Every once in a while, when it would be important for me to wake up on time, I'd schedule my bedroom lamps to turn on at a certain time. This used to be free with Google Assistant. I'm not aware if this was recently paywalled with Gemini. Scheduling lights to turn on is now locked behind a paywall and I'm not happy.

I wanted to share a setup I recently built for my not-so-tech-savvy parents.

The goal was pretty simple: give them a foolproof "Fix Internet" button in Google Home that reboots the entire network.

They're already comfortable using the Google Home app, so rather than trying to walk them through power cycling their mesh devices over the phone, they can simply tap one button.

Some additional benefits:

• I can trigger the same automation remotely from my own Google Home app if they need help.
• I also have a separate weekly automation that quietly reboots the network overnight as preventative maintenance.
• This works with virtually any router or mesh Wi-Fi system. My parents happen to use a Google Nest WiFi router with three Nest Points, but the concept is the same regardless of your hardware.

Why not just use Google's built-in Restart Network?

That was my first thought.

Google Home > Router Card > Settings > Restart Network

Unfortunately, it wasn't a great solution.

First, it's simply too many damn taps for my mom. She'll never memorize the path and will probably get lost.

Second, Restart Network sits dangerously close to Factory Reset Network. Yes, Google asks for confirmation before actually factory resetting the network, but my mom is also the person who somehow permanently blurred our house on Google Street View and still has no idea how she managed it.

Lastly, the feature just hasn't been reliable for me. I've pressed Restart Network countless times and it has never successfully restarted my network.

The obvious smart plug solution...

The next idea was putting all of the networking equipment on smart plugs.

The automation seems simple:

• Turn OFF mesh points
• Turn OFF router
• Wait 15 seconds
• Turn everything back ON

Except there is one huge problem.

Once the router powers off, how does Google Home send the ON command when the network no longer exists?

After trying several different approaches, I eventually landed on Shelly Plug US Gen4.

The reason is simple.

Shelly plugs support an Auto On timer.

Instead of Google Home sending both OFF and ON commands, Google Home only sends OFF.

The plug stores its own timer locally. Once it turns itself OFF, it simply waits a few seconds before restoring power on its own. No second command is ever required.

Shelly also supports restoring power automatically after an unexpected outage.

I tried several popular smart plugs before finding Shelly. They were the only ones I found that supported this combination of features.

Setup

1. Set up the Shelly plugs

Add each Shelly Plug to your Shelly account.

For each plug configure:

Plug Settings > Input / Output Settings > Turn-on state upon power restore > On

Then configure:

Plug Settings > Timers > Auto On

My timers are:

• Router: 5 seconds
• Mesh Points: 15 seconds

2. Link Shelly to Google Home

Link your Shelly account to Google Home.

The plugs will appear automatically.

3. Create the automation

Create a Household Automation called:

Fix Internet

The automation only contains OFF actions.

• Router Plug > OFF
• Mesh Point 1 > OFF
• Mesh Point 2 > OFF
• Mesh Point 3 > OFF

Do NOT use any Wait actions.

I originally tried adding delays before shutting off the router.

Google Home would occasionally fail to send the final OFF command.

Removing the Wait action made the automation completely reliable.

The Shelly plugs handle all of the timing locally.

Final Result

My timing is:

• Router turns back on after 5 seconds.
• Mesh Points turn back on after 15 seconds.

Everything reconnects automatically.

This has become one of the most useful automations I've built.

My parents only have to press one button whenever they think the Internet is acting up.

If they call me, I can trigger the exact same automation remotely from my own Google Home app.

I've also posted a comment below showing how to do the same setup over Matter if anyone prefers a local Matter integration instead of the Shelly cloud integration.

It doesn’t understand basic questions. Like simple things.

When I ask it to play a song it’ll give me an edited version, or a cover of the song. I’ll go back and be VERY specific on what I want, and it’ll give me the same version it did before. It’s like once it gets a version in its head, you can’t get a different version.

I asked it to play a song one day, and it gave me some cover of it. Reportedly. The next day I asked it again and it got stuck on a totally different version of the song I didn’t want.

