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Running Up Against the Limitations of KVM Switches

As time passes, one accumulates a lot of different devices. Recently though, I discovered that you can in fact have too many connected at one time. That mystified me, because, while I had never really looked into it, I thought the number was in the double, not single digits. Some of this is apparently my mistake.

I keep a KVM switch on my desk. These devices allow you to share peripherals between devices, such as keyboards, monitors, mice, and in my case, a webcam and microphone. KVM literally stands for Keyboard/Video/Mouse Switch. Why do I need more than one of these? Because I have to isolate my work system from my personal system.

A while back, I opted to upgrade to a USB3.0 KVM switch as part of an upgrade to the maximum monitor resolution. It was then that my problems began. Apparently, despite discussions of maximum capacity, that sharply goes down on some hardware, and reduces everything to well below its theoretical maximum limit. I would frequently have my webcam or my microphone not working because of these capacity issues.

There is probably a simple wiring solution to this, but it prompted me to start considering a possible second KVM upgrade. There are a lot of different items to consider here:

  • How many USB ports the device will have.
  • Do you need USB C?
  • Do you need built in audio?
  • How many monitors do you want? 1, 2, or 3?

Make a list of all the things you want to connect to determine how many ports you need. Here is my list. I am only including items that need to go via the KVM.

  • Speakers – I wouldn’t mind having something that could handle audio from each device independently.
  • Microphone – Both computers need audio conferencing capabilities
  • Camera – Both computers need video conferencing capabilities
  • Mouse
  • Keyboard

Good quality audio and video devices are often USB3 now, but mice and keyboards usually are not. That is also why KVM switches have dedicated separate ports for the mouse and keyboard.

At time of original posting, Amazon has a sale on a well-reviewed USB3.0 KVM Switch, that supports dual monitors via HDMI for 2 computers.  You may want to share between two devices with USB-C ports, such as two laptops, and can go with this 4K model, which supports a single HDMI monitor. Up and down the price ranges, featuring different connectors(HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, etc), you can find something that is right for you in this area.

 

 

 

Published on September 21, 2025
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Are We Losing Human Interaction to Automation?

Today, I stopped at the local branch of a national pharmacy to pick up a prescription—and realized something unsettling.

At my usual pharmacy, I wait in line, talk to a clerk, and, if I want, they offer to let me speak to a pharmacist if I have any questions. There’s at least some human connection, however brief.

But at this other location, human interaction had been stripped away. I was told to go to a kiosk, type in my information, and wait for my order to be brought out. No one or the machine asked me if I had questions. A clerk silently handed me the bag and receipt, then walked away.

Meanwhile, another couple in the store was demanding to see a manager, upset that they couldn’t get meaningful help from a pharmacist. Their frustration boiled over to the point of shouting and filming.

It left me asking: Is this the future of customer service?

From Clerks to Kiosks: Automation in Customer Service

We’ve seen this pattern before. First, companies introduce self-checkout lanes “for convenience.” Then, more lanes go self-service, while fewer cashiers remain up front.

The same thing seems to be happening with pharmacy automation. Humans are still in the back—at least for now—but they’re being shielded from routine interactions. How long before they’re replaced entirely by robots, AI chat systems, or even automated pill dispensers?

It’s not hard to imagine.

Do Customers Actually Want Less Human Interaction?

Of course, there’s another angle: maybe customers prefer less human interaction

Some people like avoiding small talk with clerks or baristas. Many already choose self-checkout because it feels faster. In online discussions, I’ve even seen people talk about their favorite ice cream scooper at the local shop—suggesting that some of us still crave those small human touches.

So the question is: are businesses pushing us toward less human contact, or are they simply giving people what they want?

A World Without Small Talk?

Think about it:

  • Ordering at a restaurant via a tablet.
  • Getting delivery from a robot.
  • Calling a company and fighting through a maze of automated menus.
  • Soon, maybe even hailing a *driverless car* instead of chatting with a rideshare driver.

Our daily lives could easily become a series of silent transactions, with fewer and fewer spontaneous conversations.

Convenience vs. Connection

I consider myself fairly tech-savvy. I’m fine with self-service kiosks when it makes things easier. What I dislike is when companies make it harder to reach a real person—when the system is designed to discourage human contact rather than streamline it.

There’s a difference between choosing automation and being forced into it.

What Kind of Future Do We Want?

My brief trip to the pharmacy turned into a bigger question: Are we heading toward a world where human interaction is optional—or nearly extinct?

Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Some people want convenience. Others value connection. But the balance we strike will shape not just the way businesses operate, but the kind of world we live in.

For now, I remain uncertain. But I know this: the future of customer service is about much more than efficiency. It’s about deciding how much we value the small, human moments that connect us in daily life.

 

Published on September 18, 2025
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The Best Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors in 2025

In a previous post, I discussed the decision making process in picking a smoke detector. I wanted to follow up with some more practical recommendations.

Let’s review a few features that need to be considered

  • Type of Smoke Detector
  • Hardwired or Battery
  • Interconnect Capability
  • Alert Type

We mentioned the two types of detectors, photoelectric and ionization previously, batteries, and interconnects. In 2025, while you can still get them, I wouldn’t buy anything that wasn’t up to the new 2024 standard.

Alerts

Pretty much every smoke detector can emit a sharp siren, but some of them can also provide Voice Alerts. Some studies suggest many respond better to Voice alerts than sirens. Some allow only for pre-recorded messages, some allow you to set the names of each detector when interconnected so you can determine the source of a particular alert.

Power

My building was built in the 70s, so it had no hardwired power for smoke detectors. I invested in having mine wired, to make sure a dead battery didn’t cause a disaster. I also live in New York, where smoke detectors have to have a ten year battery life.

Interconnect Capability

The two different types of interconnections are wireless and wired. Newer construction tends to have wired interconnected smoke detectors, but this isn’t a guarantee. While I wired for power, I did not interconnect my detectors.

You can solve the problem of having no wires by having a hardwired smoke detector with a wireless interconnect. Looking at the First Alert website, however, they don’t offer this option with the latest detection technology, nor does Kidde, at least not that I could find. The last model they have that fits those parameters can also bridge wired and wireless interconnects, so I assume eventually they’ll make a new version with up to the modern smoke detection standards.

So, that leaves my previously recommended solution. A device that turns your wired interconnect into a wireless relay in my case the Zooz Z-Wave Relay. This allows the smoke detectors to signal my home monitoring system over the Z-Wave ptotocol when triggered. The device can also act as a relay to power a light or other option if needed, and it can work as part of a full hardwired interconnect system.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of options in this area. Wireless hardwired interconnected smoke detectors seem rare, but why the manufacturers don’t offer an accessory that takes power off the line and wirelessly takes the place of the interconnect wire? Or some sort of retrofit option from a third party? I’m not sure the certification requirements that might be necessary, but it seems there might be interest.

Options from the Big Manufactuers

Fortunately, while First Alert offers wireless interconnect and hardwired detectors, not with the latest sensors. They do offer it with the hardwired detection option, either the SMI105-AC smoke detector, with 10 year backup battery, or the carbon monoxide variant, the SMICO105-AC. First Alert’s commercial division, BRK, also offers near identical detectors.

The other popular brand is Kidde. which offers the 30CUA10, hardwired, with a 10 year backup, or the Smoke Detector only option, the 20SA10.

Conclusion

In the end, you should get the best smoke detector you can to protect your home and loved ones. You are probably fine to keep the older models until they need replacement, but when getting new ones why would you wait for failure?

Published on September 15, 2025
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Illustration of a modern smoke detector mounted on a ceiling, with a red LED light and an orange installation label marked Installed 2025
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Smart Smoke Detectors in 2025: Safer Batteries, Fewer False Alarms, and Better Placement

At the end of the day, smoke detectors are one of the most essential pieces of home safety technology. But the old mantra—“check your smoke detector batteries when you change the clocks”—no longer applies.

Today’s devices have changed. You can now buy smoke detectors with 10-year sealed batteries that don’t need annual replacement. Many also combine smoke and carbon monoxide detection. When I install a smoke detector, I always write the installation date on it. That way, I know exactly when it will no longer be safe to keep using it, whether it seems to be working or not.

The New Standards and Why They Matter

The detection technology has also improved. In 2024, the latest revision of the U.S. smoke detector standard came into effect.

Nothing is more frustrating than a smoke alarm blaring while you’re cooking. The new standard helps cut down on nuisance alarms in the kitchen.

For context, in 2016 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) tested 45 alarms against the 2016 requirements—and none of them passed. So it’s a good thing that new battery-operated detectors last a decade. After that, it’s best to replace them entirely.

Types of Smoke Detectors

There are two basic types of smoke detectors:

  • Photoelectric – Detects smoke using light
  • Ionization – Detects smoke when particles interfere with ionized air

Most fire safety experts recommend having both types in your home—or choosing a dual-sensor unit that covers both.

