3 ms·

Another alternative for those who like to tinker is to get Tuya-powered devices which can be reprogrammed to use Tasmota, ESPhome, OpenBeken or something simila

Another alternative for those who like to tinker is to get Tuya-powered devices which can be reprogrammed to use Tasmota, ESPhome, OpenBeken or something similar. Reprogramming the things can be as simple as running some tool - this used to be the case but it is getting rare since the vulnerabilities used to take over the devices are getting fixed - or as involved as opening up the devices to connect a TTL/USB serial adapter and a power supply after which the thing(s) can be flashed. The advantage of using this approach is that you get close to total control over the devices, you do not need any hubs, your creativity and the hardware are the only limits. I just flashed a batch of 16 'energy metering smart plugs' this way using a TTL/USB adapter, two clothes pegs, three sewing needles, a patch wire and a breadboard [1]. No soldering necessary, just point the needles at the right chip legs, push the patch wire in the right spot and flash the firmware. As far as I'm concerned this is the only way to use IoT devices, using free software under your own control. Software which only communicates with hosts you designate. Software which is not dependent on 'cloud' services. Software, above all, which can not be used to turn your equipment against you - not by spying on you, not by selling your data to others, not to bring down the electricity network by simultaneously switching off and on massive amounts of equipment every 10 seconds. Even so I run these devices on a separate network which can not reach outside of its own /24 (no IPv6 on this network, it is not necessary). I also don't use Home Assistant since I prefer openHAB, at least for now. I've tried HA (core) but thus far I'm not convinced it offers something I can not get from openHAB which I've been using for years now. [1] https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic4042412-60.html#21334978 https://www.elektroda.com/rtvforum/topic4042412-60.html#2133...

stavros 2y ago
This is OK, but Zigbee is better. It runs offline, the devices can't access the internet so no data issues, and it's a standard protocol that's trivial to interface with over the MQTT bridge.
- rainsford 2y ago
  My (maybe incorrect) understanding is that Zigbee devices can't independently pair with each other, so if you want a particular switch to control a particular light you still need some sort of controller to be operating even if it's on your own local network. This is better than requiring Internet access, but a notable reliability downgrade from normal light switches unless your controller is 100% bulletproof.
  - Muromec 2y ago
    You can pair zigbee switch to a light without a hub, it just works
  - stavros 2y ago
    Sure, but we're comparing other smart home setups to Zigbee, not Zigbee to old-style wall switches. However, you can also pair Zigbee switches to other Zigbee devices directly (although I've never tried it).
  - cyberax 2y ago
    > My (maybe incorrect) understanding is that Zigbee devices can't independently pair with each other They can! You can bind clusters from several devices together, I have a couple of such devices. For example, you can bind a two wall light switches together. The problem is that the UI for it is typically hidden and/or absent.

stavros 2y ago

This is OK, but Zigbee is better. It runs offline, the devices can't access the internet so no data issues, and it's a standard protocol that's trivial to interface with over the MQTT bridge.

rainsford 2y ago
My (maybe incorrect) understanding is that Zigbee devices can't independently pair with each other, so if you want a particular switch to control a particular light you still need some sort of controller to be operating even if it's on your own local network. This is better than requiring Internet access, but a notable reliability downgrade from normal light switches unless your controller is 100% bulletproof.
- Muromec 2y ago
  You can pair zigbee switch to a light without a hub, it just works
- stavros 2y ago
  Sure, but we're comparing other smart home setups to Zigbee, not Zigbee to old-style wall switches. However, you can also pair Zigbee switches to other Zigbee devices directly (although I've never tried it).
- cyberax 2y ago
  > My (maybe incorrect) understanding is that Zigbee devices can't independently pair with each other They can! You can bind clusters from several devices together, I have a couple of such devices. For example, you can bind a two wall light switches together. The problem is that the UI for it is typically hidden and/or absent.