Michael Harley

My smart home setup 2023

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Home Assistant Home Automation

I started my home automation journey in February 2021. Since then, I've added more functionality, so I'd like to document my current setup and thoughts.

When possible, I prioritize these requirements:

  1. Local control with Home Assistant. I still want my smart home to work if the internet is down.
  2. Simplicity. I want to avoid managing VM servers or having complex configurations.
  3. Flexibility. I want the option to use as many device types as possible.
  4. Cost. All things being equal, I'd rather spend less money than more.

Table of content:

Controller

I use Home Assistant as the foundation of my smart home. Since it's free and open source, I'm not tied to a specific vendor like Apple, Amazon, Google, or Samsung. I use Home Assistant OS (HAOS) on an Intel NUC.

I started running Ubuntu on the NUC with HAOS installed as a VM but changed to running HAOS directly on the NUC. I did that mainly because I struggled to understand USB pass-through on the VM host and making two USB dongles (Z-Wave and Zigbee) work simultaneously. Sure, I think I could have searched and hacked around and eventually got it to work, but what happens six months from now when something goes wrong and I need to redo it? I value simplicity, so ditching the VM made sense, even if that means the NUC hardware is underutilized.

I'm interested in the Home Assistant Green. I bet it uses less power than the NUC.

Protocols

Maximizing flexibility is a requirement for my smart home, so I don't tie myself to any specific protocol. If I had to rate protocols in order of preference/priority, this is my list:

  1. Z-Wave
  2. Wi-Fi
  3. Zigbee
  4. Everything else

I want to support multiple protocols, allowing me to choose the best device for a specific project.

Z-Wave

I use an Aeotec Z Stick 7 USB dongle plugged into my NUC to control Z-Wave devices. I bought this at the same time I bought my smart lock. I knew I wanted to use Z-Wave in my smart home, and some quick internet searches had me landing on the Aeotec. The device has worked fine, and I've not had any problems with it.

If I were doing this again, I'd go with Zooz because I use other Zooz devices and have had good luck with them.

Zigbee

I use the SkyConnect USB dongle plugged into my NUC for Zigbee devices. After installing Home Assistant directly on my NUC (instead of as a VM client on Linux), the dongle has just worked.

Zigbee is the least reliable protocol in my setup. For instance, I have an Aqara light switch that's dropped off the network, and I need to toggle the breaker to get it to come back. I occasionally have Hue bulbs that also fall off the Zigbee network.

I've not done much research, nor have I optimized anything. I respect Home Automation Guy's opinion, and he's picked Zigbee as his default protocol, so I believe it's possible to make it more reliable.

Network

I may dive deep into my network setup later, but I at least wanted to document it in this post.

I'm pretty happy with my setup, and I'd use Unifi gear again if I were building a new smart house. The main downside is it's expensive.

Security Cameras

We've invested in security cameras, and I'm glad we've done so. You can check some of the reasons on my YouTube channel. Besides the occasional drug user in the area, we mostly use the cameras to keep up with our cats.

I'm happy with this setup. If I were doing it again, I'd opt for a Unifi doorbell camera on the front porch, and I may still add it and move some of the cameras around. I'd also opt for higher quality cameras for the outside cameras. G4/G5 Pro would become the "default" camera, and the G4 Bullet would become the tier-two camera.

Locks

The U-Tec U-Bolt Pro Series locks and the Aeotec Z-Wave stick were the first smart home devices I bought for our new home. I use these locks, front and back. We use the fingerprint reader all the time. It also can use codes, which works if you need to grant someone access to your house while you're away. Then, of course, I've built some automations based on geolocation.

I have three minor complaints.

  1. Our back door has no porch or awning, so sometimes the lock gets wet. It gets wet from both humidity/condensation and the rain. When that happens, the lock beeps as if someone is trying to use the fingerprint sensor and failing. I wish they sold an accessory to put over it. I suggest some swing-down cover to protect it.
  2. The lock action sounds cheap when it's locking and unlocking.
  3. I want to figure out how to manage users (i.e., manage PINs) with Home Assistant. I must use the U-Tec app, connected locally via Bluetooth.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with these locks, and based purely on my usage and experience, I would buy these again and recommend them to people.

Thermostat

I have a Honeywell T6 Pro Z-Wave Thermostat. We moved into our current house in January of 2023. It was a new build that came with an existing Honeywell thermostat. I replaced the head unit with the Z-Wave version, and everything worked. Easy peasy.

I've been very happy with it, and I would certainly buy this again if I were building a new home. I recommend it to anyone building a smart home with Home Assistant.

Switches

I've tried several switches, deciding which I consider my favorites.

Lutron

If you read anything about smart home light switches, you'll see that everyone says Lutron is the best. Generally, people use phrases like "industry standard" when describing these switches. My experience with them has been good, and they've been reliable.

I'd prefer if these used an open standard instead of the propriety Lutron standard. I also wish more hooks were available in Home Assistant for these switches. Finally, I'd like it if they had energy reporting features.

I'd recommend these if you want smart switches that "just work" and only want a basic feature set.

Shelly

I purchased a couple of Shelly relays to try out, and I like them. They use Wi-Fi, but I don't mind since they're not battery-operated. They're cost-effective as well. For a two-gang switch, I can connect the existing light switches to Home Assistant for $25.90 for both switches. To install two Z-Wave light switches, they're $28.95 each. To do this with Zigbee switches, it would be $35.99 each. Lutron switches would be $59.95 each.

