Isolation Day 45: An Offline Smart Home
Can You Really Run a Smart Home Without Giving Away Your Data?
I’ve been wondering if HomeKit is the only way to make my home smart without having it report back to every company I’ve bought something from.
About 6 months ago, I came across a messaging protocol that enables devices to talk to each other called MQTT. It is a relatively simple system where a device, such as a button, publishes a message to an MQTT Broker that then informs your chosen software; your software can then publish its own message to a device that has a certain subscription. It’s a really simple system that doesn’t require an internet connection to work. All you need to do is run an MQTT Broker on your network. Unfortunately, I have no devices that work with MQTT at the moment, so even though I could set up the server, there would be nothing to control.
That hasn’t stopped me from looking into products that can run MQTT, but there is another system that I’ve been looking into as well.
The other option I have come across that doesn’t require a connection to the internet is Zigbee. Zigbee is a wireless mesh communication protocol that allows devices to talk to each other just like a normal WiFi network. The great thing about Zigbee is that each device you add helps create a stronger network, as each device doesn’t just talk to the Zigbee hub, but to each other too. This could mean, if you have good coverage with your devices, you may only need one hub for a large house.
The first thing you are going to need is a hub to connect your Zigbee devices to your network. For this, I’ve chosen the Hubitat Elevation. It’s about £142 when ordered off their website (including the import fee), and not only does it connect to Zigbee devices, but it also allows you to connect to Z-Wave too (Zigbee’s competitor—think Betamax vs. VHS).
Now to find the devices to use in your smart home, I’d suggest looking on these two websites:
The first one is a list of devices that can use MQTT if flashed with the Tasmota firmware. The second is a list of Zigbee devices that you can sort by your smart home software compatibility. In this case, I would go with Home Assistant (or Hass.io) as there is a great support community. There is also a version of Home Assistant that has a web interface and allows you to install plugins to expand its functionality without having to write reams of code.
When I eventually get around to building my own smart home (not just the Philips Hue bulbs I have now), I’ll be going into it with the plan of using the same manufacturer where possible. My first choice would be Zemismart, followed by Xiaomi and Ikea. Both of these manufacturers offer a wide range of products and great reviews by my smart home YouTuber of choice, Paul Hibbert—well, except for the Ikea bulbs, but that was mainly due to the hub. I like him as he gives completely honest opinions about a product and some of his rants are quite fun too.
One of the only exceptions to this is for smart sockets and extension leads, and the only reason is that I can’t find smart sockets or extension leads that are made for use in the UK. I ended up going for the TCP Smart 4AC+USB Power Strip for the moment, as I won’t be changing any sockets until we have a place of our own. But using smart extension leads not only allows me to make my things smart but gives me extra sockets to use too.
Again, this is another thing that would have to wait until we had a house of our own, but I’ll definitely be adding a few of Zemismart’s 4″ downlighters. They run on Zigbee, so they won’t interfere with the WiFi network, and they work with Home Assistant too.
When it comes to bulbs for the smaller fittings (E14), I’ll be going with the Tradfri Opal 600 Lumen. They are a small bit more expensive than others, but these not only change the colour temperature of the white, they are also RGB colour-changing lights too. I’ll also be using Ikea’s Tradfri Opal 600 lumen E27 bulbs, as they have the same features as their small brothers.
Ikea also does a range of integrated lighting that all works by using a standard driver that allows lights of different designs to be plugged into them. These are great for under-cabinet lights or spotlights around the kitchen or office. These are white only, though, and won’t have any of the colour-changing features of the other Tradfri bulbs, including the white colour temperature.
Now, when it comes to controlling the lights, I’ll be going with Xiaomi’s line of Aqara switches. It comes in three styles (2, 4, & 6 buttons), and each button has four commands by interacting with the button in different ways (single press, double press, triple press, and hold). This means you could turn something on with one tap, off with two taps, dim when you hold it down, and use a set scene when you tap three times.
I’ll be using Xiaomi’s motion sensor too. I like how simple this is, but it can be used to great effect. For example, you can put one in the bathroom so that as someone walks in, the lights will automatically come on, if it’s after sunset. The same can also be done with Xiaomi’s Window & Door Sensors too.
Another one for when we have our own place is smart locks on any of the external doors. For this, I’ll be going with the Yale YRL220 Smart Lock. Not only does this have a keypad and physical key lock, but it also allows you to lock or unlock the door via Z-Wave.
There are also a wide variety of other products that I could put into my smart home, such as smart water systems, outdoor lighting, and leak detection, to name just a few. I will probably come back to them soon, as all of the products I’ve chosen today are all Zigbee or Z-Wave. There are a few products, such as RGB controllers and UK sockets, that run on MQTT but not on Zigbee or Z-Wave.
What do you think of my selections so far? Would you choose something different? Are you worried about what all these smart home companies know about you? Let me know in the comments below.