WiFi light bulbs

[rtz]

Just started looking into these. Anything a "standard" yet? Anything the best in the market? Best deal on the market?

Would be nice to control any light from the phone. Would also be real nice to have control of ceiling fans from the phone. And a front door lock that opens with the phone. And the thermostat.

 

[Falcon67]

We use Hue - no problems with those, easy to set up and control. For higher power/outside floods I use Kasa switches.

 

[cybrdyke]

^^ What Falcon said.
Hue dominates the smart bulb market with both tunable white and full color versions. Also available in a variety of bulb shapes, table lamps, and even tape. You'll need a starter kit and a hub. Your phone will use wifi to talk to the hub and the hub will use zigbee to talk to the lamp.
Sengled is a second runner with their Element products, Pulse speaker lamps, and other teckie products.
Good luck,
CD

 

[n2jeepn]

One thing to consider though...If the lights are on a switched circuit, then they become useless if someone that doesn't know better turns the switch off.
For that reason, I only use Hue bulbs in my house for lamps that are always plugged in to a non switched circuit.
I chose to use Lutron Caseta switches to replace switched overhead lights. Replaces normal switch with one that can be controlled locally or remotely.

 

[bryank930]

I use SmartThings and for bulbs, I have both Osram Lightify and Sengled. Never had a problem with either. I have a bunch of other things on the system as well: thermostat, motion sensors, temperature sensors, whole-home energy meter, garage door controller, etc. It's a great system!

 

[ozyborn]

Looked into this. Since I have a fairly large stockpile of LED bulbbs, not going that route. Prefer the smart switches. I only care about on/off. Do not give a dang about different colors of dimming. Current I use the old tried and true method. "Daniel! Turn the lights off when you leave the room!" Insert James for other twerp.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I had some ones that I bought off Amazon called "Piper and Olive" that are apparently now gone from Amazon. Which is odd because they are awesome bulbs.

I control them all with my Google Home from my bed.

Amazing age to live in.

 

[yeldogt]

So ... what are people using them for? I did two "smart home" projects .. and while an interesting novelty most of it was not all that useful. The running cost of LED bulbs has basically eliminated the need for occupancy sensors in most applications and timed control is so easy.

My nephew has smart bulbs all over the place -- how is that easy for those w/o the control.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

So ... what are people using them for? I did two "smart home" projects .. and while an interesting novelty most of it was not all that useful. The running cost of LED bulbs has basically eliminated the need for occupancy sensors in most applications and timed control is so easy.

My nephew has smart bulbs all over the place -- how is that easy for those w/o the control.

2 purposes for me:

1) Instant mood lighting

2) high tech voice/ai controlled version of “the clapper”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yeldogt]

2 purposes for me:

1) Instant mood lighting

2) high tech voice/ai controlled version of “the clapper” for when I’m in bed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You made my point ....

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

You made my point ....

Well mine is all hooked up to Alexa and google Home so you could control it through that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lelandwelds]

One thing to consider though...If the lights are on a switched circuit, then they become useless if someone that doesn't know better turns the switch off.
For that reason, I only use Hue bulbs in my house for lamps that are always plugged in to a non switched circuit.
I chose to use Lutron Caseta switches to replace switched overhead lights. Replaces normal switch with one that can be controlled locally or remotely.

Luton Caseta saved me a huge amount of hassle and treasure when a switch location was left uninstalled. Very valuable.

Wifi bulbs and internet toasters are a solution looking for a problem.

 

[dogdog]

so what happened if the LED blew ? the whole expensive electronic is thrown away.

 

[cybrdyke]

So ... what are people using them for?

Lots of things. Automatic controls, scenes and zones, turning lights on/off without being in the room, health issues, kid control, relaxation, productivity, fun, ease of installation and on and on...

My nephew has smart bulbs all over the place -- how is that easy for those w/o the control.

He likely can give access to those that he wants to have it...or keep it from those he doesn't. I have smart things in my house. If I'm not home, I dont much care if anyone can operate them.
CD

 

[yeldogt]

Lots of things. Automatic controls, scenes and zones, turning lights on/off without being in the room, health issues, kid control, relaxation, productivity, fun, ease of installation and on and on...

He likely can give access to those that he wants to have it...or keep it from those he doesn't. I have smart things in my house. If I'm not home, I dont much care if anyone can operate them.
CD

Sorry don't get all of your benefits ... health from a internet bulb?

