How smart is your home?

[Abu3baid]

The title says it all.  How smart is your home?

I am in the process of buying a house (hopefully everything will be clear in the next couple days), but in the mean time I've been thinking of making my first home a smart one.  

I would love to have everything connected and preferebly controlled from one app.  

• security system • keyless entry • heating system • cooling system 

Those are the ones I'm initially thinking about.  Then I can move on to the home theater, lights and things that I probably haven't thought about.

Any of you make your home smart?  Did it cost you a pretty penny and if it did do you think it's worth it?  What did you include/exclude and why?  Let us have it!

 

[CarlSpackler]

If you are a DIY kinda person, you could try something like this:

https://www.circuitspecialists.com/blog/diy-smartphone-garage-opener-with-status/

 

[newtogolf]

15 minutes ago, Abu3baid said:

The title says it all.  How smart is your home?

I am in the process of buying a house (hopefully everything will be clear in the next couple days), but in the mean time I've been thinking of making my first home a smart one.  

I would love to have everything connected and preferebly controlled from one app.  

• security system • keyless entry • heating system • cooling system 

Those are the ones I'm initially thinking about.  Then I can move on to the home theater, lights and things that I probably haven't thought about.

Any of you make your home smart?  Did it cost you a pretty penny and if it did do you think it's worth it?  What did you include/exclude and why?  Let us have it!

 

The "smarter" your house the more you need to ensure you're home network is secure.  Most of these devices are easily hacked so you need to ensure they are done by a reputable installer and are properly secured.  

[14ledo81]

I have a WIFI thermostat.  Was an extra from a job and I installed it myself.  Cost me nothing.

My wife likes it a lot more than I do.

[David in FL]

I have cable.  Does that count?

[kpaulhus]

I only have the Nest thermostat. I use wifi thermometers when I BBQ.

A buddy in my office is a 100% smart home kind of guy. He didn't even carry a key since he can just control everything from his phone, including the locks. Funny part one night he knocked on my door at 1am. Phone was dead, forgot his charger at home, power was out in the neighborhood. He couldn't get into his own home. I thought it was hilarious. He didn't think it was funny when I told him to break a window with his phone. Luckily the power came back on a few mins later. His house key is back on his key ring now.

[Abu3baid]

5 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

If you are a DIY kinda person, you could try something like this:

https://www.circuitspecialists.com/blog/diy-smartphone-garage-opener-with-status/

 

LOL That's above my pay grade :)

4 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

The "smarter" your house the more you need to ensure you're home network is secure.  Most of these devices are easily hacked so you need to ensure they are done by a reputable installer and are properly secured.  

I agree.. The security company system I'm thinking of going with is not going to be connected to my wireless network, it will also not need a land line.. Now obviously I have to research more, but I wonder if someone could technically intercept that signal and shut the device down?  But then again I would expect the SC to know that their device was shut down and get the police over to check on the house.

Aside from that obviously the keyless entry is a security risk if they can log on to it without even going through the wireless system, I'm going to assume that I can secure my wireless system with a passcode encrypted so that it would be nearly impossible to hack.

I also wouldn't want someone hacking into a nest or Honeywell lyric and turning my temp up or down either, but I can set notifications to track temps I'm thinking and plus the security system will notify me of temps drop below a certain degree  independently of the thermo system..

obviously being smart is important to me because I'm not going to be around most of the year, but need a way to always have a watchful eye on the house.

8 minutes ago, 14ledo81 said:

I have a WIFI thermostat.  Was an extra from a job and I installed it myself.  Cost me nothing.

My wife likes it a lot more than I do.

Can I ask why you don't like it, or you like it and she just likes it a lot more?

[14ledo81]

5 minutes ago, Abu3baid said:

LOL That's above my pay grade :)

I agree.. The security company system I'm thinking of going with is not going to be connected to my wireless network, it will also not need a land line.. Now obviously I have to research more, but I wonder if someone could technically intercept that signal and shut the device down?  But then again I would expect the SC to know that their device was shut down and get the police over to check on the house.

Aside from that obviously the keyless entry is a security risk if they can log on to it without even going through the wireless system, I'm going to assume that I can secure my wireless system with a passcode encrypted so that it would be nearly impossible to hack.

I also wouldn't want someone hacking into a nest or Honeywell lyric and turning my temp up or down either, but I can set notifications to track temps I'm thinking and plus the security system will notify me of temps drop below a certain degree  independently of the thermo system..

obviously being smart is important to me because I'm not going to be around most of the year, but need a way to always have a watchful eye on the house.

Can I ask why you don't like it, or you like it and she just likes it a lot more?

I do like it, just don't use it as much.  She will control temp while she is out of the house quite often.  I guess I typically don't mind waiting a few minutes for the house to cool down if I come home when nobody is there.  She also changes temp and uses the "fan on" option while in bed as well.

[Abu3baid]

9 minutes ago, David in FL said:

I have cable.  Does that count?

No :) , although definitely going to get a smart tv what ever that is..

3 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

I only have the Nest thermostat. I use wifi thermometers when I BBQ.

