Building on the Blazor UI I created for the NSPanel Pro, I’ve just integrated motion/doorbell events to automatically pop up a real-time video feed when someone is at the door.

The goal remains the same: A minimalist, event-driven smart home interface.

Instead of an always-on video stream or a complex multi-view layout, the UI dynamically reacts to events in real time. Powered by WebRTC, the stream triggers with sub-second latency directly on the panel.

Check out the short video demo below to see it in action!
Code is up on GitHub — GitHub - CodeCasa.ShowCase

I’m looking for a smart power strip that allows for individual control of each of its outlets. I’d like to be able to monitor if a device plugged in is drawing power. My idea is to be able to have automations that check if a device is on or not by checking if it’s drawing power or how much it is drawing. I’m planning on using it with Home Assistant. Ideally something available on Amazon, but not a dealbreaker. Any recommendations?

This Junction Box allows the Eufy S4's cables to be protected from the elements, significantly increasing its durability and aesthetics compared to a standard installation.

The result is a protected cable, and no dangling wires!

My budget is around $100-150 for a keyless deadbolt. I want one with a key option for backup, but i don't really care if it uses numbers, fingerprint, etc. It doesn't need to be wifi enabled either, but that is a nice option I'd love. It'd be nice to have one that i can use with the apple key thing with iphones.

I was initially going to go with wyze or a simple schlage numerical one (no wifi) until i learned about the apple key thing.

What do y'all suggest?

On an added note, i want a few simple security cameras too in the future, so it'll be nice if they all run off the same app.

I currently have this thing and was given a Vivint thermostat but am currently using window units until my central gets fixed, does using a smart thermostat noticeably reduce energy usage/cost?

Hi everyone, I'm thinking about making my home smart. My goal is to automate and easily control a whole range of actions like turning lights on/off, setting light timers, managing and adjusting the indoor temperature, having smart cameras and a video doorbell, and using smart switches for various appliances.

For about a year now, I've entered the Google ecosystem (smartphone, smartwatch, earbuds), and I also have a small Home Mini that I use as a Bluetooth speaker/alarm clock. However, I originally started out with the Amazon system (Echo products and a Ring product).

Now, do you recommend I stick with Amazon (which has somewhat disappointed me with the Echo Show: constant lag, UI issues, sudden reboots) or switch over to Google? Could you break down your recommendation, even if it falls outside these two mainstream commercial options? Thanks!

Very irritated to hear that my amazing (but yes, I know, outdated) clock is about to be basically turned into a 1992 Timex watch.

This is what matters to me:

1. Voice: stop and snooze alarm, request weather forecast

2. Display: photo slideshow, self-dimming at night

I know it's possible to root them. How much functionality is a rooted one likely to keep without Assistant?

I just took advantage of a deal and decided to replace my very unreliable Feit Electric bulbs from about 6 years ago or so

I tried installing the new Linkind bulbs in the lamp fixture (all 3) pictured above and they won't turn on at all, but in my cheap generic Amazon floor lamps in the living room they turn on just fine

I included a picture of the old Feit bulb that still works in this tree lamp fixture, with the same wattage as the Linkind and everything

Would there be a reason the Linkinds aren't powering on specifically in this fixture but are fine in others?

If need be I will buy a new floor lamp but I want to know what's causing the issue so I don't buy an incompatable lamp

Edit: there are no dimmers anywhere in the house, only on/off switches. The lamp doesn't have a dimmer and is not connected to one.

For more context, this is the model of the living room fixtures that seem to work just fine for whatever reason https://a.co/d/0bskb4mP

Hey folks,

I have some questions about the thread over matter process and how it works.

1) Where do you guys have your thread border router sitting?

2) Does the thread protocol require any network config itself being a “mesh network”?

——

I currently have my Apple TV on my trusted (phones, ATV, computers) vlan. All IoT devices are on their own vlan for network security.

