The ESP32 quietly became the most important chip in my smart home
…The presence of the Espressif chip makes it easy to customize its firmware and integrate it into a smart home platform like Home Assistant. Basically, no one needs to pry open those…
Search
I ditched physical monitors for KVM-over-IP, and my server closet actually looks clean now
…They also don't give me insight into what's happening during the boot process, or let me enter the BIOS to update firmware or change settings. That usually meant having a…
Some Pixel owners report major boot issues after Google’s March Update
…Patrick has a BA in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University. Sign in to your XDA account Summary The March Android 16 QPR3 update is causing bootloop issues on Pixel models for some…
Your SSD has a built-in health report you probably never checked, and it could save your data
…These tools also have the added utility of updating your SSD's firmware, which has a lot of benefits of its own. Your particular software will alert you if there's a…
Home Assistant just made every infrared device in your house controllable, and you probably already own them
…Neither of these remote-operated devices received any firmware updates, a companion app, or Wi-Fi support. Until now, a smart plug was the closest thing to controlling them, but only to…
I used an old router as a dedicated smart home network, and it solved two problems at once
…support from community firmware projects for older Broadcom chip-based routers. I picked FreshTomato since it continues to receive updates even in 2026 and gives capabilities that were absent from most stock…
Cheap enterprise networking gear exposes the flaws in expensive consumer hardware
…You'll also need to be okay with continuous maintenance and firmware updates. So, before buying an affordable enterprise switch from eBay, ensure your home network will really benefit from the added…
Your smart home needs both an ESP32 and Raspberry Pi 5, not one or the other
…But adding a new rule or condition meant updating the YAMLs, recompiling the firmware, and reflashing it. Besides, the sensor data needed to be passed to Home Assistant for further triggers and…
Most network problems aren't your internet—they're your router's dirty secret
…Consumer routers don't have advanced DNS options like split-horizon, and they are often slow to receive firmware updates containing vital security fixes. My Unifi dashboard is currently showing ISP packet…
This Synology 4-bay NAS is a bargain if you're willing to trust them again
…Luckily, the voices of consumers were heard, and the brand decided to reverse course, opening up its NAS devices to other drives with a firmware update. We appreciate Synology for listening and…