Smart lights Blubs Using Home Wiring

[coxhaus]

I saw an add for Alexa to control light bulbs using home wiring. The ad went away before I could click on it. How do you find accessories which work with Alexa?

I think using home wiring vs wireless, it will be more secure.

I would like to order the bulbs and wiring plugin.

 

[thiggins]

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-And-Alexa-Devices/b?node=9818047011

The list isn't necessarily comprehensive.

 

[coxhaus]

Thanks. I found the item. It was a wireless hub not a power adapter. I want to run my smart devices across my powerlines at home.

 

[sfx2000]

The list isn't necessarily comprehensive.

Alexa skills are updated almost constantly....

 

[hedly]

Some day, I'm going to just run down the street yelling, "Alexa, turn off all the lights!" Then see how many people's home go dark. In the area I live most folks don't have A/C so they leave the windows open.

Criminals might try asking Alexa/Google to unlock the door.

Back to @coxhaus 's question, I don't get how lights would be wired. Everything I've seen either has the lights with built in wi-fi or to a hub (likely using zigbee or some other home automation protocol).

Alternatively I've seen plugs that are controlled wirelessly so the plug would turn on/off power to the light; but it's still wireless.

Coxhaus, can you show us what product you saw?

 

[coxhaus]

I have not found what I want. I am thinking we can use our wiring as a giant ethernet hub just like a power over ethernet. I would rather not use wireless for home devices.

 

[FatherLandDescendant]

I have not found what I want. I am thinking we can use our wiring as a giant ethernet hub just like a power over ethernet. I would rather not use wireless for home devices.

As long as is isn't door locks... I think those are the worst because this...

Criminals might try asking Alexa/Google to unlock the door.

 

[sfx2000]

I saw an add for Alexa to control light bulbs using home wiring. The ad went away before I could click on it. How do you find accessories which work with Alexa?

I think using home wiring vs wireless, it will be more secure.

Alexa - turn on my lights... you know how easy this is for a script-kiddie to exploit?

Hope you like this in the middle of the night - you're trusting Amazon - and a hacker can turn on the lights when you least expect it... wired or wireless...

Hanzo - the network cat - disapproves...

 

[Rayfaraang]

I saw an add for Alexa to control light bulbs using home wiring. The ad went away before I could click on it. How do you find accessories which work with Alexa?

I think using home wiring vs wireless, it will be more secure.

I would like to order the bulbs and wiring plugin.

I have most of the light bulbs in my changed to Hoedeng

I saw an add for Alexa to control light bulbs using home wiring. The ad went away before I could click on it. How do you find accessories which work with Alexa?

I think using home wiring vs wireless, it will be more secure.

I would like to order the bulbs and wiring plugin.

I have most of my light bulbs changed over to Haodeng LED wifi bulbs. Bought them off amazon.
I use an app called MagicHome
It connects the bulb to the wifi and then you can control the bulbs with app.
Magic home also has an Alexa skill,
So now i just alexa turn on whatever light i want and iT goes on.
No need to waist money on a hub.

 

[Rolo]

I saw an add for Alexa to control light bulbs using home wiring. The ad went away before I could click on it. How do you find accessories which work with Alexa?

I think using home wiring vs wireless, it will be more secure.

I would like to order the bulbs and wiring plugin.

Alexa already uses the Internet.

Unless you're only using the Alexa for Windows app on a wired PC and not any of the echo devices or Alexa app on a smartphone, Alexa uses WiFi.

The only "home wiring" here is power and messaging protocols over powerlines is a horrible idea and wouldn't be any less secure than WiFi (electromagnetic emanations turning all your "home wiring" into a big broadcast antenna) and why I think it unlikely that such a product exists.

Using proper security practices for whatever hardware and software you choose is how you're going to be most secure (keep everything updated, use strong, unique passwords, configure settings properly, etc.)


Look at what you want to do and choose the best/preferred devices to do it (do you just want to toggle bulbs, dim them, have colors and themes, control fans, motion-sensing, etc.). WiFi, ZigBee, and Z-Wave Plus are protocols used for all of these, depending on the brand. You might already have a ZigBee hub if you have certain Amazon Echo devices. If you go WiFi, ensure you can handle enough 802.11n 2.4GHz traffic in all your areas since that's what they use.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Alexa already uses the Internet.

WiFi, ZigBee, and Z-Wave Plus are protocols used for all of these, depending on the brand. You might already have a ZigBee hub if you have certain Amazon Echo devices. If you go WiFi, ensure you can handle enough 802.11n 2.4GHz traffic in all your areas since that's what they use.

I have all my Echo devices set to connect using 5 Ghz WiFi channels. Even though they are using 5 Ghz they have no problems controlling devices connecting on 2.4 Ghz channel and even on different VLANs or even subnets. Google devices are frightenly smart.

 

[L&LD]

Google devices are frighteningly.

I fixed this for you.

 

[coxhaus]

Alexa already uses the Internet.

