Self Contained Controller or PC

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  • mbuckhurst
    Automated Home Lurker
    • May 2006
    • 7

    Self Contained Controller or PC

    I used to run an X10/Homeeasy home automation and security set up, this worked well, but without status values I was finding devices on when they should have been off etc. Plus it was awfully slow sometimes.

    So swapped most of this to run a system from Alertme, although a little cumbersome it worked well, I always know when my lights are on and the alarm seems to work well, only downside, they seem to have completely lost interest in the system and getting bits is hard and I've got no faith they won't simply pull the plug sometime in the future.

    So I need to move on, I played with z-wave a long time ago, so have a few HomePro ZRP210 controllers etc so it seems to make sense to stick with z-wave. But was wondering what's the best way to go standalone box, like the Vera lite or PC and usb dongle.

    My requirements

    1) It needs to be cheap, so either a standalone box or usb stick + free or nearly free software. I have a 24x7 PC already, so not an issue.
    2) Ideally works with HomePro modules
    3) If standalone box, it mustn't rely on a third party website to configure

    Any suggestions please? Especially PC software as it seems the usb stick can be had for just over £40.

    thanks

    mike
  • toscal
    Moderator
    • Oct 2005
    • 2061

    #2
    Why not have a look at the Loxone miniserver.
    .
    IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
    Renovation Spain Blog

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    • mbuckhurst
      Automated Home Lurker
      • May 2006
      • 7

      #3
      Originally posted by toscal View Post
      Why not have a look at the Loxone miniserver.
      .
      Thanks for the suggestion.

      I'm afraid that's too expensive, I've got to get the initial setup (i.e. proof of concept) running for less than £250, this would need to include 3 appliance modules (hopefully zero cost as reusing existing modules) and a PIR, so I can automate the lights in one room, then expand that system over time, unless the Alertme system gets dumped too soon, in which case it might require a major investment in hardware.

      mike

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      • zcapr17
        Automated Home Jr Member
        • Oct 2014
        • 20

        #4
        Hi Mike,

        I'm in a similar situation to you in that I'm trying to decide which HA controller to go for, and I'm currently considering both software-only and hardware solutions.

        On the hardware side, I've looked into Fibaro and Vera products and my conclusion that all these types of hardware solutions are closed-source. This means the UIs are a little more polished and there's arguably a gain in reliability, but you're at the mercy of the vendor as to whether they support your devices or not. You're also looking at a few £100's for their proprietary hardware. Neither seem to rely on a cloud service or website to configure.

        On the software side, you have the choice of free open-source solutions such as OpenHAB, Fhem, Home Genie, etc, but also commercial closed-source products such as Homeseer and InControl. Interestingly, Homeseer can be run on either their propriety hardware, or on your own PC.

        For me, I value the flexibility to hack around and write my own interfaces, so I'm leaning towards an open-source software solution. Plus, I'm happy that my home server has been pretty bulletproof over the last few years so I don't see that there's much to gain from spending several £100's on a propriety hardware HA controller. If it turns out that I'm spending too much time hacking, or that the solution isn't reliable enough, then I'll consider switching to proprietary software product and only consider a hardware-integrated solution as a last resort.

        If a cheap solution is your #1 requirement I would suggest a z-wave USB dongle and just try out some of the free stuff and see how it goes. If you want to go for a hardware solution you can always flog the usb stick on ebay and you haven't lost much at all. I can't make any comment on specific support for HomePro modules though.

        Z.

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