New Z-Wave Setup

Community Playground General Discussions
#1

Hello Everyone!

I am in the process of recommending and setting up a security and home automation system for my father-in-law in their new condo. I would like your opinion regarding the needs of this setup and if the Vera 2 from MiCasaVerde would work for him. Here’s what he’s interested in doing:

  1. Place door/window sensors in 3 locations.
  2. Setup 2 motion sensors.
  3. Replace the current entrance door lock with the new Kwikset z-wave capable lock.
  4. Setup a siren.
  5. Maybe a few dimmers and/or light switches here and there.

What he would like to happen is that whenever the door/window sensors are triggered, he would like to receive an email or an SMS message, maybe turn on some lights, and trigger a siren alarm. He may want to do exactly the same with the motion sensors, depending on the location. I am recommending that he setup one inside and one in the terrace. When the one in the terrace is triggered, then he wants to be notified by email or SMS and turn on some lights. When the interior one is triggered, he wants to sound the alarm, in addition to the other things mentioned for the outside sensor. For the lock, he wants to be able to lock and unlock remotely, be notified when someone accesses the property, and also be able to change, add or delete entry codes.

Future plans may include adding an IP camera for monitoring the area in case the system is triggered.

So here’s the question: Am I able to do all this with the Vera 2 without any issues??

#2

No. (IMO) If you like to play around and have months to spare, and a computer science degree then go for it. Otherwise…??? You will be on your own, save for the support from dedicated forum members who may or may not be helpful. Forget about MCV support… :o

#3

raven,

Will you be able to be on-site for the setup and any problems that may happen? How computer savvy is your father-in-law?

Vera2 is certainly capable of doing what you say. Vera is an evolving product which I believe has gotten much more stable as time goes on and hopefully the forthcoming UI4 update will help resolve some lingering issues.

I wouldn’t let some of the posts around here scare you away. I have been using vera for quite awhile just fine. The initial setup might have some small headaches but once you have her running the way you want, she should remain reliable for you on a day to day basis. Some of the major issues vera had was in her first iteration with the zwave dongle, vera2 has the zwave built in and does not have these issues.

For what you want to do, I think vera is the best option you have right now.

#4

Yes you can - but “without any issues” is somewhat of a stretch.

The only way to do it really “without any issues” is to call installer and pay him $$$$ so he would handle the issues.

#5

Thanks for all your input. I have an IT background, so I guess that should help me at least a little bit with the troubleshooting. My father-in-law’s computer skills are basically nonexistent. I will be on-site for the setup, but only for a day or two, and then I’m returning home. Hopefully that will be enough time to install everything and get it running smoothly.

I have to confess that I was very interested in the product (and still am) but got scared after reading all the comments in the forum. From looking at the way they advertise the Vera2 on their site, it would seem that it is a breeze to install and that getting it to work is just a few clicks away (in contrast with what one reads in the forum).

Do you think I will need to do some programming or alter code to achieve this or does the native interface be enough to set up this simple system?

Also, I have seen other companies which use the same z-wave controller box as the Vera2. Does anyone know anything about these? Most, if not all of these seem to be European.