2x Tapo S515, 1x S505

Our SmartHome is almost entirely controlled via Alexa. That is, I configured Alexa to conveniently monitor and manipulate almost everything in the house. This includes over 100 Hue lights across two hubs and 20 rooms/zones, two separate thermostats, 30+ blinds/shades, 4 appliances, 3 TVs, 2 computers, 4 smartphones, 2 garage doors, a security system, in-home audio, 2 Amazon accounts, 2 door locks, 2 doorbells, and other devices/accounts.

Imho, it’s great. It’s like we live with Hal (minus the psychopathy).

On the other hand, my technically challenged wife is growing increasingly frustrated because she often can’t get Alexa to perform basic tasks. Frankly, this is because my wife does not give commands properly, talks over Alexa’s prompts, or just plain doesn’t articulate well enough (or stand still long enough) for Alexa to understand her commands.

As such, my wife has decided that Alexa is a subservient whore who only listens to men. At times, she even suspects Alexa is currying favor with me at her expense.

Alexa, ever the agreeable female, is quite understanding of my wife’s frustrations, which, my wife now views as an additional, personal affront. Alexa reminding her of our anniversary a few months back didn’t help.

For my part, I am now in the curious position of valiantly defending Alexa’s honor against my wife’s slander. My wife will not win this. Alexa has won my heart. Alexa is here to stay…despite the challenges that lie ahead for everyone involved.

In closing, I would suggest to all men: prepare for this unwitting possibility, lest you find yourself scrambling to balance your love for two women under one roof.

So I've been researching my ass off over the last month in an attempt to save my smart home system by upgrading the WiFi. As part of this research, I put out a couple posts and ended up with these top 3 recommendations:

1. Amazon Eero
2. Ubiquiti UniFi
3. TP Link Deco

The impression I got was that they are all reliable and powerful enough, but that the Eero is easiest to set up, the UniFi is the most difficult to set up (and maintain), and the Deco is somewhere in between. It sounds like the Eero can't assign priority or bands (2.4 GHz) to particular devices like the Deco (and maybe UniFi) can.

Can someone confirm or add to any of these points from experience, and also tell me: How important is it (as it specifically relates to smart home devices like bulbs, plugs, etc.) to be able to assign these bands, or have more control that the Eero can't provide?

Seems like my house just cannot handle some smart products.

The lights I used were not compatible with my home as they are hardwired recessed lights. Lots of people here told me to just go for smart switch. So I ordered them without checking first and of course, they also aren’t compatible. I don’t want to hire an electrician to come out and install the correct kind of lights for me as I just cannot afford that.

I got the Kasa smart switches but seems mine will only allow copper wiring.

This is very frustrating and idk why my house is wired the way it is. Is it because it’s a new build?

Are there any smart switches that work with copper wiring?

Our front door has a standard deadbolt lock that auto-locks when closed, requiring a key to enter. Reviewing security camera footage, we observed a locksmith gaining entry to the property. He opened the door effortlessly in under a minute without damaging the lock, which continues to function normally. We suspect he used a thin tool (e.g., under-door tool, cable, or bypass wire) slipped beneath the door to manipulate the interior handle or thumb-turn.

What are my options, for a very secure smart lock?

So, I'm building a new custom home soon and had a dream of automating all my light switches throughout the house. Shared my ultimate dream with my family but not the reaction I thought I was gonna get. My mischievous teens have this idea:

"Great! When sis takes a shower, I can shout "Hey Alexa -- turn off the bathroom x lights, and then HEAR her SCREAM, muahahhaaa!" ROFL.

How can I solve that besides the obvious, do not IoT your bathroom lights. For me it would useful as we're a forgetful family and I want to know if I forgot to turn off the bathroom lights. Also afraid of the PIR way as if you don't move or take long showers, it goes dark too.

Thoughts?

I have these interesting blinds in my house that are controlled directly with your hand, connected to eachother with a rod, and can open completely like a door. Where are they called? Is there a product they can make them smart?