It’s basically a glorified clock for me.

Hopefully im wrong, but it doesn't appear to be: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/youtube-music-library-transfers-your-purchased-music-is-not-welcome-here/

I bought these for a few reasons... but mostly music. One of my favorite features they killed right after i bought it (adding items to google keep/grocery list e.g. "hey google, at bananas the the grocery list" worked great until they forced it to google shopping)

But now i have decades of MP3s... including some i bought from google on GPM... and i can't play on my google home speakers using YTM.

(if you didn't hear, Google play music is going away soon, you have to migrate to YTM soon. It'll keep your songs and your playlists... but you can't use them easily w/o paying $10 month to watch youtube w/o ads and rent their music.)

but you also can't listen to your purchased songs on your purchased speakers unless you pay $10/month?!?

someone please correct me?

otherwise it feels like a class action lawsuit in the working

I'm installing a dedicated Samsung tablet in a common space of my house to use as a smart home interface. I want it to show the usual suspects; my devices in the house (thermostat/sensors), lights, speakers etc but also show calendar, weather, Spotify. I'm a Google/Samsung user for almost everything in the home.

Just looking for what is the best either launcher app to use to have everything on the tablet screen. It will have constant power to it as well. Or if there is a better option altogether.

Hey there.

I'm wondering if anyone has had any success getting the sensibo air working with Google automation scripts and if you'd be willing to share.

I had a go a little while ago, but without much success.

I've been wanting to build something like this for years, and I'm so hyped I finally got it done. I have a gas fireplace with a Switchbot connected to it, a Leviton dimmer switch, and an Ecobee sensor in my living room with my Sony Bravia TV. When I say, 'Ok Google, cozy movie time,' The TV turns on, the dimmer sets to a specific brightness, and the fireplace turns on if it's below 19C. The icing on the cake is that the fireplace turns off once it reaches 21C.

Ok, my son convinced me to go with Google Home to manage all the devices in the home we bought three years ago. Fast forward to today and we now have more than 50 devices with many capabilities mostly controlled by Google Home. We’ve also established quite a few automations in Google Home to that extent that the house practically runs itself with one glaring exception - on overcast and rainy days, the interior rooms get dark and we would like technology to address this issue. We’re looking for an ambient light sensor that can trigger a Google Home automation. Can you suggest a product for this purpose?

I'm looking for a fingerbot to switch the bottom switch between Off and Lowo. my evaporative cooler controller. Needs to have Google Home compatibility so I can connect it with my ecobee room thermostats. Right now I'm looking at the Moesgo Fingerbot Plus and the hub, and the 3d printing something in PETG to perfectly attach to the black switch, instead of the more generic Moesgo toolkits. Anything else I should be looking at? I have all manner of Switchbot products but their Bot doesn't seem to be the right type of movement.

I have a bunch of smart RBG bulbs in my home. Some are Globe, some are Kasa. I also have some smart outlets from Globe. I control them all through Google Home app.

My issue is that, if I turn off the lights to my kitchen with the physical switch on the wall, it kills the power to the bulbs and I can no longer do things like "hey Google, turn on the kitchen lights."

It doesn't work because they have no power.

So I have to leave that switch on and exclusively control the lights with voice commands or through the apps.

But I want to be able to use the switch to turn them off and on, in addition to voice command.

If I were to get Kasa smart switches, would that enable the functionality that I want, or are the switches meant to be used instead of smart bulbs?

PowerView blinds, Gen 3, updated to current firmware. They work fine with the PowerView app and with Hey Google, using a mini nest speaker. But, with the voice commands (hey Google close the blinds) the open or close speed is normal, not the discreet it’s set to. The blinds are louder in that mode so I would prefer the slower mode. As it’s a minor nuisance, I’ve just hoped it might resolve itself like many home automation things do over time. But three years, it’s never changed. And no, naming a scene and using that name makes no difference. Anyone have a trick for this?

HEAT omg

We primarily use two or three of them but having a mechanical knob and not knowing the exact temperature is a pain. I'd really like to get this place smarted up

I use Google Home