I’ve been on a bit of a quest to find ways to link all the various smart devices I’ve acquired over the years. I have IKEA Tradfri lights, Osram (Now Sylvania) RGB bulbs, and BroadLink SP3 wireless outlets. Unfortunately, they all use different and not totally compatible solutions. Previously, I’ve used my Google Home to control my RGB lights in my bedroom and office, an IKEA Tradfri remote for my IKEA lamps in the living room, and an app on my phone to control my Wifi outlets.
I’ve heard Apple’s HomeKit is pretty seamless and works with multiple protocols, but I’m not an Apple ecosystem user, so it’d likely mean I’d also be buying an old iPod or iPad to have an interface to it. Lucky for me, there’s another solution that’s open source and home-hostable. It’s called Home Assistant, and its list of components is LARGE.
Home Assistant can run on a RaspberryPI, or any Linux install. I’m running a variant called HASS.io as a VM on my home server. HASS.io adds an app store that allows you to add additional plugins. I used this to originally connect my SmarterThings Hub, but I’ve since found out that Samsung has disabled the ability to hook into SmarterThings from external controls. I’ve since purchased a $20 used Osram Zigbee controller that paired with my lights in seconds and was recognized by Home Assistant easily.
I’ve not yet added my IKEA devices, because I have to crack out my old Phillips HUE bridge, but it’s looking like every piece, even nifty Tradfri remote control, will work with Home Assistant. I’m also going to expand to see what automations I can make, so that it automatically shuts off most of the power in my apartment when I leave, that it adjusts lights on a schedule, and that it means I can achieve the technological dream envisioned by The Clapper.
You can even use it to order pizza!