How to set up the Shelly Smart Plug in Home Assistant

Prerequisites Before starting, ensure that: Setup Connecting your Shelley Plug to the network 1. Plug in the Shelly Plug UK into a power outlet. 2. Download the Shelly app on your phone (if you don’t already have it). Link to Shelly App Download 3. Tap the + icon to add a new device. 4. Then … Read more

What is MQTT?

MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a messaging protocol that allows smart home devices to communicate with each other efficiently. It uses a publish–subscribe model, where devices send messages to specific topics, and other devices listen (subscribe) to those topics to receive updates.

Matter vs Reality: What Home Assistant Users Should Know

You’ve probably heard of Matter — the new smart home standard backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and others. It promises to fix compatibility headaches by letting all your devices talk to each other, regardless of brand or ecosystem.

Sounds great. But if you’re already deep into smart home setups — especially with Home Assistant and Zigbee/Z-Wave/etc. — you might be wondering: is Matter even relevant to me?