Smart home getting dumber

Beer & Queso
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I was just thinking the other day that, after a rocky start, my Belkin WeMo doorbell has been rock solid for a long while. So, of course, today it went offline and needed to be reset.

I still need another camera-doorbell for the back door, but I am waiting to see how the WeMo fares again in the summer, as I fear it was the heat/humidity that caused it to be barely functional when first installed. With Matter being rolled out and the likes of Aqara and others releasing HomeKey-enabled doorbells (with secure iCloud storage) I am going to wait before dropping $250 on a WeMo doorbell that won’t work in the summer.

Speaking of Aqara, I am going to try something. I have a number of light switches that don’t necessarily need to be smart, but it would be nice to make them so if for no other reason than to be sure that they’re all turned off at the end of the day. Spending $70/switch on Lutron is an extravagance, however, that is hard to justify for such limited need.

But Aqara makes smart switches that are half the cost of Lutron’s. They don’t have any dimmers nor any that will work in a 3-way set-up, but I have lots of single pole switches for which the Aqara should work just fine. I have been impressed with their other accessories, so I have ordered a few and will give them a tryout.

I will keep the Lutron switches deployed where dimmers or multi-switches are involved, and also where they are installed in 2- or 3-gang box so that the switches match in the same location. But I can put the Aqara switches in closets and bathrooms where matching switches aren’t an issue and simple on/off functionality is all I need.

By doing this, I can redeploy some of the Lutron switches already installed to places where they are better suited. Also, as I have Aqara sensors triggering lights in the closets and fans in the bathroom, I can have this all done on the Aqara hub rather than needing to involve HomeKit.

The response time is very fast currently, where HomeKit is taking input from Aqara sensors and then triggering Lutron switches, but it will clean up my HomeKit interface to have these simple automations performed on the hub. Reducing complication has to be good, right?

The test batch of Aqara switches arrives tomorrow, and I’ll let you know how this works out.

FYI, for those with this issue, Aqara makes a smart light switch that does not need a neutral wire.

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This line got me thinking of value, not just cost. Ie., what value do you get out of all these automations/automators vs. not having them and is the cost for time saved / efficiency worth it. If you don’t mind me asking, how much have you spent on your entire fleet of IOT devices, how much time have you spent purchasing, configuring and reconfiguring your stuff and how much time does it save you and what other efficiencies are you seeing? Keep in mind, I understand there is also some entertainment/curiosity value here as well as geeks just like to geek out.

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I disconnected my doorbell years ago.

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There are some necessary, practical elements to my smart home automation, and there is some geekiness and vanity to it too, of course.

On the practical side, the smart door locks - comfortably the most expensive individual items I bought at $320 each - allow me to permit access to my home by others (e.g. pet sitter) and also allow me to eschew carrying a key. Through automation I can also ensure that the house is securely locked up at night. Brands other than the one I bought have cheaper alternatives, but only Schlage (at the time) had HomeKey compatibility so I paid the premium.

As to the blinds and lights, as someone who travels relatively frequently, these allow me to maintain a veneer of occupancy when I’m away. If anyone is really paying attention they’ll know it’s performative, but to a casual passer-by, the place looks occupied. The blinds also mean that my cats can see out and have natural light during the day, but the blinds are all closed at night and the house lights aren’t on 24/7 while I’m gone. With the blinds, there is also the convenience that I do not have to traipse around the house every morning and evening to open/close the blinds.

The convenience/utility aspect of my smart home is probably where we are getting into geekiness and vanity. There’s really no compelling reason to automate the lights that aren’t needed for home security. However, once you have invested in the base infrastructure, the expansion into pure convenience is incremental. There is also a completionism element to this, in that there really isn’t an obvious stopping point.

As to how much I have spent, I keep a spreadsheet (natch) and I’m up to $4,605. The Schlage locks represent 14% of this and the blinds are 21%, but these are also the two most practically useful elements of what I have done. So the balance being all the lights, switches and sensors is arguably lagniappe, but not that extravagant (IMHO) if you spread it out over time.