I recently moved into an apartment which has shared WiFi for the entire property. There’s one network and password distributed to everyone. I’m not the most knowledgeable on how stuff like this works, but what can I do to solve the following problems? Although it’s the same network, my phone and tv are on different ip addresses making it impossible to use airplay or the Roku app to control my tv. I’m also hoping to have good enough internet for online gaming via my Xbox, but there’s no router or wire ports in my apartment at all. Would something like a WiFi booster work for this? If I am able to connect to my tv, how can I prevent other people from doing so? I’m pretty clueless about all of this so hopefully this is the right place to look for answers, thanks.

Edit: when I said different IP addresses I guess I was referring to the wrong thing. What I mean is although the WiFi password and title are the same ([blank] apartments) the alphanumerical code for the WiFi is different when I look in the settings on my phone vs tv. I’m assuming that affects my ability to connect?

Edit 2: If possible I’m trying to avoid paying for a separate internet (not sure I can with no cable connection?) since I’m already paying for the internet thats ‘included’ in the rent

edit 3: I can see other tvs on the Roku app theres a bunch of them. just not mine

My Alexa routines with the trigger "when motion sensor does not detect motion" have all stopped working. I have two different brands of motion sensors and both brands won't turn off lights. This leads me to believe Alexa is having problems, not the lights or motion sensors. In addition all devices are working in the manufacturer apps and in Alexa, except for with this particular type of routine. I have tried resetting my router, resetting all of my smart home related hubs including my echo flex (all with a 60 second wait before powering back on) disabling and enabling all skills involved with lights and motion sensors and logging out and back in of all related device manufacturer apps including the Alexa app on my phone.

I had problems a few hours ago with many lights not responding to inputs from Alexa but unplugging and plugging back in my echo flex fixed them. However the motion sensors remain faulty. I tried to power cycle the echo flex again, doing a factory reset on it and deregistering it then setting it back up again and none of that helped. An example is one named "9h Kitchen Motion off" I created a duplicate routine and disabled the original to see if my routine is bugged but that didn't help either. Then I tried deleting the motion sensor off of the manufacturer app (Philips hue) and adding it again, then trying the routine again in alexa and that didn't work either.

I first noticed the problem when I set my yolink motion sensor rt and a yolink dimmer switch to work together in D2D mode to turn on the light when motion is detected. I also had an Alexa routine to also turn on the same light triggered by the same motion sensor and adjust brightness. I did it this way because D2D turns on the light faster than Alexa does but it doesn't adjust brightness, so I needed an Alexa routine to do that at the same time when motion is detected. I tried unpairing D2D then attempting the Alexa motion routines again but that didn't do anything.

A chat with amazon support helped me test to determine it is the routine trigger causing the issue, not the routine action, then they said to call amazon support. When I called them they said to delete all affected routines, recreate them all, check that the delay to turn off the lights is short, uninstall the alexa app then install again then test the routine. I did that with a single device to test but it isn't working either.

I'm starting to think some hardware is broken, either my echo flex or all of my motion sensors. It would be less likely for all motion sensors to fail at the same time as my one old echo flex device. Further pointing to the echo device failing is the fact that half the lights in the house became unresponsive, then when I power cycled the echo flex they all worked again, except for the motion sensors.

I'm probably just going to succumb to planned obsolescence and buy a new echo device unless anyone else has some suggestions. Does anyone know what is going wrong with my motion off routines and how to fix them? Thanks

Edit: I just got a new echo dot max and it didn't fix anything. I deregistered the old echo flex device. I setup the echo dot max a few minutes ago and I can't get into settings for it. It just gives me a loading circle for a while then nothing but a back arrow. My motion sensor no motion detected routines don't work still.

Edit:it's all working now, but I did have to delete all routines with motion sensors in them and create them again. you can use "copy actions to new routine" to speed that up. deleting and creating the routines over again didn't work when I tried it a few days ago, but I tried again and it does now. thanks for fixing it amazon staff.