Where to Place Smoke Detectors

Placement is just as important as type. Fire safety guidelines recommend:

  • Inside every bedroom
  • Outside each sleeping area
  • On every level of the home

You can also interconnect your smoke detectors so that when one goes off, they all go off. This is easy to do in new construction but trickier in older homes. Some brands now offer wireless interconnects, even for battery-powered units.

In New York City, where I live, code requires smoke detectors within 15 feet of bedroom entrances, but only newer buildings require them inside bedrooms.

Making Smoke Detectors Smarter

For my renovation, I hardwired a smoke detector and added the Zooz Long Range DC Signal Sensor, which is wired into the interconnect port. This setup can notify me of whenever a detector is triggered. It also lets me extend alerts to my smart speakers, phone, security system, even a siren if needed. It means even though my detectors aren’t smart themselves, I still get smart notifications.

Why Not Wi-Fi Smoke Detectors?

You can buy Wi-Fi–enabled smoke detectors that connect directly to apps, but I’ve always felt there are issues with this.

  • Lock into a particular manufacturer’s system, requiring yet another custom app for each system.
  • Lack of integration operations

I prefer to integrate detection into my existing local control systems. That way, I avoid installing yet another app, and I still get reliable alerts when something happens.

A Safer, Smarter Approach to Fire Safety

Smoke detectors have come a long way in the last decade—from 10-year batteries* and dual-sensor technology to new standards that reduce false alarms. By combining the right hardware with smart integrations, you can make sure your home is both safer and less frustrating to live in.

At the end of the day, your smoke detectors should do one thing well: warn you when it matters most. Taking the time to plan placement, choose the right type, and add smart notifications makes that mission even more reliable.

Published on September 14, 2025
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Planning for Homelab Failure: External Monitoring with Uptime Kuma + Ntfy

As much as I enjoy experimenting with smart home tech and running my own homelab, there comes a point where you just want things to work. After all, the fun of tinkering fades quickly if your light switches stop responding because of your latest experiment.

In a previous post, I wrote about building a B-Mode—the idea that your smart devices should still be functional, even in a degraded way, if your main controller goes down. But B-Mode only covers part of the problem. What happens if your entire homelab fails? What if your ISP drops, or your main server crashes while you’re away?

That’s where external monitoring comes in.

Why a VPS Is My Homelab’s Safety Net

I’ve always liked hosting as much as possible at home. It gives me control, keeps my data local, and aligns with the self-hosted philosophy I value. But there are limits:

  • If your ISP is down, your monitoring services hosted at home are offline too.
  • If your server crashes, you won’t know until you notice devices not working.
  • If you travel often, you may not realize something failed until much later.

The answer is to host a small part of your infrastructure outside your home. It is still self-hosting, even if you rent space. A cheap VPS (Virtual Private Server) can serve as a watchdog, constantly checking whether your homelab and internet connection are reachable. And it doesn’t take much to get started.

How I Use Uptime Kuma for External Monitoring

On my VPS, which costs just a few dollars a month, I run Uptime Kuma, a self-hosted monitoring tool that’s simple but powerful.

Uptime Kuma pings my home network and the servers of a few family members, keeping an eye on:

  • Internet availability
  • Critical self-hosted services
  • Response times

If a server or ISP connection goes down, Kuma alerts me right away. Because it’s running on a VPS outside my home, I’ll still get notified even if my entire local network is offline.

For anyone running a homelab, Uptime Kuma is one of the easiest and most effective ways to add external monitoring.

Getting Alerts Anywhere with Ntfy

Monitoring isn’t enough unless you also get alerts you’ll actually notice. That’s where Ntfy (pronounced notify) comes in.

Ntfy is a self-hosted notification service. It can be installed on your VPS, or you can use the hosted version for free with optional paid upgrades to support development. Ntfy supports a web app, desktop, and mobile apps—and it integrates smoothly with Uptime Kuma and other services.

Here’s how I use it:

  • Uptime Kuma sends alerts to Ntfy when a monitored service fails
  • Ntfy pushes those alerts to my phone and desktop instantly
  • Other tools (like Frigate for camera detection) also send notifications into Ntfy

Ntfy organizes messages into topics that you subscribe to. With access control, you can decide which users can read, write, or subscribe to specific topics. It’s lightweight, flexible, and can be wired into nearly any self-hosted project.

