The Beelink S12 pro is waiting at my house to begin this process over the weekend. I literally chose the exact same mini PC so I can follow your guide. Really appreciate all of the amazing content and help you provide the community! Looking forward to following your journey and trying to keep up :)
Thanks for your tutorial. I've switched from my old Raspberry pi3+ to Bmax B4 plus, and everything went well from first try. Now i'll be able to get frigate and more
The workaround for creating the USB is not using Baleno etcher, but Rufus! Went this road also and gave me the same trouble. Rufus did indeed manage to make the bootables without a problem. Also if someone is not being able to remove partitions and/or install the HAOS image (for example if you had Proxmox on the machine). Set the BIOS to Legacy prepare the partitions (for example with Gparted) and before installing move back to EUFIE!
Thanks for the video. I actually use Home Assistant on a Virtual Machine on my Synology rather than a separate machine. It allows me to have a supervised instance which is handy. It also reduces the amount of energy I'm using because I already have the Synology running as a NAS. So for me that is a win-win. Since adding a Ubiquiti network, my experience has been quite good.
I have used a second hand Dell Optiplex 7050 Micro PC Intel i5-7500T 16 RAM 256 GB SSD for around three years now. HA is loaded direct on the SSD - never used an SD card. Made that PC and chip choice for its low power use 24/7. Been rock solid. Seemed overkill at the time but I've not had to muck around with upgrades as the project grew. I never started on the Pi. Time is money. An old HDMI monitor hooked up permanently to the PC running HA is handy as you can monitor the HA code during reboots and also pick up other occasional issues and do basic stuff direct in Linux. Though the HDMI set up in biosHA/linux was a little tricky i recall at the time. I will eventually upgrade to the exact same setup - just a faster machine with a larger SSD when the time comes.
I was just looking at Optiplex 7040, i5-6500T, 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. It’s listed at about $100 refurbished on Amazon. I am looking to get started with HA, but don’t want to deal with a Raspberry Pi. A thin client seems to be a good all-in-one package that will future proof HA as I add devices to it. Do you think this is a good way to get started? Any tips? Trying to avoid having to migrate or upgrade to something more powerful if I were to start off with a simpler hardware option. TIA!
Running at a couple locations. One is a sff lenovo m75q and one is similar to the machine you are using . I just gave up on the ubuntu method. I remove the hdd from the HA machine and use belena etcher and flash the ha image from my pc then drop it back in the ha machine WAY less messing around. Works like a charm.
Definitely good to know. I have also decided to use an N100-based mini PC but have a couple of different manufacturers I’m considering including Belink. I definitely plan to remove the SSD from my N100/HA machine and flash the image to it directly using my main PC. I’m assuming that I’ll need to buy a USB to NVMe adapter so that I can connect the SSD I’m going to write to to my main PC but that’s OK, they are pretty cheap and something that’s useful to have around anyway.
I use a Dell Optiplex running Proxmox with Home Assistant in a VM. I also have a Synology NAS that I use to backup the Proxmox VM. Restoring the Proxmox VM is much faster than using the Home Assistant backup, about 1 minute vs. 40 minutes.
Great video! I wanted my homelab to not just give me HAOS, but also things like frigate NVR, adguard and photoprism. So i went with building my own hardware from parts i got from a local electronic recycling store. I have a i5-6600k on an asus q270 motherboard 16GB rab with a 256gb nvme and 6TB HDD All the above came for about $100 for me. I then installed proxmox on this and have HAOS as a VM on it. My VMs and LXCs are on the nvme and i use the 6TB for data storage like my security cams
@michaelsleen thank you! I started in my journey because of your and a lot of other UA-cam channels and it was a lot of help! Currently this setup is doing great.. I am gonna look into it's power draw though and may get a different setup in the future...
Yes, you can see my exact results here: Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition: Local vs Cloud Smart Home Voice Control ua-cam.com/video/s1rHPcTNpGw/v-deo.html
I wish home assistant still supported portainer. It is a pity that the Raspi ended up being nearly as expensive as a mini pc. The main requirment for me is that I want Home Assistant to run on an SSD. I am running bare metal, but should install debian with the supervised version of HA. I ended up with the GMKtec G3 with 8 gb with a 256 gb nvme.
😂things weren't clear at all 😂😂till i watch this... Thank you so much... You said something like " The Ethernet cable dor ongoing usage* does that mean it'll stop working if there is internet outage?
@@michaelsleenat 7:20 you said "Ethernet cable for ongoing usage" Does that mean the Beelink will stop working if there's no internet and the whole system will also stop" ?
@ Your Home Assistant server, whether on a mini PC such as this or something else, can run locally to control your smart home without an Internet connection. But certain things like OS updates will require Internet to download files, or depending on anything else you load on the mini PC you may need Internet.
