Smart things vs. Vera

[hockeypuck]

So looking to get our home automated.. mainly lights, sensors, smokes and water leak device.. maybe camera system at some point.   I will install zwave dimmers and switches (GE.. probably.. I like Insteon product and keypads.. had them in our last home but do not like the hub... and limited choices).  I was leaning to smart things but read that if the internet goes down it will not work.  I have a whole house generator, so electricity is not the problem.. I would still like to dim lights, and monitor security cameras.  Does Vera work locally (with out the cloud).. if not which system will work with a local network only?  Will Smart Things work if my internet provider is down?

 

[BobS0327]

I've been researching SmartThings for my current SmartHome initiative.  And IMHO, the V2 may be suitable for your needs.
 
https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/205956960-What-happens-if-the-power-goes-out-or-I-lose-my-internet-connection-
 
 

 

[waynehead99]

I had Vera previously before moving to homeseer and can tell you I had lots of issues with Vera when the internet went down. There is ways around it if you are the hacky type but I wasn't happy with the unit in general. I can say homeseer does work without Internet just fine and much more stable. I dot have any experience with smart things but did hear that the latest model should work without Internet.

 

[Deane Johnson]

It will run on batteries for 6 or 8 hours.

 

[pete_c]

I would compare the hardware CPU / Memory / firmware / software running on the Vera, SmartThings2 and RPi2.
 
Go for the gold (faster CPU, more memory, low power, tight programming) is my personal suggestion.
 
CPU / Memory probably would be of a higher priority relating to what firmware / software is running. 
 
If you are a tinkerer with hardware and software relating to multiple technologies then run with software on whatever OS that lets you do that tinkering with no stifling depending on your knowledge base / comfort level of this stuff.
 
You can do amazing things today with simple basic stuff with no or a very small kernel base.
 
Geez look at the Leviton OmniPro 2 / Elk M1 combination security and alarm panel still running fine with a CPU and memory base that is some 15 years old these days.
 
You can now too integrate the ModMyPi PIco uninterruptible Power Supply & I2C Control HAT to the RPi2 providing 8 hours of back up running stuff.  While it will chat fine with those wireless Z-Wave trinkets it will not provide 120AC power for your Z-Wave connected lighting (well nor any 120VAC lighting) and keep it running even if the internet is down.

 
Here have the Rasberry Pi 2 running Homeseer 3 lite (Zee-2)  with an integrated GPIO Z-Wave Plus and PiFace RTC shim and 1-wire network to provide a bit more resilience to the OS and hardware. (note too I have added a serial UPB and X10 and WIreless and Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather console automation widget with no real issues to the RPi2)
 
Note too that the specifications of the current RPi2 are: (posted a similar message on the Homeseer forum this morning and it was removed for whatever reason - hate when that happens - and does make me upset relating to a bit of over moderation).  IE: this information is public knowledge relating to the RPi2 and yes the Homeseer 3 Zee-2 and Z-Net device run their stuff on an RPi2. It is not a secret and HS just put their label on a custom RPi2 case.   Homeseer was the first automation company to do this and I did purchase the original Zee running on a Linux OS mostly because Homeseer ran on Linux and it did work on any Linux box I had as I tested it right away.  Homeseer is not free for public consumption and you do have to pay for a license to run it on whatever.

• A 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU
• 1GB RAM
• fast GPU
• great little KODI box

That is pretty fast (relatively writing).
 
You can do similar with the free Home Genie automation software running on the RPi2.
 
The Homeseer 3 interface GUI is plug n play and easy button stuff running using Mono on Linux.
 
Note pushing the RPi2 to CCTV or NAS or as a Media server while concurrently doing automation is not recommended; but best to see for yourself. 

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Interesting project Pete.
 
What especially caught my eye was this statement:
 

note too I have added a serial UPB and X10 and WIreless and Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather console automation widget with no real issues to the RPi2

 
So you have those interfaces plugged into the Pi directly and that runs fine with Homeseer on a Linux platform (or did I mis-read something)?
 
I don't know enough about the Pi but it would be great if you could add some I/O directly to this board also and have Homeseer interface with that (i.e. you don't have to add another peripheral device to get some digital in/outs and possibly analog ins).
 
You should provide some paragraphs on your blog about this project when you get some time!