I have an older Spacer system in one house and we use Grafik eye in NYC -- I get it's nice to be in bed and hit the IR control and the lights go off ...and depending on the complexity of a space the multi scene control works most of the time .... but often 3 or 4 is not enough. W/O a wall control, the inability for others to interface with them is a no go .. lighting needs tweaking.

At my beach house we took most of the controlled exterior lights and switched them over to LED w/ simple timers. We layered the lights vs using dimmers -- the cost to run them is so low we have them on throughout the night .. much nicer.

Technology changing has always been the problem with all of these system -- but it's especially true today. Sometimes walking up to a switch is the easiest thing.

 

[rtz]

So ... what are people using them for?

A female friend of mine; her house is a total basket case in comparison to mine.

Without fail; arrive at her place(with her) and the front lights will be off. Go up to the door and she's fumbling with a key trying to open a worn lock. Heater/air conditioner always seem to be out of control and in disarray. (way to hot/cold) fan is on and doesn't need to be on(cold/uncomfortable), fan is off and should be on(considering the temp or run the AC). On and on. I don't know how people can live like that. I suppose when they don't know any different or they adapt/get used to it. I wouldn't live like that or put up with it.

I don't even have any of that fancy stuff at my own place. But motion detection lights, keyless front door, heat/air dialed in. LED's; I darken the room I'm sleeping in; otherwise; I really don't care if a light is on or left on.

She had me doing some work over there one day and left me her key(the only copy!) and said leave it under the doormat when I left. Who does that these days?

She wanted me to move in with her and I thought "I ain't never moving in here."

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Luton Caseta saved me a huge amount of hassle and treasure when a switch location was left uninstalled. Very valuable.

Lutron Casetas have been a lifesaver in situations where I needed a 3-way switch and running wire would've been a royal pain.

For years my house had a light switch only at the top of the stairs, none at the bottom. And a switch at the far side of the living room, but not right where you enter the living room. Fixed them both with a Caseta.

 

[cybrdyke]

Sorry don't get all of your benefits ... health from a internet bulb?

I have an older Spacer system in one house and we use Grafik eye in NYC -- I get it's nice to be in bed and hit the IR control and the lights go off ...and depending on the complexity of a space the multi scene control works most of the time .... but often 3 or 4 is not enough. W/O a wall control, the inability for others to interface with them is a no go .. lighting needs tweaking.

At my beach house we took most of the controlled exterior lights and switched them over to LED w/ simple timers. We layered the lights vs using dimmers -- the cost to run them is so low we have them on throughout the night .. much nicer.

Technology changing has always been the problem with all of these system -- but it's especially true today. Sometimes walking up to a switch is the easiest thing.

When cars were introduced, some people said, "but I can do all that with my horse...".
Then they added lights, and some people said "why would I want to drive at night?"
People today use apps. Major home builders today wont look at a new product unless its Alexa (or some other smart home) enabled. Better get used to it.

Health: Not everyone is perfectly healthy. Some have afflictions that can be greatly helped with lights that mimic the color and intensity of daylight. Wifi lightbulbs can do this.
Security: Some people want to have the lights on when the leave or enter their space. With geo-fencing, wifi bulbs will have the lights on when they get within a designated distance from the front door. Also, a "lived-in" look can deter thieves.
Spacer, GrafikEye, etc. all have to be installed. Bulbs just screw in.
Just saying....there's lots of advantages.
CD

 

[yeldogt]

When cars were introduced, some people said, "but I can do all that with my horse...".
Then they added lights, and some people said "why would I want to drive at night?"
People today use apps. Major home builders today wont look at a new product unless its Alexa (or some other smart home) enabled. Better get used to it.

Health: Not everyone is perfectly healthy. Some have afflictions that can be greatly helped with lights that mimic the color and intensity of daylight. Wifi lightbulbs can do this.
Security: Some people want to have the lights on when the leave or enter their space. With geo-fencing, wifi bulbs will have the lights on when they get within a designated distance from the front door. Also, a "lived-in" look can deter thieves.
Spacer, GrafikEye, etc. all have to be installed. Bulbs just screw in.
Just saying....there's lots of advantages.
CD

With the cost of operation and long life I don't see the benefit of a bulb knowing I'm around ... mine are on. We have basically eliminated so called security lighting .... they are on. Same with internal lighting -- the LED stuff .. it's on.