Designing for Outages You Can’t Control

With this setup, I’m covered for most common homelab issues:

  • Server outages
  • ISP failures
  • Device-specific crashes

The only remaining weak point is the VPS provider itself. But outages at large hosting companies are rare, and if you’re truly paranoid, you could run monitoring on two different VPS providers for redundancy.

Even then, my monitoring chain is still stronger than it would be if everything lived only inside my home.

Why Homelab Reliability Matters More Than Perfection

Experimentation is fun, but reliability matters. By running Uptime Kuma and Ntfy on a low-cost VPS, I’ve given myself peace of mind that if my homelab or ISP ever fails, I’ll know right away.

Just like my B-Mode philosophy for smart devices, this approach ensures I’m not left in the dark when things go wrong.

Because in the end, the smartest homelab isn’t the one with the most toys—it’s the one that keeps working even when something breaks.

Published on September 10, 2025
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Illustration of a person monitoring POE security cameras using Frigate NVR software on a computer, with outdoor cameras mounted on a house and detection alerts shown on screen.
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Why I Switched to POE Cameras and Frigate for Home Surveillance

Illustration of a person monitoring POE security cameras using Frigate NVR software on a computer, with outdoor cameras mounted on a house and detection alerts shown on screen.

 

During my recent renovation, I added two additional cameras to my new space, at the two points of ingress. This was something of a departure as these were also the first Power Over Ethernet(POE) cameras I’ve had installed, as I had someone on-site available who could run the cables cleanly.

I’ve tried a variety of ecosystems for cameras, both for myself and others. Many f them push you toward subscription-based cloud services, which features like video history, motion detection, and notifications only work fully if you pay monthly. Some of them barely provide any features without paying, despite the fact you bought the device.  Even when offering local options, this is often storage with a microSD card in the camera, which is clunky, slow, and unreliable.

That is why I decided to go with a network video recorder. A server that takes the feeds from all the cameras and stores the recordings. You can buy commercial NVRs you can purchase and install in your house, including some that integrate with the specific hardware cameras you bought, but I wanted a solution that aligned with my philosophy of self-hosted, privacy first smart home tech.

So I chose Frigate.

Why Frigate?

Frigate is an open-source NVR designed for real-time object detection all running on local hardware. It is deeply customizable and can be tuned to only record what matters to you – people, cars, or animals, depending on what zones and filters you decide.

For example, one of my outdoor camera flagged every pedestrian across the street, which is well outside of the zone I am concerned about. I can narrow the zone to only my property, to dramatically reduce noise in footage and alerts.

Frigate, recently added:

  • facial recognition
  • license plate recognition.
  • View-only user roles for shared access

Everything is processed locally, with no cloud dependency.

Frigate+: Smarter Detection, Optional Subscription

To improve detection, you can also subscribe to Frigate+, a $50/year subscription which offers better trained models for detection. These are trained by other users of Frigate. You can participate by submitting false positives and other information voluntarily. If you cancel, you get to keep the downloaded models, you just stop getting updates.

This helps support the developers and doesn’t lock you into a traditional subscription model.

Frigate Notifications

One gap in the core Frigate setup is the lack of built-in robust multi-platform notifications. That’s where another piece of software, Frigate- Notify, comes in. It ofers all of the notification options I might want.

  • Rich notifications
  • Cross-platform delivery including mobile, desktop, and messaging apps
  • Fully customizable

Next Steps For My Frigate NVR

Inspired by how well the new system is performing, I plan to replace more of my older Wi-Fi cameras with wired POE models for improved reliability. Wired cameras streaming directly to my NVR reduces lag, improves reliability, and gives me full control over recording, storage, and alerts—without the cloud.

If you’re tired of cloud lock-in and unreliable Wi-Fi cams, and you want a privacy-respecting, smarter surveillance system, Frigate + POE may be the combo you’ve been looking for.

 

Published on September 8, 2025
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Ikea and a 3D Printer: A Match Made in Heaven

For those who like modularity and creativity, Ikea has always been an option for budget items you can creatively customize your home with. If you love modularity, creativity, and solving problems with practical tools, then you’ve probably explored Ikea hacks before. For years, budget-minded makers have been customizing Ikea furniture—reinforcing it, repurposing it, reimagining it.

But once you add a 3D printer to the mix, your options explode. Over the last few months, as I’ve repurposed and upgraded some existing Ikea pieces in my home, I’ve been designing and printing small parts to improve functionality, adapt legacy hardware, and customize how each piece fits into my space.

