I don’t want my smart home data sitting on someone else’s server. Home Assistant runs as a Docker container on my home server and handles all my local automation — door sensors, motion sensors, window sensors, and smart lights like Govee plugs and remote-enabled bulbs. Everything stays local, no cloud required.
HP ProDesk 600 G5 running Ubuntu Server 24.04. Same server as the rest of my Docker stack on VLAN 20.
Home Assistant running as a Docker container, managed in Docker Compose alongside Jellyfin, NPM, and the rest of the stack.
VLAN 20 (Servers) — static IP on the 10.0.20.0/24 subnet. Accessible from the Trusted VLAN via pfSense firewall rules.
Door sensors, motion sensors, window sensors, and smart lights — Govee plugs and remote-enabled bulbs. All automations run locally with no cloud dependency.
IoT devices are a security nightmare — most of them have no business touching the rest of your network. Putting Home Assistant on its own VLAN with explicit pfSense rules means I decide what it can reach, not the manufacturer. Local data, local control.