My point with bringing up the spacer and grafik is they do what the bulbs do -- and most people who have them everywhere ----- after living with them don't use most of the things they do because .. you don't. In a given room or application .. maybe -- I get it.

Also -- the LED bulbs don't all match. So you get stuck with replacing all of it in a given room if you want the same look. I see it most in NYC where the budget for this stuff is almost unlimited -- it gets installed ... and never used. Even uninstalled or bypassed.

IMO the smart bulb is not a horse/car example

 

[Bert_]

I had no idea that people used these things though out their whole houses, I thought they were kind of gimmick-y.

When I'm at home I don't generally have my phone on me. It usually gets set on a table where I can hear it ring but I don't carry it. Not sure how that would work if I needed it to turn the lights on and off with it. Count me in the crowd of "I just use the light switch".

 

[cybrdyke]

If you think it's about using your cellphone to turn the lights on and off, you definitely don't get it....
CD

 

[yeldogt]

If you think it's about using your cellphone to turn the lights on and off, you definitely don't get it....
CD

we get it

 

[cybrdyke]

we get it

Not when the comment is that "it's easier to hit the switch than to find your phone" or "I just leave the lights on"....no you dont. You're squarely in the "but my horse can do that" camp.
I'm not judging you. If you want to use old technology, that's fine. If you dont think apps are gonna catch on, so be it. And, in fact, I agree with you that alot of features of control systems are not utilized or bypassed. But that's usually the manufacturer's fault for making them too difficult to use, or to make them unnecessary. The same is true for smart lighting and smart devices.
But the truth is that the next generation wants these products. Millions of Echo users are controlling their smart lights without getting off the couch or using a cellphone. Sorry if you dont see any value in it.
CD

 

[CJ7VFR]

we get it

I have a friend who was in the old school way of thinking, in that if you want a light on you turn on the switch, and if you want it off you turn off the switch. He was like this until he met his wife 10 years ago, and she had twin 7 year old girls.

Fast forward a few years, and just like any other kids, the girls leave every light on in the house, even after he yells at them to shut them off. Now that the girls are 17, it is even worse. My friend says when he and his wife go out for dinner and come home at night, every single light in the house is on, and the place looks like a giant Christmas tree.

He changed his old school way of thinking once the electric bills started to rise, especially in the summer when the girls would crank the air conditioning down to 65 degrees and leave it like that when they left the house and forgot to put it back up.

He now has WIFI cameras in the house so he can see if lights are left on, and with smart receptacles and smart light switches, he can shut them off. He replaced all his thermostats with WIFI versions, and he set it up so that he gets an alert anytime the girls mess with the temperature. He can then re-set it to what it should be.

He has several Alexa devices in the house so that at night, when he and his wife are in bed, and he can see that the girls left the kitchen lights on, he just has to say, "Alexa, shut off the kitchen lights", and they go off. He does not have to get out of bed. He does not have to use his smart phone. And he does not have to waste electricity with the lights being on all night.

Kids are kids, and my hard headed friend learned quickly that no amount of telling them will make them change. So with the advent of smart devices, we can at least make things a bit easier on ourselves and not have to blow a gasket every time we come home to our house lighting up the entire neighborhood.

Some technology is actually making our lives better. You can embrace it, or you can ignore it. That is the great thing about it. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, and those who want to use it, and like it, can use it and enjoy the benefits of it.

Jim

 

[GLFlyer]

I use the Kasa TP-Link system.

All 3 of my girls have the color tuneable bulbs, plus we have one in our bedroom, and office, and sunroom. I have the Kasa Plug switches attached to two different compressors in each of my garages, and the outdoor floods are on the same switch. All are accessed via the KASA app, or via Amazon Alexa where we have 10 of those devices throughout the house. It's nice to just ask Alexa to turn the compressor on when working in the garage, or asking to turn the outdoor lights on. Also cool to be able to tell Alexa to turn the Office on, and make it Blue @ 25% brightness for example.

It's also nice to set my girls lights to wake them up in the mornings and use the app to make a random lighting schedule for the house while we are away.

Overall... Kasa is slightly more expensive than Hue, but I've always got mine from eBay and never paid anywhere near to full price.

I'd stick with Hue or Kasa if you are looking for "Smart" devices that are proven in the market and will most likely be sticking around.

