If you are thinking of setting up a Zigbee network for your Home Assistant installation, the USB dongle (co-ordinator in Zigbee-speak) you choose will have a significant impact on how reliable your network ends up being. Which in turn impacts how much time you spend trying to troubleshoot your ...

I have been on a smart lighting and smart relay installation spree in my new home. So far I have got the Wi-Fi Shelly 1PM, Shelly 2.5, and the Z-Wave based Shelly Qubino Wave 1PM set up in Home Assistant. So what's missing? Zigbee relays!I have been using Zigbee devices such as Sonoff sensors ...

I have always wanted a 4K Power over Ethernet (PoE) security camera with built-in LED floodlights. It’s possible to install separate smart floodlights for my existing cameras, but you just can’t beat the convenience of a single package that works on Power over Ethernet (PoE). No extra power ...

Since I moved into our new home this year, I have been making upgrades to turn it into the ultimate smart home. At the top of my to-do list is smart lighting, because it easily has the single biggest impact on comfort and how we experience our home.Soon after setting up my Z-Wave and Zigbee ...

I recently installed Shelly smart relays in most of my light switches. So now I can control them from my phone through Home Assistant. But even better, I can now integrate my home lighting into my automations - such as linking lights in a room to occupancy.But to detect motion, you need a ...

Ever since I started setting up the VueVille DIY Smart Home, I have been focused on Z-Wave. Back in 2017 when I was starting out, Z-Wave was the only reliable DIY option for smart home enthusiasts who didn't want to rely solely on Wi-Fi.Zigbee was beginning to make a mark but lax ...

A few months ago, I reviewed my first 8 Megapixel IP camera from Reolink, the RLC-824A. Reolink has continued to put out very unique cameras and I have one such device for review today: the fully wire-free PTZ called Reolink Trackmix Wi-Fi (Battery) with dual-lens auto-tracking.Reolink ...

IP cameras for DIY home security these days are pretty impressive devices. Like the Reolink RLC-824A that I am reviewing today: it has 8 Megapixel (4K) resolution, smart motion detection for persons, vehicles and pets, colour night vision using LED spotlights & 2-way audio. I have been ...