However, when you combine Ikea with a 3D printer, you can take your creativity to a new level. As I repurpose existing Ikea pieces, I have tried:

  • Reinforcing brackets to strabilixe old pieces and prevent wobblying
  • Adapters to help newer fittings fit older discontinued pieces
  • Shelf drilling guides to add extra shelf holes to bookcases
  • reproduction of spare parts such as hinges, pegs, and clips
  • Wire grommets to cleanly route wires through desks or cabinets
  • Adding pegboard to the side of bookcases and others
  • Custom organizers and brackets for Ikea systems such as the Skadis pegboard system
  • Skadis panels of sizes not available
  • Device mounts and cable clips.

Some of these are practical—stopping a wobbly Billy bookcase from breaking. Others are creative, like turning a plain desk into a smarter command station with cable management, a microphone arm, and mounted shelves.

What makes this approach powerful is that 3D printing restores and extends the modular spirit of Ikea. Not only can you get parts free from other people, you can design your own, print fast, and you can tweak them to fit your exact needs—no settling for generic “close enough” hardware.

Ikea has always been about customization on a budget. With a 3D printer, that customization doesn’t stop at rearranging shelves—it extends to the components themselves. You can reinforce, revive, and reimagine every flat-packed piece you own.

Published on September 5, 2025
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Organizing 20 years of photos with immich
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I Tried to Organize 20 Years of Photos —Here’s What I Discovered

Organizing 20 years of photos with immich

Previously, I discussed trying to consolidate my photo storage using Immich. I didn’t realize what a job it would end up being to get everything together and organized. With all of the various places I have stashed files over the last few years. I started with the easy sources, going through servers and various backups, and starting to bring files in.

That included:

  • Google Takeout for Google Photos
  • Downloads from online backups
  • NextCloud File Sync, which replaced things like Dropbox for me years ago
  • Digitized files from Bulk Scans

Unfortunately, there were issues.

  • Modern photo software shows things in a timeline, but backups from some services return your files stripped of metadata.
  • Scans of photos from prior to digital cameras don’t have detailed dates.

What is Metadata?

If you don’t know, metadata is data about data. So, for photos, this is often embedded in the photo itself. Your phone will embed data in the file about

  • When the photo was taken
  • Where the photo was taken
  • Who took the photo
  • Tags
  • Description
  • Face identification

This is added to varying degrees, and serious photographers will spend a fair amount of time working on the metadata of their files. Most people who tag or otherwise add information to photos do it in the photo storage solution. And apparently, for ‘privacy reasons’, sites strip the metadata from the file and store it in the database, so when you extract your files…they don’t always put it back.

Digitizing Old Photos

I made some mistakes over the years by bulk scanning and dumping digital files. I paid to have my father’s 35mm slides scanned by an outside company and I ran hundreds of photos through a photo scanner. What would the mistake be? I didn’t immediately organize those files. I had family members who said they wanted to help with that, and…well, life happens. So, if they haven’t in the decade since I scanned these, despite looking at them many times, they probably won’t.

Paper photos often had the month and year they were printed on them, which narrows it down, but that means I have to pull the original albums and try to reconstruct the past, which can be a massive project when you don’t clearly remember some things, and some of the family photos predate your birth.

So, I need some reasonable steps to move forward:

  • Get all the photos and possible metadata imported
  • Check filenames that might have date information in them and update the files.
  • Try to identify locations of photos that can be identified and store that.
  • For dates that can’t be positively identified, estimate the month or year. Or the decade. At least they will be in roughly the right order.
  • Start tagging items and organizing them.
  • Use family members and other documentation to try and narrow things down.

This all may be a massive project, and may not be done for some time, but when it is done, the effort will hopefully be worth it.

Published on September 3, 2025
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Why a Home Theater Setup Still Beats a Soundbar in 2025

As part of my recent move, I dismantled and reassembled my home theater. It is not brand new, I built it, piece by piece, over previous years, and have done several upgrades since. A new receiver, a replacement center speaker, and so on.

As I reassembled it in my new space, I started wondering: In 2025, is it still worth the time, effort, and wiring to build a home theater with surround speakers?

The Case for Real Surround Sound

TVs have gotten thinner, sleeker, and smarter—but one thing they haven’t improved is *sound quality. You simply can’t fit great speakers into a wafer-thin LCD panel. That’s why soundbars have exploded in popularity—they’re compact, plug-and-play, and simulate directional audio reasonably well.