 

[Gerald O]

I have just two of the color adjustable wifi bulbs (LIFX brand) in my house. They are in the dedicated theater room, and i operate them with a harmony remote that also controls the rest of the theater equipment. When I start a movie playing I have the lights set to gradually dim out to off. Helps set the mood.

Beyond that I've got no use for internet connected household stuff. I want my appliances to work on demand, not when some slow unreliable server on the internet gets around to it.

 

[yeldogt]

I have a friend who was in the old school way of thinking, in that if you want a light on you turn on the switch, and if you want it off you turn off the switch. He was like this until he met his wife 10 years ago, and she had twin 7 year old girls.

Fast forward a few years, and just like any other kids, the girls leave every light on in the house, even after he yells at them to shut them off. Now that the girls are 17, it is even worse. My friend says when he and his wife go out for dinner and come home at night, every single light in the house is on, and the place looks like a giant Christmas tree.

He changed his old school way of thinking once the electric bills started to rise, especially in the summer when the girls would crank the air conditioning down to 65 degrees and leave it like that when they left the house and forgot to put it back up.

He now has WIFI cameras in the house so he can see if lights are left on, and with smart receptacles and smart light switches, he can shut them off. He replaced all his thermostats with WIFI versions, and he set it up so that he gets an alert anytime the girls mess with the temperature. He can then re-set it to what it should be.

He has several Alexa devices in the house so that at night, when he and his wife are in bed, and he can see that the girls left the kitchen lights on, he just has to say, "Alexa, shut off the kitchen lights", and they go off. He does not have to get out of bed. He does not have to use his smart phone. And he does not have to waste electricity with the lights being on all night.

Kids are kids, and my hard headed friend learned quickly that no amount of telling them will make them change. So with the advent of smart devices, we can at least make things a bit easier on ourselves and not have to blow a gasket every time we come home to our house lighting up the entire neighborhood.

Some technology is actually making our lives better. You can embrace it, or you can ignore it. That is the great thing about it. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, and those who want to use it, and like it, can use it and enjoy the benefits of it.

Jim

So we build our lives around the worry that a bunch of 9w bulbs are on ?

 

[yeldogt]

Not when the comment is that "it's easier to hit the switch than to find your phone" or "I just leave the lights on"....no you dont. You're squarely in the "but my horse can do that" camp.
I'm not judging you. If you want to use old technology, that's fine. If you dont think apps are gonna catch on, so be it. And, in fact, I agree with you that alot of features of control systems are not utilized or bypassed. But that's usually the manufacturer's fault for making them too difficult to use, or to make them unnecessary. The same is true for smart lighting and smart devices.
But the truth is that the next generation wants these products. Millions of Echo users are controlling their smart lights without getting off the couch or using a cellphone. Sorry if you dont see any value in it.
CD

I'm not arguing that people don't want them .... I'm also not arguing about if they work or not ... my original question "what are people using them for?"

do see the value in voice control ... especially when it's universal and faultless.

The technology is available -- money to be made ... products will be produced. It will all get better. But -- the wall switch/central controller is not dead ... still required for complex lighting.

LED bulbs have really transformed thinking around better outdoor lighting -- so much was built around the cost of replacing and running the bulb .. that's all gone. I'm not saying there is not control around it -- but the control is very simple and is actually better w/o ... just have it on (timed)

It's an interesting novelty for a couple of places but I don't see the bulb control being the answer for whole house control.

 

[Falcon67]

"what are people using them for?"

Controlled lighting - light schedules for things like front porch, living room and such. Also for voice and app command. Somebody rings the doorbell at 2 AM, I can turn on the front lights without exposing myself to the front hall/door area. Same with the Kasa switches that control exterior floods. And for laziness in bed - "Alexa, turn out the lights" nite-nite. Which is to say we don't have to navigate a dark house to get to bed, things can stay lit up until we're ready to shut it all down.

The more we can control with apps or vice, the better we like it. Leaving a race where it's 130F on the ground we can tell the Ecobee to put the house on "iceburg" so we can chill down when we finally get home. Etc.

 

[CJ7VFR]

So we build our lives around the worry that a bunch of 9w bulbs are on ?

No, not worry, just frustration. You are missing the point of what people are telling you about why smart devices are so great.

