this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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I'm planning to build several WiFi connected devices for home automation: an AC remote control and air quality sensors. These devices would send data and be controlled through a local server. I'm considering two approaches: running custom software on a server PC (hardware to be determined) or integrating with Home Assistant's protocols and purchasing their hardware. Would using Home Assistant be excessive for this use case?

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[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 hours ago

Most WiFi devices these days are cloud-based, at least on the American market.

If you can find a Zigbee or Z-Wave (or the up-and-coming Thread), those only work locally. The only way to get remote control is to expose HomeAssistant (or a similar hub) to the internet - usually using a VPN from your remote devices into your network.

It’s a bit more upfront work, but no one can track your devices, they’re off grid/much harder to hack remotely, etc.