Nigel Whitworth
· 2024-07-10 14:39 UTC
I think Homeseer has something to offer especially for windows users who arent familiar with linux or any of that stuff. Writing plugins isnt that simple but its all done in visualbasic which means the newbs can do it. imo.
In the ever-evolving landscape of home automation, myriad platforms beckon with promises of smarter, more efficient homes. Among these, my journey began with HomeSeer, a choice influenced by recommendations and its compatibility with my alarm panel, albeit at an additional cost. The initial setup was manageable, and with some effort, I successfully integrated the alarm panel, marking a modest start to my smart home experience.
Over time, my system expanded, incorporating Z-Wave, Sonoff switches, and sensors. However, this expansion was not without its challenges. The Sonoff devices were erratic, often miscommunicate their status to HomeSeer, while my foray into Z-Wave was fraught with issues – devices that would initially function well, only to inexplicably duplicate, rendering my carefully crafted automations ineffective. The lack of a backup option for Z-Wave devices in HomeSeer meant the only solution was a complete reset and reconfiguration of the Z-Wave network, a Sisyphean task that offered only temporary respite.
Compounding these frustrations was the fact that HomeSeer 3 required an active login on a Windows PC – a platform not renowned for its unwavering reliability. Daily restarts became routine, necessitating additional software for auto-login and HomeSeer 3 launch. Yet, even this workaround was insufficient to prevent random disconnections from the alarm panel, the heart of my system, requiring frequent manual intervention to maintain functionality.
The release of HomeSeer 4 brought promises of improvements and a modernised interface. Unfortunately, the reality fell short of expectations. The new version, burdened by a significant upgrade cost, brought more frequent crashes and compatibility issues with previously functional plugins.
By the summer of 2023, my patience had waned. Frustrations with unreliable automations and the tedium of manual overrides led me to explore alternatives. My search narrowed to Hubitat, Home Assistant, and OpenHAB. Hubitat, while competent, was limited by its closed-source nature and support for third-party integrations. In contrast, Home Assistant and OpenHAB offered more promising prospects. After delving into their codebases, I settled on Home Assistant, attracted by its robust third-party support and the empowering nature of its open-source framework.
The transition to Home Assistant was not without its pains. Deciphering the functions of numerous zones, sensors, and outputs from the alarm panel was a daunting task. However, integrating Z-Wave devices with Home Assistant was refreshingly straightforward – a stark contrast to my previous struggles. Similarly, incorporating my Sonoff devices, now running Tasmota, required some manual configuration, but the process was logical and well-documented.
Recreating my automations in Home Assistant was a time-intensive endeavour, yet the platform's power and flexibility facilitated complex, conditional automations with ease. The intuitive interface and support for scripting with Jinja2 allowed for sophisticated, dynamic interactions within my smart home ecosystem.
A week into using Home Assistant, the system's stability and the reliability of its third-party integrations were evident. The dashboards were intuitive to set up, and integrating custom MQTT protocols was straightforward. As I waited for the inevitable hiccup, it never came – Home Assistant operated flawlessly.
Emboldened by this success, I invested in a Home Assistant Yellow, Nabu Casa's flagship hub, to support their ongoing development and subscribed to their cloud service. The transition to this new hub was seamless, encapsulating the user-friendly ethos of Home Assistant.
With Home Assistant, my aspirations for my smart home were no longer hindered. Tasks that were once insurmountable with HomeSeer became feasible. Integrating Alexa for announcements and remote routine triggering, once a distant dream, was now a reality, accomplished with minimal effort.
Six months into my journey with Home Assistant, I felt compelled to share my experience. This narrative is not a critique of either platform but a personal account of my challenges and triumphs in home automation.