Just agreed to do a consulting gig 50 miles east of LA, Mon->Thu, for at least 6-7 months. Assuming I don't screw up i'm sure they'll push me to stay through Feb 2018, but I would rather not stay that long.
I'm hoping to convince the client to let me get an apartment instead of living out of hotels/suitcase. In that case I might set up a tiny HA setup there. Not sure what, but i'll only be there 3 nights/week so I want to at least have some automated lights so it looks like someone is home, a CCTV to check in on it. I'd have very little to steal, maybe my xBox, a nice TV, but I'd want to know if someone comes in. (I could use the Wireless Tag sensors on the door as it'll email me if its moved, so i'd know to pull up the CCTV. And Trendnet has 2way audio so I could even tell the snoopers that I have them on video so nothing better be missing.)
If the apartment works out i'd also need to figure out how to Plex into my house.
Oy.
Use your SmartThings.
* Z-Wave Sensors for door and accessible windows
* Z-Wave Motion sensor for whatever rooms you want
* GE Link bulbs (the $5 ones)
* Harmony Hub
* Echo Dot
* Z-Wave MiniMote
* Dropcam/Nest Cam
That would be a not too shabby a setup for like $350.
Extend your home network to the apartment via site to site VPN. Here is a Ubiquiti "How To" for
site to site using OpenVPN on 2 Ubiquiti EdgeRouters. It looks like it is missing how to spin up OpenVPN but that's probably another Google Search away. You are going to need internet anyway, so that means a router will be required.
Now you can have CQC, Plex and whatever...
You could put in a nice, not too pricey PTZ camera like
this one ($80 cheaper then Nest) and have your BI install at the house capture recordings off prem.
(disclaimer, haven't done this myself yet but will have a site to site need in the near future so have been looking)
i highly doubt Plex will work over a VPN; just use your Plex Account and log into the web portal. you would be limited to 2.5 maybe 3 Mbps over VPN and mDNS traffic wont traverse the tunnel, so youd be severely limited in what would actually work.
if you really want to go balls out, take a look at the Sophos UTM offering (free version that runs in a VM) and their 'RED' (remote ethernet device).
With the smartthings how do you track motion or get alerts? I never tried one that way. I was contemplating another ISY since the refurbs are only $160ish.
I'm definitely bringing a full echo with me, I have one that's rarely used.
IVB Wrote:Assuming I don't screw up
considering your trials and tribulations with VM's, what exactly are the odds of not screwing up?
IVB Wrote:With the smartthings how do you track motion or get alerts? I never tried one that way. I was contemplating another ISY since the refurbs are only $160ish.
I'm definitely bringing a full echo with me, I have one that's rarely used.
you can set it up so alerts go straight to your phone via the app, or setup email alerts.
i played around with the z-wave stuff for a while, its actually quite fast since you can run certain smartapps locally (like motion turn on light). pick up one or two of the $25 monoprice motion sensors and go to town. you can also setup SmartThings as a basic security system with a z-wave strobe/siren and have it include your motion and door/window sensors. so when armed and triggered, set off siren/strobe, send me an alert, and send me a picture from my security camera.
it's not nearly as powerful as CQC, but for the basics in an apartment, i can certainly see the appeal.
Echo for full voice control, Harmony can link so you can use the light buttons on the Companion Remote and kick off triggers, the MiniMote is a 4 button $20 z-wave remote that can act as 8 buttons (short and long press) which you can use to trigger scenes and actions.
add in teh GE Link bulbs connected directly to SmartThings (no hub) and you can do lighting automation, too. Door open turn on lights, control them with Harmony or MiniMote or Voice, set dimmed scenes and wake-up scenes, schedules, the whole shebang.
hell, if you add a Sonos Play:1 down there you could even do TTS announcements, control playlists and favorites, and add all of that stuff into various routines and scenes.
SomeWhatLost Wrote:considering your trials and tribulations with VM's, what exactly are the odds of not screwing up?
Well this time i'm only integrating 2 different technologies, not the 22 in my setup. Sure it'll feel like i'm living in 2007 (oh. gee. lighting & security automated. yay), but even redditors can do that.
jkmonroe Wrote:you can set it up so alerts go straight to your phone via the app, or setup email alerts.
i played around with the z-wave stuff for a while, its actually quite fast since you can run certain smartapps locally (like motion turn on light). pick up one or two of the $25 monoprice motion sensors and go to town. you can also setup SmartThings as a basic security system with a z-wave strobe/siren and have it include your motion and door/window sensors. so when armed and triggered, set off siren/strobe, send me an alert, and send me a picture from my security camera.
it's not nearly as powerful as CQC, but for the basics in an apartment, i can certainly see the appeal.
Echo for full voice control, Harmony can link so you can use the light buttons on the Companion Remote and kick off triggers, the MiniMote is a 4 button $20 z-wave remote that can act as 8 buttons (short and long press) which you can use to trigger scenes and actions.
add in teh GE Link bulbs connected directly to SmartThings (no hub) and you can do lighting automation, too. Door open turn on lights, control them with Harmony or MiniMote or Voice, set dimmed scenes and wake-up scenes, schedules, the whole shebang.
hell, if you add a Sonos Play:1 down there you could even do TTS announcements, control playlists and favorites, and add all of that stuff into various routines and scenes.
I guess I could see if SmartThings is any more reliable in a new construction environment since I already own one. God knows it was awful in my plaster/lathe setup.
I didn't realize GE Link had gotten so cheap. That would be cool.
New idea re
lex: If I get the 1241 low power machine in the other thread, PlexHT has a "sync" feature (I think). I could setup a VPN, click a bunch of movies, and have it download while i'm at work. I could also run Plex Server on it pointing at those downloads, and get a Roku to put at the TV. Then I'd have any Plex file I want, Hulu, Netflix. I'd have to make sure to turn it off when I leave to back to NorCal (or put LogMeIn on it in case I forget).
Yes, i'm only going to be there 3 nights/week, but its hard to explain how little there is to do in Rancho Cucamonga. I could work all day, go to the gym for an hour, and still be home by 8pm utterly bored.