I am building a new shed/shop a few miles from my house.
I have a nest thermostat that I am considering installing. I am not planning on getting an internet connection at this location.
Are there any cheap options for getting this thermostat on the internet?
I am currently considering a few options:
-neighbors unprotected wifi?
-old cell phone plugged into the charger, I would need to add it as a line on my account, and then just use it as a hotspot? I can't imagine I would burn through too much data using just a Nest.
-Is there anyway I could use a telephone line if I have old modem laying around? Would I be able to sneak this past my telephone company without buying a DSL package?
-radio connection?
Does anyone have any other ideas? I do not really want to have a computer set up on site, so that may limit my options.
Isn't Nest going out of business or some shit? They've been in the news a lot lately for fucking things up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/fashion/nest-thermostat-glitch-battery-dies-software-freeze.html?_r=0
>neighbor wifi
Illegal, but doable. You know, you could just ask them. Explain what it is and show them the thermostat.
>cell phone
It'll be expensive as shit. Plans are sold by minimum, not maximum. A basic cell plan with hotspot (you could probably do it illegally with certain phones) would be more than just getting a dedicated cellular router I think. Technically, tracfone has pay-as-you-go wireless, so if you could find a hotspot compatible phone with them, that'd be the cheapest, minus any fucking apps that would be updating in the background. I fucking hate phones.
-steal services
No, but a basic DSL connection might be affordable. Some places might actually still do dial-up.
>radio
There'd be little to no error correcting unless you implemented it, but there are citizens bands and you could set up a receiver/transmitter. It'd likely be slow and overcomplicated, because of handshaking and everything required to have a decent connection. A Raspberry Pi would be the basis for it, to handle the protocol. So basically two pis, two transceivers, and both can support the transmission protocol, but only one needs to be set up network wise to make it accessible on your net. It'd be easier just to get a hotspot or DSL.
>>1000661
>Isn't Nest going out of business or some shit?
No idea, but I have a thermostat already. If they do go out of business I would hope the bankruptcy court requires them to keep their servers on for at least a few years.
>It'll be expensive as shit. Plans are sold by minimum, not maximum. A basic cell plan with hotspot
I was just thinking of adding a line to my existing phone plan. Should be $9.99 or $19.99 per month.
I think I am going to look into DSL. I live in a small hick town. We have an option for cable internet, but I am sure my TelCo still offers DSL. I might even have enough bandwith for low-res cameras then too.
>>1000644
>contributing to the internet-of-shit meme
So you don't have a functional finger to flip a god damn switch to turn on an a/c or heater? What's a limbless nub of a human gonna do in a shop anyway? Roll around in an oil puddle?
Ffs dude. Just turn shit on.
>>1000644
I seem to recall an ancient technology that was used to control HVAC equipment before the advent of Nest thermostats and the Internet. But then I'm old and my memory is probably playing tricks on me.
I think before Nest, we all just sat around open fires.
>>1000678
>I would hope the bankruptcy court requires them to keep their servers on for at least a few years.
Funny you say that, especially when talking about a Nest product.
Look up the Nest Revolv, and how they shut it down and rendered every device useless.
Also they never did compensate anyone for it.
>>1000705
For the record, he automation is badass. I don't need an update from my fridge, but I like my doorbell alerts, my outdoor cameras, and my automatic scene settings that turn off my lights and set my AC a little cooler when I set the alarm to go to bed. All from my fucking bed.
If you have a rooted Sprint branded smart phone, FreedomPop has a free service plan up to 500 MB, there is a one time $20 activation fee.
The root is for OpenGarden WiFi Tether.
As for a NEST being of any use, that's a different problem.
The fuck would NEST be going bankrupt?
At $3.2 billion, its a pretty expensive thermostat - but its owners can well afford the odd setback in the struggle for market dominance.
If you've got LOS you could scrap together 2 wifi yagi antennas
Since you probably don't, your next best bet is scrap fiber and some fiber Ethernet cards off ebay
>>1002094
>your next best bet is scrap fiber
Unless it's pre-cut, no it isn't.
Cutting fiber yourself requires a $5000 tool.
I thought that Nest was bought by Google so they aren't going out of business soon.
>>1002066
This sounds good
Zigbee radios on a pair of Beaglebones. You may need more relays in-between depending on how many miles between the two locations. But you can make waterproof, solar (and rechargeable battery) powered, self contained repeaters which can be placed anywhere.
