Internet Of Things / IoT / Connected Home / Smart Houses

Yep, my only issue was finding somewhere sensible to put the sensors.

Mine are at the top of the door in the middle. It’s a sectional door so works really well.

My Home Assistant broke yesterday. I think it was a failed update, but I couldn't access the web interface and tried everything I could to fix it from the Hassio command line with no joy, so I've wiped the SD card and reinstalled. It was up for about a month I guess.

I'd barely done anything with it, so I'm not losing anything, but it does worry me that if I get more invested in it the same thing could happen again.

I get the logic of a command line + web interface but if it goes tits up and you can't access the web interface you're a bit screwed...

I obviously need to start taking snapshots so I'll look into that.

Sync all your config in a git repo somewhere.

Mine has been up for three or four months now. IME the more you change settings, the more likely it is to fall over.

I've not touched mine for ages, as I'm a but done with it breaking so much, made awkward as I skipped a lot of updates and my yaml structure was utterly incompatible with the newer version.

And https doesn't work any more either.

okay so automated vacuums....

where do we stand?

1. Hardwood, but needs to get up onto two totally normal rugs with tassels / fringe
   
2. Needs to deal with a lot of dirt, but not much else. I'll do the moping.
   
3. Fairly open floor plan but has bar stools and some navigation to cope with. No unusual road blocks.
   
4. We have young children. I would prefer if it didn't attempt to suck up and get caught on the random kids' treasures...
   
   

here's a photo of the kitchen / sitting area. This is totally representative of the whole floor, but double the size.

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Thanks, I'll look into that.

I just tried to update the core, when it came back up with the GUI but in safe mode. I guess I could have fixed it then potentially if I'd googled the issue, but I tried restarting it instead and then next time it booted I couldn't access the GUI.

Fair to suspect SD card fuck up?

Finally, some IoT shit I can actually get behind!

We have a Roborock S5, looks like it would work for you. AFAIK Roborock S4/S6 are mostly the same thing with bin size / vacuum power differences. We always run it on "MAX" mode (little noisy) and make it clean the rooms multiple (mostly 2) times, because a single pass sometimes leaves a little dirt here and there where it gets pushed around and then forgotten.

I have one of the older Roombas. The actual vacuuming is good but often find it easier to quickly whip round with a cordless Dyson than make sure the floor is fully clear for the robot hoover.

Tassels may get caught, mine always seems to end up sucking up some wire and children's toys that I hadn't noticed.

If your floor is clear then they're a great piece of kit.

How to you find cordless Dyson works? As well as a broom but raster and easier? Or less well, but faster for a quick, purposed task?

Better than a broom in that it picks up stuff on the first go. Main issue with it is it's an older model so the battery life isn't great.

Just busting in on the cordless vacuum chat... I have a Dyson, Shark and Vax (I think I have an addiction to buying vacuums).

The shark is the only one that is a genuine replacement for an upright vacuum, the Dyson I have battery only lasts about 10 mins on boost, which is enough time to do a room, but not a floor.

I have a dyson that no longer holds charge and can’t get a replacement battery for. We bought a corded miele recently and it’s awesome, would nearly lift the carpets up if you forget to reduce the power.

Interesting that the best robot vacuum is a corded Miele.

Non-robot chat - wouldn’t buy another cordless dyson. Battery is junk, replacement parts are dear.

We have a cheap Eufy robot, not currently in use. When in use: it’s great that it goes round every night, does a good job getting along the edges of the room, you notice a difference. But- cables, tassels, fringes, are all death. As is anywhere it can get wedged, like a low shelf. We have a long haired rug that kills it which is why it’s not in use. I’d like to try a mapping one, if I could have it avoid the rug.

The replacement battery costs are why my current cordless is a Bosch which uses the same battery packs as their drills etc.

Is Ring stuff (mainly the external cameras) pretty useless without the subscription?

They've got a few bits that do what I want but looking at the specs all the recording seems reliant on having a subscription.

The actual vacuuming is good but often find it easier to quickly whip round with a cordless Dyson than make sure the floor is fully clear.

Isn't this what people do when they employ a cleaner?

You've become a slave to the robot.

Phillips hue, going to get another Bluetooth bulb and control two in the same room from one switch as I CBA to move the proper switch away from a door that's now blocked up. Given that we also have a lamp I was thinking about getting another for that. Is there anything clever I can do regarding light selection/ dimming without the hub? I.e in the day: switch operates both lights but not the lamp, after sunset switch operates lamp? Or am I better off just retaining control of individual lights with two or more switches.

Also any recommendations for a switch cover/ hue switch? I think it's generally not regarded best practice to get rid of the 'hard' switch, but mine need replacing anyway.

The samotech switch covers are decent.

I'd be tempted to get a starter kit with bulb and bridge so you've got the full set of options. They're pretty cheap and you can get the cheap non-bluetooth bulbs

A few days old now, but if anyone's got a Western Digital MyBookLive device you're advised to disconnect it from your router and access it directly as they've had a breach (thread on the WD forums here).

Ours, fortunately, wasn't wiped. I know they're the 'Fisher Price' of the NAS world, but they were very convenient for our video and music files to be shared with Kodi and Sonos-es-es.

Ooh, thanks, I just unplugged mine the other day because I wasn't using it and needed the socket.

@aggi any reason I shouldn't get this? Old model etc?

Looks like the current model. They're on offer reasonably often. Obviously not the bluetooth bulbs but they're not really required when you have the hub. Only the basic bulbs where you can't set the colour temperature but I find those fine.

Yeah the colour temp would have been handy last year, when WFH, but neither me or my partner are now for the foreseeable. Thanks, this is the kind of insider info I needed.

Anyone else in rage mode since hue destroyed widgets in their new android app?

I stop using them a while ago (use Harmony remote or Alexa instead) but if you don't have other controls that would be really annoying. I was thinking that the app was an improvement on the old one as well.