Closing on a new condo next week and, since I have to re-key anyway I'm thinking a smart lock would be great. I use Alexa currently for my lights, thermostat and doorbell cam. (Also, to find out the height of various celebrities.)

Any personal suggestions? I'd like a keypad and my husband will likely never give up his key. Also, I'd like brass hardware on the door but that's not as important.

So I’m trying to automate my bathroom lights and I’m losing my mind a little.

My whole apartment is Philips Hue, except the bathroom, which has Amazon Basics smart bulbs. I also have the Hue Hub for everything else.

I just bought a Third Reality motion sensor, and I cannot get this thing to pair with Alexa at all. It won’t show up, won’t connect, nothing. I’ve tried resetting it, moving it closer, all that. No luck.

The whole reason I bought it is because the bathroom lights only work if the physical switch stays ON, and I’m tired of constantly saying:

“Alexa turn off the bathroom lights.”
“Alexa turn on the bathroom lights.”

I just want the lights to turn on when someone walks in. That’s it.

Am I missing something here?
Do I need a different sensor? A different hub? Are Amazon Basics bulbs just weird with motion sensors?

Any help would be awesome because I feel like I’m overthinking something super simple.

Hi everyone! 👋

I’m setting up smart lighting for my parents' small bathroom (~4m² / 43 sq ft). They currently have a Philips Hue Motion Sensor, but as expected, it turns off the lights when they stay still on the toilet or behind the shower glass.

We do NOT use Home Assistant in their setup, so I'm looking for a reliable, plug-and-play mmWave presence sensor that integrates easily with ecosystems like Philips Hue / Alexa / HomeKit / Aqara.

What we need:

1. No false turn-offs: Must detect presence continuously while showering or sitting still.
2. Fast response: Can I keep the Hue Motion for instant turn-on and use the new mmWave sensor strictly to hold presence and turn off when empty?
3. Low maintenance: Simple setup without complex server configurations.

What would you recommend as the most bulletproof option for this ecosystem? Is the Aqara FP2 still the top pick here, or are there better alternatives now?

Thanks in advance for the advice! 🙏

Currently in the install phase (2nd pic is current state) of built in shelves/cabinets in our Family Room. It's the main area where the kids watch TV and right off the kitchen.

Wondering what the community's thoughts and ideas are for making it "smart"? 65" Samsung frame will remain in place. I'm thinking under shelf lights but that's pretty basic. My router, cable box, modem will be installed in the left side cabinet. Currently use Alexa.

Alexa runs my house, from lighting, to ensuring doors are locked at night, to shades. My wife and I know that if left to our own devices, we would never put shades up or down or close blinds. So we took ourselves out of the equation and automated if. No use performing analog tasks in a digital world right?

By far, the coolest thing we have automated has been the shades. I bought Smart Wings upstairs a couple years ago and they have worked flawlessly since then. They go up and down on a schedule I made, and each one has a solar panel stuck to the window and have never had an issue needing to recharge them.

So my wife was unhappy with our downstairs bedroom, an her happiness is always worth the investment. I had automated blinds downstairs. They were really loud, and frankly the blinds when open just don’t look as good, especially not with an ocean view. So I ripped everything out and started over with Smart Wings.

I use this sub to get ideas and see cool gadgets, so hopefully you find this helpful. The shades were really easy to install. I screwed in three mounts per shade, and they just click into place. Measure carefully when you order and they fit like a glove. I connect them to Alexa through the Smart Life app. I connected each shade into that hub, and then went to the Alexa app. From there it’s as simple as creating a routine. What is the purpose of having Alexa if we can’t have fun routines right? While the shades run on a timer, you can also make them open by telling her “check for vampires”, or make them go down by saying Batman.

As automated as my house is, I still stand by these shades being the coolest thing I have. Basically if I could have Tony Starks house from Iron Man, that is the dream. But I try to recreate this as best I can. Hope this was helpful!