It is not a simple 9 watt bulb left on that eats up electricity, or that we build our lives around. It is a large SEER whole house air conditioning system, set to 65 degrees, running for three days straight by your kids, when it does not have to be, that is worrisome and expensive!

With a simple WIFI thermostat, and simple text message alert, a potential monthly electric bill of $400 can be reduced down to half that now that we have smart devices.

Maybe you don't like smart devices, and maybe you don't have teenagers in your house. But given the ability of saving a couple hundred bucks on the electric bill is just one reason why my friends and I like to have the availability of smart devices at our fingertips.

I personally love the convenience of it. As GLFlyer and Falcon67 said, it is great to be able to not only turn things on and off with your voice, but also to be able to set lights to come on and go off at different times of the day, or to set schedules so that lights are on when you wake up, or that your coffee maker has your java ready for you after your shower, or that on the off chance that you think you forgot to shut something off, you can check on that item, and shut it off from just about anywhere, even using just your voice.

Those simple things can remove a lot of worry from our lives, and make things simpler and easier on us.

Jim

 

[yeldogt]

No, not worry, just frustration. You are missing the point of what people are telling you about why smart devices are so great.

It is not a simple 9 watt bulb left on that eats up electricity, or that we build our lives around. It is a large SEER whole house air conditioning system, set to 65 degrees, running for three days straight by some kids, when it does not have to be, that is worrisome and expensive!

With a simple WIFI thermostat, and simple text message alert, a potential monthly electric bill of $400 can be reduced down to half that now that we have smart devices.

Maybe you don't like smart devices, and maybe you don't have teenagers in your house. But given the ability of saving a couple hundred bucks on the electric bill is just one reason why my friends and I like to have the availability of smart devices at our fingertips.

I personally love the convenience of it. As GLFlyer and Falcon67 said, it is great to be able to not only turn things on and off with your voice, but also to be able to set lights to come on and go off at different times of the day, or to set schedules so that lights are on when you wake up, or that your coffee maker has your java ready for you after your shower, or that on the off chance that you think you forgot to shut something off, you can check on that item, and shut it off from just about anywhere, even using just your voice.

Jim

I totally get it .. have built very complex smart homes (a couple)....Actually wish I could get some of the money back ... spent 50k on the equipment in one. I love smart thermostats and occupancy controls for HVAC, Hay --- I have a couple of homes and I like being able to monitor stuff .. even if I don't have to. It sure beats calling my friend and telling him to turn up my heat -- I still have the red light with the low temp sensor .... internet will fail at the worst time.

But, I no longer want to control outside lighting -- or worry about having to have the front light on..... It's on. Not having to think about it is great -- they go "on" at night and off in the morning.

I'm not attacking technology -- It's the particular "smart bulb". They have IMO limited usefulness.

 

[CoogarXR]

I have been wanting to add wifi connected switches just for my outdoor lights. Why?

-One light I leave on 24x7. However, there are times (for instance, when I am away, and I remember that it's trick-or-treat night) that I want to turn it off remotely.

-One light I hardly ever turn on, except when somebody is coming over that may need the help of bright lights to find the house. Half the time I want to turn it on, I am out in the garage. It would be nice to be able to just pull out my phone and turn it on.

My main ***** is that I haven't found a wifi switch that can use a web browser to control. I'd like to be able to use my PC too (I am in front of a PC more than a phone). My wifi thermostat uses a web browser instead of an app. Sure, it's a few more steps when using a phone, but at least it's basically future-proof.

 

[CJ7VFR]

I totally get it …..I'm not attacking technology -- It's the particular "smart bulb". They have IMO limited usefulness.

I can agree with you on that point!

I would not buy just a smart bulb as I also don't think it has as much usefulness as say a smart light switch, or smart receptacle that can not only turn a bulb on and off, but can do so much more. The smart bulbs are also very expensive when compared to the other smart things you can buy to do the same function plus more.

If that is what you are referring to, is just the smart bulb itself, and not the entire smart evolution, then I will retract what I said, and say that you do indeed get it!!

Sorry for the confusion on my part!

Jim

 

[CJ7VFR]

...My main ***** is that I haven't found a wifi switch that can use a web browser to control. I'd like to be able to use my PC too (I am in front of a PC more than a phone). My wifi thermostat uses a web browser instead of an app. Sure, it's a few more steps when using a phone, but at least it's basically future-proof.

