Happy Saturday everyone! Home Assistant for beginners! 😳 If you're interested in buying one then they're at the link below... BUY THE LINKNLINK ISG MAX HERE: I will earn commission at no cost to you if you buy through the below link 😊 Discount code: PAULISGMAX GLOBAL: shop.linknlink.com/products/linknlink-isg-display-max
3 หลายเดือนก่อน +6
Sorry this time, I bought the older LinknLink iSG three months ago, but it was never sent, so I won't fall for it again...
Congratulations, you are cured! You were able to say Philips hue in the beginning without gagging. I know it was a long and hard recovery but we are all proud of you!
Nooo! There’s been a transporter accident and the real or “good” Paul Hibbert is currently stranded in the pattern buffers or subspace or summink. This one is talking about girls when our Paul has the greatest wife and sprog imaginable. Get a hypospray stat! 8:32 it’s okay, they’re both there. 😂 13:52 can’t believe he used the transporter after the *incident* but the chair is empty and our Paul at least seems to be back to “normal” again (displaying some minor glitching). What a rollercoaster of an episode.
It is almost 6 months now since i have started my home automation journey and i have nailed it since the begining, my house is running great, wife factor is very high, i still watch these channels but i don;t need anything from any companies unless is 100% locally controlled, no subscription, no batteries.
@@inderveerjohal7218 Sure, just don't tell Paul. :) My smart home automation is Home Assistant based. I am running it on an old miniature PC, a Lenovo Tiny Desktop (can find these for 50 EURO or less). CPU will idle at 1%, never needed active cooling, 1GB RAM memory used of the total 8GB. You will have to replace the storage, buy yourself the best Samsung SSD, the smallest capacity PRO version is the way to go. Consider replacing the storage every 5 years, it will wear out (competition SSD... there is no competition). Myself bought 2 spare disks and one spare Tiny Desktop just to be sure I will have the hardware needed for the next 10 years. Initially I wasn't considering Home Assistant as a platform, but H.A. grew into a mature system and with every update I can see they are getting better and better. I am running H.A. with Dynamic DNS on my phones so I don'y have to pay for a subscription. Check with your ISP, in some cases they will offer free Dynamic DNS. For networking I am using Ubiquiti hardware, Unifi router Dream Machine PRO, Unifi PoE switch for cameras and stuff, Unifi cameras and Unifi wireless AP's. These do integrate well with H.A. For network storage I am using one Synology 220+ NAS, H.A. backup will be done on this unit. For smart plugs I am using Delock german MQTT plugs, they need to be updates right out of the box with Tasmota OS, but other than that they are excellent, stable and locally controlled. For lighting efects I am using Yeelight (thanks Paul) products. To keep compatibility with the old and non-smart house and lights, I am using Shelly switches so it will work even if the smart home goes down. Sliding gate is from an Italian company called NICE. NICE products can be integrated only with Apple integration via H.A. butt it just works. :) Heating is controlled with TADO ellements. Solar power inverter is Fronius. Broadlink remote RM4 PRO, learning it atm. Got a Google ChromeCast HS for my old TV, perfect fit, can stream music, movies and pictures to it from devices and Synology storage, one Yamaha music Network Player completely controlled over H.A., what else... I can wake computers via WOL, can set automations with Android Phone App integration, let's say when I enter a zone such as a Shopping mall, I can flash my lights at home so mrs. will know that... Built muself a simple garden watering system with smart plugs and electric valves, cheap and working well, no expensive programming units. If i continue writing, i will start my own channel hahaha. You got the idea.
Two notes. It seems it’s matter over wifi not matter over thread so this will limit significantly devices you could connect. Unless it’s via thread but couldn’t find confirmation. Now more important, their service instead of Nabu Casa. Although it’s allowed, this is exactly what is killing open source, check what happened to Terraform and moving from OS to BSL license. Dear linknlink, if you are doing this, contribute back to home assistant. If not, in a few years, HA will disappear
I have one (previous version offcourse) Maybe good thing to add is that it is not the supervisor version of HA, so no addon's. I can't get my google nest bell and thermostat to work because the cloud can't find the ISG. Connecting with visual code is not possible to change yaml files because SSHs not enabled on the intern HA of ISG. And changing yaml files on the intern HA editor is really oldschool 😄 (Yes Paul, I still talk to girls 😜) It looks indeed good for beginners, but if you have HA on a nuc/rasberry, I suggest to wait a bit before changing it...
The custom background and the auto close on the menu were things I suggested and they went forward with which is super awesome, it has been a bit of a journey to get things going well but LinknLink have been fabulous about answering questions and taking on feedback throughout ❤
Awesome review, I watched it last week pondered a little, and set up HA on virtual box, then lost hours of my life to a Zigbee dongle I climbed out of Rabit hole, temporarily, and went ahead and purchased using your code, yes I know, should have listened to you 😂
Due to your review I purchased this kit. I went to setup HA several times and my last one corrupted as usual. So having to start fresh I took the plunge and got this and the fast it has Alexa skills makes it worth while also.
Love my LinknLink kit, ever since the first motion sensors, (looking forward to the new presence sensors that should be arriving in the mail shortly too!) - thanks Paul for first putting me onto them! The ISG is a really neat bit of kit - although I've yet to fully move over due to the lack of Add-Ons in Home Assistant (something they've just started to address in their latest release) - but not sure how I feel now they have released this... the ISG tablet is a bit on the slow side at times, so this is definitely something I need to upgrade now!! LinknLink are a great company, like you say, they listen and react, unlike many other companies!! Hoping you'll review the new presence sensors in the coming weeks!? Thanks!
As you have one, a couple of question if you don't mind: 1. Can you add Aqara kit without having an Aqara hub? 2. Does this device still produce a webpage that you can access from other machines on the network, or remotely? I have a couple of friends that keep considering HA but it's getting them to actually do it, this looks much simpler.
What I trully am waiting to see is a hub that is truly everything. Modem, router, smart home hub, IR RF control, voice assistant, and all of the protocols!
