Smart Home Hubs & Accessories?

[Godfather]

Any of you guys started getting on the IoT train and buying things like Hubs (Amazon Echo, Google Home, etc.) and accessories like motion sensors, smart lights, water sensors, etc.?

I just ordered my dad a D-link water sensor. It's highly reviewed and one of the few water sensors that doesn't require some sort of Hub. He loves Apps so having one more D-Link App won't bother him


That said, I'd like a surveillance camera and a water sensor for my place, and maybe a smart light or two for when I'm on vacation. I'm trying to decide on which Hub to buy to start with. The Samsung SmartThings hub looks great all-around BUT the Wink2 is compatible with over 500 devices including those for Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Z-Wave, etc.

What are your setups? Anyone got something they love?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I have piecemeal stuff at home. We have an Amazon Echo (Alexa) and I have interior security cameras set up separately that we can monitor remotely. We also have a smart thermostat that we can control remotely. Of course the issue is none of them are tied in together, they are all run by separate apps. I've looked into getting other things (the fancy doorbell/camera, exterior security cameras, etc) but it runs into a substantial amount of money quickly. Especially when you consider that for some things (like an exterior security system) you need to run wiring to all the cameras for power.

[Pony]

I've an Echo dot still in the box after 12 months.

Thought about some security cameras I can access remotely. Other than that I'm pretty basic.

[Muddy]

No Way. Especially after I discovered all my speak to text recordings of my voice on Googles server. Thousands of sound files.. If anything I'm trying to disconnect some from the collective.

[DemonGeminiX]

I have the Ring video doorbell but I haven't installed it. I've read a bunch on how easy it is to hack and how they keep your wifi info on the doorbell device. Not good. Given the hackability of everything, I think I'll wait to make my home a smart home when I know security can be counted on... which I know it never will.

[Godfather]

I have piecemeal stuff at home. We have an Amazon Echo (Alexa) and I have interior security cameras set up separately that we can monitor remotely. We also have a smart thermostat that we can control remotely. Of course the issue is none of them are tied in together, they are all run by separate apps. I've looked into getting other things (the fancy doorbell/camera, exterior security cameras, etc) but it runs into a substantial amount of money quickly. Especially when you consider that for some things (like an exterior security system) you need to run wiring to all the cameras for power.

That's exactly what I'd like to avoid!

My concern with all these devices is you often read about one of them suddenly losing all support and essentially getting Bricked. I'm pretty sure one of the big thermostate companies did that.

That's sort of why I'm looking at the Wave 2 Hub. It's probably not as functional on its own as Amazon or Google's devices, but it run almost any accessory that works for them, wifi,z-wave, etc.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

That's exactly what I'd like to avoid!

My concern with all these devices is you often read about one of them suddenly losing all support and essentially getting Bricked. I'm pretty sure one of the big thermostate companies did that.

That's sort of why I'm looking at the Wave 2 Hub. It's probably not as functional on its own as Amazon or Google's devices, but it run almost any accessory that works for them, wifi,z-wave, etc.

I'm not worried about any of them getting bricked. The Echo is Amazon's flagship device, the cameras are all D-Link devices, and the thermostat is Honeywell. Although it would be nice to control them all under one umbrella instead of separate apps for everything.