SyncSita Home Automation
A self-hosted IoT platform running on a Contabo VDS with Docker, Home Assistant, ESPHome, and MQTT. Manages smart devices, environmental sensors, and automation routines with Cloudflare-tunneled access from anywhere.
Project Overview
SyncSita is a full home automation stack running on a dedicated Contabo VDS (6 cores, 12GB RAM, Ubuntu 24.04). Rather than relying on cloud-dependent consumer smart home platforms, everything runs self-hosted with Docker Compose orchestrating the core services.
Home Assistant serves as the central automation hub, managing device integrations, automations, and dashboards. ESPHome handles custom firmware for ESP32/ESP8266-based sensors and controllers, communicating over MQTT via a Mosquitto broker. The entire stack is accessible remotely through Cloudflare origin certificates and nginx reverse proxies.
The system also includes WhatsApp notification integration for critical alerts and Asterisk PBX for VoIP telephony, making the server a true multi-purpose automation hub.
Key Features
Home Assistant
Central automation hub with custom dashboards, device integrations, and automation routines. Accessible via Cloudflare tunnel at connect.syncsita.com.
ESPHome Devices
Custom firmware for ESP32/ESP8266 microcontrollers. Environmental sensors, relay controllers, and smart switches all managed via YAML configuration.
MQTT Messaging
Mosquitto broker handles pub/sub messaging between all IoT devices, Home Assistant, and custom scripts. Lightweight and reliable.
Docker Orchestration
All services containerized with Docker Compose. Easy updates, isolated environments, and reproducible deployments across the full stack.
Cloudflare Tunneling
Secure remote access via Cloudflare origin certificates and nginx reverse proxy. No exposed ports, encrypted end-to-end.
Multi-Service Server
Beyond IoT: the same VDS runs Asterisk PBX for VoIP, coTURN for WebRTC, and WhatsApp Web Daemon for notification alerts.