Just bought an A9+ galaxy tab in ‘deals’ on the yacht shop. 3d printed a white wall mount. I’ve ‘literally’ unboxed it and put on charge. For a wall mounted HA to my existing real basic HA I’ll follow that ‘very Scottish bloke’ guide and hammer through it. The screen in this video looks like a 90’s swan cctv monitor lol. Fantastic vid thanks for another belter. This would be so attractive, if the screen was also attractive!
I actually have this from the Kickstarter they ran a while back. I don't have it set up because the instructions for someone new to all of this were just terrible when I got it, and I just never got around to trying again. I loved the Johnny 5 cameo. He's still one of my favorite robot designs.
Perhaps with your manly ways since you make women swoon, you can suggest they allow adding open-apurce AI to it...since that can be added to the raspberry !
Do we know if LinknLink are contributing back to Nabu Casa or the Open Home Foundation? Not that they have to, Home Assistant is open after all, it just seems the responsible thing to do. Especially since this product couldn't exist without Home Assistant.
This couldnt come more better.. i just got my new house and im going to smartify it.. I have the linknlink e hub in my 2nd house (thats a smaller house on the property) and thats one of the mvp there.. So im going to order this one right away 😍
Paul, I have to say, I purchased the ISG following your review earlier this year. Took months to arrive and within 5 minutes I had outgrown it and just wanted to get rid of the ISG software and only use the Home Assistant backend. And this was my first forray out of just using Alexa.
I mean, it's a pretty good jumping off point then right? Anyone who is capable of doing the raspberry Pi thing could probably skip this device, but considering the cost of the components to achieve what the ISG does it's never going to be a decision anyone should regret. It has Home Assistant built in so I don't know how you can really "grow out of it", what are you growing into?
the ha service with ports is so you can access the system outside of your network, maybe even bin to a domain. and its also so you can view things on your smart tv
Wow. What an awesome product hey. Sounds like it still needs some work but it’s about time there was a product with Home Assistant in it out of the box. Yet another great video Mr. Thanks 🙏.
I feel like one of those guys who can be smug about not jumping on the KickStarter for the original model! It sounds like this new one is far superior and would give me the option of doing smart home stuff without the hassle of constantly faffing with HA. I’d like Matter to be improved more, especially since Flic have FINALLY sorted theirs out, and I can live without Z-Wave for the time being, but on the whole this sounds much better. And to think I was on the verge of giving up on it altogether as I’ll be moving house soon and I wasn’t sure if I could be bothered to do it all again
The Kickstarter one got all the software upgrades. He also missed that they updated to OTA updates months ago. Only thing it doesn't have is the internal zigbee. CPU is also slower. This video didn't make me regret my Kickstarter buy.
I’ve had no luck with my linknlink. I have home assistant green and pairing to devices that are already on my Apple HomeKit was a breeze. But linknlink doesn’t seem to try to pair. So if there’s. New one that does what I need …. Great but I’m not buying another one 😒
Nice video as usual Paul. I think having the two system setup is a little clunky, definitely think Home Assistant has become more user friendly to the point that Home Assistant Green is a great option for new folks.
A UI/Dashboard I don't have to spend hours, or weeks making and maintaining, is the only thing that's been holding me back from deploying Home Assistant FOR OTHER PEOPLE. The hardware/server and radios are easy, but I don't know anyone that can handle maintaining Home Assistant themselves - and I'm not going to tie myself to being the daily support person.
Question. Are tuya devices local then in linknlink or is it still through tuya cloud. If its local is it possible to be an easier option for HA only to add tuya local than the way HA tuya local works ?
Bang on bud, that's what I was trying to explain in the video, you can connect tuya devices locally to the ISG part of the OS and they appear in home assistant 😁
it's good that you can remote control an existing install of Home Assistant. If you've got your super-deluxe server with Home Assisstant fully decked out, with plugins like Frigate, Music Assitant, NodeRed, etc... it might not be able to run smoothly anymore. With the remote control option however...
I think once Homey launches Dashboards before the end of this year, these kinds of really ugly third party devices are going to get tired pretty fast for people more interested in convenience. Being able to run tons of devices totally locally though is very cool.
@@paulhibbert The price difference between this, home assistant and a zwave dongle vs Homey Pro is pretty negligible to be honest. That second comment is just a meaningless whataboutery statement. You don't trust the company that's fine, but it's not an argument that stacks up. Do you trust your gas and electric supplier, water supplier, ISP, TV manufacturer, supermarket you shop at, the airline you fly most frequently with? I could go on and on and on. Meta just got outed recently for listening to conversations. Will you stop using Instagram now to promote your channel? Meta can't be trusted, right?
I keep hoping that Aqara will bring out something similar to this. Not sure you really need a fixed screen when everyone has a mobile phone with them all the time, and a tablet/computer at home. And the whole point of 'smart' is that you don't have to keep pressing buttons, or all you get is a remote control.
WiFi devices such as shelly work in home assistant. Tuya smartlife devices can be added direct to the linknlink dashboard. Govee have a home assistant integration too so that would work, though the Govee integration isn't without it's issues for some devices (in any version of home assistant on any device) No Bluetooth sadly
Another Saturday, more Hibbert! ❤ Looks like a solid product....but it definitely raises the question on whether this is actually good for Home Assistant's development and is it just taking advantage of their free nature. Bypassing a revenue stream of Nabu Casa's isn't a good look.
If you install Samba share add on on the built in HA, access Config directory, do the same on your existing HA and simply copy paste. or.. backup and restore from your original HA?
i dont understand how this works locally when the linknlink presence sensors I bought off your recommendation dont function at all without constant access to the internet?
Were they advertised as working locally? It's been a while but I thought they were local 🤔 Either way this is a different product and is definitely local for a y device that is connected to it locally. It is of course possible to connect cloud devices to the home assistant portion of the OS
Paul, old chum, I have a challenge for you…. From be a wireless wall switch (UK), which can turn on and off Novostella wifi garden lights which are added to the Smart Life app. Sounds easy, right?! Well, I have switches from Aqara, Moes and more and can’t even do this simple thing through paid IFTTT due to IFTTT only showing my second (work) location of Smart Things. This should be the simplest thing in smart home tech but it seems impossible!
