Hi guys, if you have the time and patience, I would need a little help/advice.
I am new to all this, found HA by ‘mistake’ searching for a way to control my Xiaomi Mi air purifier (pro H) without using cloud and any cloud services (like their Mi App).
Since I am a fan of Synology and I host a lot of stuff locally (calendar,contacts,files,notes etc.) and since Synology NAS has Docker, well … someone sugested HA and here I am
HA configuration on the NAS went well, adding the Mi Purifier almost ok (my model is not fully supported as far as I see, but the basic functions work ok - still I had to use Mi App to set the damn thing - that was very unpleasant …)
When I want to access HA on my iPhone/browser, I make an OpenVPN connection home and it is perfect.
Now I also have some smart outlets/socket that were connected to iOS AppleHome, but I added them to HA too to have everything in one place.
I would now like to purchase some more devices (is it an addiction? ) but I read contradicting things, so wanted to ask you guys it they work or not with HA (without re-programing, writing code, or doing very geeky configs).
I want a door/window sensor, like the ones with two parts (magnetic I guess) - found something like Sonoff DW2 WiFi, others no-name that says IFTTT compatible or Tuya compatible, but not sure I am on the right track with HA …
Hey are welcome to the HA on Synology club We should make T-Shirts
My setup mostly is based on stuff you don’t need to flash new firmware on - I use Zigbee devices with Zigbee stick in Synology. Depending on version of DSM, you’ll need to get drivers. And you don’t need Conbee stick, you can just get one of the recommended stick from Zigbee2mqtt web site. And yes, I use Zigbee2MQTT over ZHA (that is internal to HA) - installation is easy and works nicely in Docker.
Some of the other devices are WiFi based from Shelly - yes, I did have issues with some, but I still would recommend them over some other brands.
IMO - go with Zigbee for Door/Window sensors and for light switches - you can go with Shelly relays.
HA has some many add-ons, you won’t be dissapointed!
My set-up is similar to yours, I’m using a Syno with Docker running HA (and others).
As for devices, you’ll find a split between Zigbee/MQTT & ‘off the shelf’
I’m using Philips Hue & Samsung Smarthings as the bridge to connect devices into HA (Smarthing starter pack is great!)
However, I’ve noticed a lot of people now running Zigbee devices as they’re cheaper, this is my next step.
If I was you, I would look into different device types & methods of connecting.
Again, personally, I’ve gone with Smartthings v2 as my bridge as it’s compatible with most devices… But I’m pretty sure if you did your research, you’ll find something cheaper!
@91JJ and @BeardedConti, thanks for your info. I have been busy and learned fast
I have tried a lot (for a new guy)
Synology DSM7 with CC2531 stick (without antenna) and ZHA - works ok.
Synology DSM6 with CC2531 stick (without antenna) and ZHA - works ok.
Synology DSM7 with CC2531 stick (without antenna) and Zigbee2MQTT + MQTT
this has been very confusing since almost no one mentions you must have an MQTT docker container too … Must be obvious for some, but was not for me
poor experience, lot of configurations and issues, overall not ok for me.
Sensors and stuff used so far:
Ikea Tradfri zigbee light bulbs: ok, but turns on after power loss
(did an automation to allways turn off during day)
aqara door sensor: great
aqara motion sensor: great
athom wifi smart plug (homekit): great
xiaomi air purifier (best buy for what is does): must first use proprietary app and connect to their servers, witch is bad, very bad - having home devices in the cloud is a nightmare for me but hopefully no one will send some bytes to overheat it and start a remote fire
Foscam R2: the integration works, but big delay, lacks options - will keep using Synology Surveillance Station since it is light years ahead.
Anyway, ZHA is perfect for what I need, can run a single container instead of 3 (good for ram/cpu).
) but I read contradicting things, so wanted to ask you guys it they work or not with HA (without re-programing, writing code, or doing very geeky configs).
