My Smart Home Sucks...

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[dhrandy]

Next year will be my 10th year with a Smart Home. In the very beginning I knew I wanted a hub and to use protocols that don't lock me in one ecosystem. Started with Wink and used Zigbee and Zwave for everyone along with Alexa. Worked great for 5 years until Wink wanted to start charging and they weren't adding new products. Switched to SmartThings and have been happy ever since, since I stuck with Zigbee and Zwave every product converted over. We had IDE, then Edge drivers which continue to support things not supported. I've dabbled outside the ecosystem a bit because I really like the Switchbot Blindtilt, but it does integrate with SmartThings. I've had MyQ since before they had integratings (started out just using the app). Had a spare Switchbot Bot and added it to my garage door opener, not I have a backup way to open and close the garage. I had Ring, Arlo, and Wyze cameras in the beginning. Ended up going completely with Ring and it's been super reliable. Arlo would miss motions half the time. Sorry for the long post.

[abbofun]

A motto my teachers taught me and saved me numerous times was KISS, ‘keep it simple stupid’.

[Rich]

Im in the process now of removing Alexa from my home and replacing with Voice assist in Home assistant. 95% of all I have in my home is locally controlled through Home Assistant already. That guy that got locked out of his Alexa devices was teh last straw for me..

[rnice]

Hi Steve. Below is my current smart home setup. It is 99% reliable with programmable automations and/or Sir voice control via Home Kit. All lights, shades, thermostats, door locks, Arlo security cameras and music are controlled via voice command using Siri. Garage door, sprinkler system, water and temperature sensors, smoke alarms, vacuums and home security system are controlled via app on phone or daily functions (e.g., sprinkler system) are programmed. 1-gigahertz wireless Network speed.

1. Apple TV with Thread for home Hub
2. Apple Watch and iPhone for voice commands
3. Lutron switches for all exterior Lights
4. Hue Hub and bulbs for all interior lights
5. Lutron Hub controls all Serena shades
6. Honeywell Thermostats
7. Rain Bird for Sprinkler system
8. Schlage Door Locks
9. Govee for Water and Temperature sensors
10. Arlo Security Camaras and Doorbell camara
11. MyQ Garage door
12. Eufy vacuums
13. Kidde Smart Smoke Alarms
14. Honeywell wired and wireless alarm system (OnQ EyezOn app)
15. Denon AV receivers for whole house music

[deonh]

Agree with a fellow poster below. Starting with a reliable network is key and having a dedicated IoT network accessible from your main trusted network is a must. I also support the idea of picking an ecosystem and then using something like Home Assistant to bring all the other non-native products into your smart home. Home Assistant has come a long way and is much easier to get into these days. Looking forward to the series and your journey 👍🏼.

[GregOughton]

I set up my first home assistant server about a year before the birth of my first kid, I got almost all my existing stuff integrated and even bought a few extra sonoff devices now that I could control them on my lan.

Then my son was born, and my available spare time went to zero and a year later, my smart home is in shambles, z-wave network is not working at all, myQ api is gone, and the Google assistant I was using somehow became unlinked. The automated humidistat controlled bath fan doesn't trigger, and my whole server crashes every couple weeks.

It seems that if you don't have time to perform maintenance these things tend to fall apart.

Next time I move I think I'll just stick to a dumb home.

[NewHomeTech]

One thing I tell everyone that wants to get into the smart home scene is make sure your network is solid. The network is your foundation to a happy smart home. Next local control and limit devices that rely on the cloud. I made my smart home functional where I can switch between the three major brands and eventually move to home assistant.

Look forward to see where you go in this new adventure.

[allenbythesea]

all of the problems you mentioned are exactly the same problems we have with our smart home!. Very interested in how you solve all of this.

[volcolby]

Great take on the issues that develop as you install all these devices and then want them to continue working. It’s a real problem that is ultimately quite costly as we have to continue to “upgrade” things. We used to replace light bulbs and that was about it. Thanks for the “opening” video. Look forward to the follow ups.