So, if you want to connect a two-gang light switch, the total cost is as follows:

The Shelly devices are full-featured as well. You get power monitoring, and they have Bluetooth relay functionality that I still need to explore. Mine have all been reliable, and I've had zero problems.

Shelly relays would be my default choice if I were building another smart home. They're cost-effective, fully featured, and reliable for me.

Zooz

Since I started trying to use Z-Wave as my default protocol, I have a few Zooz switches in my house. They've been fine, and I don't have any problems with them. These do not include energy reporting.

Aqara

Since the Aqara switches are also Zigbee network routers, I decided to try out a couple of these to help support my Zigbee network. My experience has been mixed as they've not been the most reliable for me. As I type this, one of my Aqara switches is unavailable. I think I need to toggle the breaker to power cycle the thing.

The Aqara does have energy reporting.

Innoveli

I've tried these in both the Blue and Red series, and they're nice switches. I'd consider them premium switches, and they are my go-to when I want additional functionality that a Shelly can't provide. For example, showing the switch's LED as orange or red if a first-floor exterior window is open would be nice.

The Innoveli switches do include energy reporting.

Smart bulbs

I've tried several bulbs in my smart home journey. As of now, I am still looking for my go-to bulb. The perfect bulb for me would have the following features:

Hue

Most people start with Phillips Hue bulbs when starting with smart homes. The Hue bulbs can connect directly to Home Assistant via Zigbee, so that's cool. The quality of the light bulbs is top-notch. If there were a version of these bulbs that were Z-Wave and had energy reporting, they'd be perfect for me.

These do not have energy reporting.

Kasa Smart Bulb

I tried the Kasa Smart Bulb (KL135P2) at the recommendation of Aaron at Make It Work. They're good bulbs as they're Wi-Fi, and they have energy reporting. The quality of the light and bulbs is pleasing to my eye.

My main complaint with these bulbs is they have no setting that allows me to set the state after a power outage. If there's a power outage, the bulbs turn on automatically when the power returns. It's problematic if you have these in bedroom lamps and the power goes off at 2 a.m.

KAUF Smart Bulb

I've tried the KAUF Smart Bulb. It's a Wi-Fi ESP Home device. When I tested it, the bulb seemed dim compared to the Hue bulbs. Admittedly, I only spent a little time testing these bulbs out, and I certainly need to reevaluate and give them an honest try.

Light strips

My go-to light strip when considering new LED light strip projects is the BTF-Lighting SK6812 Warm White strip.

BTF-Lighting SK6812 Warm White

The BTF-Lighting SK6812 Warm White strip is the best light strip I've used and is now my default choice when considering new LED strip projects. This LED strip is individually addressable and works with WLED.

BTF-Lighting WS2812B

This is the most common BTF lighting LED strip that I see recommended. It also works with WLED and is individually addressable but does not have a dedicated white channel. I like having the dedicated white channel, so I don't see myself buying more of these.

Kasa Smart LED Light Strip

I've tried the Kasa Smart LED Light Strip (KL420L5), which works fine. I prefer the BTF lights combined with WLED, but if WLED isn't essential to you, then these are a great, economical choice.

WLED Controller

WLED is my go-to choice for controlling LED light strips. The Dig2Go is my default hardware controller.

Dig2Go

I like the Dig2Go controller. It's easy to connect to your power and lights. It's easy to configure. For anything under 300 LEDs, I can't image using something else. It's great.

Dig-Uno

I started with the Dig-Uno. It works fine for me, but I prefer a more complete solution for smaller projects. I'm planning some LED lights for my kitchen cabinets, which will have two channels and more than 300 LEDs so the Dig-Uno will be perfect for that application.

Plugs

I've tried several different plugs and settled on the Shelly Plus Plug as my go-to when I need smart plug capabilities.

I've had good luck with the Athom mmWave sensor, and I'd like to try their smart plugs.

Shelly Plus Plug

The Shelly Plus Plug reports energy usage, has local-only control, and is $20. That is a good combo.

Hue

I have a couple Hue smart plugs. They're Zigbee, and they work ok. I have had a few instances of them falling off the network and becoming unavailable in Home Assistant until a power cycle. They do not have any energy reporting features.

KAUF Smart Plug (PLF12)

I've tried the KAUF Smart Plug (PLF12) but have not had good luck with them. They're too rough and ready for my skill set in tinkering. I bought a pack of four but had trouble getting two of them set up. I need to do more research on workarounds, as I'm sure there are some, but I've just not made the time.

Additionally, there's an issue updating the devices with the ESP Home firmware. There needs to be more space on the thing to download, unpack, and install new firmware. There's a manual step you can perform to make this work, apparently, and I've done it once, but it's more hassle than it's worth.

I do not plan to try more of these and would probably not recommend them.

Conclusion

When I started my smart home journey, it was an exploration of what I could learn and what was possible. I've added functionality over time, and there are some features that I love. For example, I recently went on a short trip and stayed a few nights in a hotel. When I entered the bathroom, I expected some lights to come on automatically. It's silly, but small things like that, multiplied over time, add up to a house that is just a bit more responsive to the person inside it.

What are some of your favorite smart home features or automations?

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