 

[pete_c]

So you have those interfaces plugged into the Pi directly and that runs fine with Homeseer on a Linux platform (or did I mis-read something)?
 
Yes. 
 
I have tested this same configuration directly connecting a UPB serial PIM and serial Z-Troller device to an RPi2 then doing a remote connection to the HS3 mothership.  You can do this wired or wirelessly with the RPi2.  I have combined stuff to see what takes the RPi2 over the edge.  Really though it is the power draw if anything on the RPi2's USB ports.
 
This is the same as my HS3 console connection running the Kinect on a Windows 10 mini PC. 
 
Here is the X10 stuff running remotely on the mothership.
 

 
IE: I am running the Homeseer 3 X10 mono plugin on my CumulusMX RPi2 and it is connecting to the Homeseer 3 mothership remotely.

 

[video321]

I had Vera previously before moving to homeseer and can tell you I had lots of issues with Vera when the internet went down.

 
I have a Vera (I'm not advocating that as the best choice) and have no issues using it without an Internet connection. In fact, my connection to the Vera servers is disabled. What issues did you have?

 

[waynehead99]

If you clean up some files to keep it from calling out I have seen reports that things work. I did not do this though. When the Internet was down I would have huge delays (sometimes minutes on events firing) and the interface would crawl. Vera was good when I was into a small setup and learning.

 

[batwater]

Pete is the GPIO Z-Wave Plus a primary or secondary controller? if secondary, what do you use as your primary to program your zwave network?

 

[hockeypuck]

Thanks for the replys... Looking at Vera and Zee S2 now..  Home Seer is a very local company.. just trying to justify the extra 100 dollars for the controller.

 

[pete_c]

So looking to get our home automated.. mainly lights, sensors, smokes and water leak device.. maybe camera system at some point.
 
Pete is the GPIO Z-Wave Plus a primary or secondary controller?
 
Primary.
 
Here purchased the Homeseer Zee on the Raspberry Pi initially mostly because it was Homeseer running on Linux. 
 
Homeseer is not an embedded box / controller doing automation.  It is software.
 
As stated above Homeseer was the first automation software company to go with running Homeseer on Linux.  Personally I have been using Homeseer since 1998.  The Homeseer Designer application runs in Wintel and you can design Apple, Android and Wintel touchscreen tablets, smartphones or PCs.  I could always get to it from my smart phone / WAN.  Today you have the options relating to how you want to utilize it.
 
I then Upgraded to the Zee-2 Homeseer 3 software and DIY'd my software build / box  on the RPi2 initially using a GPIO Z-Wave + card and a PiFace RTC shim.  I do have tiny 1-Wire temperature sensors connected now to the RPi2.  They were pennies each (or less) and need no batteries.  Just yesterday added an X10 and UPB interface to it (via the network) such that automation wise it talks Z-Wave +, X10, UPB and wireless whatever and well and is POE connected to a switch via one network cable (my preference for this device) and its been tested to run CumulusMX/Davis weather console concurrently with Homeseer Zee-2 just fine and doing time lapse weather pictures (but it is not a CCTV device).
 

 
Playing here too with a 2" X 2" X 1" Broadcom based chipset embedded (openwrt) microrouter with two built in NICs, wireless stuff, RTC (with tiny battery and a 1-wire network built in).  Even though it runs at 400Mhz and doesn't have hardly any RAM it does do the doo of some basic automation controller and it is smaller than the palm part of my hand.
 
I also purchased Homeseer Pro 3.  I started initially running it on Wintel and switched over to Linux (well with an Oracle Wintel Server VB).
 
I utilize the Leviton OmniPro 2 for wired sensors, smokes and water leak devices and a separate CCTV system.  

 

[macromark]

..Home Seer is a very local company.. just trying to justify the extra 100 dollars for the controller.

Stop in for a cup of coffee then! We have Island Coconut on the Keurig... perfect for this time of year.

 

[hockeypuck]

Macro...
thanks for the offer.. just ordered a HomeSeer HomeTroller Zee S2 Home Automation Controller... have most of my switches.. hopefully by end of next weekend we will be up and running.  I have a good handle on the wiring.. master electrician..good with computers and automation.. my 13 year old will make this thing sing.

 

[macromark]

Sweet! Be sure to reach out if you have any problems getting the unit setup.

Thank you for your business!