Hi Paul. Love your videos, great work. Look forward to them every week. Over the years I have ended up with bulbs, lights, blinds, pretty much anything with the switch, but from different companies. For example Tabo, Tuya, Eufy plus some I can't even remember. Would this allow me to control all of those from Alexa using home assistant, and how easy are things to install? Do you have to do this stupid download the app, connect to the network malarkey which drives me up the wall?
Please tell me you're going to migrate your Home Assistant to this device and get off your Pi. Then you can do a long-term review and make another video about how it goes
Hi Paul, First the hook. Amazing video as usual. That good in fact I’ve bought one. Can you provide any links to set the thing up. For example home assistant, how the hell do you login, do you need MQTT broker and Zigbee 2MQTT or any other addons? How are they configured
@@JenaGuitar Yes, Home Assistant can control HomeKit devices locally. It uses the HomeKit Controller integration to communicate with HomeKit-compatible devices directly on your local network, without needing to rely on cloud services. This integration allows Home Assistant to control and monitor HomeKit devices in real-time.
Can the ISG dashboard software be run on a Raspberry Pi? I;ve got the USB LinknLink thing you told me to get but it has been of no use to me at all yet.
@@paulhibbertI've got HA on my RPi already - it was incredibly hard to get HA to run with HACS and also raun a GUI so my python code would work. So, I gave up and now use two Pis. The USB thing is the eHub. I've got a mad desire to make it all work with Alexa. I have written code that sends MQTT messages between my control apps, I want alexa to slot in to that. Also, the movement sensor - radar - is better than the PIR I have on the RPis. That's why.
really good product for begginers, I think it was a bit rushed, sounds like most problems will be solved by october, so maybe would have kept this review till then!
As I said in the video you can add tuya smartlife devices straight to the linknlink dashboard and they then appear in home assistant and work locally. So this shows there are two distinct operating systems that are able to communicate as the tuya local integration is not enabled in home assistant at that point
Hi, all Just a couple of quick questions: Running HA on this device through the apk compared to a Pi or HA yellow. Is a HA reboot noticably faster? When linking devices from HA to linkninlink isg dashboard will it recognise, control and expose to smart assistants more niche devices for examlpe tuyalocal lawn mowers, roborock vacuums, locks e.tc. or is it just the standard lights, switches, blinds etc.?
Good questions, I don't note any obvious difference in the speed of a reboot, but then my pi is reasonably quick at rebooting my particular instance, your instance may vary I suppose. You're right to question which devices will transfer across as it is the primary stuff, LinknLink are making efforts to expand this list all the time though
I wonder how many of your Zigbee lights could pair to your philips hue bridge? I just moved the last of all my zigbee to either Hue, or Ikea's Dirigibilityboo hub. Now with Matter I can connect to Home Assistant, Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa all at the same time, FREE, LOCAL and No cloud.
I don’t suppose you do smart home consultancy?? I am fully renovating a house and like the idea of some smart elements - the problem is I have no idea where to start. I’m not a tech geek, but have very much enjoyed your videos having discovered them a few days ago and now have an idea of the sort of things that would work for us as a family.
Only if you have already set up a Home Assistant account. iSG doesn't have a Home Assistant out of the box without linking your Home Assistant account.
@@paulhibbert yeah it's pretty cool. It sounds like it functions the same as that device in your video. I can actually use Google voice commands to control my various zigbee devices. it talks to my NUC to issue the command
Certainly not to the ISG portion, but I'm not sure about the Home Assistant portion. If there is a local Home Assistant integration then I would think so. Worth foogling for "Nest local home assistant"
Will thi also replace Smartthing hub, and how many devices can it handle... PS are you still able to use your other apps on your phone, FYI I don't have Home assistant..
The only thing smart things has that this doesn't have out if the box that I can think of is Zwave. Not sure the number of devices it can handle though. More than I've thrown at it anyway! Yes you can still use the apps on your phone unless you have connected the device directly, such as say a ZigBee bulb. If you pair a ZigBee bulb to the ISG then it won't be paired anymore to your old hub and therefore won't be available in the old app
Regarding importing from an existing HA instance, couldn't you backup on the original HA and restore in the Linknlink? In theory this should work, right?
zigbee devices may be problematic. I think it's possible to backup ieee address and network id so devices will basically reconnect automatically. Worked here going from one device to another doing a Home Assistant backup (including ZHA) and everything started working again after a few minutes basically once the sensors became activated by motion or open/close etc.
Depends how far you go with the home assistant portion of the OS. If you setup very complicated things in home assistant then you might run into the same issues as if you setup complicated thing in home assistant on a raspberry pi
Thanks dude, LinknLink are working in making more aqara devices work directly in their side of the OS, but now that they've enabled the ZigBee radio in the Home Assistant side of the OS you could now add aqara ZigBee gear to home assistant directly
hi there I bought the isg max but I can't connect ha with my aqara M2 hub and all the devices they are connected to.i tried with Xiaomi aqara integration and also via matter in beta version.is there another way?
Hi Paul. I purchased this after watching your review from your link in description. But they haven’t sent any confirmation of when it will come and don’t reply to any emails. What’s your experience like dealing with them. I have no idea if I’m getting the thing or not. Are they reliable?
I've actually worked with them for years when they part of a different company. My last video on this device sold way more than they anticipated and they've been struggling to catch up. I have a lot of faith in them so I do think you need to worry, though I appreciate the long wait and lack of comms isn't great!
I got the eRemote hub after your review and it's been so handy for all my old IR equipment (AV Amps, BluRay etc) I was even able to add an IR Controlled fan to it! I can now say "Alexa Crystal Maze" and the fan switches on with the theme tune :D - I tried "Start the fans please" but it didn;t like that phrase. Now to the point, if you already have the ir blaster does it integrate seamlessly into the ISG?
