dinsdag 10 september 2013

"Smart" Networks

When I ordered the IPv6 capable light bulbs (http://www.nuonenergiewinkel.nl/8696/nuon-smart-lighting-pakket), I had to order an "e-manager account" with it. This costs an additional 2.95 Euro per month and basically, it makes the gateway (the small black box) talk with the energy suppliers website portal, so you can switch your lights on/off from wherever you are.

When I was looking into Tado for an IPv6 capable thermostat, I noticed that it costs 99 Euro Per Year (!).

Where is the time that you just bought an appliance and hook it up to your own network, where you are in charge of everything? Why do I have to go through my energy providers portal to access my lights? That is just so wrong!

Other than that, just when I connected my light bulb, I read an article that it is actually easy to hack my lights!
(http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/163972-philips-hue-led-smart-lights-hacked-whole-homes-blacked-out-by-security-researcher)

So the next step in this project will be thinking about security and protecting our house from hacked lights, pingfloods on the front door etc.