FTR, I have not included things like the robo-vacuum in the above, because that is something that I would have bought regardless of whether I was making my home smart or not.

ETA: The time investment is pretty light. I had issues with the WeMo doorbell at first, but the actual installation of it - as it has been with everything really - was simple enough. Knowing how to turn off the power at the breaker box is probably the most technical aspect of it. All the techie stuff is handled easily by the associated apps, and an assistant like HomeKit brings it all together in one interface.

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For me personally, I have probably spent over $4k over the years on smart home stuff (including stuff like cameras and a security system). God knows how much time I’ve spent installing and configuring it all, but 50-75 hours is probably realistic. HomeKit and Homebridge have greatly simplified the ongoing management and operation of it all. But if I’d invested $10k and 150 hours it would still be worth it, both in the ongoing war between my neuroses and my ADHD space cadet family, and in the knowledge that my people and property are either in order or will receive immediate automatic help if they aren’t.

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A a single man, there are lots of benefits of smart home technology that don’t apply to me. But with a family, being able to make sure the doors are locked, to be able to see everyone coming and going, or even just to make sure that the lights aren’t left on overnight must be a godsend.

HomePods have the intercom feature that lets you push a voice message to almost every Apple device in the home, including AirPods. I have also seen where people have set up automations to make the lights flash or change color to get someone’s attention. I would think having the power to turn off a game console by remote would be pretty handy too.

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Deadbolts, the garage door, and the security system are my primary concerns, because my space cadet family (who I love very much) constantly forgets about them. The automated lighting is a plus just so that the lights don’t get left on all damn day or night.

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I’m probably $1,500 in (cameras, deadbolts, lights and outlets) although the numbers of devices are high because I’ve gone with a hubless design and very low cost (nearly disposable) devices. The values (time saved, effort avoided, frustrations with family members reduced, etc…) are high but I am losing a part of the battle on two fronts: 1) family members are now expecting these automations in additional parts of their lives and 2) I am the front line Tier 0, 1 and 2 support for all of this increasing universe of gadgetry as well as the new solution engineer. Heard in Casa de Shive in the last 24 hours: “I should not have to press that button, it should know that I am approaching and activate itself”. And, she’s right but that magic takes a magician to affect and I am getting tired of it again and again…

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Yeah, my home is so old and dumb, I don’t think it ever had a doorbell. Nowadays if you want to get my attention you’ll probably have to honk from the gate at the end of the driveway.

I did get some cheapo Arlo cameras because I can keep one aimed at the gate, one at the front door, and move another around to see the wildlife at night.

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I don’t have a garage, but I can see the peace of mind that would come knowing that it’s closed without having to get off the couch or out of bed.

My security system (SimpliSafe) can be controlled by its own app, but having it available to be added to automations in HomeKit, as well as having its status displayed on my HomeKit dashboard, is a convenience bordering on necessity.

My “Goodnight” scene arms the alarm and locks the doors as well as turning all the lights off. The peace of mind from this - plus not having to go room to room to make sure all the lights are off - is incredibly valuable. As an ADHDer myself, it eliminates the habit of lying awake for hours wondering if a door is locked (because going to look is not an option). I just tell Siri “Goodnight”, and then I am free to lie awake for hours thinking about other things.

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Aqara just debuted a new smart doorbell that works with HomeKit Secure Video and has the option to run on batteries for installation where there is not any existing wiring. They also announced their smart deadbolt lock, that can be opened using HomeKey, an actual key, a fingerprint, a PIN or an NFC card.

“HomeKey” is the feature that allows you to open the door using your iPhone or Apple Watch, and also send “keys” to people with iPhones.

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I recently replaced my Schlage Z-wave locks with Schlage Encode Plus locks that support HomeKey. Unless I’m doing something wrong, I’m pretty sure that HomeKeys only go to people that have been invited to your Apple “home”, which means they have access to your entire smart home. For anyone else you can only assign them a PIN.

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I think you’re right.

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Hmm. I might be able to make use of that. I’ll look in to it.