Haha, awesome! And I'm not just saying that because each day I look more and more like Richard O'brien Yes, the infrared blaster is designed to work with this ☺️
Are you saying that the one I have (from 3 months ago) that's I've done nothing with yet can't have the software upgraded to do all this? Surely all these software changes are applicable to the original one and the only real difference is CPU size, built in ZigBee and 5G wifi, none of which are absolutely necessary
I would like to think so. I had a lot going on that week so never got round to getting the original back out to see what software updates there had been but the Facebook group is REALLY active for people that own the existing one with plenty of interaction from LinknLink engineers so I'd like to think they will be continuing to provide the software updates to both
@@paulhibbert the versions on yours are higher than what I can download. Mine are currently 20098, 100009. There is a slight later iSG version but on beta. Yours is showing 20115
They have updated it. From the original, you will need to put your updates on USB to start. They added OTA a few months ago. Firmware & HA have changed a bunch since launch.
Bit of a noob question: will this work with all my random wifi bulbs and pugs I currently use via Alexa? Can I also use it for my Hive heating, Ring door bell, Blink cameras etc. Thanks
Unfortunately I ordered the original ISG and it was non functional. The OS worked but HA and the other companion software never worked, couldn't do firmware updates, etc. Nice to see the changes/upgrades though.
Feel like I'm stalking Paul now. Yes, they have updated the Kickstarter one. I updated what he was showing this morning. Your first update will likely be by USB. They added OTA updates a few months back.
@eric_has_no_idea ill have to plug mine back in and check. I was read to give up on it thinking it was a paperweight, but this may change things and I can give it to my parents
LinknLink do a subscription based companion app to have their dashboard on more than one device, but if you're comfortable with home assistant you would just access home assistants dashboard from another tablet
Help!! I guess it’s probably because I still talk to girls… But I cannot get Home Assistant to work on this. When I attempt to login to HA, it does not give me an option to create a Home Assistant account (which I do not have yet). When I go to the Home Assistant website, it looks like you can only create an account when you build a new HA device. What am I missing?? 😭😭 Thanks.
Happy Saturday everyone! Home Assistant for beginners! 😳 If you're interested in buying one then they're at the link below...
BUY THE LINKNLINK ISG MAX HERE:
I will earn commission at no cost to you if you buy through the below link 😊
Discount code: PAULISGMAX
GLOBAL: shop.linknlink.com/products/linknlink-isg-display-max
Sorry this time, I bought the older LinknLink iSG three months ago, but it was never sent, so I won't fall for it again...
Paul
Do you know if I will need to pay you UK import tax if I purchase one?
I REALLY want one !!!!!
@@paulhibbert have a mint weekend 👊
Not sure about import tax, you could ask LinknLink. I didn't have to pay any when they shipped it to me
Hey Paul. Do you know if they explain somewhere what all the slightly different product options are? i.e. eRemote, eMotion, eRemote TV kit. Cheers!
Congratulations, you are cured! You were able to say Philips hue in the beginning without gagging. I know it was a long and hard recovery but we are all proud of you!
Nooo! There’s been a transporter accident and the real or “good” Paul Hibbert is currently stranded in the pattern buffers or subspace or summink. This one is talking about girls when our Paul has the greatest wife and sprog imaginable. Get a hypospray stat!
8:32 it’s okay, they’re both there. 😂
13:52 can’t believe he used the transporter after the *incident* but the chair is empty and our Paul at least seems to be back to “normal” again (displaying some minor glitching). What a rollercoaster of an episode.
Wasn't him it was his evil twin mister Binkie😉
@@magnus33john plot twist, both versions are evil 😬
@@paulhibbert Mirror universe all over again🤔
It is almost 6 months now since i have started my home automation journey and i have nailed it since the begining, my house is running great, wife factor is very high, i still watch these channels but i don;t need anything from any companies unless is 100% locally controlled, no subscription, no batteries.
Good work dude
Can you give an overview of your setup please? Would be really useful!
@@inderveerjohal7218 Sure, just don't tell Paul. :) My smart home automation is Home Assistant based. I am running it on an old miniature PC, a Lenovo Tiny Desktop (can find these for 50 EURO or less). CPU will idle at 1%, never needed active cooling, 1GB RAM memory used of the total 8GB. You will have to replace the storage, buy yourself the best Samsung SSD, the smallest capacity PRO version is the way to go. Consider replacing the storage every 5 years, it will wear out (competition SSD... there is no competition). Myself bought 2 spare disks and one spare Tiny Desktop just to be sure I will have the hardware needed for the next 10 years. Initially I wasn't considering Home Assistant as a platform, but H.A. grew into a mature system and with every update I can see they are getting better and better. I am running H.A. with Dynamic DNS on my phones so I don'y have to pay for a subscription. Check with your ISP, in some cases they will offer free Dynamic DNS. For networking I am using Ubiquiti hardware, Unifi router Dream Machine PRO, Unifi PoE switch for cameras and stuff, Unifi cameras and Unifi wireless AP's. These do integrate well with H.A. For network storage I am using one Synology 220+ NAS, H.A. backup will be done on this unit. For smart plugs I am using Delock german MQTT plugs, they need to be updates right out of the box with Tasmota OS, but other than that they are excellent, stable and locally controlled. For lighting efects I am using Yeelight (thanks Paul) products. To keep compatibility with the old and non-smart house and lights, I am using Shelly switches so it will work even if the smart home goes down. Sliding gate is from an Italian company called NICE. NICE products can be integrated only with Apple integration via H.A. butt it just works. :) Heating is controlled with TADO ellements. Solar power inverter is Fronius. Broadlink remote RM4 PRO, learning it atm. Got a Google ChromeCast HS for my old TV, perfect fit, can stream music, movies and pictures to it from devices and Synology storage, one Yamaha music Network Player completely controlled over H.A., what else... I can wake computers via WOL, can set automations with Android Phone App integration, let's say when I enter a zone such as a Shopping mall, I can flash my lights at home so mrs. will know that... Built muself a simple garden watering system with smart plugs and electric valves, cheap and working well, no expensive programming units. If i continue writing, i will start my own channel hahaha. You got the idea.
@@paulhibbert Will you stop loving me if I tell you my system is H.A. based? :) don't read the comments bellow :)
Two notes. It seems it’s matter over wifi not matter over thread so this will limit significantly devices you could connect. Unless it’s via thread but couldn’t find confirmation. Now more important, their service instead of Nabu Casa. Although it’s allowed, this is exactly what is killing open source, check what happened to Terraform and moving from OS to BSL license.
