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Fibaro / QNAP thoughts...


AutoFrank

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I've been doing a bit of reading on what was reported in march and mentioned by some users on this forum about a product between qnap and fibaro and it's got me thinking and very interested/excited ...

 

Much of the hardware that many hubs are built on are really nothing special and most also run some linux distribution the core. As a result they are very much a commodity product.

We have also seen the migration of CCTV / dvr systems to NAS devices (synology surveillance center) . Many NAS can now act as a router /modem/dhcp server/webservers with the addition of simpie dongles.

We have also seen many HA solutions that run on on a PI, etc and some even on  NAS, so it's not surprising fibaro are moving in this direction as well. It also allows them to expand beyond zwave into something like zigbee as it just requires a second dongle.This would be a very god move as systems that span multiple wireless platform offer the end user many more devices to interact with. Migrating their HA platform to a NAS also gives them access to what is stored on the NAS, music, movies, security footage as well as proving almost end diskspace to store data on. A NAS based solution would also offer the ability to mirror the HA platform or create a master /slave setup in the case of a disk/platform failure. You could even store previous running versions that could be switched in and out more easily (as opposed to a back/up restore solution). It would also be a easy way to resolve the much maligned backup/recovery solution currently employed by the HC2. Finally it would also open the possibility to run external bridges such as the HA bridge or sonos-http-api on all the same hardware with the benefits this would bring, through the use of node.js and perhaps even docker.

 

There was references made to two qnap devices but nether come cheap

  • TDS-16489U, (enterprise level ) - 

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      - approx 8k euro
  • TS-453Bmini.(consumer level) - 

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      - approx 500 euro (with no drives), similar price to HC2

 

links to some articles if you're interested in reading 

  • Consumer IT - 

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  • Inside CI - 

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  • QNAP - 

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  • Prowly - 

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  • Short Video - 

 

 

This move may very well be the start of fibaro moving away from proprietary hardware completely. It could also see the rise of the once humble NAS being elevated to the much talked about (but never fully realised) multipurpose home hub. It will be very interested in seeing how far fibaro will take the many integration possibilities and opportunities.

 

Looking forward to it being released and seeing its capbilities

_f

Edited by AutoFrank
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Guest fat

I am really looking forward to this as well and this is the sole reason I haven't upgraded my very old NAS solution currently

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This is interesting and it seems like there will be no HC3 but QNAP/Fibaro server?!

 

Should then I stop working on my system and Angelina and wait this to happen since replacing HC2 with QNAP will probably not simple? Will new system still support LUA?

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Here are brief articles on QNAP / Fibaro integration :

 

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  • 1 hour ago, Sankotronic said:

    This is interesting and it seems like there will be no HC3 but QNAP/Fibaro server?!

     

    Should then I stop working on my system and Angelina and wait this to happen since replacing HC2 with QNAP will probably not simple? Will new system still support LUA?

     

    @Sankotronic, that's the million dollar question :-) .. all the pictures and screenshots would seem to suggest its the same interface and that what we are looking at is a change in hardware platform with some additional integration capabilities. Personally I ca't see them moving away from the current UI / lua as they are partnering with a NAS/Storage company and not another HA organisation .. Somebody mentioned that the cEbit is in a weeks time so we may know more then.. it's likely that fibaro won't talk about it / answer any questions prior to that ....

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    It makes sense to me... All USB dongles use same hardware and driver nowadays (UZB). Hardware is no longer the issue in 2017. Have a look at the price of a Raspberry Pi and what it offers at that price point.

     

    Building a controller is not a hardware issue. It is purely software...

    1 hour ago, Sankotronic said:

    This is interesting and it seems like there will be no HC3 but QNAP/Fibaro server?!

     

    Should then I stop working on my system and Angelina and wait this to happen since replacing HC2 with QNAP will probably not simple? Will new system still support LUA?

     

    I bet porting always involves some issues... but it won't be shockingly difficult either:

     

    "QNAP has employed advanced virtualization technologies to seamlessly integrate Linux®with QTS, enabling you to enjoy extensive applications coming from QTS App Center and Linux®."

