Secure Wireless Home Automation

[strawberry 3.141]

Hey guys, I have some ideas in my mind and would like to know if someone has an idea or already experience with this.

I would like to connect some arduinos to the mirror wireless e.g. to open garage door, weather station, etc.

For this I found http://www.digi.com/lp/xbee, but I’m not sure how to protect the communication properly.

If I would send a command like “Open Garage” as plain text and not encrypted, everyone could read that and send this command to my arduino as well and no one wants other people to be able to open their garage. But even when I send the command encrypted everyone could read the encrypted message and send this anytime to my garage door as well :(

My question is now: what is a good approach to communicate secure? pairing? encryption? something else?

[KirAsh4]

I use RF and BLE for most of my communications in the house. I started with RF a few years ago, using cheap nRF24L01+ modules (specifically these ones), then I started changing some things to BLE (like light control) so I can trigger them from my phone. Though lately I’ve been using ESP8266 WiFi modules which can encrypt/decrypt data being transferred. They have AES encryption built-in.

Don’t ask me for any finished (or properly working) code though. :) It’s what I call a ‘beer project’, meaning when I have time to sit and have a beer, then I will have time to work on that project.

[Phate]

@strawberry-3.141

I use zwave.

I use a Vera server as the main hub. Connects zwave zigbee? Wifi/ip and a few other devices

Vera handy as it takes care of the automation side of things. And collects all data like power usage data.

It also intergrates with a lot of the newer wifi stuff automation stuff.

Are better options out there tho but I’m happy.

[luvien]

I use Smartthings and Alexa. You can install Alexa on the Pi, but you have to push a button to send command.

[M1K3rSz]

@KirAsh4 And? how many beers are lost? did youre homeautomation start working??

[chef]

Yep, Zwave for sure. If you use something like Vera, the entire system is on lockdown. From there you can use their API to code whatever interface you want.

As far as Arduino is concerned, I have built my own automated blinds using, Arduino nano, Nrf24l01 and some Servos. But, any kind of retrofit Zwave controller are probably best.

People are probably more prone to sniff wifi on the 2.4 band, or the 802.11 band then on zwave… although anything is possible.

“If we’re not totally secure, then we are not secure”… or something like that…

I trust Zwave most… personally.