Dear linknlink, if you are doing this, contribute back to home assistant. If not, in a few years, HA will disappear
I have one (previous version offcourse) Maybe good thing to add is that it is not the supervisor version of HA, so no addon's. I can't get my google nest bell and thermostat to work because the cloud can't find the ISG. Connecting with visual code is not possible to change yaml files because SSHs not enabled on the intern HA of ISG. And changing yaml files on the intern HA editor is really oldschool 😄 (Yes Paul, I still talk to girls 😜) It looks indeed good for beginners, but if you have HA on a nuc/rasberry, I suggest to wait a bit before changing it...
Hi Paul. Great video as always. One thing I didn't like was the wide bezel on the display.
The custom background and the auto close on the menu were things I suggested and they went forward with which is super awesome, it has been a bit of a journey to get things going well but LinknLink have been fabulous about answering questions and taking on feedback throughout ❤
Really reassuring to hear that 😊 they've always been good to me but it's nice to hear they're good to the customers too
Awesome review, I watched it last week pondered a little, and set up HA on virtual box, then lost hours of my life to a Zigbee dongle I climbed out of Rabit hole, temporarily, and went ahead and purchased using your code, yes I know, should have listened to you 😂
Its the thick bezels that put me off. Also a wall-mount would be nice
Due to your review I purchased this kit. I went to setup HA several times and my last one corrupted as usual. So having to start fresh I took the plunge and got this and the fast it has Alexa skills makes it worth while also.
Love my LinknLink kit, ever since the first motion sensors, (looking forward to the new presence sensors that should be arriving in the mail shortly too!) - thanks Paul for first putting me onto them! The ISG is a really neat bit of kit - although I've yet to fully move over due to the lack of Add-Ons in Home Assistant (something they've just started to address in their latest release) - but not sure how I feel now they have released this... the ISG tablet is a bit on the slow side at times, so this is definitely something I need to upgrade now!! LinknLink are a great company, like you say, they listen and react, unlike many other companies!! Hoping you'll review the new presence sensors in the coming weeks!? Thanks!
As you have one, a couple of question if you don't mind:
1. Can you add Aqara kit without having an Aqara hub?
2. Does this device still produce a webpage that you can access from other machines on the network, or remotely?
I have a couple of friends that keep considering HA but it's getting them to actually do it, this looks much simpler.
Legend. It will mean i can learn home assistant without the dramas. Just ordered.
What I trully am waiting to see is a hub that is truly everything. Modem, router, smart home hub, IR RF control, voice assistant, and all of the protocols!
It's a nice thought though I do wonder how good it would be at each thing, Jack of all trades master of none and all that
Plus everything in one device is worrying from a redundancy standpoint. One device breaks and you are in the stone ages.
Just bought an A9+ galaxy tab in ‘deals’ on the yacht shop. 3d printed a white wall mount. I’ve ‘literally’ unboxed it and put on charge. For a wall mounted HA to my existing real basic HA I’ll follow that ‘very Scottish bloke’ guide and hammer through it. The screen in this video looks like a 90’s swan cctv monitor lol.
Fantastic vid thanks for another belter. This would be so attractive, if the screen was also attractive!
What will your screen look like after you've popped it into a 3d printed frame? I'm dead curious.
@@Ceoillooks great! As it’s white same as the wall.
Thanks!
Thanks so much dude!
Love your transporter effect Paul and also the comedy.
The item was good as well! 👍🏻
I actually have this from the Kickstarter they ran a while back. I don't have it set up because the instructions for someone new to all of this were just terrible when I got it, and I just never got around to trying again.
I loved the Johnny 5 cameo. He's still one of my favorite robot designs.
There's a Facebook group that is worth joining. The LinknLink guys are in there too. They will help you get going 😊
Seeing your nice LCARS dashboard run on that hideous browser with the tabs and address bar always visible almost broke my heart.
navigation bar on bottom has to go, too :D
Perhaps with your manly ways since you make women swoon, you can suggest they allow adding open-apurce AI to it...since that can be added to the raspberry !
I should have made it clear it was only there because I was browsing about setting stuff up! That can all be hidden!
Many thanks Paul. I might get this in the future. It's pretty exciting.
Do we know if LinknLink are contributing back to Nabu Casa or the Open Home Foundation?
Not that they have to, Home Assistant is open after all, it just seems the responsible thing to do. Especially since this product couldn't exist without Home Assistant.
Not sure on this one, they haven't said so to me, but I agree with you
@@paulhibbert If HA loses income from this because not needing Nabu Casa i think that will be a issue.
This couldnt come more better.. i just got my new house and im going to smartify it..
I have the linknlink e hub in my 2nd house (thats a smaller house on the property) and thats one of the mvp there..
So im going to order this one right away 😍
Paul, I have to say, I purchased the ISG following your review earlier this year. Took months to arrive and within 5 minutes I had outgrown it and just wanted to get rid of the ISG software and only use the Home Assistant backend.
And this was my first forray out of just using Alexa.
Same here maybe co-owned by apple
I mean, it's a pretty good jumping off point then right? Anyone who is capable of doing the raspberry Pi thing could probably skip this device, but considering the cost of the components to achieve what the ISG does it's never going to be a decision anyone should regret. It has Home Assistant built in so I don't know how you can really "grow out of it", what are you growing into?
@@paulhibbert when is the max pro version coming out? 🤣🤣
Just 6 months before the ISG max pro super ultra elite falcon 2
They have updated it along the way. I have the tablet on isg, but automations run from HA.
looks like a wonderful Christmas present if you are planning ahead for purchases ......
the ha service with ports is so you can access the system outside of your network, maybe even bin to a domain. and its also so you can view things on your smart tv
Thanks Paul. Happy Saturday dude!
Wow. What an awesome product hey. Sounds like it still needs some work but it’s about time there was a product with Home Assistant in it out of the box. Yet another great video Mr. Thanks 🙏.
