together with Broadlink RF/IR. Please advise. Thanks in advance !
The only thing I disagree with is about the Apple HomePod or whatever it’s called. Are use all Apple products iPad MacBook Apple Watch etc., however I hate Siri and I would not use an Apple HomePod. I love my Alexa devices and I’ll have a Fire TV that I use also. Other than that I’m completely an Apple person and my Apple products work just fine with my Amazon products.
All new to me so excuse the ignorance. I have 20 Xiaomi Yeelights RGBW that I thought I could hook up to my dual band modem Netcomm NF18ACV. I had trouble when I got to go past 16 online. Apparently I have only a limit of 16 connections on the 2.4GHZ. Homework has never been a strong point apparently. In the Smart Home 101 clip ( brilliant I must say ) there is a mention of a hub. What would be the best option? Im assuming that the globes connect to the hub and then the hub is connected to the router/modem. In not that fussed at this stage to connect other devices so maybe a recommended router would do the trick? This would also allow me to have more control on Limits for teenagers. Would the Samsung Smart Things hub be an option when available in AUS? Any suggestions would be invaluable at this stage.
Is the WiFi on ur phone must be connected to 2.4GHZ rather than 5GHZ to control ur smart WiFi bulbs or smart thing hubs? Since my phone will always choose the strongest network which is the 5GHZ one, I don’t want to continuously switching to 2.4GHZ in order to control them. Is there any ways..? Thank you 🙏🏻😁
So: 1) Home internet/WiFi network 2) WiFi Routers 3) Google Home Hub (that works w G Assistant for voice command capability 4) A Smart-things hub, to reduce strain on WiFi (signal competition?) and to aggregate the many devices under 1 ‘control’ for other devices – lights, etc.. 5) Choose your smart item – bulbs, switches, doorbell, camera etc.. link these to the smartthing hub (or similar). Looking to buying a home soon and kind of excited to have some smart stuff at home – lightings, fridge, G-hub, G -Home mini, TV. Thanks for this. 👍👍
15:47 how about if I use a portable hotspot like the netgear nighthawk M1 which has a lan port and plug it only when I am home because I worry about someone being able to hack my system esp. when I am not around, would it be possible? It would be nice if you could also test out if a 5G portable hotspot with a lan port would be good enough to power up a home with around 30-40 smart gadgets when connected to a wifi mesh (if connection is possible)
Hi Brett. I will soon be new to this “Smart Home” system with the Amazon Echo Show 2 (Christmas gift – I peaked ). You mentioned that the smart light bulb wouldn’t work if the switch was off which makes sense. My question is when you turn on the switch will that smart bulb reset itself automatically to your system or would you need to go back into the system and reprogram the light? What if there is a blackout – Does the system resets itself once power comes back as you had it set up OR would you need to go back and reset the connections with all your devices again?
Can you please recommend the following items (compatible with Alexa & Amazon hub): Single lights switches – controlling at least 2 light sources Double light switches – like the one you will typically use in a hallway article door bell Outdoor camera (I’ll need couple of those) Motion sensors Door/Window sensors I will go trough your other articles tomorrow as it is 3AM.. 🙂 Thanks in advance!
Nah man… your router can handle more clients…. change your subnet…. you can adjust to scale… Even on home grade routers you can expand the subnet to adjust for needs…. I run 192 dot and a 10 dot network off two seperate home grade… a linksys and a night hawk… one network hosts a small business… the other home traffic… 192 dot runs a 255.255.255.0 10 dot runs a 255.255.248.0… Save your current settings and play around with it…
Another reason for getting Zigbee or Z-wave point-of-use devices is difficulties connecting direct wifi devices. I have had bad experiences with wifi connections – Arlo cams, Wyze, etc. + Another consideration: as of Sept 2020 Amazon-Echo is rolling out a new line soon, perhaps other hub systems as well. 👋
I have an echo show 8 in lounge, 5 in bedroom and a dot in kitchen so far. May move them around or add some . I have smart things app on my phone for the TV and have a baby cam connected to it via its app. Do I need to get a zigbee box as I’m thinking of getting bulbs throughout the house and maybe some other things too eventually?
Hey Brett 2 ?’s for you perhaps you can advise me about? I have a Vizio tv 2013(1080P), with a Denon AVR 2014. The Denon does not have ARC and CEC but bought a part that automatically turns it into ARC and CEC so have it plugged into the ARC of Vizio. My issue is that I only have the Denon hooked to Vizio tv and have Chromecast(1080P), DVD, and Roku all HDMI’d to Denon. I also have Google Home mini. Voice control working pretty well, but some of it not so much. I switch inputs through Denon for the Chromecast which is in a media player HDMI port, DVD in the DVD port, and Roku in the gaming port(this is a 4K port and Roku is also but since tv is not doesn’t matter), but wondering if since I want the voice control to work for not only the Chromecast but also Roku if instead of switching inputs I keep it on the Chromecast input at all times for proper voice control of Roku also any thoughts??? Also, should it switch to proper input by itself once I tell it to for ex. ask it to go to Roku which is in the gaming port?
