https://italchemy.tech/ Smart home guidance from an IT systems engineer — practical articles, gear recommendations, and system design tips. en-us Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:53:01 G4T https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-how-to-set-up-home-assistant-the-easy-way.html There are half a dozen ways to run Home Assistant, and each one makes different trade-offs in hardware, flexibility, and maintenance overhead. This article… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-how-to-set-up-home-assistant-the-easy-way.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-ubiquiti-g6-instant-4k-camera-review-honest-verdict.html The G6 Instant is compact, wireless, and packs 4K resolution with Ubiquiti's full AI detection stack. Here's what's good, what's not, and where the G6 Bullet… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-ubiquiti-g6-instant-4k-camera-review-honest-verdict.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-the-1-alternative-to-smart-plugs-youre-not-using.html Smart plugs are everywhere in smart homes — and for good reason. But the Eve Energy Outlet does everything a smart plug does, permanently, cleanly, and with… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-the-1-alternative-to-smart-plugs-youre-not-using.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-can-this-tiny-sensor-make-your-home-smarter.html The Aqara P2 is a $20 Matter over Thread contact sensor that knows whether something is open or closed. That one bit of information — and what you can build on… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-can-this-tiny-sensor-make-your-home-smarter.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-8-control.html Wall-mounted dashboards in every room, whole-home audio with local voice control, contextual automations, and subtle notification strategies. How a fully… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-8-control.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-7-network.html A full 42U rack with patch panels, dual 48-port PoE switches, NVR, NAS, and AI key. Three hardwired access points, Zigbee and Z-Wave dongles, and PoE powering… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-7-network.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-6-security.html Physical access control, multi-angle camera coverage, AI detection, and layered sensors. A complete security system designed from scratch — from the front door… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-6-security.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-5-water.html Private wells, multi-stage filtration, smart fixtures, and enough sensors to know exactly what your water is doing — where it's coming from, where it's going… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-5-water.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-4-hvac.html Geothermal heat pumps, hydronic radiant floors, and energy recovery ventilators. Designing a heating and cooling system that performs in extreme climates… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-4-hvac.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-3-electrical.html Smart panels, solar arrays, battery backup, and outlets that know what's plugged into them. Designing an energy-independent electrical system that can monitor… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-3-electrical.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-2-structure.html The building itself is a design decision. Prefabricated construction with smart wall systems offers thermal efficiency, faster build times, and a structure… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-2-structure.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-1-property.html What would a home look like if it were designed from scratch with smart technology at the core? This series starts at the beginning — with the land itself… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-design-the-ultimate-smart-home-from-scratch-part-1-property.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-choosing-the-right-smart-home-hub.html The hub is the central nervous system of your smart home. Pick the wrong one and you'll spend years fighting it. This breakdown covers every major platform —… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-choosing-the-right-smart-home-hub.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-the-secret-sensors-that-make-homes-smarter.html Automation is only as good as the data driving it. Sensors give your smart home awareness of the physical world — temperature, motion, water, air quality, and… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-the-secret-sensors-that-make-homes-smarter.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-configure-the-ubiquiti-dream-machine-pro-in-10-minutes.html A flat network where every device can talk to every other device is a security risk and a performance problem. This guide covers device adoption, VLAN… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-configure-the-ubiquiti-dream-machine-pro-in-10-minutes.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-supercharge-your-home-network-with-the-udm-pro.html The Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro is a router, PoE switch, NVR, and full Ubiquiti control plane in a single 1U device. This walkthrough covers first-time setup… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-supercharge-your-home-network-with-the-udm-pro.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-smart-home-networking.html If your home network is unreliable, every smart device in your house becomes unreliable. Before you add a single sensor, understand the connectivity options… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-smart-home-networking.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-getting-started-with-home-assistant.html Most people install Home Assistant and immediately feel overwhelmed. Not because it's bad software — it's the most capable smart home platform available — but… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-getting-started-with-home-assistant.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-how-to-start-a-smart-home-the-right-way.html Most people build their smart home by buying devices first and figuring out the rest later — that's exactly backwards. An IT professional's framework for… Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:13:45 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-how-to-start-a-smart-home-the-right-way.html https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-building-your-first-smart-home-a-systems-thinking-approach.html Learn how to plan and build a smart home using IT principles for reliability, scalability, and long-term maintainability. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 06:02:48 GMT https://italchemy.tech/articles/article-building-your-first-smart-home-a-systems-thinking-approach.html