Depending on what operating system you use on your computer, some of the WIFI controlled items can be controlled by both an app on a smart phone as well as thru a program on a PC.

My WIFI cameras for example, use an app on our iPhones to control them, as well as a program you can download from the camera website to be able to control the camera from my PC. I like the PC program because you can do more with it than you can on the app.

The WIFI receptacles I use, which are from Etekcity, also come with a downloadable program for use on a PC.

If you have Windows 10 on your PC, they call all programs apps now, and there are more and more of them available to work in conjunction with smart phone apps. Not all of them do. But a lot of them are doing it now.

What WIFI switches have you been looking at that you wanted to also have the ability to control from your PC?

Jim

 

[cybrdyke]

I would not buy just a smart bulb as I also don't think it has as much usefulness as say a smart light switch, or smart receptacle that can not only turn a bulb on and off, but can do so much more. The smart bulbs are also very expensive when compared to the other smart things you can buy to do the same function plus more.

Both have their pros and cons.
A smart switch can control things other than lighting by controlling receptacles. That's useful for fans, small appliances, pumps and many other things. When it comes to lighting, it can really only do on/off/dim.
A smart bulb can also do on/off/dim. Plus it can produce various colors of white from warm to cool. It can produce virtually every color of the rainbow upon request. Smart bulb control is not "married" to the circuit that it happens to be hardwired to. For instance, you turn on just one light in your bathroom and one light in the hall, even though they are on separate circuits.
Wifi light bulbs now come with stereo speakers, video cameras, night vision, two way communication and other things....all in a light bulb.
CD

 

[rtz]

Interested in the geofencing so when I pull into the driveway; the whole house "wakes up" or comes alive. What kind of device is needed for that?

I'm leaning towards having an IPad be the controller vs's an Amazon Echo or Google Home?

Door bell with a camera in it; smart lock, thermostat, and smart switches for the lights and fans.

The next item to make this all truly living in the future will be to have a powered front door that opens/closes itself. Could a powered hinge have enough "drive" to move it?

 

[b-boy]

Just my opinion, but if I was building a new home I'd be willing to pay more and make it as automated as possible. That makes sense to me.

Cobbling together pieces and parts to make an old home 'automated' doesn't make that much sense to me. I have enough trouble just keeping my WIFI router up and running properly (damn cable company), let alone trying to automate every function of a 135 yr old house.

 

[Trey T]

Oh man, it makes me cringe when people talk about home automation, like this thread. It reminds me of my prior ignorance. From my experience, I have to look at the house as having different types of systems which includes:

1. lighting switch/fan switch/outlets
2. mechanical (HVAC, water heater, plumbing, etc...)
3. irrigation
4. security and surveillance

In an ideal world, we should have those different system in its own platform for us to control in an orderly manner; we will get there someday. However, we have a lot of segregated control platforms and access protocols currently on the market.

The most common access protocol is wi-fi but this is still a developing technology, the mesh-network. There's another access protocol called Zwave (zigbee, popular in euro) which has a foundation of mesh-network capability and I believe it's reliable technology.

Right now, the zwave is a very good platform to control the #1 (lighting switch/fan switch/outlets). All other "systems" should be chosen very carefully because they can use either wi-fi or z-wave. What you don't want to do is mix a bunch of different platforms, protocols, and brands - you'll end up w/ 100 apps trying to control all of your lightings/fans/outlets and other systems

 

[Falcon67]

Interested in the geofencing so when I pull into the driveway; the whole house "wakes up" or comes alive. What kind of device is needed for that??

Hue does that - that's one kind. That is one of the deals with "automation" - research. The options available and the interactions - or noninteractions - can make you crazy. We're Amazon/Alexa. If you are Google Home, well that's different. We're android, you're iPhone and so on...

http://huetips.com/tutorials/how-to-setup-geofencing/

 

[yeldogt]

IMO --- wifi makes having a totally integrated home less important. Using the Carrier app and the Honeywell app I can control all my HVAC units (traditional and mini splits) ... my one generator will tell me if anything is up .. and the new alarms are all wifi. I find the separate systems work well.

My original "smart home" has the "we are home function" -- it works off the gate/garage "home" control on the visor. The driveway lights up and the house can light up like a Christmas tree. We still use part of it to bring on more lights outside in the winter when driving -- but, most of it was an expensive gimmick