You can program your smart home devices to execute some impressive automations, but these programmable conveniences usually come with a trade-off: the privacy of you and yours. The many titans of smart home tech — including major brands like Amazon, Google, and Apple — rely on cloud-tethered software to run the show. The more data mining, the better these companies get to know your daily habits and user preferences; this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but a lot of this data is processed and logged externally.
Enter Home Assistant (HA): an alternative, localized interface for all things smart home. Unlike the Alexa and Google Home apps, HA is open-source software — available via a web browser or the HA app — that doesn’t need to talk to an off-site server to automate your smart products. The platform provides you with numerous tools and settings to control and monitor your devices and automations. Those migrating from big-brand software may need a minute to get acclimated, but completing one (or all) of these HA weekend projects should help you quickly get comfortable.
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Use presence sensors to automate your space
Give mmWave a shot
One of the best parts of operating a smart home is being able to walk in a room, and without saying anything, your lighting dims, and a preferred playlist is cued via smart speaker. This is exactly the kind of programming HA allows for; you’ll just need to invest in a few millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensors. These are radar-powered motion detectors that can pick up on minuscule movements; that way, your automations will only stop once you’ve officially left the room.
You’ll first need to set up the HA software on a web browser and/or the Home Assistant app. You’ll also need to purchase some ESP32 sensors to integrate your mmWave sensors with your greater HA system. The idea is to create automations that strictly react to presence, not manual activation or voice commands. HA offers numerous control dashboards for smart tech, but you’ll want to focus on the automation editor. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes, then create a new automation. Next, designate your mmWave sensor as a trigger.
You’ll then be able to select a smart home device and its corresponding action. HA also lets you set conditions, so the automation will only be carried out under specific circumstances (e.g., smart blinds only lower after 8pm).
- Power Source
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Two replaceable CR2450 batteries
- Compatability
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Apple Home, Home Assistant, Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, Homey
2
Create a home security hub
Optimized and convenient surveillance
On the one hand, it’s awfully nice to have all these security cameras, video doorbells, and smart locks to choose from. But controlling all this hardware often means bouncing between multiple apps; not with HA fixed on tap. The software is able to onboard new and existing surveillance products (Settings > Devices & services), and you’ll be able to set up an interactive dashboard to monitor and manage your security gear. Bonus points if you run all the sensors and wiring for an NVR setup!
You could set up one card to display a live feed of all the Ring cameras you have mounted outdoors; another card can be configured to show the lock-unlock status of your front door. You can even set up automations to notify you when motion is detected after a certain time, and if it is, you can program one or several devices to be triggered, too (e.g., smart lights turning on).
Some security cameras will still require cloud storage to log event recordings. HA can do a lot of things, but it can’t stop Ring from relying on external servers to archive your front-door findings.
3
Build a network monitoring system
See what is and isn’t pinging
It can be frustrating when your Internet of Things (IoT) gadgetry falls offline. What’s even more aggravating is not knowing which devices are failing, which could help you isolate your Wi-Fi’s potential weak points. Fortunately, the greater HA community is on the job. Not only does the base software provide you with network monitoring tools — via the System monitor and Diagnostics integrations — but you’ll also be able to utilize some user-created extensions.
I came across this one HA project called Device Pulse over on the HA community forums. While it’s not an end-all, be-all graphical interface, it’s a custom integration that essentially provides a heart-rate monitor for your IP-connected devices. The creator (username pdn) even built in a customizer that lets you determine how many failed pings a device receives before it’s declared offline. Device Plus also lets you add two cards to an HA dashboard: a connection status timeline and a dynamic table view.
It pays to get as much of a visualization of your network activity as possible. You could even go as far as creating an automation that triggers a specific light or other IoT tech when hardware loses Wi-Fi access.
Home Assistant keeps the smart home in your hands
As much as I like the idea of thinking I can trust Big Tech with my user data, I’m not there yet and probably will never be. I’m also not alone, and that’s one of the biggest reasons Home Assistant and its user community exist in the first place. And don’t be afraid: HA may look a bit intimidating on the surface, but you can start small. Run it on a trusted browser and build one or two simple automations. I have a feeling that once you realize how intuitive it actually is, you’ll make a full switchover to HA living.