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My Aqara switches arrived too late to install any today, but they get two thumbs up for the packaging and components.

All of the Aqara gear I’ve bought has come in cool, Applesque cardboard boxes, and the switches are no exception. Conversely, Lutron’s stuff is all in that vac-formed hard plastic that’s impossible to open without a chain saw.

As to what’s in the box, the Aqara switch comes with a replacement wall plate that covers the mounting screws for a completely clean look. The switch will fit under a regular wall plate too. They also provide wire nuts and stickers to mark the wires.

Lutron gives you just the switch and wire nuts, as well as a pigtail for “hot wiring” the other switch in a 3-way installation (Aqara’s switch does not work in such a situation). This is perfectly functional, but a 2x the price it would be nice if Lutron had nicer packaging and stickers (I have been making my own with a label maker).

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My smart home collection might just qualify as dabbling:

Amazon echo dots
Lifx bulbs in several lamps
Ecobee thermostats
Smart locks on doors
Commercial home security smart home package (essentially the panel is a z wave hub in addition to the usual security stuff; programmable scenes etc)
Smart plugs (mostly used for holiday lights)
Video doorbell and cameras from the security company (previously had a 1st gen Ring that was a PITA)
Logitech harmony remote w/hub (now a dead platform)

We have a Moen Flo water shutoff device for another property that is very nice for peace of mind.

My Sonos speakers are dumb (1st gen) but they are recognized by Alexa so I can say “play Fat Bottomed Girls on ” or “play Wilco on …”. I rarely use the Sonos app now.

My next additions will likely be switches for some specific lighting issues and the garage door opener add ons.

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Just another thought on the convenience aspect of a smart home. It took me a while, but I am now much more likely to control my home be voicing instructions to Siri. At first, I was still hitting switches and only really using my smart home to schedule automations. After a number of months, though, I am more used to it, and I will (politely) order Siri to turn things on/off.

Also, I am getting used to the fact that you don’t need to be in the room to make stuff happen. Even once I was using voice control more frequently, I would wait until I was in a room before ordering the action, e.g. I would wait until I was in my office before initiating my “Work” scene. Of course, I can do these things from anywhere, and will now typically call up a scene as I am en route.

One aspect this has highlighted is how scarily sensitive the microphones are on HomePod Minis. I can be halfway up the stairs and say “Hey Siri…Work” in a normal voice, and I will get a response from the HomePod in my bedroom. Maybe it’s being picked up by my iPhone in my pocket and the HomePod is responding because it’s a HomeKit hub, or maybe it can hear a pin drop from 300 yards across a freeway…

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I took the plunge this morning and have been turning my bedroom lights off and on with my voice for the past hour. I’m about to go blow a paycheck on more Lutron switches and might treat myself to a Level Lock while I’m at it.

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379

I installed the Aqara switches yesterday. They are as easy to install and set up as the Lutron switches. They look fine and work very well. But…

Unlike the packaging, you can feel the difference in quality in the actual switch. Again, nothing wrong with it at all, but it just feels less premium. The plastic is a little lower quality, the mechanism a little less satisfying to click, and they do click unlike the Lutron’s that have a nice soft touch mechanism.

The obvious difference is that the Aqaras just click, whereas the Lutrons have a rocker action so you press the top for on and the bottom for off. They also have the look of a rocker switch while the Aqara is just a flat button so it will look a little more conspicuous if installed next to a dumb rocker switch.

I’m still happy I got them. But I’m only going to install them where the look doesn’t matter, like in closets and bathrooms, and keep the Lutrons for the more public spaces. That way I can finish out replacement of all the switches at half the cost.

One last thing: the Aqara app can run automations based on accessories in its ecosystem, but it doesn’t have all the capabilities of HomeKit. For example, I can have the Aqara switches turn on based on a door or motion sensor, but I cannot set an automatic shut off after a period of time like I can in HomeKit. I did not see an difference in the reaction time under HomeKit or Aqara’s app - it’s instantaneous under both - so I’m going to run all the automations in HomeKit.

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It’s insidious,