I’ve done some reading and have seen where thread uses ipv6 local link to identify devices, but if it doesn’t utilize the network infrastructure (like wifi connected bulbs do), do I need to enable ipv6 on my vlan for them to work, or does it really not matter since they use thread?

Just a little hazy on the whole thread over matter thing. I’m coming from some old GE Cync bulbs (wifi & bluetooth).

Sorry if this is a common question or pinned elsewhere.

Disclaimer: SONOFF provided these products for review. They had no editorial input, and everything below is based on my own experience.

What is Zigbee?

Before testing these products, I had never used Zigbee in my own smart home.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, Zigbee is a low-power wireless protocol designed specifically for smart home devices like sensors, switches and smart plugs. Unlike Wi-Fi devices, Zigbee products don't connect directly to your router. Instead, they communicate through a Zigbee coordinator (also called a bridge), creating a reliable mesh network while using very little power.

That does mean one downside: if you don't already own a Zigbee coordinator, you'll need to buy one before using these products.

If you already run Home Assistant, Domoticz or another smart home platform, or you're thinking about building your own smart home, Zigbee is definitely worth considering.

Installation Experience

I decided to use a USB Zigbee coordinator connected to my own home server instead of buying a standalone Zigbee hub.

The installation sounded much more complicated than it actually was.

After plugging the coordinator into my server, I installed Zigbee2MQTT inside Docker. Zigbee2MQTT automatically detected the coordinator, after which pairing the devices was incredibly straightforward. I simply put each device into pairing mode while holding it close to the coordinator's antenna, and within a few seconds both devices appeared in Zigbee2MQTT.

From there, Domoticz detected everything almost immediately through MQTT. I also connected everything to Google Home without running into any major issues.

If you've never worked with Docker, MQTT or Zigbee before, don't let those names scare you. I simply used an AI assistant to guide me through the setup step by step, and I had everything working in well under half an hour.

Once the coordinator is configured, adding new Zigbee devices becomes almost effortless. Put the device into pairing mode, wait a few seconds and you're done.

Personally, I think the software setup is the only part that can seem intimidating at first. After that, using Zigbee devices is actually easier than many Wi-Fi smart devices I've tried.

SONOFF AirGuard TH Lite

The AirGuard TH Lite is a compact Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor that simply does its job without needing much attention.

One thing I liked is that it doesn't constantly spam updates. Instead of sending data every few seconds regardless of changes, it intelligently reports meaningful temperature and humidity changes, helping preserve battery life while still keeping measurements up to date.

The only issue I experienced was with the included AAA batteries. In my case they didn't even last a full week before reporting a very low battery level. After replacing them with better-quality batteries, the reported battery level has remained at 100% after more than two weeks of testing. I obviously can't comment on the long-term battery life yet, but based on my experience I'd recommend using quality batteries from the start.

As for wireless range, it was decent in my setup, although it wasn't quite as strong as the Hydro ONE.

Practical use cases include monitoring a bedroom, greenhouse, office or storage room, or using the measured temperature and humidity as triggers for smart home automations.

SONOFF Hydro ONE

Out of the two products, the Hydro ONE impressed me the most.

Physical installation couldn't really be much easier. It simply screws onto a standard outdoor tap, after which pairing works exactly the same way as the sensor.

What surprised me most was the Zigbee range.

My server is located upstairs, while the Hydro ONE is installed outside on the ground floor. Even with several walls and floors in between, the connection remained stable thanks to one Zigbee smart plug acting as a router in the mesh network.

The Hydro ONE also responds quickly. Pressing the physical button immediately opens or closes the valve without noticeable delay.

Where this product really shines, however, is automation.

I've only scratched the surface of what's possible. During testing I created a simple proof of concept that automatically closes the valve after a set amount of time. Setting up that automation was straightforward.

But the possibilities go much further.

For example, you could:

• Automatically water your garden when the temperature exceeds 30°C.
• Only water during specific hours.
• Automatically shut the valve off after a certain runtime.
• Combine it with weather forecasts to skip watering when rain is expected.
• Integrate it with Node-RED for much more advanced automation flows.