Find yourself a torrent of the hacking with low power devices ebook.
Can't remember exact name, but that's close-ish.
>>1002064
It's not so much automation that i have a problem with, its just idiots that can't properly secure the shit they put online.
There has already been ddos attacks from botnets of pwned IP security cameras and NAS devices, and security on some home automation devices i have seen is even worse.
Even worse is when the owner doesn't even try to secure the system before connecting it to the internet.
Relevant video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9iIlSC7Uds
There's nothing complicated about a set of point to point radios and there certainly is forward error correction built into any radio that carries ether net. For the purpose of something like a thermostat, that might be overkill and you could use a packet radio like one from gemds but why not go the full Monty and get yourself a solid 40-50 mgbps for a similar price? Google up cowboy. Radios are easy.
OP here.
For all of the next haters:
I have a nest. I received it years ago and I do not use it at home. I may as well use it as a thermostat instead of a paper weight.
>>1000748
>>1002056
>>1002140
I fully agree that standard everyday thermostat would work.
I want to be at home on a cold winter night, sipping on my 2nd or 3rd or 18th scotch and
>I left the furnace on at the shop
>I am too drunk to drive down there to turn down the heat
>One more dui and my wife will leave me
>man, that would be nice
>but I don't want to spend 30 days in jail
drink.webm
>hrmm what is this "nest" app on my phone
>oh look, I just adjusted my thermostat
>>1002399
Here
http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16833168148&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-Mobile&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-Mobile-_-pla-_-Network+-+Wireless+AP%2FBridge-_-N82E16833168148&gclid=CNTI8o-2h80CFQUMaQodwpUOzQ&gclsrc=aw.ds
>>1002140
You know that modern thermostats have timers and can be programmed or even integrated into your home monitoring system and controlled remotely.
Nest is like people re discovering msn messenger and icq as this great new technology called whatsapp.
>>1002088
Why the fuck would anyone pay $3.2 billion for a thermostat?
Some military radio stations (roger over kind) have decent data trans/receiv capabilities using rj45 connections. I'm talking eastern Europe here and '90s tech. I assume USA also had/has them. You can buy them here, I mean you can even find them on-line. I assume again you can do that over there also. Two old Harris, one at home, where the internet is, and one where you need it, and you're set.
>>1002417
>$3.2 billion - why?
idk either - ask Google? weren't my idea.
the tdlr is prob:
>newRich exGoogler looks for underdeveloped common home product to redseign - discovers thermostat.
>Thermostat gets IOT'ed - NEST is born.
>being an exGoogler, he can talk a mile wide of shite about how his thermosat is going to revolutionise the world of home electronics. IOT BS, basically.
>Google, being so fond of 'taking over the world' BS themselves fail to spot an even bigger BS than they are, thus pay $3.2 billion for a thermostat co.
Google proceed to fuck up said thermostat co, by ditching useful functions (like controlling heat) and insisting thermostat becomes a mini-NSA superbug, reporting only to them on (quite literally) the housholders every movement.
Public request a reminder, "eh, why should we pay for this shite, again?"
and so on - I actually dunno fug about this either desu, but most of that is prob. near the mark.
>>1002413
They also had a Kickstarter for motorized registers so you can have climate control zones. Funded for like a billion dollars.
Raging HVAC techs
>>1002450
It was a joke, friend
>>1002402
you do know you can run program a regular thermostat right? Like at 8 pm turn it from 75 to 72
and at 7 am from 72 to 75.
>>1002452
I saw this, its retarded. More shit to break = more $. OH THIS HVAC UNIT IS SO EFFICIENT SAVE YOU TON ON ELECTRIC BILL, but it has 3 circuit boards that are 1000$ each and there's a 1 year warranty.
>>1000644
>Are there any cheap options for getting this thermostat on the internet?
Yes--there is something else cheaper than any full cellphone or wireless-internet account.
There are special very-low-limit data plans meant for IoT/embedded devices. These are called "M2M data plans".
It's a SIM card (or device) with a very-low data limit and a lower cost. The 'bottom' most places is for 100kb of data per month.
All of the big (USA) phone companies offer these, but some are business-accounts only. You should ask your current cell phone company first if they offer accounts/plans for individual devices.
If they don't, there are small resellers who do offer individual accounts tho; pic related is one example of such a place.
Note that you would still need an acceptable device to act as a modem/hot spot, and some accounts have limited device choices.