Interesting. I moved from a Pi3 to a Chromebox. Some problems after doing the backup were resolved automagically after a few reboots. The only problem I have is that it does not use the whole NVMe drive, and I cannot figure out how to enlarge the diskspace without reopening the chromebox and use another machine to enlarge or move the diskspace. Still struggeling, but the increase in performance is immense.
I'm using a Dell Wyse 5070 thin client with 8gb ram and a 256gb SSD. I went a different route to install HA. I actually removed the SSD from the Dell and used an external enclosure to connect it to my regular PC. I then flashed HAOS on the SSD directly, using Balena Etcher. I reinstalled the drive back in the Dell and fired it up. The rest as they say... is history.
@@michaelsleenI bought it brand new (factory sealed) on eBay for only $88 and it still has a factory warranty through 2025. Even included a wired keyboard and mouse.
I did mine today and it when flawless, thanks to your video. Just have 1 question, can i still use my mini pc for other stuff, like downloading Reolink app so can project my cameras on the tv
Hi, I’m considering to move from rpi3b to this mini pc. This mini pc comes with oem and windows 11 pro. I’d like to still use the windows os, will there be any drawbacks in terms of functionality and performance?
No issues for me. You can also add a USB adapter if you need more ports. You can find what I use and recommend here under “Computers, Hubs & Controllers.” www.michaelsleen.com/tech/
Thanks for the great tutorial. I used it to migrate my HA from an RPi 4 to a Beelink 12th gen with and Intel Alder Lake N100, 16 Gb RAM and 500 Gb SSD. As you said, blazing fast. Lots of storage now, and much faster. I think it will be a lot more durable as well. Offhand, since I installed HA "bare metal" using Ubuntu as you suggested, do you know if I can configure an MQTT broker in the same box? My current broker is now running on yet another RPi, and although it doesn't have much else to do, I'd like to get it onto some more reliable iron.
Glad it helped! I am running Mosquito Broker as a Home Assistant add-on. Works well, and no need for a separate installation. www.home-assistant.io/integrations/mqtt/
Thanks for this great tutorial. I ordered the Beelink and followed the step and all went well without any issues. However, I am noticing a delay in loading the Home Assistant screens compared to the RPI4 with 4GB ram. All other processes are much faster e.g. backups, updates etc. Have you also noticed the same behavior after you moved to this hardware?
18:34, Personally I would take out the SSD, etch the HASS OS to the SSD and put it back in. this is more user-friendly than having to deal with linux-commands
Hi, great video! I got inspired. I am running on an RPi4 now, but would like to upgrade. I am also interested in running Frigate. Can I run Frigate on the Beelink S12 Pro without any additional hardware? If I want, can I add a Coral? Can I install Coral internally, or would I need an USB one?
Hey, thanks! I know people are doing each of those on a Beelink S12 Pro: Frigate without Coral, Frigate with an internal Coral, and Frigate with a USB Coral. I haven’t gotten around to my Frigate project yet, so I can’t speak to the specifics.
I went from an i7 10700k running HA in VM (super fast, but a waste of power) to the HA Green (a stupid mistake, but runs on next to nothing) which is now unused because compile times are SLUG SLOW! I replaced the HA Green with a Beelink SER6 Ryzen 9 6900. The Beelink compiles as fast as the 10700K, or at least feels as fast, so I'm happy. If you mess around with ESPHome, you're going to want Home Assistant installed on a fast machine. The slowest of these little mini-PCs are faster than the HA Green. Avoid the HA Green at all costs. They're an easy setup, but that's all they are. A mini PC costs a little more than the HA Green but SMOKES it when it comes to speed.
@@michaelsleen The 10700k gave me a taste of just how fast Home Assistant and ESPHome can be. I was addicted and didn't know it. 🤣 I think the Pi4 is about the same (speed-wise) as the HA Green, so they're equally as slow. I just looked up the specs for the Beelink N100 vs, Pi4. Pi4 CPU mark... 852 N100 CPU mark.. 5489. Those are some numbers that'll put a grin on your face. It's nice when you can actually feel an upgrade. Enjoy.
@@phillipzx3754I think the HA Green is essentially a Pi4 as far as compute goes. The HA Yellow definitely is because it needs a Pi Compute Module installed for it to do anything. HAOS 14 now supports version 5 of the Pi compute module so if you install a CM4 then compute-wise your HA Yellow is basically a Pi4 and if you install a CM5 it’s basically a Pi5. Pi5 is said to be 2 to 3 times faster than Pi4 but N100 still beats it, and an N100 mini PC can be got for less money, so that’s what I’ll be getting.