[jasonpilla]

Cannot WAIT until you do best wireless, no subscription security cameras. I miss my old simple Arlos. Perfect, no monthly fee, local storage.

[jeffshoket]

Steve, great channel! I very much appreciate the insight and the reviews. Yes, I have had the same issues you are experiencing. I myself want to possibly change ”UPGRADE” my WIFI to a larger umbrella of coverage instead of having to use repeater hubs across my 3000+ sq ft. single story home, because the WIFI is not setup in the center of the home and can not be, I am stuck where it is located in my home. My biggest issue is my hardwired for power Nest cams loosing connectivity from time to time, but the solar powered Google cams do the same some times. I am currently sending out a WIFI signal from my 4 year old “Netgear - NightHawk”. I really want a WIFI system that blankets the whole home for lossless coverage, but I know environmental and weather factors play a big role in the effectiveness of signal delivery and connectivity. Your insight would most helpful for a more powerful WIFI product. Big thank you for any response!!!
Sincerely - Jeff

[DGBQ_ME]

Thank you for your most recent Vlog posting! It sounds like you've got quite an exciting journey ahead. I appreciate that you'll be providing videos over the next few weeks focusing on the best products in each smart home category. It's crucial to find products that not only excel in performance but also seamlessly integrate with our smart home ecosystems.

I wanted to kindly mention that a product might not always be the best fit if it doesn't align with one’s specific smart home setup. Compatibility is key, and not all devices are supported across all ecosystems. For instance, some devices may be compatible with SmartThings, while others might not be. The same applies to platforms like Hubitat, Homey, and Home Assistant.

With that in mind, I'd like to suggest including information about the compatible ecosystems for each recommended device. Whether it's through built-in drivers or community-developed support, knowing which ecosystems a device works with would greatly help us make informed decisions for our smart homes.

Looking forward to your future videos!

[davidbailey]

I have found Home Assistant invaluable. But it isn’t for the layman…

I also run many brand’s apps and keep them concurrent with my HA setup. I do keep manual options for door and light operations…

[techhealthandfood]

HomeKit has been rock solid since 17.3 update. No response is a thing of the past. I outfitted a 10k sq ft church 24 Leviton switches, nanoleaf bulbs and a wemo scene controller. Plenty of automations making the technology just disappear and work.

[Nicktals]

Ive constantly been impressed and overwhelmed by home assistant. It can do just about anything, but you might need a day or two dedicated to figuring out how if youre as new to it as i was.

[myredeyelife]

I have an echo hub, echo 15, Samsung smart hub on my fridge, Blink cameras, Kasa switches.
I am controlling ameras at my home, and at my business.
i’m looking for a good door lock that can be controlled from my hub for my home and office
and I prefer not to have to pay a prescription when linking to my eco-hub.
Another mistake I made was buying the myQ door controller. It will not link with my Eco. It would also be nice to have a garage door review Could you please do a video on door locks?

[josephmelchers]

Indeed, local control is the goal, and for me, Hubitat has been the eventual answer. I’ve done Smart Home for years (X-10, then Lowes Iris, then SystronicsRF, and finally Hubitat). I’m no programmer, and the Hubitat hub hits the sweet spot for local integration of my Zigbee and Z-wave devices without needing an IT background to figure it out. That said, the ability to write a large variety of rules that run locally is robust. If my internet goes down (or Amazon shuts me out!), all I lose is the ability to use Alexa voice commands. The Hubitat rules still function, and I can still run commands from my phone.

[SmartHomeJunky]

I’d start your series with hub/controller pros/cons and then pick one to build out your new smart home setup.

[BernieKattner]

Look forward to hearing your comments on Eve as well as other devices where you can disconnect your internet yet still have everything work.

[lauraelladillon]

Thanks for sharing this and offering to review the various smart categories in conjunction with hubs/controllers in an eco system. I’ve been reluctant to expand knowing the technology is changing quickly and repeatedly as well as limit the controllers.