How do smart plugs of domotic IoT work?












1














I was wondering how smart plugs work, how they can be controlled and how secure they are.



Since they are part of your local network and since they can be controlled remotely even from another network I am expecting they have have some port-forwarding method: do they? If not how can they be controlled from outside?



Isn't port-forwarding a little insecure for controlling these kinds of applications?



Do they use RESTful APIs? If so can I control them using for example Postman?



I checked if the ones I have any kind of API documentation but I could not find anything.










share|improve this question



























    1














    I was wondering how smart plugs work, how they can be controlled and how secure they are.



    Since they are part of your local network and since they can be controlled remotely even from another network I am expecting they have have some port-forwarding method: do they? If not how can they be controlled from outside?



    Isn't port-forwarding a little insecure for controlling these kinds of applications?



    Do they use RESTful APIs? If so can I control them using for example Postman?



    I checked if the ones I have any kind of API documentation but I could not find anything.










    share|improve this question

























      1












      1








      1







      I was wondering how smart plugs work, how they can be controlled and how secure they are.



      Since they are part of your local network and since they can be controlled remotely even from another network I am expecting they have have some port-forwarding method: do they? If not how can they be controlled from outside?



      Isn't port-forwarding a little insecure for controlling these kinds of applications?



      Do they use RESTful APIs? If so can I control them using for example Postman?



      I checked if the ones I have any kind of API documentation but I could not find anything.










      share|improve this question













      I was wondering how smart plugs work, how they can be controlled and how secure they are.



      Since they are part of your local network and since they can be controlled remotely even from another network I am expecting they have have some port-forwarding method: do they? If not how can they be controlled from outside?



      Isn't port-forwarding a little insecure for controlling these kinds of applications?



      Do they use RESTful APIs? If so can I control them using for example Postman?



      I checked if the ones I have any kind of API documentation but I could not find anything.







      smart-home smart-plugs rest-api






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked yesterday









      Francesco Boi

      287111




      287111






















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          2














          Most smart plugs use cloud providers to toggle the power state of the device, there are a few (big) issues with this:




          1. If your internet is down you can't use it, even if you are on the same network.


          2. (And probably the biggest) data security, what data are these cloud servers able to access, what do they do with the data, what happens if they get hacked, what happens if they get sold?



          The easiest and cheapest way to battle both of those issues is to setup a home automation server, you can do this a few ways.
          Search for either of these:




          • Home Assistant

          • OpenHAB


          Then get yourself devices that integrate with them.
          I would recommend anything that is compatible with Tasmota.






          share|improve this answer























          • If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
            – m4l490n
            yesterday










          • Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
            – Falz
            yesterday



















          1














          Most consumer IoT devices do not use port forwarding, they connect out to a central cloud based Command/Control server.



          This is for several reasons:




          • Port forwarding limits the number of devices that can be deployed

          • Port forwarding either requires the owner to be technically capable of enabling it or UPnP to be enabled on the router to open ports.

          • Port forwarding needs the controller to knowing which port is mapped to which device.

          • Connecting out removes the need for port forwarding and works though nearly all firewalls with out without NAT.


          The remote connection can either be a long pole HTTP or MQTT or similar messaging protocol.



          Some will also have local interfaces to control them from on the same network e.g. Ikea Trafri devices use CoAP locally or Belkin WeMo devices use SOAP






          share|improve this answer























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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes








            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            2














            Most smart plugs use cloud providers to toggle the power state of the device, there are a few (big) issues with this:




            1. If your internet is down you can't use it, even if you are on the same network.


            2. (And probably the biggest) data security, what data are these cloud servers able to access, what do they do with the data, what happens if they get hacked, what happens if they get sold?



            The easiest and cheapest way to battle both of those issues is to setup a home automation server, you can do this a few ways.
            Search for either of these:




            • Home Assistant

            • OpenHAB


            Then get yourself devices that integrate with them.
            I would recommend anything that is compatible with Tasmota.






            share|improve this answer























            • If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
              – m4l490n
              yesterday










            • Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
              – Falz
              yesterday
















            2














            Most smart plugs use cloud providers to toggle the power state of the device, there are a few (big) issues with this:




            1. If your internet is down you can't use it, even if you are on the same network.


            2. (And probably the biggest) data security, what data are these cloud servers able to access, what do they do with the data, what happens if they get hacked, what happens if they get sold?



            The easiest and cheapest way to battle both of those issues is to setup a home automation server, you can do this a few ways.
            Search for either of these:




            • Home Assistant

            • OpenHAB


            Then get yourself devices that integrate with them.
            I would recommend anything that is compatible with Tasmota.






            share|improve this answer























            • If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
              – m4l490n
              yesterday










            • Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
              – Falz
              yesterday














            2












            2








            2






            Most smart plugs use cloud providers to toggle the power state of the device, there are a few (big) issues with this:




            1. If your internet is down you can't use it, even if you are on the same network.


            2. (And probably the biggest) data security, what data are these cloud servers able to access, what do they do with the data, what happens if they get hacked, what happens if they get sold?