Let me ask yah! I have an Pi4 Argon One with m.2... Can I just swap out m.2 to new BeeLink after BIOS tweaks? Really want to upgrade to take advantage of better GPU vs my Pi4. Want to get a Google coral USB for Frigate and AI
👉 Let me know what hardware you’re using to run Home Assistant, and anything you’d do differently.
The Beelink S12 pro is waiting at my house to begin this process over the weekend. I literally chose the exact same mini PC so I can follow your guide. Really appreciate all of the amazing content and help you provide the community! Looking forward to following your journey and trying to keep up :)
Exciting, and good luck!
ditto!
this is exactly what I was looking for -- deciding which HW I'd get to start my HA journey. thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Great work on your Channel Michael! You must be putting in some real effort!
Trying! Thanks, Simon. Wondering if it’s time to try out live streams…
@@michaelsleen Yeh man go for it, I use Riverside to stream for free. Happy to catch up for a chat about it
This is my home media server for jellyfin along with the home assistant. I am glad it's getting some love
Thanks for your tutorial. I've switched from my old Raspberry pi3+ to Bmax B4 plus, and everything went well from first try. Now i'll be able to get frigate and more
Glad it went well!
The workaround for creating the USB is not using Baleno etcher, but Rufus! Went this road also and gave me the same trouble. Rufus did indeed manage to make the bootables without a problem. Also if someone is not being able to remove partitions and/or install the HAOS image (for example if you had Proxmox on the machine). Set the BIOS to Legacy prepare the partitions (for example with Gparted) and before installing move back to EUFIE!
Thanks for sharing that!
This was very helpful. I have the same mini PC and I appreciate your effort! I hit a few snags but installation went fairly smooth.
I'm glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video. I actually use Home Assistant on a Virtual Machine on my Synology rather than a separate machine. It allows me to have a supervised instance which is handy. It also reduces the amount of energy I'm using because I already have the Synology running as a NAS. So for me that is a win-win. Since adding a Ubiquiti network, my experience has been quite good.
That's a great idea for saving energy! I also love my Ubiquiti UniFi setup.
I have used a second hand Dell Optiplex 7050 Micro PC Intel i5-7500T 16 RAM 256 GB SSD for around three years now. HA is loaded direct on the SSD - never used an SD card. Made that PC and chip choice for its low power use 24/7. Been rock solid. Seemed overkill at the time but I've not had to muck around with upgrades as the project grew. I never started on the Pi. Time is money. An old HDMI monitor hooked up permanently to the PC running HA is handy as you can monitor the HA code during reboots and also pick up other occasional issues and do basic stuff direct in Linux. Though the HDMI set up in biosHA/linux was a little tricky i recall at the time. I will eventually upgrade to the exact same setup - just a faster machine with a larger SSD when the time comes.
Nice, thanks for sharing!
I was just looking at Optiplex 7040, i5-6500T, 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. It’s listed at about $100 refurbished on Amazon. I am looking to get started with HA, but don’t want to deal with a Raspberry Pi. A thin client seems to be a good all-in-one package that will future proof HA as I add devices to it. Do you think this is a good way to get started? Any tips? Trying to avoid having to migrate or upgrade to something more powerful if I were to start off with a simpler hardware option. TIA!
@ That Optiplex is a totally fine way to get started. More than enough to run HA. Good luck!
@@michaelsleenthanks a lot! Gonna be jumping into this rabbit hole in the near future.
Great video! I moved my HA to a Proxmox VM. I might one day move it to a dedicated box.
Perfect, exactly what I needed
Running at a couple locations. One is a sff lenovo m75q and one is similar to the machine you are using . I just gave up on the ubuntu method. I remove the hdd from the HA machine and use belena etcher and flash the ha image from my pc then drop it back in the ha machine WAY less messing around. Works like a charm.
Good to know!
Definitely good to know. I have also decided to use an N100-based mini PC but have a couple of different manufacturers I’m considering including Belink. I definitely plan to remove the SSD from my N100/HA machine and flash the image to it directly using my main PC. I’m assuming that I’ll need to buy a USB to NVMe adapter so that I can connect the SSD I’m going to write to to my main PC but that’s OK, they are pretty cheap and something that’s useful to have around anyway.
I use a Dell Optiplex running Proxmox with Home Assistant in a VM. I also have a Synology NAS that I use to backup the Proxmox VM. Restoring the Proxmox VM is much faster than using the Home Assistant backup, about 1 minute vs. 40 minutes.
Nice!
Great video!
I wanted my homelab to not just give me HAOS, but also things like frigate NVR, adguard and photoprism.
So i went with building my own hardware from parts i got from a local electronic recycling store.
I have a i5-6600k on an asus q270 motherboard
16GB rab with a 256gb nvme and 6TB HDD
All the above came for about $100 for me.
I then installed proxmox on this and have HAOS as a VM on it. My VMs and LXCs are on the nvme and i use the 6TB for data storage like my security cams
Sweet setup. Thanks for sharing!
