"Smart" lights reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ThisIsFineIGus · 2023-10-30 02:37 So, I got a few Amazon A-words a few years ago and some smart lights and all that and they were the bees knees... For a week, then the novelty wore off. Two years later, I'm just stuck in my routine of "get ready for bed" and the lamp turns on so I can shut off the room light, then "night light" and it turns red at 3% brightness and shuts off after 20 minutes. Well, the a-word is just so filled with ads and stuff now. I guess I trust them enough to "not listen to everything I say" but, it's just getting annoying. Also, when my a-word and the lightbulbs are on the same WiFi, I can't turn my light on when the internet is down! I have an ESX box at home - it's just an old Dell desktop so no crazy resources - but it could run another VM just fine. 1) What are the options for running a server that can listen to me and do things? Obviously I'd need a mic, etc. (I know Windows has more overhead but I'm most comfortable with that, but I know enough Linux to make it work, and I'm good at following documentation). 2) My smart lights are Kasa - so... Would a self-hosted server be able to control those? Would it still need their app? So, would it still not work when the internet is down? 3) What aren't I thinking of I might need to know? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- clintkev251 · 2023-10-30 02:50 I would start with home assistant, that can connect to you lights and probably a lot of other things in your house and make them a lot smarter than they are today. I don't personally use Kasa, but the integration is listed as being fully local so that should eliminate any concerns on point 2home [https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/tplink/](https://www.home- assistant.io/integrations/tplink/) Voice control is a little tougher... Home assistant is working on this, but it's not ready for prime time yet. There are other solutions like Willow, which I would also say is not ready to replace your Alexas. You could also continue to use your Alexas and integrate them into Home Assistant as well (though the Alexa itself will still be internet dependent) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ThisIsFineIGus · 2023-10-30 02:56 I wouldn't mind a handheld remote type thing - can't say I've ever looked in to that - if that's something that home assist would support? I'll read up on this. I'm not so worried about the 'privacy concerns' I'm just getting sick of the ads, and getting things to work without internet would be nice (right now all my IOT devices are on a 'guest' WiFi to keep them separate, but still - not being able to turn a light because the internet is down is just silly lol). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- clintkev251 · 2023-10-30 02:59 Sure, there would be tons of options for that. I have a Hue remote that sits in my desk that I use to control the lights and ceiling fan in my office. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- water_we_wading_for · 2023-10-30 04:10 Note that you can turn “recommendations” off in the app. More > settings > notifications > Amazon shopping > turn off shopping recommendations. Those may be some of the ads you’re hearing. I don’t have a suitable alternative to suggest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ThisIsFineIGus · 2023-10-30 04:38 Yep, done this. Have it all off in the app AND on the device itself. There was an update a few months ago, google it, you can shut everything off - AND put it in 'do not disturb' - and it still shows you random shit. They're cheap devices, they gotta make them pay for themselves. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JesJHoward · 2023-10-30 12:07 This is a bit of a rabbit hole, but here's my setup: I use Google Home as my voice assistant, several throughout the house. I also self host OpenHab (for connection between Google and my smart home. Also for their tablet interface) and Node-Red ( for the actual logic. OpenHab is more complicated than I would like. Node-Red is easier for me. Also Node-Red and OH talk to each other, so no worries there). I also host my own MQTT server which I use to control my devices. ​ I use several Sonoff devices flashed with a custom firmware called Tasmota. This allows them to be used completely offline as long as the MQTT server is up in my house. If the internet ever goes out, I cannot use Google to control anything, but the tablet on my wall is fully functional as well as the app. ​ If you already have Kasa lights, then Home Assistant may be the way to go for you, but I can't vouch for it as I don't use it. I built my system from the ground up with local control in mind. It's more work up front, but when something isn't functioning I know why ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Franvcg · 2023-10-30 12:38 You can host home assistant and flash your wifi smart lamps with Tasmota so they're 100% local and will work even without internet. Also, for some reason Tasmota is way more stable than the tuya firmware that would need to be re-setup every once in a while for me. I still use Alexa for voice controls tho, because it's more convenient, but just for that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- tech2but1 · 2023-10-30 14:37 Never had a single advert on any of mine.