            The easiest and cheapest way to battle both of those issues is to setup a home automation server, you can do this a few ways.
            Search for either of these:




            • Home Assistant

            • OpenHAB


            Then get yourself devices that integrate with them.
            I would recommend anything that is compatible with Tasmota.






            share|improve this answer














            Most smart plugs use cloud providers to toggle the power state of the device, there are a few (big) issues with this:




            1. If your internet is down you can't use it, even if you are on the same network.


            2. (And probably the biggest) data security, what data are these cloud servers able to access, what do they do with the data, what happens if they get hacked, what happens if they get sold?



            The easiest and cheapest way to battle both of those issues is to setup a home automation server, you can do this a few ways.
            Search for either of these:




            • Home Assistant

            • OpenHAB


            Then get yourself devices that integrate with them.
            I would recommend anything that is compatible with Tasmota.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited yesterday









            hardillb

            6,4111726




            6,4111726










            answered yesterday









            Falz

            1015




            1015












            • If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
              – m4l490n
              yesterday










            • Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
              – Falz
              yesterday


















            • If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
              – m4l490n
              yesterday










            • Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
              – Falz
              yesterday
















            If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
            – m4l490n
            yesterday




            If it's a home automation server, you have to open some port don't you?
            – m4l490n
            yesterday












            Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
            – Falz
            yesterday




            Yeah for some, you could also setup a VPN, or use home assistant's paid service to setup a secure connection.
            – Falz
            yesterday











            1














            Most consumer IoT devices do not use port forwarding, they connect out to a central cloud based Command/Control server.



            This is for several reasons:




            • Port forwarding limits the number of devices that can be deployed

            • Port forwarding either requires the owner to be technically capable of enabling it or UPnP to be enabled on the router to open ports.

            • Port forwarding needs the controller to knowing which port is mapped to which device.

            • Connecting out removes the need for port forwarding and works though nearly all firewalls with out without NAT.


            The remote connection can either be a long pole HTTP or MQTT or similar messaging protocol.



            Some will also have local interfaces to control them from on the same network e.g. Ikea Trafri devices use CoAP locally or Belkin WeMo devices use SOAP






            share|improve this answer




























              1














              Most consumer IoT devices do not use port forwarding, they connect out to a central cloud based Command/Control server.



              This is for several reasons:




              • Port forwarding limits the number of devices that can be deployed

              • Port forwarding either requires the owner to be technically capable of enabling it or UPnP to be enabled on the router to open ports.

              • Port forwarding needs the controller to knowing which port is mapped to which device.

              • Connecting out removes the need for port forwarding and works though nearly all firewalls with out without NAT.


              The remote connection can either be a long pole HTTP or MQTT or similar messaging protocol.



              Some will also have local interfaces to control them from on the same network e.g. Ikea Trafri devices use CoAP locally or Belkin WeMo devices use SOAP






              share|improve this answer


























                1












                1








                1






                Most consumer IoT devices do not use port forwarding, they connect out to a central cloud based Command/Control server.



                This is for several reasons:




                • Port forwarding limits the number of devices that can be deployed

                • Port forwarding either requires the owner to be technically capable of enabling it or UPnP to be enabled on the router to open ports.

                • Port forwarding needs the controller to knowing which port is mapped to which device.

                • Connecting out removes the need for port forwarding and works though nearly all firewalls with out without NAT.


                The remote connection can either be a long pole HTTP or MQTT or similar messaging protocol.



                Some will also have local interfaces to control them from on the same network e.g. Ikea Trafri devices use CoAP locally or Belkin WeMo devices use SOAP






                share|improve this answer














                Most consumer IoT devices do not use port forwarding, they connect out to a central cloud based Command/Control server.



                This is for several reasons:




                • Port forwarding limits the number of devices that can be deployed

                • Port forwarding either requires the owner to be technically capable of enabling it or UPnP to be enabled on the router to open ports.

                • Port forwarding needs the controller to knowing which port is mapped to which device.

                • Connecting out removes the need for port forwarding and works though nearly all firewalls with out without NAT.


                The remote connection can either be a long pole HTTP or MQTT or similar messaging protocol.



                Some will also have local interfaces to control them from on the same network e.g. Ikea Trafri devices use CoAP locally or Belkin WeMo devices use SOAP







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited yesterday

























                answered yesterday









                hardillb

                6,4111726




                6,4111726






























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