Unless you're only using the Alexa for Windows app on a wired PC and not any of the echo devices or Alexa app on a smartphone, Alexa uses WiFi.

The only "home wiring" here is power and messaging protocols over powerlines is a horrible idea and wouldn't be any less secure than WiFi (electromagnetic emanations turning all your "home wiring" into a big broadcast antenna) and why I think it unlikely that such a product exists.

Using proper security practices for whatever hardware and software you choose is how you're going to be most secure (keep everything updated, use strong, unique passwords, configure settings properly, etc.)


Look at what you want to do and choose the best/preferred devices to do it (do you just want to toggle bulbs, dim them, have colors and themes, control fans, motion-sensing, etc.). WiFi, ZigBee, and Z-Wave Plus are protocols used for all of these, depending on the brand. You might already have a ZigBee hub if you have certain Amazon Echo devices. If you go WiFi, ensure you can handle enough 802.11n 2.4GHz traffic in all your areas since that's what they use.

A couple of things, are I have 2.4GHz turned off in my house as I only use 5GHz. It works way better. The other is light bulbs and switches, etc are already connected to my home wiring so why not pass data on it. It will not be a large amount of data. I believe home wiring is more secure than wireless. I have 2 power adapters which pass ethernet over my house wiring around 200 megabits. This should be plenty fast enough to run lights and what nots. We just need support for it. I have no plans to turn on 2.4 GHz wireless.

Whether Alexa talks on 5 GHz or not makes no difference as it is 1 network with just different media for layer 1.

 

[Rolo]

"Better" in what way? You have to define it. Lower frequencies have better range and penetration, which is what you want for objects housed in walls all over the place. Additionally, higher frequencies require exponentially more power and have tighter tolerances, which means higher cost with zero benefit. Finally, it's both-and: twice (generally) the transmission equipment, which is shared between all your devices.

Trying to transmit data on wires not designed for it is a horrible idea. Transmitting power and transmitting data are two entirely different things. Would you want to transmit drinking water and sewage on the same pipes? I mean, they're just pipes....

As someone who's worked in SIGINT-type stuff, no, your "house wiring" is not more secure than WiFi. At a minimum, you've added more complexity and increased your attack surface, not decreased it.

Once you hit an appropriate level of security, "more secure" is meaningless.

 

[Rolo]

I have all my Echo devices set to connect using 5 Ghz WiFi channels. Even though they are using 5 Ghz they have no problems controlling devices connecting on 2.4 Ghz channel and even on different VLANs or even subnets. Google devices are frightenly smart.

This forces these to the cloud rather than having the native device controllers talk locally. Personally, I want my stuff to still work during an Internet outage if at all possible and it doesn't make these any more secure or manage traffic any better. What am I missing?

 

[roadwrenchtech]

the tp link kasa bulbs, swiches, plug in controllers will work without having access to the internet, as cloud signup is optional to expand control to outside your network but a openvpn server would allow full control from anywhere and the kasa stuff could be banned from internet access in the router. If I catch an amazon deal on the plug in switches i will grab some but at 22-24 a pop I haven't yet.

 

[CaptainSTX]

If you are using Echo devices they won't work without a connection to the Internet because the voice recognition is handled in the cloud.

For other less smart IoT devices with a local hub most probably work just fine without an Internet connection. My z-wave light switches work fine as long as there is power to my alarm system which contains the z-wave controller module but if there isn't power the lights won't come on anyway.

 

[coxhaus]

"Better" in what way? You have to define it. Lower frequencies have better range and penetration, which is what you want for objects housed in walls all over the place. Additionally, higher frequencies require exponentially more power and have tighter tolerances, which means higher cost with zero benefit. Finally, it's both-and: twice (generally) the transmission equipment, which is shared between all your devices.

Better in terms of data transmit and receive, more bandwidth. I don't care about better range and penetration because you can add more wireless devices. HOW MUCH DATA can you transmit, not penetration and range. IF you go slow with better penetration and range it means nothing. Speed and bandwidth is what we are chasing so that is what is better. 5GHz wireless kicks 2.4GHz b*tt when it comes to speed and bandwidth.

 

[Rolo]

Just how much bandwidth do you need for a light bulb or a dimmer switch?

(That's what we're talking about here: IoT)

Even my 1080p doorbell only uses 2 Mbps max and still only connects at 150 on 5GHz

I'd rather keep the higher throughput devices (smartphones, computers) on the higher throughput infrastructure (why there are SmartConnect rules to direct such things)

The more devices you put on a radio, the more you slow everything down connected to that radio. More radios = more throughput in a multi-device environment (I have 24 and growing)

 

[System Error Message]

powerline smart home devices can get pricy, i mean just look at the price of tp link AV2000 adapters whereas wireless is cheaper and in case of a power outage can still function if it has a battery.

Would you spend $60 just on a bulky bulb? The circuit footprint for wireless is smaller too.