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nws0291

macrumors 6502a
Apr 24, 2006
593
161
NEST talks back to the NEST servers all the time... that's how I can see settings, status, and temperatures from their website or from apps - that's the whole point of having a connected thermostat. The smoke detectors talk much less frequently, but they also serve as a long-term learning aid for the thermostat to help it determine when to use auto-away and when not too (especially when the thermostat might be in a place you don't go by very often, so it can't detect that you're actually home). There's no way for us to trace what goes from the NEST servers to Google...

The NEST servers are google. What I am wondering is if you can block traffic from the NEST externally and control it via an internal service you have hosted on your own network. In that case the user could write a service that interfaces with other 3rd party home automation services or their own.
 

OldSchoolMacGuy

Suspended
Jul 10, 2008
4,197
9,050
Nest has been losing a number of people since the Google purchase. Some don't want Google knowing when they're home and when they're away.
 

eagle33199

macrumors member
Mar 13, 2007
92
274
The NEST servers are google. What I am wondering is if you can block traffic from the NEST externally and control it via an internal service you have hosted on your own network. In that case the user could write a service that interfaces with other 3rd party home automation services or their own.

... which defeats the purpose of something like the NEST thermostat. People have been capable of putting together their own home automation solutions and serving them from their own network for many, many years. Products like the NEST thermostat are there to bring such capabilities to the broader market, to those who either don't have the technical knowledge or the desire to create their own systems. Why go to the trouble of reinventing the wheel when you can just buy one?

As indicated from one of the previous posts, with access to the device you can hack it to run your own software, thus yes, you can set it up to work with your own server and not contact NEST. If you want to spend your time setting up and maintaining that system, have fun.
 

xdhd350

macrumors 6502
Mar 9, 2010
367
74
This works with the Volt because it's electrically powered. It doesn't make a lot of sense for a conventionally-powered car as the engine has to be running to cool or heat it.

I know of many people who would gladly fire up their gasoline engines for 10 minutes ahead of time to heat or cool the car before they got in it during extreme temps.
 
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