Worked example?

Setup, Configuration and Use Beginners
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Hi, brand new to this and though I’ve read some of the key concepts I struggle to ‘get it’. Do the docs contain a nice example scenario walkthrough “James has X devices currently using Alexa, he wants to migrate to openHAB - here’s how he does it?” My brain prefers seeing that sort of thing :slight_smile:

Guess I am mainly wondering how you get all these devices, which are designed to ‘phone home’, to work when the link is severed. The minimal experience I have ( Honeywell Evohome) shows you run into issues like authentication APIs deliberately trying to prevent man-in-the-middle, which seems what HAB does?

I’m a techy guy but IoT is just a bit new for me :wink: So thanks for any help.

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How to get started (there is no step-by-step tutorial) as a discussion of this as well as links to a number of resources to help you get started.

We don’t. The interaction is from openHAB to the device’s cloud service API. Bindings rarely if ever MITM to integrate devices. If you want local control you need to select devices and technologies that support local control.

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Welcome.

OpenHAB is a very flexible framework with addons to support many different technologies. In addition to that, each person has very different needs, expectations, and available finances. The availability of some solutions vary depending on geographical location.

Many people here prefer a Smart Home that can be controller locally, with no Internet access needed. Most product vendors push their cloud based solutions.

For me personally, I am using OH as a hobby to improve the home in small ways. It is usually recommended to concentrate on a single technology for most devices. That makes management simpler but if a different technology is needed for a particular application, openHAB can make it all work together.

In the US, I personally chose Z-Wave even though it is more expensive than some other technoligies. It is a standard that emphasizes local control of the devices but, IMHO, does not have the interference potential of using Wi-Fi or Zigbee.

Alexa, Google Home, & Homekit are all cloud based systems that try to lock you into their products. OpenHAB tries to be compatible but compatibility varies abd, many times, breaks due to vendor changes.