I’d like to know what my options are when it comes to implementing a “smart” light system.
I’d like the following:
radio communication but not wifi, that can cover a radius of about 10m
on/off and optionally dim, but color is not a priority
coexistence with traditional light switches. I have no idea how new bulbs get wired. Are you supposed to leave them always on and control it only from the app?
no cloud/apps (or the option to disable it). I intend to control it only from HomeAssistant
bonus points if the software of the bulb is open source/has custom firmware, so that they won’t be obsoleted by the manufacturer
competitive price per bulb
bonus if the same technology can also control sensors, relays, etc
I know a bit about zigbee, but I am not experienced with this technology and I could use a comparison between the available features.
After some searching, it seems that SonOff switches are the cheapest alternative and can be integrated with existing light switches with a bit of tweaking and soldering.
@Bobby_Nobble: You’re right. I’m hoping wifi will not be an issue with their esp chipsets - we’ll see. I hope they don’t disconnect and remain offline often. Regarding dimming - on second thought I would need bulbs that support dimming, so that’s another expense.
@Tinkerer: Yes, ZWave would be ok if there are other ZWave things in the house.
I have no issues with wifi personally but do make sure you have a capable router that can deal with the large number of devices you’ll have running on your network and has wifi that is still a decent strength where your furthest switch will be.