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0 pointsmatthew-wegner6y ago0 comments

Yeah! So it's these remotes: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-5-Channel-Wireless-Control-R...

Which are 433mhz. It's a couple of dollars to wire a receiver into a Raspberry Pi to hear them. I don't have any issues with reception, even through the brick wall into my garage. I don't remember which script I started with, but at a glance this looks like the same one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5Bj_N4Crw

I have custom scripts now, to make it easier to add new remotes and handle them (I use Node-RED for automation logic). You can solder pads to change the IDs on the remote, if you don't happen to have matched remotes to use the same ones per-room.

The one downside is that the encoded information isn't complete if you very quickly press a button. It isn't an issue in practice, but I did give up on using a 433mhz doorbell because hurried delivery drivers would barely tap on it.

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CaptainMarvel6y ago

Can these remotes be spoofed by neighbours to turn lights on/off, play music, etc? Or are they paired and use encryptiom?

matthew-wegnerOP6y ago

Very easily! And could certainly happen accidentally.

I live in spread out suburbs, so my radio spectrum is pretty clear. It might be an issue in a vertically-oriented city.

My primary automation network is ZigBee, which does have a (mild) layer of encryption and mechanisms to prevent replay attacks. There are ZigBee buttons and remotes, but nothing cheap enough that I could put two in every room. (And I had a bunch of these remotes previously, from when I just used them with the matching outlets).

jakobegger6y ago

Most neighbours are decent folks, so security may not be necessary. For example, I had an open Wifi for years, so the neighbours could share it if they wanted. I also had passwordless Airplay speakers, and only once soneone tried to play music on them. (Was fun)

At some point I unfortunately had to add a password because someone else used all the bandwidth...

hobofan6y ago

> Most neighbours are decent folks, so security may not be necessary.

It's not even necessarily bad intent. I mysteriously had my lights turn on and off (which I control via a common RF controlled socket), but only around christmas time and only in the mornings and evenings. Turns out that's when my my neighbor turned the lights on the christmas tree on/off via their RF remote.

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