# How Much Does a Smart Thermostat Save on Energy Bills — A Portland Home Lab Reality Check *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer Based on six months of continuous monitoring in my Portland basement, the **how much does a smart thermostat save on […]
# Lockly Vision Elite vs Eufy Smart Lock Touch — A Deep Dive into Local Control and Latency *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer If you need a lock that respects your local network rules and offers a genuine alternative to the cloud-dependent Eufy
# Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 Review — 6 Months on a Portland Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 wins this comparison because it supports a wired PoE connection and offers a wider field of view,
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# Sengled Zigbee Bulb Review — 6 Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer After six months of daily use in my Portland basement, the **Sengled Zigbee Bulb** offers a pragmatic entry point for those who want local
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# Best Smart Plugs with Energy Monitoring — 6 Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer After six months of daily use in my basement, the **Kasa EP25 Smart Plug** remains the most reliable choice for energy monitoring,
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# Apple HomeKit Ecosystem Review — 6 Months in a Portland Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer After six months of daily use in my Portland basement, the **Apple HomeKit ecosystem** remains the only choice if you want a speaker that actually
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# Arlo Ultra 2 Review — 6 Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer After running the **Arlo Ultra 2** through six months of daily use in my Portland basement, I found it to be a capable 4K
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# How to Choose Between TrueNAS SCALE vs TrueNAS CORE — The Real Network Engineer’s Guide *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer If you are trying to build a smart home gateway using Linux, you are looking at the wrong product category entirely. TrueNAS
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# 2N IP Solo Review — Six Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer The **2N IP Solo** is a solid entry-level video intercom for multi-unit buildings, but it struggles to compete with enterprise-grade alternatives like the **Siedle
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# Vilfo Router Review — Six Months on a Portland Proxmox Home Lab *By Marcus Webb — 8 years enterprise network engineering, 6-year Portland home lab* ## The Short Answer The Vilfo Router earns my recommendation for users who prioritize local control and privacy over raw Wi-Fi speed, though it lacks the native Zigbee and
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