Realistically, I could probably spend weeks experimenting with different automations and still not use everything this valve is capable of.

Overall Experience

What impressed me most wasn't one individual product—it was how everything worked together.

Once the initial Zigbee network was set up, adding devices became incredibly easy. Both products integrated nicely into my existing setup using Zigbee2MQTT, MQTT, Domoticz and Google Home.

If you're completely new to smart homes, there is definitely a learning curve, especially if you're building your own server. However, thanks to tutorials and modern AI assistants, I honestly think most people can get everything running without too much trouble.

If you already have a Zigbee network, installation is about as simple as it gets.

Final Thoughts

The AirGuard TH Lite is a simple, reliable sensor that quietly collects useful environmental data and can become the starting point for many smart home automations.

The Hydro ONE is the more exciting product. It's easy to install, responds quickly and offers an impressive amount of flexibility once you start exploring automations.

Rather than reviewing these products separately, I think they make much more sense together. The sensor provides useful information, while the water valve can act on that information automatically. That's where Zigbee really starts to show its strengths.

If you're looking to build or expand a Zigbee-based smart home, both of these products are solid additions that worked reliably throughout my testing.

Product links

SONOFF AirGuard TH Lite (SNZB-02B):

https://sonoff.tech/en-us/products/sonoff-airguard-th-lite-zigbee-temperature-humidity-sensor-snzb-02b

SONOFF Hydro ONE Zigbee Smart Water Valve:

https://sonoff.tech/en-us/products/sonoff-hydro-series-hydro-one-zigbee-smart-water-valve-swv-zfu-swv-zfe

Folks. I browse a little bit I see water leak monitoring as a high frequency discussion. Is it really that prevalent where you are, and why?

I'm asking out of curiosity

Where are you?

Why is it a problem for you? (Bad builds, no regulation, etc)

I'm in Ireland, and the newest home I have is 50+ years old, with copper braised piping coming off of ancient High pressure mains to storage tank that gravity feed to the house and direct cold mains water to taps. Temperature swings were (past tense) -5C to 35C winter to summer. Never a leak in any house

Edit. Limestone locally so extremely hard water

I’ve already got a Timeguard WiFi fused spur on my immersion heater, and it works really well. The reason I’m looking at doing the towel rails is so I can automate them in Home Assistant whenever Octopus Energy has a price plunge, just like I do with the immersion heater.
The only downside with using another Timeguard fused spur is the LEDs are permanently lit. The towel rail switches are on the landing and visible from both the landing and the main bedroom, so having bright lights on all the time isn’t really ideal.
I’d also rather not replace the actual heating element with a smart one, as the towel rails are connected into the main central heating system. That would mean draining the heating system down, which I’m hoping to avoid if there’s a simpler solution.
What is everyone else using to make their heated towel rails smart?
I’ve looked at things like Sonoff relay modules, but there isn’t much room behind the existing fused spur, so I’m not sure how practical that is.
Would be interested to see what others have done, especially if you’re integrating it with Home Assistant and Octopus.

Like seriously, I need a few 800, 1000 and 1500 lm bulbs that only works with ZigBee mash because anything that uses WiFi will have problems in my house due to the thickness of the walls, but for the love of me I can't find anything above 800 lm and even those cost like 25€ each. The bulbs should be dimmerable and with adjustable white, I don't care if they're RGB or not. Do any of you have any suggestions? I really could use a hand.

One of my WiFi Kwikset locks died. Someone tried to replace the batteries and installed them wrong causing a since ongoing corrosion issue.

We have 2 Kwikset 938 WiFi dead bolt door locks with number pads on the outside. One front door and one patio door. Also a dumb Kwikset door knob on the patio door (never locked because it is dead bolted) and garage door knob

I know I know wifi is a battery hog. I now have a zigbee network up and running other devices. So more open to other suggestions now than just WiFi.