undoubtedly very informative, Nice & Professional article ! a simple thing i wish to achieve additionally, bit different. i have Android TV that doesn’t have Bluetooth built in and the google home. (i saw all those bluetooth options/extensions, but don’t want to add complexity where you have to permanently expect audio to come out of those aux output connected speakers) simply, i would like to have option to cast audio to Google Home (from time to time depending on content i’m perusal)…is there an app that can enable TV to throw audio output to the Google Home mini speaker, just over WIFI…not over Bluetooth Also, i saw all those hometheatre expensive receivers where they have multiple HDMI inputs and optical input options but that doesn’t seem fair option as i don’t want to spend too much on this selective requirement as no use for those huge speakers and surround sound stuff
Hi Brett I am planning to use google home to integrate with smart home devices, to avoid traffic it sounds like i need to use Zigbee or Zwave hub and their smart home compatible control devices. There are more than a few LED light fixtures control by LED drivers – each LED light fixture could be used one or a few LED drivers depending number of LED’s & wattage. Could you help me plan for my project? Paul
Honestly, I feel like these companies are shooting themselves in the foot by forcing you to chose sides and having all the smart tech brands pick between Google, Amazon, ect. I find myself going down the rabbit hole, finding that nothing is compatible, and giving up. It definitely forces you to invest a lot more time into it then I really have to offer them. Not great considering the price point of most of this stuff.
2 main question 1 if I got a hub that controls multiple smart home products would I need separate speaker I have currently Google home nest mini speaker 2 is there smart home products for sensing water leaks that automatically shut off water to say a washer dryer ventless combo designed for apartments and rv`s I am getting an apartment and planning on making a smart home
I use to hate ZigBee when it first came out. So many proprietrary devices. Now things are so much more compatible, I would recommend ZigBee and Z-Wave equally. I would also recommend Smart Switches if you can get them installed, unless you specifically want coloured globes. Having a switch that looks and acts like a traditional switch, but is still fully smart capable just makes life easier than remembering to tell guests “please do not turn off the standard light switches”
I have a question about home automation . I am remodeling my house. Is it worth it to put systems like control 4 or savant? It is very expensive. What do I gain from these systems? Several friends of mine have it. Or is it just as good to do it ourselves with google home or a similar device. I also afraid if I invest a lot of money it will be outdated in 10 years.
Brett Great article. I have a few dumb questions. I have two homes (Beach, and Primary Home,125 miles away). I have an Alexa at both places and the Alexa dot at the beach home is linked into my primary home. It does allow me to drop into other amazon devices at my primary home. I also just purchased a samsung smart things 3rd gen for my primary home. Would i be able to voice control my alexa to smart devices at the beach home or visa versa?
Excellent article, thanks for putting this together. The biggest question is, hub or no hub (direct to wifi). I have 2 GH minis, 2 GH’s, 1 Chromecast, and 1 Chromecast audio. I also have a couple of wifi smart sockets with lighting being the next logical step. Before starting with the lighting, really need to know, should I chose a hub or not?
Great content. For some reason my alexa app isn’t identifying my hub or multipurpose sensor after being instructed to do a factor reset. The alexa app kept prompting an error when connecting. I want to have a push notification and an an audio announcement when the apartment door is opened. Kinda stuck now
If you have a second router, say an old one though upgraded from, can you use that as a WiFi kind of hub for the WiFi devices so they’re separate from the main network, or would that be beneficial? I.e. you talked about how many WiFi smart devices would tax your network, would putting them on their own router take care of this??
can anyone recommend a remote for me? my new home is with Savant, all cable boxes r placed in the basement racking, which means the original IR remotes dont work and i have to use my phone for TV, but the apps really sucks, Savant charges $800 for a remote, is there any wifi based remote that works with Shaw’s boxes?
In my opinion the zigbee hubs and similar don’t work as good as wifi only lights. I also think the wifi bulbs can be cheaper with lower brightness. But brighter more expensive wifi bulbs are available. I like that wifi is more universal and I dont need to buy product X to work with product X. Product A doesnt work with X but Z and P work. I hate it. To believe the hubs take stress off your wifi router is odd because it is still connected to it. Every voice or app command goes thru hub and back to turn on the lights. Believe me no one will ever buy you a smart light for xmas because of the confusion. If you have a wifi mesh setup you dont ever have to worry if the hub will reach a light bulb. Is it me or does wifi only seem to be the kiss system of smart homes?
Well, its good that Google Home seem to have finally accepted there was a problem with their device messing up wifi routers and causing other devices on the same network to disconnect. I have two Google homes, FIVE Amazon Echos…30 Efamily Cloud smart plugs, five TP-Link smart plugs, AND Philips Hue with 4 bulbs. I have to say, Amazon Echo is easier to set up different combinations of devices to turn on and off. You can generate as many GROUPS as you like, call them what you like and tick any device in and out of any group with ease. With Google Home app however you have to put each device into a ‘room’ within the app. Although you can have as many rooms as you like, call them what you like, Im not sure if im missing something but you dont seem to be able to put a device into more than one ‘room’ (group) ?? I only brought Google Home so that I can voice control Google Chrome Cast on the TVs (chromecast seems to work better than built in apps on the TVs) but Amazon seems to be easier (for me) to set up and use the smart devices for different combinations of switching..