Soundbars may simulate directional sound, but they don’t even come close to matching the immersion of discrete surround speakers.

With a full surround setup you get:

  • True directionality – not simulation
  • A dedicated center channel that keeps dialogue clear
  • Rear speakers that provide real spatial effects
  • A subwoofer(which is where the .1 comes in 5.1 and 7.1 sound), delivering bass

I started with a 5.1 channel setup and a 7.1 channel receiver, so I wanted more. But my space didn’t support the extra side channels well, so I upgrade to a 5.1.2 Atmos configuration instead.

What is 5.1.2 Atmos?

  • 5 speakers (front left, center, front right, rear left, rear right
  • 1 subwoofer
  • 2 height/ceiling speakers for vertical sound staging

This setup enables Dolby Atmos, which brings sound from above and gives movies and games a cinematic, three-dimensional feel—especially when properly calibrated.

Still More to Do

Now that everything is in, I’ll be returning to this project in future to better calibrate the system and do some other improvements to improve the sound of the space. That includes further adjustments to the speaker placement, calibrations in software, EQ, as well as room treatments and layout adjustments to improve the acoustics in the space. As of now, I have not hung anything on the wall or even tacked down the wires to the rear speakers.

But even with the basic calibration I did, the difference between it and just the TV speaker is incredible. Dialogue is crisp, surround effects are immersive, and explosions feel like explosions.

I won’t claim to be a home theater expert, and there are much more expensive and elaborate setups, but even with this basic approach, it is a world of difference.

Final Thoughts

Is it worth upgrading beyond your TV’s built-in speakers or a basic soundbar?

Absolutely.

If your space allows for speaker placement—and you’re willing to do a bit of work to get it right—a home theater system with a full surround configuration (especially with Atmos support) will blow you away.

Movie nights are back. Now… who’s bringing popcorn?

Published on September 1, 2025
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Designing a B-Mode: How I’m Building Fail-Safe Smart Home Devices with ESPHome

In a previous post, I discussed migrating to ESPHome for my smart devices. That initial migration was pretty straightforward—flashing firmware, configuring YAML, and getting basic functionality running.

But now I’ve started refining things. ESPHome isn’t just about turning things on and off. It’s about designing smarter devices—devices that don’t just rely on a central hub, but can think for themselves when they need to.

Dawn-Dusk Automation

The first item I built using ESPHome was dawn to dusk lighting control. ESPHome makes this possible with its sun component, which calculates sunrise and sunset time based on provided latitude and longitude.

To make that work, you need a time source. The most popular one is getting it from Home Assistant, but you can also use:

  • An NTP server, for independence from your Home Assistant instance, but still requiring a local or remote time server.
  • RTC Hardware Clocks for full independence

Switches and Manual Overrides

Next, I added a templated switch. These aren’t tied to physical hardware and control logic on the device (e.g. enable/disable the dawn-dusk logic).

This gives me some flexibility. For my style of planning,I want any automations running on device to be something that can be disabled if from Home Assistant, which has more capabilities. Simple logic runs locally, but still is controlled by the larger brain.

Important External States for Smarter On-Device Logic

ESPHome allows you to import the state of external entities into your device. Most commonly, you would sync states from Home Assistant, but there is a more powerful alternative in the packet transport component.

This component lets you import the state of sensors to be shared directly ESPHome device to ESPHome Device without a server in between. Even if a server crashes, the system still works, even if the functionality may be limited.

Designing for Failure: My “B-Mode” Smart Home

Resilence is something I prefer to prioritize. Inspired by Disney theme park ride design, I’ve incorporated what I call “B-Mode”.

In Disney-speak, A-Mode is full, ideal operation. B-Mode is what happens when something breaks—so the show can go on, just in a simplified form.

In my design, B-Mode is:

  • Smart lights that fall back to dawn-dusk mode if Home Assistant is unreachable
  • Ability to enable/disable on-device automations by communicating directly with the device
  • Direct Connections between devices to keep key functions running locally
  • Physical Buttons that Always Work, even if the connection is down

And the key: none of this happens by accident. You have to plan for outages and decide what should keep working in your design. ESPHome gives you the tools.

? Final Thought

Your smart home shouldn’t break just because your server does.

With ESPHome, you can build resilience into every device—whether it’s a light switch, a plug, or a sensor. Start simple. Add layers. Think about what matters when things fail.

That’s what B-Mode is all about.

 

Published on August 29, 2025
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