Hey all, just wondering if anyone's done anything to their home in order to have access to turn on/off lights, check temperature, or see inside of their home from a remote location? Looking to get a simple setup where I can check on the house, or automatically have lights come on/off and confirm that all's ok from my phone when away. Any good options that you've used yourself? I know there's tons of options out there, but it's a bit overwhelming when you start looking into it. Thanks!
Smart Home Options
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
Using a Honeywell Wifi Thermostat, and can control the temp from anywhere in the world.
If im at work and the heat or a/c isnt on, i adjust it accordingly.
While im away, and want to see whats up around my property or inside my house. Look at Arlo. Wireless camera systems.
You can have up to 4 cameras operating on wifi, using a battery that lasts for up to a year.
If im at work and the heat or a/c isnt on, i adjust it accordingly.
While im away, and want to see whats up around my property or inside my house. Look at Arlo. Wireless camera systems.
You can have up to 4 cameras operating on wifi, using a battery that lasts for up to a year.
For the smart thermostat game there are two major options Nest and ecobee(they are canadian). A friend has had both in his houses and vastly prefers the ecobee. There are many less smart but internet connected thermostats available as well. The ecobee has multiple room sensors that detect temperature and occupancy so it tries to hit your target temperature in the rooms you are actually in.
For internet connected cameras, I cheaped out and am using Foscam. They used to be better, there software is getting more annoying with time. Prior to Foscam I installed some systems with much better cameras ($600/camera) and they were better, but substantially similar.
I've never looked into remote light switching so I can't really help you.
For internet connected cameras, I cheaped out and am using Foscam. They used to be better, there software is getting more annoying with time. Prior to Foscam I installed some systems with much better cameras ($600/camera) and they were better, but substantially similar.
I've never looked into remote light switching so I can't really help you.
suzuki2000
Well-known member
we have something similar, Arlos are great., as well as wireless, they can be put inside or outside and have good clarity at night. I think data is kept for a week or up to a month with a subscription
we also have a wireless Honeywell thermostat.
No idea of what you need for setting up lighting?
integrating a single solution is likely very expensive, i am sure there is some whole home solution out there
I've dabbled in smarthome stuff for nearly 20 years, starting way back with good old fashioned X10 and home based servers to allow (clunky) remote control. It was neat but never 100% reliable.
Now, I have a mix.
For switches, receptacles, and other various electrical plugin items I use Wemo - I have about 10 or so units throughout the house that allows me to control everything from our front house lights, my pool deck flood lights, basement and garage lighting (which now turns on automatically via a Wemo motion sensor when we ride the bikes in), right down to the LED accent lighting on my pool deck....from anywhere, anytime, so long as I have internet access on my smartphone. It had growing pains when I first adopted the hardware about 2 years ago, but now it's almost rock solid...and the units are not terribly expensive - $30-$40 range. No cost after that, and the phone app is slick with a lot of configuration triggers and options based on various things. It has become the core of my home automation now and I'm looking forward to adding automation to my garage doors and such as soon as the price of the "Maker" unit drops a little.
For my thermostat, x2 Honeywell WiFi thermostat - hard to beat for the money, works well, simple. I don't like the learning nature of the Nest - our house is too unpredictable and it would be often heating/cooling for nothing based on incorrectly learned patterns.
For temperature sensing and reporting, I recently invested in LaCrosse Alerts hardware - it consists of a base station that connects to your router via CAT5 and then various temperature sensors, including modules for pool/hottubs, of course regular old inside/outside, water leak detection units (to alert of basement flooding for example). Most of the temperature based units have 2 channels, the base unit (which records temperature and humidity levels), and a remote probe (included) which can monitor a different area - ie, outside...or a freezer, etc...so they are like 2-in-1. It's a slick setup and there's a smartphone app that allows you to monitor it all (and receive alerts, although that does cost a few bucks a year after the trial period) if any of the sensors go outside the ranges you set. Hardware was priced very attractively as well via Amazon.
For cameras, I have a good old fashioned Lorex 4 camera system with the cameras in various locations around the property. The base station is squirrelled away somewhere that it's not easily accessable, and yes, it's viewable anywhere via my smartphone.
Now, I have a mix.
