Live data from Hacker News

Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

github.com

181–190 of 344 posts

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think this is unique to Chinese tech companies? Windows 11 put ads in our start menu.

do you mean putting Bing on the start menu? Microsoft just made them opt-in by default and hoped that folks won't notice or care. you can disable them. for Chinese devices, there's no way to disable them. the difference is, for Windows, having Bing on start was a feature (although a bad one). for Chinese devices, you just get ads - you're stuck with ads while changing your brightness.

No, not just Microsoft services or features (or subscription based software), ads for games and apps on their store get jammed in the start menu as well.

And as other commenters have pointed out, lots of budget phones and hardware jam ads all over the place.

Premium hardware too (hello Smart TVs)

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#182

low-end Chinese phones, including Xiaomi and Huawei, show ads on system apps like Settings and Contacts. soon, smart home appliances might also display or speak ads. there's nothing stopping these Chinese companies from doing so - both technologically and ethically. Xiaomi definitely should not lead the way in smart home automation.

Samsung, and some other major players put a lot of ads and bloatware in their phones, TVs, laptops and other appliances. Xiaomi doesn't have ads on global versions of TVs and Phones. I know the Chinese version does have ads.

As a homeowner, I don't know what is worse. Using stuff where the local government can watch and spy on every step or some Chinese guy watching your boring life if you are low-level person.

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#183

HA is awesome but I have found that over time entropy kicks in if you don't maintain it properly (which I haven't done for a year) connections fail, switches stop doing what they are supposed to...it's on my Xmas list to spend some time sorting it out!

My friend has lost 15GB of sensor data because of corrupted MariaDB on his HA instance after an upgrade. It's definitely not a hands-off system.

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#184
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the Land Rover of home automation systems. (Very capable, but also making programmers out of home owners since 2012) edit: I was referring to a sticker that I’ve seen often on enthusiasts' forum posts 'Land Rover - Proudly turning owners into mechanics since 1948'. The old school Defender is a very capable off road vehicle, but its need for regular unscheduled maintenance is legendary. Greetings from a Toyota HZ…

Are Land Rovers extra hackable? Will be in need of a new car in a few years and that would help o.0

HA is not hackable, is a massive blob

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#185
post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been eyeing Valetudo for a while. I think it's a shame that it doesn't and (according to the author) never will support multiple maps. I don't want to have to buy a separate robot for each floor when I can easily carry it to the next floor when it's done.

Yeah the author is very set on his ways. I was thinking about contributing but he doesn't want any help. I read CONTRIBUTING.md and I kind of get it. Respect.

Mad respect indeed. I am not in the target audience for this project, but I just read through the contributing.md page. It is very well written, everything he says makes sense

If there's an issue that affects 3% of users doing something arcane which can be fixed by either a large chunk of code or just by not doing that arcane thing, the latter will be the preferred solution.

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi, I'm using Kasa switches and not sure they can be flashed? Can you provide couple links with the switch and the firmware you used. Thanks

Tasmota runs on hundreds of different devices including switches, plugs, buttons, power strips, sensors, IR & RF gateways, etc. Tasmota homepage: https://tasmota.github.io/docs/ . There are over 2800 devices listed in this user maintained repository: https://templates.blakadder.com/ . Three years ago when I was choosing devices I initially ordered a Kasa switch to try but after a little research quickly realized I di…

Sir, take it from a random person on the internet, you're more than kind. Thank you so much for the details and bits of your own experience to make it relatable. Even though I have many Kasa switches I do want the option 3 that was raised earlier. Again, many thanks.

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#188
post #148
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just use Docker?

There are a few things you can't do with docker (my case was an addon that I wanted). The install docs have a good grid of the differences.

I also don’t think Docker can do ARP network interrogation, though I could be wrong about that. Also not sure how it handles mDNS.

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Besides the questionable rent-seeking behavior from myQ: * I don't want to use an integration that needs a round-trip through the cloud to work. Long-term changes are inevitable (company goes out of business, randomly changes API, etc.) * I fundamentally do not like Amazon Key integration. It gives someone else control over my security hardware which makes me very uncomfortable. I am not sure if it's opt-in or out, b…

Ratgdo doesn't go through the cloud. It's a separate board. You wire it into the opener the same way would a button, and it speaks the serial protocol that a myQ enabled button or console would use. Then it can speak MQTT over wifi. I never paired my opener with any app nor do I have it on WiFi.

Yes, of course. As a matter of fact -- I will be using one of those solutions myself and pair it with HA.

>I never paired my opener with any app nor do I have it on WiFi.

The opener may be advertising "configure me" network (WiFi or BT) -- which (in theory, depending on how bad did they screw the security up) could allow anyone to pair their app with your opener.

I think it might be better to add it to the network but firewall it off No ingress or egress. This is just so that it no longer advertises the configuration network.

Putting it into a faraday cage should also work but I suppose the firewall way is faster

Re: Xiaomi Home Integration for Home Assistant

#190
post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am looking to install a garage opener and due to meatspace constraints I will probably have to use jackshaft. Jackshafts are predominantly LiftMaster and Chamberlain => the smarts are myQ, which I don't want anywhere near my network. Genie jackshafts seem fine, but Genie's reputation is bad to the point where garage door companies may refuse to work on them. These motors also usually come with the ability to hook u…

Just use a LiftMaster/Chamberlain jackshaft opener, never connect it to any network install the ESP32-based ratgdo device into the wiring harness, be done with this issue. Nothing else compares due to the digital integration. ratgdo uses the simple serial protocol that the opener button uses, so it has access to a lot of information.

Thanks, that's the plan. To be precise - - I thought about getting the opener+battery from Overhead and ratgo/konnected.

Since you mention those two manufacturers specifically -- do you know if there's something that disqualifies the Overhead company's one? One downside that I could think of is that I'd be vendor-locked in for parts when it croaks.

Post reply on HN