"home false sense of security" :P

[JustinG]

Skybell or Nest

[WRXtranceformed]

Rings hardware and software is complete trash. Fortunately their customer service was good, they didn't hesitate to give me a full refund when I sent it all back

[JustinG]

I'm probably not gonna renew FP, so gonna get rid of my stuff if anyone wants to throw me some cash for door sensors, slim Skybell, Cams, etc

Lately it's just been a smart home hub, which it doesn't do well. Got a Smart Things hub and will start doing self monitoring.

I'll post up a FS ad with everything I have.

[Jake]

I'm probably not gonna renew FP, so gonna get rid of my stuff if anyone wants to throw me some cash for door sensors, slim Skybell, Cams, etc

Lately it's just been a smart home hub, which it doesn't do well. Got a Smart Things hub and will start doing self monitoring.

I'll post up a FS ad with everything I have.

What's the issue with Frontpoint?

Still haven't picked anything out for my parents but pressure will increase as they are moving late February or so.

[JustinG]

No issues at all with the monitoring/service. Just feel like I'm wasting money.

I'm paying them to monitor my home for theft/fire, yet I'm here 20hrs out of the day during the week.

We primarily use it as a home automation hub, which it does, but compared to a new $50 Smart Things hub it's like flip phone vs smart phone.

It's just behind in home automation/integration with other systems, compared to other services.

So, figured I'd stop paying $50 a month for them to tell me someones in my house or it's on fire, when I'll likely know before they do.

[Apoc]

We primarily use it as a home automation hub, which it does, but compared to a new $50 Smart Things hub it's like flip phone vs smart phone.

Can you describe these use cases? We have a bunch of home automation on our FP, but it's not integrated with other smart home things we have via Alexa. I'm curious that you're using it for that FP isn't supporting.

[JustinG]

It works, but has taken 3-5 minutes to do anything, if it does it at all.

Gives us false/delayed "Door Un/Locked" notifications. I just re locked the door, 5 minutes later I get a door unlocked and then a door locked notification.

Door bell integration is significantly delayed. Dude is back in his car and I get the notification for motion or a button push.

The "Hey Google, Ask Alarm.com to...." was a pain, having to remember the exact name of a light, since you can't assign lights to a room.

The Smart Things hub doesn't cost $50 a month for me to use how I was using front point 90% of the time, and it was $50 on Black Friday.

Current setup, "Hey Google, turn on living room lights", it turns on lights assigned to the living room instantly.

The wife thinks this is all stupid, but since switching to Smart Things, she has commented this is better, and actually uses the app/Google Home commands. No more cursing at me cause the lamp didn't turn on.

Smart Things also doesn't stick me with zwave. The hub can control zigbee and wifi devices too.

[Apoc]

Ah, yeah... we don't have the first two use cases.

We have Alexa voice control the lights we care about controlling ourselves (i.e. no FP integration) and thermostat. It sounds like you are going this route, but with Google and a hub.

We have several lights on FP, but they're all automated based on timers or sensors.

[JustinG]

Yup, Google home + Smart Things is my the new setup.

With some Nest or Arlo cams in the future.

Nest goes direct to the Google Home and is the easy button. Arlo can link to Smart Things. Still trying to decide which setup to go with.


In hindsight I should have just not worried about involving FP, and done Home compatible stuff. But I was trying to stick to having one App/Hub so I went zwave on everything since that's what FP uses.

[Sully]

I use a hook and the eteckcity rf remote outlets for my standing lights. The hook is a a rf to wifi bridge. The Vizio is direct connect. We don't have any z wave stuff. I imagine eventually I'll want to control built in lights or fans but I think I'd probably do smart switches which I think are usually wifi. I'm not sure where I'll need zwave stuff but for the time being my setup works alright. At least it did for the apartment. Haven't really set everything up for the house yet. I'm thinking although they're more expensive, we'll be going with Google stuff in the future. Not sure if we'll ever do an alarm but I definitely want the nest doorbell which I guess we'll need two since our main entry is in the back but packages go to the front and then I'd like to get some of the nest smoke detectors and a nest thermostat especially for the remote sensor option. And I'd love to get some smart locks although what I understand, the nest Yale lock isn't necessarily the best solution for a smart lock. I really like a fob lock so I don't have to on open anything on my phone or leave Bluetooth on cause I usually leave all that off on my phone. But I think there's only like one brand that offers the ability to use a fob.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[JustinG]

If you do the nest t-stat, just get the E.

[.RJ]

Did y'all go to college so you dont have to use light switches like peasants

[JustinG]

Yes.

It's inevitable that I sit down on the couch with a fresh glass of bourbon, just to realize I forgot to turn off the kitchen light that glares on the TV.

Hey Google, turn off the light cause I went to college.

[Apoc]

I worked hard for this body and I damn sure ain't ruining by doing things like operating switches manually.

[JPolen01]

Did y'all go to college so you dont have to use light switches like peasants

It sure seems like a few here spend a lot of money so they can yell at their lights. I don't see the need. Each time it comes up I read what everyone is doing trying to understand but I just don't.

[Sully]

So far in addition to my Google homes which I'd have anyways, I've spent maybe $100 to control up to like 15 floor lamps or outlets. We used a max of 8 at the apartment.

The next steps will be expensive but they're definitely the more integrated ones and possibly more useful like the nest doorbells and thermostat

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Apoc]

Did y'all go to college so you dont have to use light switches like peasants

It sure seems like a few here spend a lot of money so they can yell at their lights. I don't see the need. Each time it comes up I read what everyone is doing trying to understand but I just don't.

Just wait until you're carrying a screaming baby around the house with a blown out diaper on your hands. 

And FWIW, I've spent $60 on voice controlled lighting. No, wait, that's a lie. I've spent $90... forgot about our backyard bistro lights that are voice controlled so we can turn them on from our living room.

[JPolen01]

If it's that cheap then carry on. Sounds like every other week someone is adding this sensor or that sensor. I didn't imagine they were that inexpensive.

[Apoc]

If it's that cheap then carry on. Sounds like every other week someone is adding this sensor or that sensor. I didn't imagine they were that inexpensive.

I think maybe what you've observed is Justin completely changing his ecosystem from Alexa to FP to Google... or whatever he did.

I already have the Echos and I buy plugs that don't require a hub, so it's pretty cheap to tinker around.

https://amzn.to/2PAnkSF

[ViPER1313]

I still use switches like a poor person. My light switches don’t lose sync to my router when the power goes out.