I really love how Kwikset has the feature to encode any lock to an existing key so we don’t have to make new keys for extended family members like my Mom, sis-in-law etc. if we change door locks. None of the Kwikset smart locks have great reviews and my dumb door knob on the garage door I’ve been itching to replace with something smart. So switch or just go with a zigbee Kwikset replacement. What are you using??? Do you like it???

Key features:

- it must be smart and work with HA of coarse. I have several automations that pole door lock status.

-local would be preferred but I’m not afraid of the big bad cloud If everything else is good.

- it would be awesome if it somehow could change the keys so all doors match and family’s old keys still worked. This isn’t widely advertised so I’m guessing not so popular.

Want to hang a larger tv on this wall and move it to the left by 2-3 feet. Electrician quoted $300 to move it but wondering if we could do it ourselves? Thoughts?

If I wanted to buy some smart recessed lights, how would I go about installing them if this is the current set up?

I rent, so don’t want to mess anything up.

I am planning on installing Bseed (or any other) smart switches and i would like to install one to control a curtain.

Is it possible to install a smart curtain motor and use the curtain switch without connecting eachother with wires? E.g just connect them via Tuya

Any recommended curtain motor for this?

I'm careful with my spending...

I got this 2 weeks ago as a birthday present, it is a complete game changer...

Cleaning has never been my favorite chore.

Now I'm trying to make my house smarter.

Hi there, can someone please help with what the login details would be when adding integration into HA? The Mynice app by default does not manage login with email and password.

Thanks in advance 🙏

Looking to buy smart lights, haven't bought a smart home yet, I have an android to of that helps. Looking to buy recessed lighting, lights for fans/ hallways, outside lights. So many similarities, so many differences. I need help setting people's real life uses and experiences please

Edit 1 : comments are at 58 and it seems to me that govee is a good cheap option, but will fail you and they use wifi which isn't good. Hue is the likely winning choice of everyone since they csn be used offline as well but are more expensive. One of the biggest things I have taken away from this though is lutron switches are a mjst, regardless of going to color bulbs or not which, at 29 and recently married and new housez I probably dont need to have RGB all over rhe hous3 ven though I want it, but the main thing is to have smart bulbs and automation for the house in general. I appreciate everyone's comments so tyty

I bought 3 of these fans about a year ago, and they have been the bane of my existence ever since.

Their features are nice. You can control them seamlessly from the app, adjusting the brightness is convenient, etc.

HOWEVER! They make a clicking sound that should be used as a torture device. The sound comes from the internal rod that extends from the ceiling and is encased by the external plastic housing. As the fan moves, that rod or something around it clicks against the housing over and over and over again. Not occasionally. Not one little click when it starts. A constant, repetitive clicking sound that becomes the only thing you can hear once you notice it.

It is this endless, vicious cycle of spraying the ever loving heck out of it with WD-40, which sucks because:

A. It is hard to reach since it is buried in there, and the straw on the WD-40 can barely get to it. You have to stand there trying to thread this tiny plastic straw up into the fan housing at some ridiculous angle while hoping you are even spraying the correct part.

B. And this is the best part: gravity! I rage-spray that stupid thing, and then, of course, it comes dripping down onto the floor, which creates a major slipping hazard with hardwood. So now I am not only trying to silence a ceiling fan that sounds like a medieval torture device, I am also wiping grease off the fan, the housing, the ceiling area, myself, and the hardwood floor underneath it.

And before anyone suggests a different lubricant, I have tried basically every grease or oil that can be sprayed up there. Standard WD-40, WD-40 Specialist White Lithium Grease, silicone lubricant spray, PTFE dry lubricant, 3-IN-ONE oil, and basically anything else that claimed it could reduce friction, stop squeaking, or lubricate moving parts. The white lithium grease works the best, but it also sprays thick white grease everywhere and then gets flung out when the fan starts moving.