I feel like one of those guys who can be smug about not jumping on the KickStarter for the original model! It sounds like this new one is far superior and would give me the option of doing smart home stuff without the hassle of constantly faffing with HA. I’d like Matter to be improved more, especially since Flic have FINALLY sorted theirs out, and I can live without Z-Wave for the time being, but on the whole this sounds much better. And to think I was on the verge of giving up on it altogether as I’ll be moving house soon and I wasn’t sure if I could be bothered to do it all again
The Kickstarter one got all the software upgrades. He also missed that they updated to OTA updates months ago.
Only thing it doesn't have is the internal zigbee. CPU is also slower. This video didn't make me regret my Kickstarter buy.
interesting device. can i still use my smartphone-app or my browser to connect to the HA running on the Device?
lol... did you do that terminator short-circuit mashup 😆 you really made me double take haha
Yes sir! I spent way too long getting the colours right and then adding Sarah Connors voice back in. In the original movie the words are silent!
I’ve had no luck with my linknlink. I have home assistant green and pairing to devices that are already on my Apple HomeKit was a breeze. But linknlink doesn’t seem to try to pair. So if there’s. New one that does what I need …. Great but I’m not buying another one 😒
Nice video as usual Paul. I think having the two system setup is a little clunky, definitely think Home Assistant has become more user friendly to the point that Home Assistant Green is a great option for new folks.
A UI/Dashboard I don't have to spend hours, or weeks making and maintaining, is the only thing that's been holding me back from deploying Home Assistant FOR OTHER PEOPLE. The hardware/server and radios are easy, but I don't know anyone that can handle maintaining Home Assistant themselves - and I'm not going to tie myself to being the daily support person.
Thank you for the great vídeo. Would you recommend this one or home assistant green? What are are the main differences?
Question. Are tuya devices local then in linknlink or is it still through tuya cloud. If its local is it possible to be an easier option for HA only to add tuya local than the way HA tuya local works ?
Bang on bud, that's what I was trying to explain in the video, you can connect tuya devices locally to the ISG part of the OS and they appear in home assistant 😁
Hi Paul, I don't know why? But I feel I saw this episode before. The matrix is falling apart
Great vid Paul
I see in Facebook youve got a new phone, will you give us a review in a while to see how it works in your smart home?
it's good that you can remote control an existing install of Home Assistant. If you've got your super-deluxe server with Home Assisstant fully decked out, with plugins like Frigate, Music Assitant, NodeRed, etc... it might not be able to run smoothly anymore. With the remote control option however...
Ah yes, good point!
Hey Paul, as it doesn’t say on Linknlink website, what is eRemote, eMotion & eRemote TV Kit options?
I think once Homey launches Dashboards before the end of this year, these kinds of really ugly third party devices are going to get tired pretty fast for people more interested in convenience.
Being able to run tons of devices totally locally though is very cool.
All good if you can afford homey (and trust them as an organisation)
@@paulhibbert the pricing is ridiculous and I have no idea how they can stay on the market with such competion shown here.
@@paulhibbert
The price difference between this, home assistant and a zwave dongle vs Homey Pro is pretty negligible to be honest.
That second comment is just a meaningless whataboutery statement.
You don't trust the company that's fine, but it's not an argument that stacks up.
Do you trust your gas and electric supplier, water supplier, ISP, TV manufacturer, supermarket you shop at, the airline you fly most frequently with? I could go on and on and on.
Meta just got outed recently for listening to conversations.
Will you stop using Instagram now to promote your channel?
Meta can't be trusted, right?
Friend edit - On point 👌
Looks like the iPad 1 with those bezels.
Hideous. Where have they got this old cctv monitor from??
Does the home Assistant installed in get regular monthly updates, or is it a custom version of it which gets updated from time to time?
It's definitely custom. They've been reasonably hot on producing the updates too, but yeah it's definitely behind
It's been updated often since I got mine from Kickstarter. It lags behind the regular one. I just updated this morning (OTA) to 2024.3.3.
@@eric_has_no_idea6 months behind? 😳
So if you could choose the latest hubitat or this one. Where would you put your money?
I keep hoping that Aqara will bring out something similar to this.
Not sure you really need a fixed screen when everyone has a mobile phone with them all the time, and a tablet/computer at home. And the whole point of 'smart' is that you don't have to keep pressing buttons, or all you get is a remote control.
I’m glad you talked about the Zed wave. I would need to insert my zed wave dongle, and I needed to know if it fits, cause I have a big one.
Mines huge!
@@paulhibbert”Hello…. TH-cam? Yes he’s doing it again…”
Does it work with Govee Bluetooth and WiFi devices?
WiFi devices such as shelly work in home assistant. Tuya smartlife devices can be added direct to the linknlink dashboard. Govee have a home assistant integration too so that would work, though the Govee integration isn't without it's issues for some devices (in any version of home assistant on any device)
No Bluetooth sadly
Wait it can setup tuya local?!
Yes that got my attention
Another Saturday, more Hibbert! ❤
Looks like a solid product....but it definitely raises the question on whether this is actually good for Home Assistant's development and is it just taking advantage of their free nature. Bypassing a revenue stream of Nabu Casa's isn't a good look.
I can definitely see that perspective! I'm hoping they'll make some sort of contribution
Is there a wall mount for it? And could it connect to my SunSynk Solar Inverter? 🤔
If you install Samba share add on on the built in HA, access Config directory, do the same on your existing HA and simply copy paste. or.. backup and restore from your original HA?
i dont understand how this works locally when the linknlink presence sensors I bought off your recommendation dont function at all without constant access to the internet?
Were they advertised as working locally? It's been a while but I thought they were local 🤔
Either way this is a different product and is definitely local for a y device that is connected to it locally. It is of course possible to connect cloud devices to the home assistant portion of the OS
Morning Sir, happy Saturday!
Paul, old chum, I have a challenge for you…. From be a wireless wall switch (UK), which can turn on and off Novostella wifi garden lights which are added to the Smart Life app.
Sounds easy, right?! Well, I have switches from Aqara, Moes and more and can’t even do this simple thing through paid IFTTT due to IFTTT only showing my second (work) location of Smart Things.
