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The easiest smarthome tech uses the cloud to do the heavy lifting.
But that means you give up your privacy.
And if the company shuts down, so does your smarthome.
Here’s how to bypass the cloud in your smarthome setup.
Why a Locally-Controlled Smarthome?
Cloud-powered smarthomes are feature-rich and include some niceties, but they do come with disadvantages.
Some cloud-powered devices also record your activities.
Manufacturers use the information to improve systems, but in some cases, they sell your anonymized data.
This very thing happened with theLowe’s IrisandRevolvhubs.
Nullplus/Shutterstock
Likewise, Best Buy recently announced it’sshutting down the Insignia smarthome line.
So, Insignia smart plugs, cameras, and light switches will stop functioning.
And if you have an Insignia Smart Wi-Fi Freezer, soon it will bejust a freezer.
If you build a locally controlled smarthome, you sidestep all these issues.
Your data doesn’t leave your home, and even if a manufacturer quits, your devices keep working.
Keep in mind, though, creating a local-controlled smarthome isn’t for the faint of heart.
Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek
But here’s what you oughta do to kick the cloud to the curb.
Start with a Locally-Controlled Hub
Every smarthome needs a brain to power it.
Unfortunately, most of the time, those “brains” involve the cloud.
Stanisic Vladimir/Shutterstock
Thankfully, you have other options, such asHubitat, an entirely locally controlled hub.
Any command you send to it or automation you set up runs at the local level.
Another advantage of Hubitat is it’s a pre-built system.
The downside is the process to set it up creates automations similar to complicated router interfaces.
Home Assistantis a build-your-own hub solution.
With this option, you get exactly the smarthome you want, with all the features you want.
However, you have to do everything yourself, including building the hub from aRaspberry Pi.
Other options, likeOpenHab, offer similar features.
Any Wi-Fi-based plugs, bulbs, locks, or switches have to go.
Instead, use eitherZ-Wave or ZigBeedevices.
Which you pick is up to you, but they’re more similar than different.
Z-Wave devices tend to broadcast at a longer range, so you might place devices farther apart.
Either way, pick one protocol and stick with it as much as possible.
it’s possible for you to purchase Z-wave or ZigBeebulbs,switches,plugs,locks, and more.
But whether you useGoogle HomeorAmazon Echo, you involve the cloud.
What you say can end up on company servers, even ifGoogle lets you opt-out.
If the goal is to ditch the cloud, that’s not good enough.
Giving up the convenience of voice control might seem hard, but you do have another option: automation.
Automate Everything
Without avoice assistant, you need another way to control your smarthome.
Thanks to your hub, you might control everything in a single app.
That’s okay, though.
you could use automation to turn lights on or off when you enter or leave a room.
you might turn on your heated blanket when you walk into the bedroom on a cold night.
And your smarthome can shut itself down when no one’s home.
The most expensive and challenging part of this venture is to set up the automation.
First, you need a variety ofmotion,temperature,contact, andwatersensors.
Expect to spend somewhere in the range of $30 to $60 per sensor.
The basic premise is usually “if this, then that” conditions.
If the bathroom sensor detects motion, turn on the light.
If the living room is empty for more than 10 minutes, turn off the smart plugs.
As you master the rules, some hubs (like Hubitat) can accomplish more complicated scenarios.
It takes some effort to put together an entirely locally-controlled smarthome.
You also might have to buy new components, learn new rules, and give up voice commands.
The process is pricey, but might be worth it in the long run.