A buddy in my office is a 100% smart home kind of guy. He didn't even carry a key since he can just control everything from his phone, including the locks. Funny part one night he knocked on my door at 1am. Phone was dead, forgot his charger at home, power was out in the neighborhood. He couldn't get into his own home. I thought it was hilarious. He didn't think it was funny when I told him to break a window with his phone. Luckily the power came back on a few mins later. His house key is back on his key ring now.

That's too funny.. I'm only going to get 1 keyless lock, the other 4 doors will be regular ol stupid ones.

very interested in the wifi thermo for bbq will look that up thanks!

[newtogolf]

4 minutes ago, Abu3baid said:

I agree.. The security company system I'm thinking of going with is not going to be connected to my wireless network, it will also not need a land line.. Now obviously I have to research more, but I wonder if someone could technically intercept that signal and shut the device down?  But then again I would expect the SC to know that their device was shut down and get the police over to check on the house.

Aside from that obviously the keyless entry is a security risk if they can log on to it without even going through the wireless system, I'm going to assume that I can secure my wireless system with a passcode encrypted so that it would be nearly impossible to hack.

I also wouldn't want someone hacking into a nest or Honeywell lyric and turning my temp up or down either, but I can set notifications to track temps I'm thinking and plus the security system will notify me of temps drop below a certain degree  independently of the thermo system..

obviously being smart is important to me because I'm not going to be around most of the year, but need a way to always have a watchful eye on the house.

My house was semi-smart when I lived in VA.  I had two networks in my home, one was internal (wired only) on a separate switch and protected by a hardware firewall the other was for internet and cable with a hardware firewall and router.  It was a bit overkill but it was secure.  

Sounds like you're on the right path.  Make sure you use the highest level of security encryption, create a unique login name (don't use the default "admin" or "cisco") and make passwords a minimum of 16 characters that are made up of a combination of alphanumeric and special characters.  Also make sure you check your firewall logs often or have alerts if anyone attempts to login and is denied.  

[kpaulhus]

6 minutes ago, Abu3baid said:

No :) , although definitely going to get a smart tv what ever that is..

That's too funny.. I'm only going to get 1 keyless lock, the other 4 doors will be regular ol stupid ones.

very interested in the wifi thermo for bbq will look that up thanks!

iGrill

[nevets88]

36 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

iGrill

IoT

[Golfingdad]

My house is dumb as a brick.  And 2x4 posts.  And drywall.  And paint.

[iacas]

I don't think we're at the point where all that stuff can really be integrated quite yet. Too many competing standards and stuff right now.

Soon. Not yet.

[nevets88]

Old houses are smarter than you give them credit - you're feeling flush or have money saved up and bam, money pit savings sucking mode activated. Every friggin time

One thing I would check in advance is I'd bring a wifi signal analyzer, see how much interence is in the 2.4 GHz range. Then maybe even test how good 5 GHz reception is in each room. 

[jamo]

I live in a very stupid apartment. I wish I had more advanced thermostat controls - my heat is electric so I run up sky-high bills in the winter.

Outside that, I'm not so sure I'd use many smart home features. If I had a garage, an opener integrated into my phone would be nice, as would door locks - both with some sort of proximity sensor.

I have my phone set up to control all of my TV devices (cable, Xbox, etc.) but I always end up using the physical remote. I imagine it would be the same with smart lights. 

[newtogolf]

14 minutes ago, jamo said:

I live in a very stupid apartment. I wish I had more advanced thermostat controls - my heat is electric so I run up sky-high bills in the winter.

Outside that, I'm not so sure I'd use many smart home features. If I had a garage, an opener integrated into my phone would be nice, as would door locks - both with some sort of proximity sensor.

I have my phone set up to control all of my TV devices (cable, Xbox, etc.) but I always end up using the physical remote. I imagine it would be the same with smart lights. 

In practice you use them much less than you think when you are trying to justify their purchase.  Half the time in my old house it was either get up to get the home remote or just hit the light switch.  Most today have phone apps so if you are attached 24/7 to your phone you might get more use out of it.  

[nevets88]

21 minutes ago, jamo said:

I live in a very stupid apartment. I wish I had more advanced thermostat controls - my heat is electric so I run up sky-high bills in the winter.

Outside that, I'm not so sure I'd use many smart home features. If I had a garage, an opener integrated into my phone would be nice, as would door locks - both with some sort of proximity sensor.

I have my phone set up to control all of my TV devices (cable, Xbox, etc.) but I always end up using the physical remote. I imagine it would be the same with smart lights. 

The electrician who works on my parents' house eschews the wifi light switch options - one more thing to break and I went with his opinion. I compromised by using those wifi enabled outlets. Some work with Amazon Echo, today's equivalent of clap off.

IMHO smart TVs are the worst. Their interfaces are slow and buggy, firmware upgrades don't get through, better to use a streaming device like a Roku, ATV, or Fire TV but some people don't want to have an attached device. It is nice when you can't find the remote, you can use the smartphone.

Wifi in an apartment, look at the wifi networks list in any apartment it is a mile long. So much interference. Good luck finding a channel.