This should be the simplest thing in smart home tech but it seems impossible!
Hi Paul. Love your videos, great work. Look forward to them every week. Over the years I have ended up with bulbs, lights, blinds, pretty much anything with the switch, but from different companies. For example Tabo, Tuya, Eufy plus some I can't even remember. Would this allow me to control all of those from Alexa using home assistant, and how easy are things to install? Do you have to do this stupid download the app, connect to the network malarkey which drives me up the wall?
Paul, would you recommend the Linknlink over the Home Assistant Green for someone new to Home Assistant and who doesn't code?
Please tell me you're going to migrate your Home Assistant to this device and get off your Pi. Then you can do a long-term review and make another video about how it goes
Can you backup the Raspberry Pi instance and restore it onto the Gateway? I've never moved HA instances.
Happy Saturday Paul
And to you brother!
Has the promo price ended? I don't see a discount code or discount field in the order form.; added to cart at full price.
But the bezels 🤮
Hi Paul,
First the hook. Amazing video as usual. That good in fact I’ve bought one.
Can you provide any links to set the thing up. For example home assistant, how the hell do you login, do you need MQTT broker and Zigbee 2MQTT or any other addons? How are they configured
Nice and interesting…
Is HomeKit integration working locally or via cloud?
I’m talking of HomeKit integration in home assistant using this hub!
Yep, local 😁
@@paulhibbert mmmm can you control Homekit devices locally from HA?
I thought it was impossible because of Homekit security standard
@@JenaGuitar Yes, Home Assistant can control HomeKit devices locally. It uses the HomeKit Controller integration to communicate with HomeKit-compatible devices directly on your local network, without needing to rely on cloud services. This integration allows Home Assistant to control and monitor HomeKit devices in real-time.
@@paulhibbert do I have to remove those devices from Homekit?
Can the ISG dashboard software be run on a Raspberry Pi? I;ve got the USB LinknLink thing you told me to get but it has been of no use to me at all yet.
If you have a Pi install Home Assistant on it.
As for the USB thing, which one and why?
@@paulhibbertI've got HA on my RPi already - it was incredibly hard to get HA to run with HACS and also raun a GUI so my python code would work. So, I gave up and now use two Pis.
The USB thing is the eHub.
I've got a mad desire to make it all work with Alexa. I have written code that sends MQTT messages between my control apps, I want alexa to slot in to that. Also, the movement sensor - radar - is better than the PIR I have on the RPis.
That's why.
Hi Paul.. I love your channel...💙💙💙viewing from Covington, Georgia..USA
Thanks Angela! 😁
really good product for begginers, I think it was a bit rushed, sounds like most problems will be solved by october, so maybe would have kept this review till then!
Does this honestly have any specific software/tooling, or is the LinkinLink dashboard just a custom HA dashboard?
As I said in the video you can add tuya smartlife devices straight to the linknlink dashboard and they then appear in home assistant and work locally. So this shows there are two distinct operating systems that are able to communicate as the tuya local integration is not enabled in home assistant at that point
Hi, all
Just a couple of quick questions:
Running HA on this device through the apk compared to a Pi or HA yellow. Is a HA reboot noticably faster?
When linking devices from HA to linkninlink isg dashboard will it recognise, control and expose to smart assistants more niche devices for examlpe tuyalocal lawn mowers, roborock vacuums, locks e.tc. or is it just the standard lights, switches, blinds etc.?
Good questions, I don't note any obvious difference in the speed of a reboot, but then my pi is reasonably quick at rebooting my particular instance, your instance may vary I suppose.
You're right to question which devices will transfer across as it is the primary stuff, LinknLink are making efforts to expand this list all the time though
Johnny5 - you Sir are a legend! 😂
Do i still need a separate device for home assistant if i purchase this?
I wonder how many of your Zigbee lights could pair to your philips hue bridge? I just moved the last of all my zigbee to either Hue, or Ikea's Dirigibilityboo hub. Now with Matter I can connect to Home Assistant, Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa all at the same time, FREE, LOCAL and No cloud.
I don’t suppose you do smart home consultancy?? I am fully renovating a house and like the idea of some smart elements - the problem is I have no idea where to start. I’m not a tech geek, but have very much enjoyed your videos having discovered them a few days ago and now have an idea of the sort of things that would work for us as a family.
Only if you have already set up a Home Assistant account. iSG doesn't have a Home Assistant out of the box without linking your Home Assistant account.
@@koladioable huh?!
Do you have the same automation for HA in this set up like blueprints? One of the best parts of HA is whta we are able to do with automation.
so if you have a dashboard on HA - can u display it on this thing?
Yup! 😁
@@paulhibbert wish I would have seen this thing before converting the nest hub into a home assistant dashboard lol .. that was a mission.
@@seaeyeare cool now you've done it though!
@@paulhibbert yeah it's pretty cool. It sounds like it functions the same as that device in your video. I can actually use Google voice commands to control my various zigbee devices. it talks to my NUC to issue the command
Hey Paul any ideas if you can pair a Nest Thermostat direct with it? Using homebridge to get into my HomeKit at the minute
Certainly not to the ISG portion, but I'm not sure about the Home Assistant portion. If there is a local Home Assistant integration then I would think so. Worth foogling for "Nest local home assistant"
Will thi also replace Smartthing hub, and how many devices can it handle... PS are you still able to use your other apps on your phone, FYI I don't have Home assistant..
The only thing smart things has that this doesn't have out if the box that I can think of is Zwave.
Not sure the number of devices it can handle though. More than I've thrown at it anyway!
Yes you can still use the apps on your phone unless you have connected the device directly, such as say a ZigBee bulb. If you pair a ZigBee bulb to the ISG then it won't be paired anymore to your old hub and therefore won't be available in the old app
@@paulhibbert one more question, how much of a mare is it to move everything over from all the other hub?
@@ANTHONYDARE-z4d depends how many devices you've got, it would all be very manual, there's definitely no magic button 😉
Regarding importing from an existing HA instance, couldn't you backup on the original HA and restore in the Linknlink? In theory this should work, right?
zigbee devices may be problematic.