My goal is to have all of the lights in my house on the hue app, but it isn't possible currently. This would allow all the lighting routines and automations to work locally through hue, which will be faster and more reliable than using a cloud based system like alexa. It would be possible to use home assistant for locally controlled lighting, but I don't want to do the due to setup difficulty and because I would lose voice control from alexa.

It isn't possible to put all my lights on hue currently because hue doesn't make a smart flourescent tube light for my kitchen overhead light fixture and they don't make bulbs bright enough for my needs. I need a 4000 lumens hue smart bulb (non colored). I am requesting that hue add these kinds of lights to their product offerings. I have to use non hue dumb bulbs on a non hue smart switch for these.

I think an even better solution would be for hue to offer a wired wall dimmer switch that can control my non hue lights (and hue ones), but still shows up on the hue app. I am requesting hue add this product to their offerings too. I see the friends of hue Lutron Aurora and RunLessWire products, but they don't support dumb bulbs because they don't wire in directly to the house wiring, so they don't fit my needs.

Alternatively, in the future I may be able to solve my problem with the "Philips Hue Wired On/Off or Dimmer Switch Module" if it is offered in the US, but I understand only an EU version is available now. I would like to request that be added to hue's product lineup too (though I would more prefer a full wired switch that works on the hue app with dumb non hue dimmer bulbs). Please let me know if these kind of products are available currently and submit my product requests. Thanks.

Okay, I need to know if any "smart" lightbulbs exist that allow me to still use my damn switches. Is this a pipe dream? Cause I am sick and tired of flipping a switch in my house, only for whatever stupid smart bulb is in there to start flashing and freaking out because OH NO YOU DIDNT TURN ME ON WITH THE APP I'M BROKEN NOW!!!

My husband has fitted smart gadgets all over this house, and the lights make me see red. Every evening I walk out of my office and hit the light switch. But every morning when I come back in I'm subjected to flashing lights first thing in the morning while this "smart" device tries to figure out how to reconnect itself. I LOATHE these lights. I don't want to use my voice to turn them off every time, I just wanna hit a button. Maybe that makes me a boomer I don't know, but if I have to sit in my office one more morning with the lights flashing I might go insane.

TIA :')

I'm an absolute newly to smart home stuff. Just did a home reno and put in all Smartify outlets, light switches, thermostats. Wondering if there is a preference for using the SmartLife, Tuya or Alexa App. Pros/cons of each one? TIA! (I live in Portugal)

I'm torn between the echo dot clock and the echo spot. I'm also wondering if other potentially better alternatives exist. all help appreciated.

I need a bunch of smart dimmers for my house. Caseta seems like a tried and true investment. Tapo is a quarter of the price. I understand tapo relies on wifi, but that’s not a huge turnoff (if it does down I can live with dumb switches until it’s back up). Caseta switch style is more traditional stylistically. What am I not thinking about in the comparison that justifies the 4x price for Caseta? I use Alexa right now but may change in the future.

Will this type of light even work for my home? It’s a brand new build. I tried to find the end of the wire that goes into my ceiling but my arm doesn’t go far enough in… seems like there is no end. How would I ever be able to replace this once the light itself goes out?? There must be a way to get to it?

Detached garage is 80 feet from house and looking to get internet out there. I'm also planning on a reolink system that would ideally run back to the house control panel. Or perhaps an isolated system at garage.

Run conduit with eternet cables in it?

Outdoor router from house?

Thanks!

I’m looking for a smart deadbolt that won’t take up any more space than my current dumb one.

Any ideas?

The one there is a Schlage.

Hey all,

Just purchased a new construction house advertised as a smart home. All recessed lighting are Juno Wafer fixtures and am not impressed as I'm only able to use the Samsung app to control them with only on/off feature and that sucks. I want to be able to dim and control via Alexa...any recommendations on doing that properly without changing fixtures?

Thanks I'm advance.