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layout: post | ||
title: "Home Assistant" | ||
date: 2024-05-09 | ||
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In a slight departure from my usual amateur radio topics, I've been busy setting up more smart home | ||
stuff. I've been curious about home automation for several years and slowly accumulating things like | ||
Google Home speakers, Leviton dimmer switches and Nest outdoor cameras. However, using the Google | ||
Home app as the central integration point and relying on WiFi for communication for everything has | ||
been showing its limitations lately. | ||
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Enter [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/), an open-source home automation platform that | ||
focuses on local control and privacy. I have several work friends that have rave reviews of Home | ||
Assistant, so I decided to give it a try. This has required revamping a lot of my basic home IT | ||
infrastructure: I picked up a used workstation from | ||
[The Server Store](https://www.theserverstore.com/) to use as a home lab server (for more than just | ||
HA), and have replaced my Google WiFi mesh network with a Unifi setup. To add communication options, | ||
I also picked up a [GoControl HUSBZB-1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GJ826F8) USB stick that | ||
supports both Zigbee and Z-Wave. | ||
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From there, I've been setting up Home Assistant on the server, adding integrations for existing | ||
devices and services, and adding new devices. Most things have been wonderfully easy. Considering | ||
it's open source, Home Assistant is really well polished in terms of usability and seamless | ||
integration. I've added quite a few ThirdReality Zigbee devices like | ||
[motion](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MVKWBFF/), | ||
[door](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09XCWRHCT/), and | ||
[temperature](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLTNZSQK/) sensors, | ||
[wall plugs](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BPY5D1KC/), and some | ||
[Innr color light bulbs](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08428JSDZ/). I was even pleasantly | ||
surprised to see that my OctoPi 3D printer server popped right in! | ||
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I have some overriding goals for my smart home: | ||
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1. Value add. Walking into a room turns on the lights, saving effort; the lights turn off when no | ||
one is there, saving energy. Notifications let us know when the garage door is left open or when | ||
the girls have dance class. The thermostat prioritizes rooms that are actually in use. | ||
1. Spouse-approved. I don't want to make things more complicated for my family or guests. Everything | ||
should be intuitive and reliable. | ||
1. Fail-open operation. I don't want to have to worry about my home being unusable if a sensor, the | ||
internet, WiFi or local HA server are down. Wall switches and the thermostat still need to do | ||
their basic job. Everything needs to revert to a dumb appliance in the absence of smart control. |