[TorqueDog]

I'm already on the SmartThings train, and try to use device handlers that will execute locally whenever possible. A few require cloud but since we're running dual WAN, cloud connectivity is less of a concern. I have a couple smart switches installed and plan to do more over time, ideally the whole house so I can set routines to turn every light in the house off at once (a 'bedtime' routine). I prefer smart switches over smart bulbs like Hue, as cool as they are, because turning off a switch doesn't accidentally power off the bulb entirely (negating its 'smart' capabilities).



For network stuff, you can see the Consumer Wi-Fi thread I started. Ubiquiti gear all over the place, only a couple unmanaged switches left that I have to replace to be full-on managed network infrastructure. I don't really have much in the way of Wi-Fi smart-home gear, but I have a separate VLAN ready for it.



For security cameras, I went with an 8-channel Reolink NVR with PoE, and two of their RLC-410-5MP cameras. They're ONVIF (so you can use Blue Iris or other NVRs instead of being stuck with just Reolink's NVR), they record audio, can be set up to privacy mask areas (like your neighbour's yard), configure motion sensing areas, and have wicked night vision. The big factors for me were the ability to have local recording and an effectively plug-and-play solution that still allowed mobile access when we're away. The Reolink stuff did that. There is very basic SmartThings integration available using 'Generic Video Camera' device handler by user pstuart. Unfortunately, it only allows viewing the stream from within the SmartThings Classic app and does not extend any motion sensing capability. IP security cameras like this do *not* support two-way audio, so if you're fantasizing about yelling at some prowler trying to sneak into your yard that you can't wait to try your new hockey stick on his face, you're going to need one of the Ring, Arlo, or Nest cameras.



Ring and Nest cameras were both very high on my list at first, but their inability to perform any sort of local recording and reliance on cloud subscription services (especially the case with Nest for the really cool features) dropped them down significantly. Netgear Arlo cameras support local recording, which is a +1 for them. Ring, Nest, and Arlo all support 2-way audio.



Despite the above, I will probably still use a Ring Doorbell Pro as it's less of a concern to me and I can integrate it with the Amazon Echo Show we have in the kitchen. I wanted a Doorbird really badly, but they're exceptionally pricey and I don't have (nor can be arsed to run) Cat5e at or near the doorbell. Our house is fully finished so it is a sizable undertaking to start running new Cat5e all over the place. Ring's installation is rather convenient in that regard.


On that note: Amazon Echos. We have one in the kitchen (Echo Show), and Echo Dots in the man cave, office, master bedroom, and garage. They're really useful for us, typically barking orders to set cooking and barbecue timers, lock doors if one of us forgot to lock them, or -- particularly on the Echo Show -- looking up recipes in the kitchen. We also use them as in-home intercom systems, since you can call between Echo devices.

I'm not sure how legit the claims are that Amazon Alexa has more smart-home skills than its competitors when it comes to the Canadian market. I had to switch my Amazon account to a US account, enable every skill I ever thought I might use (including Stringify and IFTTT, which stupidly aren't available in English - Canada), then switch my account back to Canada. The skills you enable will persist even after you change regions back. But there's a dearth of useful skills in the Canadian Alexa skills marketplace, and you will be jealous at all the ones in the US store (and annoyed when you figure out some of them won't work even with the region change trickery, like OpenTable).


Honorable mention, Windows 10 / Xbox One has Cortana which integrates with SmartThings, Nest, Ecobee (both Thermostat and Switch+), Wink, Lutron, Hue, etc. So you can tell your Windows PC or Xbox to do smart-home tasks. There's even Alexa integration with Cortana ... which is buggy and kind of strange, and doesn't give anywhere near the full functionality of Alexa, so it's still a work in progress. I have a Harman Kardon Invoke Cortana smart-speaker that I got for 50% off, and the audio quality blows everything except our Sonos Play 1 out of the water. With Echos all over the place, the smart functionality isn't used nearly as much.