So, I got a few Amazon A-words a few years ago and some smart lights and all that and they were the bees knees… For a week, then the novelty wore off. Two years later, I’m just stuck in my routine of “get ready for bed” and the lamp turns on so I can shut off the room light, then “night light” and it turns red at 3% brightness and shuts off after 20 minutes.
Well, the a-word is just so filled with ads and stuff now. I guess I trust them enough to “not listen to everything I say” but, it’s just getting annoying. Also, when my a-word and the lightbulbs are on the same WiFi, I can’t turn my light on when the internet is down!
I have an ESX box at home - it’s just an old Dell desktop so no crazy resources - but it could run another VM just fine.
- What are the options for running a server that can listen to me and do things? Obviously I’d need a mic, etc. (I know Windows has more overhead but I’m most comfortable with that, but I know enough Linux to make it work, and I’m good at following documentation).
- My smart lights are Kasa - so… Would a self-hosted server be able to control those? Would it still need their app? So, would it still not work when the internet is down?
- What aren’t I thinking of I might need to know?
This is a bit of a rabbit hole, but here’s my setup:
I use Google Home as my voice assistant, several throughout the house. I also self host OpenHab (for connection between Google and my smart home. Also for their tablet interface) and Node-Red ( for the actual logic. OpenHab is more complicated than I would like. Node-Red is easier for me. Also Node-Red and OH talk to each other, so no worries there). I also host my own MQTT server which I use to control my devices.
I use several Sonoff devices flashed with a custom firmware called Tasmota. This allows them to be used completely offline as long as the MQTT server is up in my house. If the internet ever goes out, I cannot use Google to control anything, but the tablet on my wall is fully functional as well as the app.
If you already have Kasa lights, then Home Assistant may be the way to go for you, but I can’t vouch for it as I don’t use it. I built my system from the ground up with local control in mind. It’s more work up front, but when something isn’t functioning I know why
You can host home assistant and flash your wifi smart lamps with Tasmota so they’re 100% local and will work even without internet. Also, for some reason Tasmota is way more stable than the tuya firmware that would need to be re-setup every once in a while for me. I still use Alexa for voice controls tho, because it’s more convenient, but just for that.