     

    HC2 = linux based, so... I guess they could run it in a virtual machine on the QNAP :-)

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    This would be VERY interesting since I have a Synology RS814RP+ in my network and I have a Z-Wave dongle...... (UZB)

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    I would have preferred to have the Fibaro system distributed as a Docker Image, and I would be happy to use any specific z-wave dongle they dictate. It would make it so much easier to do backups, upgrades and restarts of the system. Moving it from one machine to another would be a breeze. It simply makes sense.

     

    I might end up moving to HomeAssistant for just this reason.

    Edited by Tor Magnus
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    Well, the hardware itself isn't too spectacular. HC2 runs debian on x86 infra. Qnap probably has/will have products on x86 as well.. And if not, porting isn't that complicated (if done right ;) ).

    I am surprized to see however that they would use external zwave sticks on USB.. You'd expect them to place a zwave 500 chip inside the NAS itself, so users would have a reason to buy those specific Qnap systems.

     

    Then, the software is the real thing. Ofcourse, all of the posts above is possible IN THEORY. But most are also with the current HC2 hardware. It is all about the implementation.. This by no means means there will be more/less/equal functionalities, nor does it say anything about future hardware releases from Fibar themselves..

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    Great rumours but why a desire for a hardware dongle.

     

    Software licence key would be fine for people who want support.

     

    Those that want an illegal copy could probably break the key regardless soft or hard.

     

    Distribute as a Docker or othet virtual image, Sell licences online.

     

    QNAP already package software for download and licence keys for some of their software are available online.

     

    As a software download you get a quicker service for customers, no shipping cost  and no physical hardware to support.

     

     

     

    Also probably no reason that you could not move everything to a vm now. Have not looked but z-wave board is probably USB as the board is a standard Intel. You would still rely on that USB dongle to boot though.

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    • 2 weeks later...
  • Topic Author
  • Does anybody know when/where the CeBit exhibition is on where fibaro are meant to be demo/announcing the QNAP based fibaro controller ??

     

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    • 2 months later...
    On 8.8.2017 at 1:27 PM, Tor Magnus said:

    I would have preferred to have the Fibaro system distributed as a Docker Image, and I would be happy to use any specific z-wave dongle they dictate. It would make it so much easier to do backups, upgrades and restarts of the system. Moving it from one machine to another would be a breeze. It simply makes sense.

     

    I might end up moving to HomeAssistant for just this reason.

     

    And so it was. I've finished moving all my devices over to Home Assistant and the HC2 is now unplugged, ready to be boxed and put up for sale.

    I have no sour grapes about Fibaro HC2, it' was a great platform to get started on, but as a chronic fiddler it was just too restrictive.

     

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    1 minute ago, AutoFrank said:

    Thanks @Tor Magnus

    What hardware are you running home assistant on and which zwave dongle? 

     

    I'm running it on an Intel NUC (NUC7I5BNH ) with an Aeon Z-stick G5.

     

    Full description of the system here: 

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    I do not understand why they went to QNAP, QNAP for starters is not production capable and their support is not NBD and is ticket based. I personally think Fibaro should drop the HC2 and just make modules. Their modules are pretty stable and do the job zwave plus and are updated on a fairly regular basis. Unless they plan to start from scratch and build a new HC2 from bottom up with new departments and teams i do not see this being successful. Most of their money goes into marketing without any real results or game changers. 

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    • 1 month later...

    QNAP or Fibaro should update, apparently this have either derailed or slowed... "The official launch of FIBARO solutions for QNAP NAS is scheduled for 2017. Visitors will have an opportunity to preview the integrated system at QNAP's booth (Hall 2, Stand C63) in CeBIT 2017"

    • Like 2
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    • 5 months later...

    Hello Fibaro,

     

    promised for 2017 and presently close to mid 2018 I think a customer update would be fair. For me the silence is even more painful compared to knowing this deal is off. AN UPDATE PLEASE!!

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    Guest fat

    It was confirmed by Fibaro a while ago that this project has been cancelled

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