--- title: "Starting My Home Automation Experiment" date: 2026-03-30T08:46:01+02:00 feature_link: "https://www.midjourney.com/home/" feature_text: "by IA Midjourney" description: "I am starting a Home Automation in my home and this is how I start it" tags: - home-automation - hacking - self-hosting - raspberry-pi - home-assistant categories: - tinkering series: - My Home Automation Lab --- And some time ago I installed the __*FIBER*__[^1] in my home and I want to use in the best way, so I start to rework all my local network and I think about adding some home automation. [^1]: I pay a company to install it and I clean after. {{< xkcd 1931 >}} ## What do I need? First I search for understand what I need to have for build my personal home automation. So serching on the web I found I need: - A brain/core/server for coordinate all the stuffs - A software for the brain, for the automation and other stuff - A router for adding the brain to the network for update and other stuff - Dongle/sensor/tech for connectivity with the sensors and smart stuff (one for protocol) - The smart stuff (light bulb, sensor, timer, endpoint api...) So I need to choose which protocol I want in my home... And I don't know... So I change the point of view: - I want to use good smart stuff but I don't want to pay too much - I want something Open Source so I am not bind to a company - I want something offline or/and on MY HOME SERVER ### The protocols Searching for the protocols I choose Thread[^thread-standard] and Zigbee[^zigbee]. One reason is because they are the most used protocol for communication and more easy to find online (Amazon) and offline (Ikea and othe local shop). For starting I will implement only Thread because the more easy tech for me are all Matter over Thread so I start with Thread. From the infographic I found, I need to implement Matter[^matter-standard] also because Matter is the top stuff for an Home Assistant. ![Matter Thread Infographic ](matter_thread_infographic.png) [^matter-standard]: [Matter Standard](https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/) [^thread-standard]: [Thread Standard](https://threadgroup.org/) [^zigbee]: [Zigbee Standard](https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/zigbee/) ### The software Now I want a software, Open Source, which I can support Thread and Matter (and also Zigbee) and I found a software (Open Source) wich support all I need: Home Assistant[^home-assistant]. It support Matter[^matter-home-assistant], Thread[^thread-home-assistant] and Zigbee[^zigbee-home-automation] and I can put it in a RaspberryPi or other server. [^home-assistant]: [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/) [^matter-home-assistant]: [Home Assistant Matter](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/matter/) [^thread-home-assistant]: [Home Assistant Thread](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/thread/) [^zigbee-home-automation]: [Zigbee Home Automation](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zha/) ## Hardware So I start to make a list of what I have and what I need. Some things I buy online, some things come from some tech market and some come form the shoes box of my old stuff... I only write about the real things but if I use cable or other "standard stuff" I don't write about it. So yes I bought some usb extention and some network cable but they aren't important for this post. ### Core/Brain Stuff First I need the Brain for the project ![Brain](ABnormal_GIF.gif) From what I read in the Home Assistant[^home-assistant] documentation I need some type of server with some gadget connected to them. So I search and got a RaspberryPi 4B[^raspberry]. ![Raspberry](raspberry.jpg) [^raspberry]: [RaspberryPi 4B](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/) I also bought a microSD with 64GB of memory (I am on a budget for this project) as an Hard Disk for the "server". Searching in my closet and in some shoes boxes I found a case[^case] for RaspberryPi with active cooling system (and LGB light) [^case]: [Raspberry Pi 4B Case from Owootecc](https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07YJGWPQL) So I flash the microSD with the Home Assistant software. Thanks to the Raspberry Pi Software[^iso] choosing the right iso and flash it in the SD was a walk in the park. [^iso]: [Raspberry Pi software](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/) After the flashing I set it up and add to my local network and check for update. So the brain is ready! ### Sensor form Ikea I went to Ikea for some stuff and some Swedish meatballs and I came back with an Ikea Alpstuga[^ikea]. ![Ikea Alpstuga](ikea.jpg) It is a timer, air sensor with CO2 and PM2.5 sensor and output all of them and an Air Quality value. [^ikea]: [Ikea Alpstuga](https://www.ikea.com/it/it/p/alpstuga-sensore-della-qualita-dellaria-smart-50604187/) The only bad thing about it is the color but for the price I don't complain. So after coming home I found it didn't work. ![Nope](nope.gif) As is the RaspberryPi 4B do not support Thread or Zigbee without some type of specialized antenna... I was understanding that the software use the wifi module of the RaspberryPi as a Zigbee/Thread emitter/reciver but no so I search on Amazon for the dongle for Thread. ### Antenna I bought a Usb dongle[^antenna] for connecting the RaspberryPi and the other gadget in the house (for now only the Ikea one) [^antenna]: [SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus MG24](https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0FMJD288B) ![Antenna](antenna.jpg)[^antenna] This antenna is a little special: you can flash it for changing it form Zigbee to Thread and vice versa so I start to config it. #### Setup the Antenna First I flash the antenna. I need to port from Zigbee to Thread[^flash_firmware] and with the online tool it was so easy I thought I did something wrong. [^flash_firmware]: [Sonoff dongle flasher/](https://dongle.sonoff.tech/sonoff-dongle-flasher/) After this I connect the dongle and start to config the Home Assistant. First I need to have installed Thread from "Add Integration" and it showed an empty list of device. This is correct because I didn't have a Thread router installed. So we add a OpenRouter. How? Installing from the officials app of mine Home Assistant. ![Open Thread on a menu](Thread.png) After this I edit the config in this way (the device was auto-finded) and I set this for my device. [^note] [^note]: This config work for me, it can not work for you ![Open Thread config](openThread.png) For checking if all was ok I went and seach in the log for the OpenThread for a specific line. ![Log Antenna](log-antenna.png) After this I went to check if the Thread integration showed the Ikea sensor and it didn't show... Why? Because I am STUPID. #### Setup the last little things Alpstuga (my air sensor) is not Thread, is Matter over Thread, so I need to add the thing with the Matter integration. And with this last integration the system worked! ![Its alive](its-alive.gif) I am happy of this system? No. Why? I have the wrong time on the Alpstuga. This thing I don't understand so I search online for understand how can I fix the time on the device. I find this is a common problem with the Alpstuga device and someone made a Hacs[^hacs] plugin[^matter-time-synk] wich add a cron and a button for sync the Home Assistant's clock. I also add the plugin for integrate my Playstation Network in my Home Assistant[^psnetwork]. [^hacs]: [Home Assistant Hacs](https://www.hacs.xyz/) [^matter-time-synk]: [Matter time synk](https://github.com/Loweack/Matter-Time-Sync/) [^psnetwork]: [PlayStation Network Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/playstation_network/) ## Conclusion For now this is what I had done but I want to have automation (for now I don't have any) and some stuff for lower the gas bill so there will be more post about my smart home.