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Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

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Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#301
post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That said (and you touched on this) the average consumer is not prepared to deal with any of that, maybe that will change but as of today it's not easy or even possible with most consumer-grade hardware. Right, at one point it looked like something like UniFi could show the way there, but Ubiquiti unfortunately has turned into a development dumpster fire and really lost its way, and I don't know of anyone else atte…

I haven't followed the AmpliFi line closely to know if it has easy VLAN support but yeah... I really like the UniFi offerings but a fulling working UniFi system (excluding the UDM) costs ~$800 from my last estimate. I'm saving for it but that's cause I'm a weirdo who enjoys those kinds of things. If you don't mind me asking what networking stack are you using? Also thank you for the very well thought out and reasoned…

Depends on what you mean by "Fully Working"

I have a UniFi AP for WiFi, and a EdgeRouterX for route/switch. Of course the EdgeRouterX does not have the Fancy UniFi Management Portal but...

That was alot less than $800, I think I maybe have $125 in the hardware

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#302
post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Amazon is choosy on what features you can implement Allowing someone to holler into an open (or recently broken) window to open my front door sounds terrifying.

I bet you sleep fine knowing anyone can simply pick your locks to get in using knowledge easily obtained on YouTube and using tools readily available.

To sleep fine you can use the type of a lock that only opens from inside with turn of a knob (deadbolt?).

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC Amazon does allow for this. I use Smartthing + Homebridge for operating my lock (Prompts me on my phone to unlock the door when I get near the house and locks the door when I close it) but I do have Alexa as well and I at least looked into using it to lock/unlock. For the unlock I have to read off a pin, it will lock without needing a pin.

We truly live in the future.

I’m not sure if you are joking/mocking but for me at least it’s super convenient to tap a notification on my watch as I pull into my driveway and way directly into my house (detached garage I don’t park in so I enter through the front door). It’s also nice to know anytime I close the door it will lock behind me. I quite enjoy living in the future.

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#304
post #301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't followed the AmpliFi line closely to know if it has easy VLAN support but yeah... I really like the UniFi offerings but a fulling working UniFi system (excluding the UDM) costs ~$800 from my last estimate. I'm saving for it but that's cause I'm a weirdo who enjoys those kinds of things. If you don't mind me asking what networking stack are you using? Also thank you for the very well thought out and reasoned…

Depends on what you mean by "Fully Working" I have a UniFi AP for WiFi, and a EdgeRouterX for route/switch. Of course the EdgeRouterX does not have the Fancy UniFi Management Portal but... That was alot less than $800, I think I maybe have $125 in the hardware

Yes I mean:

* Cloud key

* 4-port POE switch

* Security gateway

* WiFi AP

I wanted to go all-in if I did it.

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#305
post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The trouble with that is that you can't change it in case e.g. some temporary visitor to your house snaps a picture of the key.

That shouldn't do them any good. The device should require it to be in pairing mode for the key to do anything.

But then what do you need the key for? In theory somebody else could try to pair with it while you have it in pairing mode, but they would have to be on your property for that and could potentially see the key anyway. So you go slap them with a trout or call the police or something, and then go back to setting up your future garbage.

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#306
post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Amazon is choosy on what features you can implement Allowing someone to holler into an open (or recently broken) window to open my front door sounds terrifying.

I, on the other hand, am on the 17th floor. Anyone who can holler at a smart device in my apartment has already compromised something important, and could probably get in anyway. Also, just require a passphrase? To go full star trek, "[Alexa/Google/Siri], unlock the front door, authorisation singingboyo Alpha Pi Pi Zulu" sounds workable.

Or you could use voice authentication... or require that known phones are within range, or best yet don't link your smart speaker to your door lock (when do the pros outweigh the cons here?)

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#307
post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So who says you should need their app? It should be a published protocol, and then you use whatever app you want that speaks the protocol instead of some heinous dreck from the manufacturer.

The part where they can't resist? So no, there will not be a published protocol.

Isn't the topic of the article that they are trying to create a standard?

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#308

For someone who thinks Zigbee already is an open standard, well, it is NOT really open though. A standard being publicity available does not always make it open-source friendly. Linux considers it a proprietary protocol [1] so Zigbee driver cannot be part of Linux kernel. Although Zigbee spec allows non-commercial individuals to freely use it, a commercial organization must be a member of the Zigbee Alliance in order…

I'm sort of reminded of the book "Schiit Happened" from the Schiit guys (they make cool headphone amps). They documented how they started their business.

One thing they mentioned is that apart from RCA jacks, all the surround sound standards are tied up and closed.

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#309
post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they kept the already known secret key for pairing bulbs in the new supposedly secret version of Zigbee it was obvious they didn't care about security at all

After all the "S" in IoT stands for Security.

I literally have an SSID on my Ubiquiti WAP with that as the name.

Re: Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to develop connectivity standard

#310

Given how closed Apple is with HomeKit, and how Google removed the Nest API, I don't have high hopes for whatever this is exactly.

HomeKit isn't that closed. You can basically add anything to HomeKit yourself as a hobbyist. The only restriction is on commercial sales of products. There's dozens of HomeBridge plugins that act as a glue for non HomeKit devices.
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