Smart Home

Update, 2026: The SonOTA flashing method described here is deprecated. The Tasmota project now has a web installer that’s simpler and doesn’t require any of this. The rest of this post reflects how it worked in 2018. Sonoff takes the standard ESP8266 chip and adds two things: a casing with wifi and great connectors and a custom OS and an app to control the devices. Unfortunately, the second addition also means that all communication goes through Sonoff’s servers. Here’s how to get rid of that. Without soldering or connecting anything. ...

Update, 2026: Apple’s Home architecture has changed significantly since 2018. Homebridge still exists and still works, but the setup has evolved. Check homebridge.io for current instructions. The rest of this post reflects how it worked in 2018. “Hey Siri, turn on the bedroom lights!” I want that. Here’s how I did it: I bought a bunch of Sonoff devices (5€ each, 10€ for a light switch). I bought a raspberry pi (33€). I installed an MQTT broker and homebridge on the pi. ...