notification

Automatically Disabling WiFi in macOS Mojave When Connecting to Ethernet

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I don’t know why, but macOS doesn’t seem to have an automatic ability to shut down the WiFi adapter when an Ethernet connection is detected. It’s a simple thing that can cause several problems, especially if you are in an environment where you may need to authenticate to a network or access VPN services.

It may be possible to manage locations and some additional tools, but I didn’t want something that required retooling every time I used my system in a new location, so I decided to write a simple script, using built-in tools for everything except the execution of the script.

This script will check for both an active WiFi connection and also an active Ethernet connection. If it detects both, it will shutdown the WiFi interface and display a notification, via macOS notifications, that it has done this. I haven’t tested this on previous versions of macOS (only Mojave), though if the rest of the commands work, the script might function by simply removing the statement that generates a notification.

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Home Automation: “The dryer has finished drying your clothes.”

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While most of the things that I can do with my home automation setup are only of interest to myself on occasion I manage to add something that my wife also thinks is useful. This is one of them.

A while back I decided to add the ability for the home automation system to know when the washer has finished washing clothes and to make an announcement. This worked well though the module itself appears to have been damaged and is no longer communicating. Before that module failed I managed to find a way to sense when the dryer has finished. This was accomplished using an Aeon Labs Energy Reader that I purchased from Amazon.com (of course).

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The unit is a Z-Wave device with two clamps, which is typically intended to be used at a breaker box. It wouldn’t have been able to properly sense current flow if I had just placed the clamps around the power cable for the dryer; the clamps need to be over individual wires that are normally within the cable sheath. However, on my dryer the three wires are individually accessible for a few inches before they enter the main sheath and are then covered.

It was just a matter of placing the clamps around two of these cables. Fortunately, as with the washer, our dryer is low-tech and doesn’t draw any power while not in use so setting up the sensing thresholds in Indigo was relatively easy (actually easier than setting up the washer). Though the washer module is not currently working the dryer notifications still continue to work.

Washing Machine Notification (Smart Energy Sensor & Indigo)

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As part of my recent dive back into home automation I decided it would be cool (and once again practical) to be able to receive an alert that the washing machine has finished washing a load of clothes.

This wasn’t something I blindly jumped into. There is plenty of information on the Web documenting how others have already done this with various home automation setups. As it turns out, at least with our washer, Indigo 6, and an Aeon Labs DSC06106-ZWUS – Z-Wave Smart Energy Switch it can be remarkably easy.

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Using a Multi-Color LED Bulb to Visually Indicate the High Temperature Range for the Day (Zipato RGBW LED & Indigo 6)

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In the morning, when I first get up, I walk past a motion sensor. A moment later a lamp with a color-changing bulb illuminates, glowing a specific color to indicate the temperature range that will include today’s forecast high temperature. With just one glance I know whether or not I should take a jacket before I step outside.

It’s been a long time since I last spent any significant amount of time focused on home automation but I recently made up for lost time by eliminating the last of my Insteon gear. All of the home automation gear is now Z-Wave compatible. But why stop there and not take the opportunity to add new enhancements?

In general, I’m uninterested in bulbs that can be directly controlled themselves, such as Z-Wave or wifi enabled light bulbs. They certainly have their applications but I don’t find them very practical for normal use. They still require that a light switch is left in the ON position in order to function. This breaks down very quickly when guests come to visit. For example, even with a remotely controlled lamp on an appliance or dimming module I often discover that instead of using the provided remotes our guests have simply turned the guest room lamp off using the traditional lamp switch. It’s just a normal, reasonable action.

My reason for purchasing a Z-Wave controlled, color-changing LED bulb certainly wasn’t a typical one. In this case I purchased one to use with my home automation system as a supplemental notification method, though for this particular project it is actually the only notification method used.

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