Home Automation

Thank you for your reply. I do appreciate it. But as I stated, I don't have time to kind of go through all the googling to research how to set up a mesh wi-fi, a thermostat, a doorbell, Amazon devices, and my receiver that's Alexa enabled. I'm hoping to get a recommendation on a company in Baton Rouge that can help me with this.

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But as I stated, I don't have time to kind of go through all the googling to research how to set up a mesh wi-fi, a thermostat, a doorbell, Amazon devices, and my receiver that's Alexa enabled. I'm hoping to get a recommendation on a company in Baton Rouge that can help me with this.

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you are going with the easiest options that exist. its more work to wire & mount a ring than installing & using the app.

as for mesh, if youre buying amazon or google wifi pods its as difficult as finding a place to put them & plugging them in.

as for the thermostat, you're talking 4 wires and an idiot-proof installation guide included.

honestly i think you really need to rethink DIY on these. its very easy and you won't feel like you need to call someone every time you have a question.

if you were trying to implement zwave or zigbee networks and a custom hub, by all means hire a pro if you're not comfortable but the things you're talking about are incredibly easy to do yourself.

Welp, it's official. I'm an ignorant sloth.

I am frustrated with myself for buying these products. I realized once purchasing them and attempting to coordinate all these items that it's above my pay grade. I guess I'm just seeking help for the mistakes I made. It's all on me admittedly. I am definitely looking for an easy button. And I was just hoping to get a recommendation from someone who may have used this type of service in Baton rouge.

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Maybe some of these DYI’ers should start a home automation setup type business.

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I was a total Home Automation newby as of last June. Then my wife bought an Amazon FireCube so the kid could watch Disney+ on summer break. Since then, I've:

Added an alexa device in every bedroom/living area.
Added smart bulbs and switches all over the house.
Integrated them with the native apps and Alexa so they are voice controlled.
Wrote routines on alexa to automate said lights and other smart devices.
Installed wired POE security cameras all over the exterior of the house.
Set up an old router as a wifi extended to connect the security camera DVR to the rest of the network wirelessly.
Installed various LED strips in several locations around the house, including permanently installed outside Christmas lights.
Bought NodeMCU's to control the LEDs, Built circuit board to hold them and flashed them with the freeware WLED to run them.
Integrated the NodeMCU's with alexa so the LED strips are voice controlled.
Hooked up all of our Christmas lights (inside and out) to smart outlets so they are voice controlled and/or come on automatically.

Just yesterday, I installed smart curtains in the kids bedroom and yes they integrate with Alexa.

I had no knowledge of smart home devices or home automation 6-8 months ago. If can figure it out, anyone can.

To the OP, I understand that time = money, but I guess I have more time than money. But part of the reason you are having difficulty finding a recommendation is that things ARE so easy people have a hard time paying for that type of service. Nothing that I did was difficult. It just took a little while to figure things out. I do like the fact that if something goes wrong, I might not know why it's going wrong, but I know enough to get it working again. For example, this past weekend I decided to change all of my smart switches/plugs and bulbs from 1 app to another more home automation friendly App (tuya). It took me a few hours of systematically going through each room and deleting the items from one app and linking them to another. But, Since I had done it myself originally, I knew exactly how to do it. It wasn't hard, just a little time consuming.

Here is a 6 min video that shows you how to integrate a ring doorbell with Alexa.

LINK

I was in your same boat.
I wasn’t well versed in the stuff but wanted to try it. I don’t understand technology so well.
At different times, I installed Nest thermostats, Ring cameras, Ring doorbell, Hue lights and Alexas. Each one took maybe 15 minutes tops. The directions that come with it make it a piece of cake. It was MUCH easier than I anticipated and not as time consuming.

Download the Alexa app.
Plug in your Alexa device.
Do one gadget at a time over as many weeks as you want.

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Reading comprehension isn’t the Tech board’s strong suit

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Not necessarily. We comprehend well enough but we also read deeper into what is being asked and offer opinions and advice based on our own experiences.

OP, it is unlikely that any local companies that specialize in HA will be available to help. They tend to want to focus on larger, more complex systems but it's worth a shot. The worst they can say is "no". Acadian Home Theater and Integrated Home Systems are 2 I've heard of. If they can't help, and I'd hate to even say this, but Geek Squad or Office Depot's tech help may be your only way to go.

Really and truly, you will do best to try and do it yourself. All these consumer-focused smart devices have come such a long way where the integration is almost too easy. It won't take too much time to research on your own and you will end up learning how they all work together. I'm sure there are tons of YouTube vids that will show you exactly what you want. That will help you in case anything breaks and you have to troubleshoot it yourself down the road.

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Not sure if I am using the correct terms here so forgive me. I am looking for recommendations in Baton Rouge for a company to come in and assist with setting up/integrating my outdoor cameras/alexa/ring doorbell/thermostat. I don't have time to do the research and I now have all different brands that I'm not even sure work together. I'm ready to get all right at once.

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Is any of this installed already? Like Lonnie said, most should work with Alexa with minimal effort. Do you have a tech-savvy, high-school- or college-aged relative who could help and needs a little extra cash?

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We comprehend well enough but we also read deeper into what is being asked and offer opinions and advice based on our own experiences.

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Asked for recommendations to hire out. Board tells him do it himself, because you’ve read into it and know what he really wants and has the time to figure everything out.

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OP, it is unlikely that any local companies that specialize in HA will be available to help.

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I literally have AV companies as clients, and work with them daily with their marketing. They will gladly come out and set all that stuff up for you. It’s an easy $300-$500 bucks.

Unfortunately, I do not have any clients in BR I can refer you to.

Call, tell them what you have, they give you a quote, schedule a time, and Abracadabra.....OP has exactly what he asked for in the first place.