satman40

X-10 is a thing of the past, Ineston, Lutron is the new in,

Check out Smarthome.com , if you are not a dealer.

Could attend CES, air a CEDIA Show, lot of tech ideas out there,

robroy90

So far, I have a Vera 3 controller from MiCasaVerde, and several Z-Wave outlets and light switches. I also have the Yale Z-Wave deadbolt and I really like what I have going so far. I have a lot more work to do, but it is getting there. I like the fact that the more Z-Wave devices you have, the more reliable it becomes because each device serves as a repeater, as far as I understand it. I also do not advise the IRIS system from Lowe's, but fortunately, the UI7 update to Vera adds support for the Linear/IRIS garage door module, which was the only unit which had me interested in IRIS in the first place. I am going to install those on my garage doors soon. The thought of geo-fenced triggers is especially interesting... I think it is pretty neat that your garage door will just automatically open for me when I get close to the house.

Dodge DeBoulet

I know it's not applicable to tev9999's case, but if you already have a reasonably modern garage door opener and would like to add internet-based control and open/close alerting, you need only purchase the Chamberlain MYQ-G0201. It takes roughly 30 minutes for the hardware installation and software configuration, and (so far) has performed flawlessly for me. I can open or close the garage door via a phone app (or via the MyQ web site), view the status of the door at any time, and get alerts when it's opened or closed. It learns your opener's wireless code in the same way a new remote does, and connects to your home wifi network for app and web access.

It supports most garage door openers made in the last 15-20 years. I was very impressed with its ease of setup and operation.

ScottC

That is the system I am using, but I'm waiting till the Linear interface is supported on my SmartThings so I can replace it. It has not been as reliable as it should be, and I have several emails from Chamberlain apologizing for downtime.

gfunkdave

What is the Linear interface?

boberonicus

I'm guessing this isn't applicable to you, but here's my solution to this problem. My garage door is at the front of my home, so anyone who can open the garage can get in the house. My garage door opener came with a weather-protected keypad that I've mounted outside the house. You can set a temporary code or just tell your house sitter what the regular code is.

ScottC

http://www.amazon.com/Linear-GD00Z-4...ar+garage+door

A hardwired Z-Wave interface. I like it because it is very secure.

DJ Bitterbarn

Just a few comments re: Belkin WeMO, as I recently installed one (the WeMo Switch) at work to do some remote monitoring and then, imagine that, it comes up on FT.

I am sure that their product is good, but from what I can tell you have to be in a very specific subset of users with very standard networking requirements.

1. The WeMo switch I got is 2.4 GHz only. As most people have 2.4 at home, this is fine. Except us, where the work network is 5 GHz only. We've got a 2.4 GHz printer network for the few devices that don't comply, but that leads to issue 2.

2. You can not have spaces or symbols in your network password if you want the WeMo switch to work. No, seriously. The help guide is just "here's how to change your belkin router password". I didn't see a WPS install method either (not that it would matter since we don't have a WPS router). In the end I had to create a frankenetwork where my desktop creates its own mini-WLAN with a compatible password, but even then it was a challenge to find software that would be compatible with the WeMo (hint, setting up a simple command line WLAN is not sufficient, I had to buy connectify to make it work. Changing the router password is not something I could do).

3. The Android app is bad. There's a $9 third-party app out there with great reviews, but the fact that there are great reviews for a $9 app to replace a free app should indicate how bad the free app is. And that's first-party.

While the system itself works most of the time (unless the printer network drops and then my work machine defaults to the 5 GHz network and the switch loses the connection) I might get another WeMo if it were free. But not otherwise.

boberonicus

That's a great review. I avoid 2.4 whenever possible as my neighborhood is buzzing with interference. You've nailed the things one would never find (or even think of looking for) when first searching for a product. Hmm, will it support my existing WiFi password? Of course it will!

DJ Bitterbarn

Well they were certainly things I didn't think of, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. But it was cheap, and that was a factor.

And at worst I'll just replace it, claim the difference, and bring this one home. My router supports dual-band networks anyway and I can at the very least set the 2.4 GHz network to a long password and more limited rights (probably).

gfunkdave

According to the Q&A on Amazon, it works with SmartThings.

http://www.amazon.com/Does-this-work...&store=generic

I am shocked that it doesn't support spaces or symbols in the WPA key. That's a really bizarre limitation.

As for 2.4 vs 5, I have only ever seen 5 with a 2.4. I guess it's because 2.4 is the original standard, so devices tend to support it by default. Whether or not there's interference, you don't need significant bandwidth for the Wemo to get its on/off commands, so it doesn't seem this would really be a limitation. My neighborhood in NYC is abuzz with 2.4 but it works just fine.

The iOS Wemo app works fine, though once in a while if I'm not at home it will "forget" the light switch. This happens mostly at work, where the wifi network blocks the app's communications for some reason. The switch will reappear in the list of devices when I get back home.

When I move to Maine I am SO going to deck the house out with home automation gizmos. Is SmartThings the best one?

cblaisd

For the Wemo camera and outlet, am I going to need a dynamic DNS service? I do not have a static ip with my cable internet provider.

And I don't know a way to remotely discover what the new WAN address is if it changes.

gfunkdave

No, not needed. It's a pretty simple setup, though the app hiccups sometimes during it.

ScottC

That depends - does it need to be wife/significant other approved?

I loved my Vera, but it was not an easy to use system. Basic things like adding modules was just a pain. Smartthings has been quite reliable so far. The app needs a lot of work, but my wife and daughter can use it, and that is my benchmark nowadays

DJ Bitterbarn

That's what I thought, but it checked out since the WeMo worked tethered to my phone no problem, but not to the 2.4 GHz network.

Agreed. Just for some reason the network here is only one or the other, however I think they're off the same box... maybe just different names? But strangely, the 2.4 GHz seems flakier. It's not like we're in a busy place (maybe 5-10 other networks on various channels nearby) but the one everyone uses is the 5 and the 2.4 is sort of "that other one". Although until I did this test nobody knew it was 5 only.

Again, for the majority of people it will probably not be an issue (network key aside) but I was a bit surprised.