> I have over 80 IOT devices
This is a lot to ask, but.. what are all those things?! (My house has 0..I think)
This is a lot to ask, but.. what are all those things?! (My house has 0..I think)
I think it's safe to assume that 80+ wireless devices puts you in the top few percentiles. So while not unheard of, not "normal" exactly. And even less common in dense apartment environments where having more than 3-4 rooms is unusual.
I've heard of at least a handful of people that have done this and more this year alone.
Cameras in each room? It's a privacy nightmare and I frankly don't trust my equipment, my network, nor myself to set that up safely. Especially if the cameras I own are any indication of how the rest work (hard-wired default passwords, security flaws, upload of FTP credentials to some Chinese business' servers, constant attempts at leaking data through DNS lookups when regular traffic is blocked, etc).
Thermostats and humidity sensors make sense if each room has it's own heaters/air conditioners, though.
Of course, the first thing I would make sure is that they don't connect to the internet or any wireless network. So I can't imagine the ones the GP is talking about being anything other than a privacy nightmare.
By the way, what happened to data over electricity wires? It's the obvious way to set the home automation stuff.
LAN over electricity wires is a proper pain in the ass. It's not like you can plug in a "router" to one outlet and have network in all others. It only goes to the group that particular outlet is in, so unless your wiring is made in a particular way, which existing houses aren't since it's not an established standard.
One would need a large diversity of products to make it work, what puts it out of reach of any small manufacturer. But why the large home automation sellers insist on their "you must add this huge panel, pass all those wires around, and can't retrofit any new device once the layout is settled" technologies is a mystery to me.
A few phones, a computer or two, TV, a few wifi speakers and a miscellaneous light or temperature monitor. It’s not hard to exceed 10.
Having said that, if I had the money, I'd totally automate everything in my house as well. It's just too much fun not to.
Some of IoT device you list I’d actively avoid, but thinks like robot vacuums is really useful.
a) Fire detectors. 13 units including the central. (Basically one in every room where something may conceivably catch fire.)
b) Leakage sensors in any room with faucets or washers in it - 7 units.
c) Kitchen appliances - 5 (Cook top, two ovens, fridge, freezer)
d) HVAC - 7 units (Central ventilation. Heat pump. A handful of electrical panel heaters.)
It quickly adds up - at least if you live in the boonies where land is effectively free.
Interestingly, at one of the largest Danish chains, it's listed under "American fridges", most of those DO have wifi. If you just pick: "Fridges", then none of them have wifi.
That aside, I fail to see any reason why any user would want their cook top to be accessible via an app.
On the contrary, if the cook top is switched on, I very much prefer to be in the immediate vicinity.
They have backup batteries and form their own mesh network which works independently of the main WiFi.
If the central unit disappears, the detectors still all go off if one is triggered. (Central unit offers app interface and optional 4G fallback network connection.)
I.. ahh, don't think so.
I graduated from Software Engineering in 2003, and recently worked for Canada's biggest Telco for 4 years. I didn't even know half of the IoT's on your list even existed !
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Sengled-Multicolor-2000-6500K-Equival...
There is a wireless LAN in my space, all devices that need connectivity should just use that LAN.
More hubs are more headaches. You need to not lose their power adapters when moving, you need to find a place to put them that is within range of all your devices (may not be as easy as Wi-Fi since they may be using other bands that don't transmit as well or have FCC restrictions, and I already have Wi-Fi mesh network everywhere, you can't easily mesh arbitrary protocols on arbitrary frequencies), you need to set them up using typically a shitty spyware phone app, you need to keep their firmware updated in addition to device firmware. And you also need a hub for every brand of appliance you buy. A Philips Hue hub will not work with some other brand of lights. Whereas you can mix and match hub-less lights and you don't need to have a pile of hubs on a shelf somewhere.
But knowing the state of IoT they'd probably take 3-5 seconds after turning on to negotiate connection since the power had been cut, and they'll default to blinding white at full brightness during that time.
I'd much rather have IoT light switches.
It's definitely not normal.
I don't feel the need to have a single "smart" light bulb or outlet. If I'm turning a light on or off, it's because I'm leaving or entering the room, in which case I'm walking by the light switch anyways.