Amazon echo, smart home.

cyclopopcicle

cyclopopcicle

cyclopopcicle

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Hi, I am looking to get into making my home smart (gradually and relatively cheaply)

I was considering the new echo with a hub built in but I am wondering if getting a separate hub would be better option?


I already have a gen 1 echo but looking to get another soon for another room .


What would you recommend?


Cheers.
 
I've used an Echo for a while now and really like it. I'm not sure the inclusion of a smart home hub would advance my use of it at all. I've also recently bought a Google Home Mini to try, but I think I prefer the Amazon Echo so far. I find the Google Home needs you to download the google app which effectively tracks your every move and bombards your phone with notifications. I appreciate this can be turned off, but I like the separate unit feel of the Echo a lot more. I do also realise Amazon track everything you do with these units but perhaps it's less visible so I'm blissfully ignorant.

I have however just purchased a Sonos One, which is effectively a Sonos Play:1 with an Echo built in. It's reallllyyyy good! Great sound quality for it's size with all the benefits of an Echo.

If I were starting a fresh I'd buy a load of Echo Dot's at the current cheap price and have a few in different rooms. Add this to a Phillips Hue bridge, a Nest thermostat and a few wifi plugs and you're laughing.

As I mentioned, I'm not sure the advantage to a hub, but would be interested in knowing it from those who have smarter homes than I.
 
Echo plus isn't really worth it unless you know for sure you're only ever going to use zigbee.
Better off with Samsung Smartthings.
 
cyclopopcicle said:
Hi, I am looking to get into making my home smart (gradually and relatively cheaply)

I was considering the new echo with a hub built in but I am wondering if getting a separate hub would be better option?


I already have a gen 1 echo but looking to get another soon for another room .


What would you recommend?


Cheers.
Click to expand...


First you want to work out what devices you want. Once you have done that, then you can pick a hub.
Smartthings is good but it's not open source and they keep taking things away. Their support is rubbish but they do have WebCore which is great.
The other one is a Homey hub. it's open source and it can connect to way more devices then smartthings.
Homey is just getting started...but the Homey does have
  • Wi-Fi ® 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz
  • Bluetooth ® 4.0 Low Energy 1
  • ZigBee ® 2.4 GHz 2
  • Z-Wave Plus ™
  • 433 MHz
  • 868 MHz
  • Infrared Receiver
  • Infrared Transmitter (6x)
  • NFC (ISO14443A)
Homey has flows which is great for more complicated stuff.
 
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