I want to set up some simple programmable buttons to run scenarios at my house and my (elderly) mother's.
Factors:
Wi-Fi enabled houses
I have a background in IT - but only done vaguely intelligent plug and play for the last 10 years.
No hubs existing.
Trying to stay cost effective.
Recommendations?
I have existing home automation scenarios, so pretty easy.
Mum's will be all new, but the most important one will be one that sends an alert of some sort to me on activation.
@Andrea the thing about wifi for home automation buttons is that WiFi is a battery pig³. If you don't already have a home hub that supports other lower-power radio bands, your options are either "get one¹ , build a home-assistant hub with a low-power wireless bridge, or get a self-contained bridge and some zigbee or matter buttons²". There is a saying "when setting out to install HomeAssistant, first dig two graves".
¹ I have several spare google home minis which you may have one or more of if this helps
² ikea https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/dirigera-hub-for-smart-products-white-smart-90503407/ https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/bilresa-remote-control-white-smart-dual-button-50617868/
³ these do work but unsure of battery life https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006081884094.html also https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010524995760.html
If you want to explore build-it-yourself no-evil-cloud options for ideological or recreational reasons, I have designed all the necessary hardware and have stock.
Andrea
Kit Bashir