"I'd rather deal with occasional glitches than risk outdated firmware... just my two cents."
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, automatic updates aren't always the silver bullet they're made out to be. Last year, I had a smart thermostat that auto-updated overnight and ended up bricking itself right in the middle of winter. Woke up freezing, and it took me half a day to troubleshoot and reset the thing. Not exactly the kind of "occasional glitch" I'd signed up for.
Since then, I've switched to manual updates. Sure, it takes a bit more attention, but at least I can pick a convenient time and check forums first to see if anyone else is having issues. Plus, sometimes updates introduce new bugs or compatibility problems with other devices. I'd rather wait a few days and let others be the guinea pigs (sorry, early adopters!) than jump right in and regret it later.
I do agree security is important, but realistically, most firmware updates aren't urgent security patches. Usually, they're minor tweaks or feature additions. If there's a critical security update, manufacturers usually make a big deal about it, and that's when I'll jump in immediately. Otherwise, I prefer to keep control over when and how my devices update.
Maybe I'm just old-school, but I like knowing exactly what's changing in my home setup. After all, it's my house—I'd rather not wake up to surprises.
Yeah, I hear ya about wanting control over updates. A client of mine had a smart lock that pushed an update while they were away on vacation, and it stopped recognizing their codes. Came home tired from a long flight and had to sit outside for nearly two hours figuring out how to fix it. Smart homes are great... until they're suddenly not so smart, haha.
"Smart homes are great... until they're suddenly not so smart, haha."
Yeah, that's exactly the kind of thing that makes me hesitate about diving fully into smart home tech. I'm currently renovating my first place, and while the idea of controlling everything from my phone sounds amazing, stories like yours make me pause.
- How often do these forced updates happen? Is there any way to schedule them or at least get notified beforehand?
- Are there certain brands or systems that handle updates better than others? I'd hate to invest in something that locks me out at the worst possible moment.
- Also, what happens if your Wi-Fi goes down? Does everything just stop working, or is there some kind of manual override?
Honestly, your client's experience sounds like a nightmare scenario—coming home exhausted from travel only to be locked out by your own house. I'd probably lose my patience after 20 minutes, let alone two hours. Kudos to them for figuring it out eventually.
I'm still leaning towards adding some smart features (like lighting and thermostats), but maybe I'll stick with a traditional lock for now. Seems like a good compromise until the tech gets a bit more reliable. Thanks for sharing this—it's helpful to hear real-world experiences instead of just marketing hype.
I've had similar hesitations, but honestly, smart locks aren't all bad. Mine has a keypad, so even if Wi-Fi goes down or there's an update, I can still punch in a code manually. Maybe look into hybrid options like that? Also, some brands let you schedule updates overnight or at least give you a heads-up beforehand... definitely worth researching before you rule them out completely.
I've been using a hybrid keypad smart lock for about two years now—honestly, it's been pretty smooth sailing. A couple times the Wi-Fi went down (thanks, storms...), but having the keypad saved me from getting stuck outside. One tip though: make sure you choose a lock that doesn't drain batteries too fast. My first one chewed through batteries like crazy, had to swap it out for a different brand. Just something to keep in mind if you're leaning towards making the switch.
