Home Automation

Zigbee Without (Too Much) Complication

When I started deploying my first Zigbee devices, I didn't really know much about how the network connecting them actually worked. And it worked. Over time, however, I discovered a whole series of small details I hadn't paid much attention to at first: the role of routers, the importance of coordinator placement, interference with Wi-Fi, channel selection, and the fact that not all Zigbee devices participate in the network in the same way. Nothing catastrophic. I didn't have to tear open any walls or throw everything away and start again. But knowing these things from the beginning can help you make a few smarter choices along the way. That's essentially the purpose of this article: to bring together the things I would have found useful to know before getting started, without giving the impression that you need to master Zigbee before connecting your first device. And if you've already started without knowing any of this? Don't panic. There's a good chance you'll be able to improve things later.

Our Home Automation Project

The story of yet another project — one that would eventually help give birth to this very website. More than just technical documentation, it's the story of a process where one thing leads to another, every answer raises new questions, and boundaries have an annoying tendency to disappear.

ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT: Which One Should You Choose?

Home Assistant? What Is This Thing?

I wanted to retrieve data from my electricity meter and a smart plug. A few clicks later, Home Assistant had discovered part of my house and I was starting to wonder what else I could integrate into it. Energy, solar panels, lighting, cars, Zigbee... what started as a simple test is slowly beginning to raise a lot of new questions.

A Smart Meter, a P1 Port and a Few Misadventures

What should have been a routine meter replacement turned into a first exploration of the P1 port, local access to energy data and the possibilities offered by a few connected devices. With, naturally, a couple of misadventures along the way — and a certain Home Assistant eventually making an appearance.