For switches, receptacles, and other various electrical plugin items I use Wemo - I have about 10 or so units throughout the house that allows me to control everything from our front house lights, my pool deck flood lights, basement and garage lighting (which now turns on automatically via a Wemo motion sensor when we ride the bikes in), right down to the LED accent lighting on my pool deck....from anywhere, anytime, so long as I have internet access on my smartphone. It had growing pains when I first adopted the hardware about 2 years ago, but now it's almost rock solid...and the units are not terribly expensive - $30-$40 range. No cost after that, and the phone app is slick with a lot of configuration triggers and options based on various things. It has become the core of my home automation now and I'm looking forward to adding automation to my garage doors and such as soon as the price of the "Maker" unit drops a little.
For my thermostat, x2 Honeywell WiFi thermostat - hard to beat for the money, works well, simple. I don't like the learning nature of the Nest - our house is too unpredictable and it would be often heating/cooling for nothing based on incorrectly learned patterns.
For temperature sensing and reporting, I recently invested in LaCrosse Alerts hardware - it consists of a base station that connects to your router via CAT5 and then various temperature sensors, including modules for pool/hottubs, of course regular old inside/outside, water leak detection units (to alert of basement flooding for example). Most of the temperature based units have 2 channels, the base unit (which records temperature and humidity levels), and a remote probe (included) which can monitor a different area - ie, outside...or a freezer, etc...so they are like 2-in-1. It's a slick setup and there's a smartphone app that allows you to monitor it all (and receive alerts, although that does cost a few bucks a year after the trial period) if any of the sensors go outside the ranges you set. Hardware was priced very attractively as well via Amazon.
For cameras, I have a good old fashioned Lorex 4 camera system with the cameras in various locations around the property. The base station is squirrelled away somewhere that it's not easily accessable, and yes, it's viewable anywhere via my smartphone.
Cool thanks everyone for the info. Definitely given me something to think about! I didn't even consider the security aspect of it Baggsy so thanks for that. My needs are fairly minimal in this manner. I'd like to have the house furnace cool when we're not there, and warm before we come in but any thermostat can do that as long as it's programmable...however with shift work it doesn't work so well considering I'm on diff shifts each week.
The lights...most important is to just make the place look like someone's home when we're away.
And for cameras, still undecided if I want to install those or not, I'd like to have a small one in the garage that's motion activated so that it takes a photo should someone decide to make their way into there.
The lights...most important is to just make the place look like someone's home when we're away.
And for cameras, still undecided if I want to install those or not, I'd like to have a small one in the garage that's motion activated so that it takes a photo should someone decide to make their way into there.
That's easy with the Wemo hardware - It has an "Away Mode" that will cycle selected lights on and off according to detected usage patterns, so it simulates you being home as usual.
[video]https://youtu.be/hfnDTvbtDUI?t=21[/video]
That's cool.
FWIW, I've had an indoor rated foscam (FI9831W) operating for years in the rafters of an unheated garage with no problems. It stores to onboard SD and a Synology box in the house.
Hi folks. Nice to see some of you using ecobee thermostats. I'm actually one of the original employees at ecobee and built out all of the back end and web/mobile apps. If anyone on this forum is interested in getting one PM me and I can send you a promo code that will give you our at cost pricing online. For those that have ecobee thermostats I'd love to hear your feedback.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I also forgot that we have a program with Enbridge that gives you a $100 credit for having an ecobee. http://knowyourenergyscore.ca/smart-thermostats/
So with the discount code and credit it will be around $100
for the ecobee3 thermostat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
slowbird
Well-known member
I have a nest. Love it. It's the second one I've owned as I sold my house with my first one installed.
The learning nature of the Nest can be turned off for those like myself with shift work or unpredictable schedules. I think it looks muuuuuch better than the Ecobee and other thermostats out there. Also my brother owned an Ecobee for many years and he was always having issues with it.
....and we know someone that works at Ecobee and it was still a PITA.
I love my Nest and its features and I've never had any issues with it. Easy to use and looks great and easy to control from anywhere using the App.
Just my 2 cents
The learning nature of the Nest can be turned off for those like myself with shift work or unpredictable schedules. I think it looks muuuuuch better than the Ecobee and other thermostats out there. Also my brother owned an Ecobee for many years and he was always having issues with it.
....and we know someone that works at Ecobee and it was still a PITA.
I love my Nest and its features and I've never had any issues with it. Easy to use and looks great and easy to control from anywhere using the App.
Just my 2 cents
