Remote Lighting Controls, WiFi, 3G, IFTTT

[meburdick]

I picked up a few of the Belkin WeMo Light Switches and wired them in. Aside from the fact that they were fairly picky when being set up initially, they all seemed to work very reliably once in place.

I tied one in to run the front lights and use an IFTTT recipe that monitors sunset time from a weather site and turns the lights on at that time each day. I have a separate recipe that turns the lights off at a predermined time.

I've been hit with firmware updates being required on the switches three times in two weeks (the first being the initial update at install time) and each time it renders the switches useless for extended periods of time via the app. This most recent update has rendered two of the three switches only accessibly via 3G and not seen at all on WiFi inside of the house. This is a major problem for me, so I'm considering going another route.

Insteon looks like it's generally ok for my use except that there is no integration with IFTTT. For me, this is something I really want, so it's kind of a deal-breaker to me. HomeLinc looks interesting as well, but you have to install the software on a Windows machine and leave it running 24x7 - seems to defeat the purpose of using HA to reduce energy use.

If someone has experience with an HA system that can meet the following criteria, I would like to hear from you.

- Support for single pole light switches, dimmers not required
- Integration with IFTTT
- Support for WiFi thermostats, possibly being able to switch between HEAT and COOL remotely as well?
- Support for garage door status and control
- Ability to send alerts for things like "garage door left open over two hours" or similar
- Ability to control multiple items from a single switch - the WeMo switches have the ability to control other items via a "long press" which would allow you to turn on multiple lights from one switch (for example)
- Support for cameras
- Support for motion detectors

I know that most of this stuff can be found in many items, but I'm looking for something that can offer ALL of these items.

 

[dogdog]

Bad new It's going to get worse with wemo for you. should just wait for technology to mature a little on IoT stuff. The idea of internet wireless remote control switch is really good, except the implementation by Belkin is horrible. With so many updates pushed.... it makes you think if they have properly QC their firmware at all or using you "the customer" as their QC goat. Actually one of their update killed my switch still waiting for call backs and promised fixes.

Wait till one of those firmware updates kills your expensive switch and you have to call those off shore supports.

 

[meburdick]

I'm pretty frustrated with the lack of good documentation, poor implementation processes, and the fact that the switches just "disappear" from the app. They're almost certainly going back.

"Should just wait for technology to mature a little on IoT stuff"... How long? Home Automation has been around for a couple of decades, and IP connectivity for much of this stuff has been around for probably a decade itself. It should generally already be mature for the protocols and general designs. The big thing that needs maturing is the inter-connectivity.

Belkin is using 802.11 radios in the switches. Not the best move for those that are looking to conserve energy... Seems that Z-Wave would almost certainly be much better here than an always-on 802.11 radio. Although, my cell phone can run an awfully long time on battery just powering the WiFi.

If it weren't for the complete lack of IFTTT support for Insteon, I'd be looking there anyway. HouseLinc is a nice "best of both worlds", but requires a Windows PC (and it must always be on). I've found other nicely integrated products, but THEY require servers too. It's frustrating.

 

[dogdog]

<My Rant>
who knows how long, as far as Belkin, ****** unstable product so far nothing but frustrations. Switches started to disappear from my android phone Feb 2014 after some forced security updates haven't been able to get it showed up yet. The frustration is calling those support, they are the most useless piece #2 you can talk to absolute waste of oxygen and food. denied that they push any updates and claims my phone was bad, want me to constantly powering it off, when it still don't work, they say it's my phone. So I went and got another phone same still won't work , they blame my network, so I say the iphone works just not the android. and worked on their BETA app just not the production app. Guess what they did, they took out the Beta APP Lolz. They want to call me back max 48 hours with their advance support, guess what no call backs. Good for nothing Piece of work. Anyways the apple don't fall too far from the tree, I don't think their support will improve much either.
</My Rant>

. If you have $$$ and time to waste and play with stuff..... yes go ahead. It's like the TCP/IP invented in the 70s and don't get used much till the 90s and networks were not even stable till 2000's. Should be quicker as long as no one holds a pattern to prevent competition. Consumer internet base home automation is not in for ages. just past 2 maybe 3 years. Started with the the honeywell WIFI thermostat as far as I remember that still works great for me.......

 

[meburdick]

Your timelines are all pretty much off...

TCP was created, written, tested, and in use well ahead of the IEEE paper published in early '74 documenting it. Networks themselves were largely unstable until somewhere in the 90's and TCP was originally created specifically for unstable networks. In today's terms, TCP is more harmful than helpful because of how it works and what the underlying networks themselves are actually capable of.

As for Belkin and their support, I am completely underwhelmed. More interestingly to me is just how long it takes for a device to go through the firmware update process (which, by the way, is not a "push" process - you are notified, but you have to agree and initiate the download... the updates in 2/14 were specifically because Belkin got a ration about their devices exposing passwords, passkeys, and making your local LAN available to hackers)

I Force Stopped the app, cleared the data, and executed a switch reset and set it up again. Now all of my devices show up remotely and locally. It's definitely not reliable, and it requires too much tech savvy to use the app and maintain the switches. So, I'm looking for something "smarter".

 

[dogdog]

Needless to say, after the update 1 switch doesn't show up on any devices/phones. the other only showed up on iphone, and the android beta app that Belklin now took off the market place. Yes you have to agree with the update, but the point is so many nags if you don't. and you will never know which time that you say yes, and the update willl break your switch with these much frequent updates. Anyone remembers the days when DirectTV/DishNet pushes updates to their receivers and always Fried few receiver/cards each time when they do their ECM updates. took them years to perfect their updates process. At one point someone in your family will answer yes, agree to update, it will update even if you personally don't. Yes tried force stop app, clear cache clear data, even to the extend of FORMAT and re-install android OS, install new android OS and even with a new PHONE all don't work. The more frustration part is try calling those support. Bottom Line, Wemo is not ready for prime time. If you bought it you are their beta goat. Talking about wemo just gets my blood boils.....That much love.



As far as TCP IP time line, I never worked for ARPAnet or at all internet historian, it's Aprox time line as I remember, I have not Google or Wiki. It's just used as an example on progress of a given technology.

 

[dogdog]

btw you have those good ideas on the IoT devices. as soon as some one makes a reliable one.