Tag Archives: smart home

Door Locks, General Knowledge

Smart Home Lock Comparison

This page is a work in progress. As I test more locks, they will be added here. Thank you for your patience.

Make/Model  Protocol Install Complexity Proximity Unlock Motor Noise Power-fail Backup Hub Command Reliability Lock Status Report Reliability User Report to Hub Reliability
Alfred / DB1-C-BL Bluetooth Z-Wave High USB
Schlage  / BE468 & BE469 Z-Wave Med No High Key See Notes See Notes See Notes
Schlage  / BE468 & BE469  Zigbee Med No High Key High Med Low
 Yale / YRD156  Z-Wave Low No Low 9v High High High
Yale / YRD256 Z-Wave Low No Low 9v High Med-High High

 

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Hubitat, Hubs, Products

Hubitat Elevation Home Automation Hub

  • Hubitat is changing how people live with smart devices, allowing them to “Elevate Their Home”. By combining the advantages of local automation processing with cloud connectivity, Hubitat’s innovative Hubitat Elevation hub ensures personal data privacy and is more reliable and responsive than competitive cloud-based solutions.

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iHome Control, Lighting, Plug In Module, Product Reviews, Smart Switch, Videos

iHome isp5 & isp8 WiFi Smart Plug Setup and Review

Setup & review of the iHome isp5 and iHome isp8 smart plug in modules. As a bonus, we’ll compare this plug in module to the WeMo and TP-Link wifi switches. To date, all of my reviews have been z-wave modules that require a smart home hub like the Wink Hub 2 or Samsung SmartThings.

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Hubs, Logitech, Products, Smart Remote

Logitech Harmony Companion All in One Remote Control for Smart Home and Entertainment Devices

Use your Smartphone (with available app) or included Harmony Remote for one-touch control of your entertainment system and home automation devices such as Philips Hue lights or Nest Learning Thermostat. Companion remote includes full featured home entertainment controls including dedicated home automation controls. Included Harmony Hub lets you control devices hidden behind cabinet doors or walls, including game consoles such as PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360. Simple setup on computer or the available smartphone app – works with over 270,000 devices, including your TV, satellite or cable box, blu-ray player, Apple TV, Roku, Sonos, game consoles, Philips Hue lights, and more.