I think it's possible to backup ieee address and network id so devices will basically reconnect automatically. Worked here going from one device to another doing a Home Assistant backup (including ZHA) and everything started working again after a few minutes basically once the sensors became activated by motion or open/close etc.
Unfortunately because this is a bespoke android apk you can't use the typical home assistant backup and restore option
Will this need constant looking after like home assistant, or once i have doing the things i want can i just leave it alone
Depends how far you go with the home assistant portion of the OS. If you setup very complicated things in home assistant then you might run into the same issues as if you setup complicated thing in home assistant on a raspberry pi
@@paulhibbert thanks for replying
Does it support shelly devices?
Via Home assistant yes 😊
they should offer us that own the 1st edition paper weights a smash deal
Can you create automations in the ISG or do you create them in HA and they run through the ISG?
It has basic functionality for automation in the ISG part of the OS, Home Assistant handles all that much better
No UK suppliers?
Hi Paul, does the solution support Aqara. Brilliant video once again
Thanks dude, LinknLink are working in making more aqara devices work directly in their side of the OS, but now that they've enabled the ZigBee radio in the Home Assistant side of the OS you could now add aqara ZigBee gear to home assistant directly
What are your thoughts on their paid app? What is the ability to access anything externally to home network?
If you connect to an existing ha and they add a device on the hub will it show up on your set-up of ha
Good question, but sadly not 😕
hi there I bought the isg max but I can't connect ha with my aqara M2 hub and all the devices they are connected to.i tried with Xiaomi aqara integration and also via matter in beta version.is there another way?
Hi Paul. I purchased this after watching your review from your link in description. But they haven’t sent any confirmation of when it will come and don’t reply to any emails. What’s your experience like dealing with them. I have no idea if I’m getting the thing or not. Are they reliable?
I've actually worked with them for years when they part of a different company. My last video on this device sold way more than they anticipated and they've been struggling to catch up. I have a lot of faith in them so I do think you need to worry, though I appreciate the long wait and lack of comms isn't great!
@@paulhibbert thanks for the reply. If you say its all good then I'll give them the time to sort it. Cheers bud
NICE upgrades!
BUT...............................
Can you unplug it and use it like an IPAD, is it mobile or need to be consistently plugged in?
Sadly it still requires constant power 😔
I got the eRemote hub after your review and it's been so handy for all my old IR equipment (AV Amps, BluRay etc) I was even able to add an IR Controlled fan to it! I can now say "Alexa Crystal Maze" and the fan switches on with the theme tune :D - I tried "Start the fans please" but it didn;t like that phrase. Now to the point, if you already have the ir blaster does it integrate seamlessly into the ISG?
Haha, awesome! And I'm not just saying that because each day I look more and more like Richard O'brien
Yes, the infrared blaster is designed to work with this ☺️
@@paulhibbert I see several Rocky Horror clips in your future :D
What happens if you’ve never used home assistant before when buying this?
I got rhe previous model and wanted to get rid of the ISG software and only use the HA within days.
You’ll still be able to talk to ladies until it arrives 😁
Are you saying that the one I have (from 3 months ago) that's I've done nothing with yet can't have the software upgraded to do all this?
Surely all these software changes are applicable to the original one and the only real difference is CPU size, built in ZigBee and 5G wifi, none of which are absolutely necessary
I would like to think so. I had a lot going on that week so never got round to getting the original back out to see what software updates there had been but the Facebook group is REALLY active for people that own the existing one with plenty of interaction from LinknLink engineers so I'd like to think they will be continuing to provide the software updates to both
@@paulhibbert the versions on yours are higher than what I can download. Mine are currently 20098, 100009. There is a slight later iSG version but on beta. Yours is showing 20115
@@cliffharker2600 aye, I have beta software as they were proving to me that they'd got various bits working
They have updated it.
From the original, you will need to put your updates on USB to start. They added OTA a few months ago.
Firmware & HA have changed a bunch since launch.
@@cliffharker2600I updated to 20115 this morning while watching.
Maybe a silly question, but can you restore a backup you made on your Ras Pie, on this device and have all your settings that way?
Bit of a noob question: will this work with all my random wifi bulbs and pugs I currently use via Alexa? Can I also use it for my Hive heating, Ring door bell, Blink cameras etc. Thanks
Unfortunately I ordered the original ISG and it was non functional. The OS worked but HA and the other companion software never worked, couldn't do firmware updates, etc. Nice to see the changes/upgrades though.
If you still have it give it an update, there's a very active Facebook group that has LinknLink staff in it 😊
Is it possible to access remotely to the linknlink gateway?
For the home assistant portion, yes. For the LinknLink portion yes but only with a subscription to their software
Tks Paul!
BTW Tks a lot for your great TH-cam content, I'm from Colombia and I'm a big fan.
Thanks so much my friend ☺️👍
Man, I thought you were going to say "Get.. to .. the .. Choppa!"
Will the software be added to the regular linknlink?
That's a question for them, but I hope so!!
Feel like I'm stalking Paul now.
Yes, they have updated the Kickstarter one. I updated what he was showing this morning. Your first update will likely be by USB. They added OTA updates a few months back.
@eric_has_no_idea ill have to plug mine back in and check. I was read to give up on it thinking it was a paperweight, but this may change things and I can give it to my parents
Can I have 2 of them working in the same home? For instance 1 in the living room and 1 upstairs?
LinknLink do a subscription based companion app to have their dashboard on more than one device, but if you're comfortable with home assistant you would just access home assistants dashboard from another tablet
@@paulhibbert Appreciate the reply! Never used HA but am curious to try this. Just bought 2, 1 for home and 1 for the office.
Help!! I guess it’s probably because I still talk to girls… But I cannot get Home Assistant to work on this. When I attempt to login to HA, it does not give me an option to create a Home Assistant account (which I do not have yet). When I go to the Home Assistant website, it looks like you can only create an account when you build a new HA device. What am I missing?? 😭😭 Thanks.
You just login with admin and admin 😊
Will it act as a photo screensaver built in?
00:08 This is likely. I only need walk out the room saying "You have the bridge, Number One" :D
Love it! I am going to start saying this to my wife 😂