Smart Home Hub and Zigbee Network
Local smart home with a Zigbee coordinator, Home Assistant, and a mix of sensors and switches—no cloud required.
I wanted smart lights and sensors without locking everything into a cloud. So I set up Home Assistant on the home server and added a Zigbee coordinator so we can use generic sensors, switches, and bulbs that all talk locally.
Home Assistant runs in Docker; the Zigbee stick is passed through to the container. I paired motion sensors, door sensors, and a bunch of bulbs and switches. Automations run on the server—no round-trip to the internet for “turn on the lights at sunset” or “notify when the garage door is left open.”
We have a simple dashboard on a tablet by the door and use the HA app on our phones. Everything works when the internet is down, and we’re not sending device data to a third party. Adding a new device is just pair and add to the dashboard.