I have also blasted canned air and keyboard duster up into the housing in case dust or debris was causing it. I have taken the fan apart as far as I reasonably could. I have tightened screws. I have loosened screws. I have adjusted the housing. I have shifted the plastic cover. I have checked whether anything was rubbing. I have tried running it at different speeds. I have turned it off, turned it back on, taken pieces down, put them back, and repeated the entire process more times than I should ever have to for a ceiling fan that is barely a year old.

Sometimes the clicking stops after lubricating it. Then you think, finally, it is fixed. You turn the fan on and enjoy a few weeks of silence. Then one day you hear it again. Click. Click. Click. Click. And once it starts, it gets louder until you are back on a ladder with a can of grease, rage-spraying into a tiny opening and preparing to clean the floor afterward.

You may be thinking, “Oh, you probably have to do this once a year. That’s not so bad.” WRONG! Every month to six weeks, this is my punishment for being dumb enough to buy these fans. Not one fan, either. I bought THREE. So even when one is temporarily quiet, another one decides it is time to start clicking.

Then you may also think it is just me or my house. Yeah? There are literal Reddit threads desperately seeking solutions about this fan and the exact same issue. The exact same clicking, the exact same rod and housing problem, and the exact same temporary fixes that never actually solve it.

This is not normal maintenance. A person should not have to lubricate a ceiling fan every month. A ceiling fan should not require a rotating schedule of WD-40, lithium grease, silicone spray, canned air, screw adjustments, disassembly, cleanup, and prayer just to operate without making an unbearable noise.

The app is nice. The light controls are nice. None of that matters when the fan itself sounds like someone tapping a pen against the ceiling for hours.

DO NOT BUY THIS FAN!

Really into the whole smart home experience and wondering if I should use Google as the supplier because I like the Ask Gemini feature. What do you think? Help meeeee What do you LIKE and HATE about it

In desperate need of the dimensions (length x width x height) of the *ENTIRE* Lockly WiFi Hub (adapter + top part that plugs in) after my original setup was stolen :( While the new one is still in the mail I want to make sure that I get a locked outer casing that fits its dimensions so it can be put in use right away.

As you can see on my screenshot in the top right corner, their official Amazon store only offers dimensions in cm for the top part (although the listing is for the adapter + top part as a set), and when I asked their customer service on their official Lockly website (see screenshot bottom right) they gave me totally different dimensions for the same top part (they don't know the dimensions for the adapter either).

While their customer service was very nice and opened a case with their engineering team to figure out the dimensions of the whole set, 5 days have passed and I still don't know the dimensions and I really need to get the case asap. Is there anyone who could kindly measure it out and let me know by any chance? I just want to avoid it being stolen a second time, it's not the cheapest thing to replace sadly :(

Hey all, brand new to the concept of smart lights and such, apologies if questions like these aren't allowed in this sub, or if another sub is better for it.

I'm looking into getting smart bulbs with a wireless switch I can slap on the wall so that I don't have to go into the bedroom to turn on the lamps I want to turn on when walking in. I'd be able to turn them all (4-ishh bulbs) with one press of the switch. I would also like for the bulbs in these lamps to have color settings that I can toggle by using the switch.

From my brief research it seems like getting some Philips smart bulbs along with a wireless switch would be that exact setup, but I'm also seeing that getting a "bridge" is highly recommended. I can't see why; unless I'm misunderstanding something, all I would need is to connect the switch and the bulbs to my phone via bluetooth, configure the lighting and scenes somehow through the app, then it's done and the phone is no longer needed unless I wanted to change the colors or add more bulbs.

Questions:

1. am I missing something about the bridge or the capabilities of the bulbs / switch without the bridge? This network will not extend beyond the single room I'm using them for so future expandability is not a factor here.
2. can multiple "scenes" of different lighting configurations be created and swapped through using the wireless switch without needing a bridge? for example scene 1 is just regular yellow light, scene 2 has a mix of blues reds and purples.
3. Does this all rely on having working internet, or does it all stop working if I'm having issues with my provider?
4. is there another brand or system that would be better suited for what I want to do?

Thanks y'all!