Smart home in real daily life: what helps, what annoys, what it costs. Three homes, honest tests, numbers you can check.https://smarthome.zetik.at/enhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/blink-cameras-the-model-decides/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/blink-cameras-the-model-decides/Five of my Blink cameras deliver an image every day, three almost never. Not location, not battery, not signal strength separates them — the product line does.Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergsmart-oder-sinnlosBlinkCamerasHome AssistantTroubleshootinghttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/hacs-is-now-built-in/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/hacs-is-now-built-in/Home Assistant 2026.11 leaves nothing of HACS to install. What changes, what breaks in templates, and why manually installed integrations do not show up.Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifendwas-passiert-wennHome AssistantHACSMarketplace2026.11Updatehttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/gas-meter-two-sources/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/gas-meter-two-sources/My gas meter has two data sources: an accurate one days behind, and a current one with a wrong starting value. Only together are they worth anything.Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTwienauf-der-rechnungGas meterReading headTasmotaMQTTMetrologyhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/252-scripts-later/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/252-scripts-later/Three flats, three instances, 252 tool scripts — built with Claude as a working partner. How the chain looks, and the one rule without which it does not hold.Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifendsmart-oder-sinnlosClaudeMCPTool scriptsAssistMethodhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/ten-hours-without-water/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/ten-hours-without-water/A valve closed at midnight and never reopened. The monitoring built for exactly that stayed silent — for a reason that affects every alarm in the house.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-schiefgingWaterShut-off valveMonitoringunavailableHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/flatness-was-the-proof/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/flatness-was-the-proof/Two radio links, two months of measurement. In Kapfenberg the culprit was my own automation, in Merano the measuring tool itself.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifenddrei-orteInternetMetrology5GFixed wirelessSpeed testhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/two-buttons-a-house-and-an-sos/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/two-buttons-a-house-and-an-sos/One button at the door, one in the bedroom. Both identical, both with three gestures — and the most important gesture does something entirely different on each.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTmerandas-spart-mirSONOFFButtonZigbeeOperationDepartureHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/an-umlaut-killed-my-frost-alarm/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/an-umlaut-killed-my-frost-alarm/Three faults ran unnoticed for months, one of them in a protection function. All three were found in one evening — and two earlier findings had to be retracted.Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-schiefgingDebuggingentity_idUmlautsProtectionHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/two-water-valves-twelve-watchdogs/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/two-water-valves-twelve-watchdogs/Hot water rules out almost every metering valve. Which one was left, what speaks against it — and why opening has two brakes while closing has none.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeransmart-oder-sinnlosWaterShut-offPNI SV180tuya-localLeak protectionhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/a-guessed-wait-is-no-check/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/a-guessed-wait-is-no-check/The lock needs 38 seconds; my automation waited 20. The second command hit the motor mid-travel — and took the confirmation down with it.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-schiefgingDoor contactTedeeAutomationTimingSilent failurehttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-sd-card-is-out/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-sd-card-is-out/Long-term statistics wiped twice, four corrupt database files. Moving to an NVMe cost a day, two bugs in other software and two wrong theories of my own.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-schiefgingRaspberry PiNVMeHome Assistant OSData lossMigrationhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/thirteen-hours-on-the-cloud/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/thirteen-hours-on-the-cloud/A network outage, two new addresses — and the local path to both water valves was dead. Why fixed addresses matter most when you work locally.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifenddrei-orteDHCPNetworkReservationLocal over cloudARPhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/what-does-a-flat-cool-towards/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/what-does-a-flat-cool-towards/Seven hours with no heat in the circuit, and the question of how far to preheat. The answer hung on a figure I had assumed wrongly at first.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-passiert-wennHeatingTime constantPreheatingTRVMetrologyhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/what-a-radiator-thermostat-measures/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/what-a-radiator-thermostat-measures/Three homes, three ways to a radiator: tado over HomeKit, Shelly over Zigbee, and once no valve at all. What each gives you — and what none of them can do.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifenddrei-orteHeatingThermostattadoShelly BLU TRVZigbeehttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/pellet-stove-controllable-again/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/pellet-stove-controllable-again/The pellet stove accepts heat level and target temperature again. It took a 32-euro converter, the right baud rate, and one line of code in the right place.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergdrei-ortePellet stoveRIKA ComoRS-232Home AssistantProject loghttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/tado-locally-integrated/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/tado-locally-integrated/The local route to tado runs through HomeKit, and HomeKit allows only one controller. What followed: four plausible diagnoses, all of them wrong.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTwiensmart-oder-sinnlostadoHomeKitLocal over cloudDiagnosisHeatinghttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-sensor-sat-on-the-radiator/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-sensor-sat-on-the-radiator/A home-built detector spotted ventilation in an empty flat. The interpretation was wrong, and the real reason called a whole measurement series into question.Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-schiefgingMeasurementThermostatFalse conclusionSensorsHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/four-buttons-six-heating-zones/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/four-buttons-six-heating-zones/In winter it is always the same four states. Clicking each one by hand across six zones is the kind of work where you forget half — usually the toilet.Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTwiendas-spart-mirHeatingtadoScenesWood stoveHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-weaker-mast-was-the-better-one/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-weaker-mast-was-the-better-one/After turning the antenna, reception fell from −71 to −87 dBm and I advised turning it back. Four days later throughput was four times as high.Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefging5GAntennaMeasurement seriesRadio cellMagentahttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-ups-shuts-nothing-down/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-ups-shuts-nothing-down/Every guide says: shut down cleanly on power failure. Mine keeps the Pi running. The reason lies in a property no UPS puts in its datasheet.Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-passiert-wennUPSPower cutRaspberry PiMonitoringHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-regulators-client-self-built/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-regulators-client-self-built/A second measuring method alongside Ookla: the regulator’s own client, packed into a home-built add-on. And three instruments that falsified each other.Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefgingRTRMetrologyAdd-onOokla5Ghttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/electricity-bill-before-it-arrives/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/electricity-bill-before-it-arrives/At 23:50 on the last day of the month a notification arrives with consumption, cost components and the expected bill. What the forecast can do and where it ends.Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergauf-der-rechnungElectricity costsShelly 3EMEnergy meteringTariffhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/remote-access-not-proven/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/remote-access-not-proven/Three flats, three answers. Why a successful request from home proves nothing, why bans never expire — and why one location has nothing at all.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifenddrei-orteRemote accessDynamic DNSReverse proxyIP banTwo-factorhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/a-sticker-on-the-gate/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/a-sticker-on-the-gate/The request was an e-ink display with a rotating QR code. What was built is a sticker with no power. Why that answers the same question better.Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergdas-spart-mirNFCQR codeCalendarVisitor logHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/bandwidth-was-never-the-interesting-number/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/bandwidth-was-never-the-interesting-number/The bundled integration was off by a factor of four. The Ookla CLI showed the real finding — and the antenna web interface ended the search for a cause.Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefgingMetrology5GOoklaBufferbloatMagentahttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-name-lives-in-three-places/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-name-lives-in-three-places/Locally no device has the name it has in the account, the firmware stores no umlauts — and the display hid the house power because of a setting in the cloud.Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefgingDevice namesAreasShellyCloudWall displayhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/he-corrected-me-and-he-was-right/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/he-corrected-me-and-he-was-right/One of my measurements did not measure the camera but a default setting shipped with the project. The third error of the same kind in a single day.Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefgingBlinkOpen sourceCollaborationMeasurement errorHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/this-device-stays-outside/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/this-device-stays-outside/A grill with a core temperature probe, a switch found on the water connection. I could integrate both. Why I did neither.Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergsmart-oder-sinnlosNinja WoodfireTuyaCloudDecisionHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/three-cities-one-question/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/three-cities-one-question/Departure boards in Merano, Kapfenberg and Vienna. The same idea built three times — and three times I got it wrong in a different place.Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifenddrei-ortePublic transportDashboardReal-time dataHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-switch-says-requested/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-switch-says-requested/The pellet stove has no network. The relay only reports that heat was asked for — whether it is burning is revealed solely by the ignition spike in the power draw.Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergsmart-oder-sinnlosMerossPellet stovePower meteringLocal over cloudSecretshttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/blink-answers-with-202/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/blink-answers-with-202/The login failed in the version I tested. Three days later the project had three new releases. What lay in between was not code.Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-passiert-wennBlinkOpen source2FADebuggingHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/400-and-never-active/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/400-and-never-active/Remote access answered with 400 and nothing else. Three suspects cleared — until it turned out Home Assistant no longer reads that file at all.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTwienwas-schiefgingRemote accessReverse proxyDiagnosisConfigurationHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-model-with-more-physics/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-model-with-more-physics/Four years of gas use reconstructed from 71 meter readings. My temperature model was physically sound — and off by 110 cubic metres.Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTwienwas-schiefgingGas consumptionModellingDegree daysInterpolationStatisticshttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/power-nets-out-energy-does-not/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/power-nets-out-energy-does-not/The house meter measures three phases. It nets the power against itself but adds the energy up — which makes its counters useless for the dashboard.Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergauf-der-rechnungShellyEnergy meteringThree-phaseEnergy dashboardMeasurementhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/washing-machine-reports-in/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/washing-machine-reports-in/Programme, temperature and spin speed on my phone, locally and without a vendor account. And why the same brand could not be connected at all in Merano.Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergdas-spart-mirWashing machineHooverCandyHome Assistantlocalhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/four-stars-say-nothing/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/four-stars-say-nothing/A project with four stars, built in a day, untouched since. My assessment stood in bold in my notes. Four days later I had to retract it.Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefgingBlinkOpen sourceMisjudgementLive viewHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/measure-fast-set-slow/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/measure-fast-set-slow/The solar battery offers nothing locally. The trigger arrives instantly from the house, the action travels halfway round the internet — that decides the design.Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergauf-der-rechnungAnker SOLIXBalcony solarEnergy dashboardCloudMeasurementhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/water-leak-sensor-washing-machine/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/water-leak-sensor-washing-machine/A leak sensor under 20 euros passed a real water test in my Vienna flat: instant alert, all-clear after 30 seconds, battery warning included.Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTwienwas-passiert-wennLeak sensorZigbeeWashing machineHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/two-masters-one-light/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/two-masters-one-light/The Hue bridge automates by itself, even when Home Assistant is off. Use the same sensor twice and you will later wonder why the light goes out on its own.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifendwas-passiert-wennHueZigbeeMotion sensorAutomationLocal over cloudhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/first-36-then-15/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/first-36-then-15/One network scan, two results, one false alarm. Why ping is the wrong measure and the router knows more than any sweep.Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-schiefgingNetwork scanRouter discoveryMACPingTopologyhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/camera-without-rtsp/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/camera-without-rtsp/The new Tapo camera would not integrate. The reason is a protocol change you will need again at your next purchase — and that nobody prints on the box.Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeransmart-oder-sinnlosCameraRTSPLive viewPrivacyHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/kapfenberg-in-one-day/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/kapfenberg-in-one-day/The third installation was the fastest — not because I had got better, but because the first two were written down. Plus one measurement with no occasion.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergdrei-orteInitial setupSSHZigbeeSupervisorRaspberry Pihttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/one-convenience-feature-nine-devices/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/one-convenience-feature-nine-devices/A camera would not join the Wi-Fi, and in the garden the connection dropped. Same cause — and after switching it off, nine more devices were reachable.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTkapfenbergwas-passiert-wennWi-FiBand steering2.4 GHzMeshMeasurementhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/25-invoice-lines-checked/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/25-invoice-lines-checked/Two years of gas bills recalculated line by line: largest deviation 0.016%. The number that was wrong came from my own meter reader.Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTwienauf-der-rechnungGas billCalorific valueConversion factorVerificationTasmotahttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/vienna-the-first-day/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/vienna-the-first-day/The second installation was the first to profit from the first. And on the same morning it wrote a configuration that never had any effect.Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTwiendrei-orteInitial setupHuetadoLocal over cloudHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/35-minutes-zero-degrees/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/35-minutes-zero-degrees/The air conditioner ran and did not cool. "Cools badly" is not a finding. How a complaint became a measurement series the engineer confirmed.Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-passiert-wennMideaAir conditioningMulti-splitDiagnosisMeasurementHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-calendar-knows-in-advance/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-calendar-knows-in-advance/No tracker can predict an arrival, no calendar can safeguard a departure. Why both are needed — and where the eight and ten hours come from.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmerandas-spart-mirCalendarPresenceCamerasPre-heatingAutomationhttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-fountain-runs-but-not-in-home-assistant/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-fountain-runs-but-not-in-home-assistant/Bruno needs water — does his bowl need Wi-Fi? Half an afternoon, a device that quietly swaps its key, and a verdict that comes in two halves.Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeransmart-oder-sinnlosBrunoXiaomimiioLocal over cloudSmart or pointlesshttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/both-came-home/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/both-came-home/Unlocking the door was supposed to produce a photo. None appeared. The trigger was waiting for a state change this lock never makes.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranwas-schiefgingDoor lockTedeeSnapshotTriggerSilent failurehttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-clamp-sat-differently/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/the-clamp-sat-differently/One meter in the distribution box, two clamps — and the assignment was swapped. A lamp proved it, its own reading only 1.2 watts away.Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmeranauf-der-rechnungShellyEnergy meteringCurrent clampCoIoTZigbeehttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/signal-does-not-notify/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/signal-does-not-notify/Home Assistant was paired as a secondary device and sent under my own number. The images arrived, the notification never did. Only a foreign sender triggers it.Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmerandas-spart-mirSignalNotification pathAlertingPrivacyHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/six-valves-move-house/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/six-valves-move-house/The radiator heads spoke Bluetooth through two gateways. The same hardware can do Zigbee — and after removing the gateways the weakest link got better.Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmerandas-spart-mirShelly BLU TRVZigbeeBluetoothZigbee2MQTTHeatinghttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/merano-the-first-instance/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/merano-the-first-instance/The first of the three installations. Two things came out of it that saved time later — one of them was a quotation mark.Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTmerandrei-orteInitial setupSSHRaspberry PiMeasure not assumeHome Assistanthttps://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/eleven-months-in-a-drawer/https://smarthome.zetik.at/en/artikel/eleven-months-in-a-drawer/Bought in September 2025, nothing achieved for a year. What changed after that was not the hardware — and the reorder date gives away the day.Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTuebergreifenddrei-orteRaspberry PiGetting startedClaudeMCPNVMe