This was “Excellent” Brett 👍. It was like being in a classroom. I will be perusal and referencing it repeatably. (is that redundant ?🤔) And of course referring to the lists of what works with what. Am wondering which, between Amazon (DOT), and Google Home, I have both, would be advisable ❓ So Glad I sub to You❗ Thanks Brett 😊. Have a Nice Day 🌅. JaneLee ^_^ 12/19/18 4:25 AM BTW, I’m sure it sounds dumb, but I don’t know what a, Modem is 🙄 😏! Or, 56k.
I recently ordered a Amazon 3rd gen dot. While i don’t like having a PDA in my house like that (ironic since I have an iphone) even I realize smart homes are the future and eventually it will become the norm. So, I’ve decided to slowly turn my house into a smart home, more than likely through Amazon.
256? Poor thing….. Ipv4 can address 4^256 devices. And even if this is not enough you still got ipv6 with a much greater number of addresses. If you don’t run into bandwidth issues, you can use as many devices as you want. If I can purchase yeelight wifi bulbs for 18€ why should I buy hue bulbs for 40€+ and still need a hub? If you decide to use wifi only you should configure your router to have a second WiFi just for smart home devices. For smart switches with wifi I could recommend Shelly 1 relays. They are made to go into a switchbox and should be connected to the light switch, so the switch works like always and even if the network is unavailable. In general is the security on such devices rather non existing, so normally you want to inhibit internet connection for such things so they don’t talk home in clear text all the time.
Great article, subscribed! Please make an article on big toys like homeseer etc. that’s allows various platforms to talk with each other, like security cameras, Alarams, lights, a/v etc. For example, if someone rings my doorbell and am in theatre room then my article to pause and show my front camera and have the luxury to say Alexa open the door 🙂
Hi dear friend A really great and powerful article just needs to explain about the frequencies of Samsung ST in America the frequency is different is 908-HZ- in Israel 916-and in Europe it’s another frequency so ST AMERICA has not worked in Europe and ST-EURO will not work in America. Thank you and Mary Chrismis for everyone from the Holy Land
Is there an amazon or alexa app to control all the wifi devices without using a voice control device? I want purchase a few wifi capable devices, but I don’t want to have a different app for each device. For example, if I purchase the Wyze camera and a smart outlet from a different provider, I want to just open one app on my smart phone to control both of these devices.
Hi Brett, I have a range extender for my wi-fi, so it will reach the whole house. My devices seem to think they are two different networks. The extender has _EXT on the end of its name. Is it possible for the extension to have the same name as the router? Probably not, but I thought I would ask anyway.
Thanks Tech With Brett for putting this article together. Do you have any article explaining different options for outdoor LED lighting? I have step lights, spot lights and path lights. I would like to control them separately and 3 different units. I can think of three options. Option A would be to add smart bulbs (which could end up becoming expensive and unnecessary). Option B would be to have a smart multi-tap (using 3 taps, one for each set) 12V transformer and Option C would be to have 3 non-smart 12V transformers but connect each transformer to a smart plug. I am looking at option B but can’t find any smart multi-tap 12V transformers in the market. Do you know of any? Thanks in advance.
God love you son! But I work for years with electronics. And you know almost need a college degree to figure out how your house works. I feel sorry for your wife! LOL and if Santa tries to turn light on he best bring Rudolph. I think that everything you said was great knowledge but if someone had just started listening to you for the first time they can have a college degree in electronics. Everything you said was very clear and easy-to-follow
Been looking into this, but I am a little confused. I like the light switch options, but all the one’s I’ve looked at say no hub required. That would be a lot of devices connected to wifi, so my question is, can I buy a Google Home Hub and conect to it instead of each device being connected? I’m not the most tech savy, so I apologize if this is a dumb question.
A quick question hopefully. I have a v3 hub, had it connected to my Google Home, but noticed that my thermostat wasn’t showing so unlinked it and went to relink, but on the authorize page, the from select has nothing to select, therefore the authorize button doesn’t light up. I’m hoping that it’s something simple, but I have tried many things with no luck so far. The select option should be home according to utube instructions. I am logged in to my Samsung SmartThings account.
Hi Brett. I like your articles and watch them all the time. I’m all in with Google (Alexa be damned..) and I have a SmartThings hub. One thing I noticed is since the recent Google Home app update is that the Google Home seems to make it way easier to connect devices without even using my SmartThings hub. It seems easier than before and I find myself not needing or using my hub as much. Is this true? In your article you warn that I may be straining my network this way? Am I correct? Should I move the devices over from Google to the Sammy hub? What am I missing or not understanding?