@michaelsleen thank you! I started in my journey because of your and a lot of other UA-cam channels and it was a lot of help!
Currently this setup is doing great.. I am gonna look into it's power draw though and may get a different setup in the future...
Have you tried the new voice assistant for HA? How did it run on your Beelink?
Yes, you can see my exact results here: Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition: Local vs Cloud Smart Home Voice Control
ua-cam.com/video/s1rHPcTNpGw/v-deo.html
Can we installl addon and Frontend pn docker version of HA?
I am not running HA in docker.
I wish home assistant still supported portainer. It is a pity that the Raspi ended up being nearly as expensive as a mini pc. The main requirment for me is that I want Home Assistant to run on an SSD.
I am running bare metal, but should install debian with the supervised version of HA.
I ended up with the GMKtec G3 with 8 gb with a 256 gb nvme.
Yeah it’s too bad the Pi isn’t much cheaper by comparison.
😂things weren't clear at all 😂😂till i watch this... Thank you so much... You said something like " The Ethernet cable dor ongoing usage* does that mean it'll stop working if there is internet outage?
Glad it helped. Maybe refer to the timestamp? I’m not following the question.
@@michaelsleenat 7:20 you said "Ethernet cable for ongoing usage" Does that mean the Beelink will stop working if there's no internet and the whole system will also stop" ?
@ Your Home Assistant server, whether on a mini PC such as this or something else, can run locally to control your smart home without an Internet connection. But certain things like OS updates will require Internet to download files, or depending on anything else you load on the mini PC you may need Internet.
@@michaelsleenThanks for clarification
Interesting. I moved from a Pi3 to a Chromebox. Some problems after doing the backup were resolved automagically after a few reboots. The only problem I have is that it does not use the whole NVMe drive, and I cannot figure out how to enlarge the diskspace without reopening the chromebox and use another machine to enlarge or move the diskspace. Still struggeling, but the increase in performance is immense.
Glad you're enjoying the performance increase despite the disk space struggles. Thanks for watching!
I'm using a Dell Wyse 5070 thin client with 8gb ram and a 256gb SSD. I went a different route to install HA. I actually removed the SSD from the Dell and used an external enclosure to connect it to my regular PC. I then flashed HAOS on the SSD directly, using Balena Etcher. I reinstalled the drive back in the Dell and fired it up. The rest as they say... is history.
That is exactly what I did with my instal ....
Nice! I also debated the Wyze 5070.
@@michaelsleenI bought it brand new (factory sealed) on eBay for only $88 and it still has a factory warranty through 2025. Even included a wired keyboard and mouse.
That's a sweet deal.
I did mine today and it when flawless, thanks to your video.
Just have 1 question, can i still use my mini pc for other stuff, like downloading Reolink app so can project my cameras on the tv
Glad it went well! I’m unfamiliar with projecting the Reolink app on a TV.
@ no I was wondering if I can download they Reolink app onto the mini pc, after I installed home assistant on it
any reason you didn't go with a proxmox VM implementation? Either way, I'm sold on the S12 Pro, just need to finalize install steps
Purely for simplicity.
Using UXX mini, with a celeron n, 6g ram. Found on sale for less than $90.
Hi, I’m considering to move from rpi3b to this mini pc. This mini pc comes with oem and windows 11 pro. I’d like to still use the windows os, will there be any drawbacks in terms of functionality and performance?
Plenty of people run it on a VM with Windows but the setup is more complicated. Running it bare metal is the easiest to configure.
Any issues with the quantity of USB ports? Also, what exact sticks would you recommend for getting set up and max compatibility?
No issues for me. You can also add a USB adapter if you need more ports. You can find what I use and recommend here under “Computers, Hubs & Controllers.” www.michaelsleen.com/tech/
Thanks for the great tutorial. I used it to migrate my HA from an RPi 4 to a Beelink 12th gen with and Intel Alder Lake N100, 16 Gb RAM and 500 Gb SSD. As you said, blazing fast. Lots of storage now, and much faster. I think it will be a lot more durable as well.
Offhand, since I installed HA "bare metal" using Ubuntu as you suggested, do you know if I can configure an MQTT broker in the same box? My current broker is now running on yet another RPi, and although it doesn't have much else to do, I'd like to get it onto some more reliable iron.
Glad it helped! I am running Mosquito Broker as a Home Assistant add-on. Works well, and no need for a separate installation. www.home-assistant.io/integrations/mqtt/
Thanks for this great tutorial. I ordered the Beelink and followed the step and all went well without any issues. However, I am noticing a delay in loading the Home Assistant screens compared to the RPI4 with 4GB ram. All other processes are much faster e.g. backups, updates etc. Have you also noticed the same behavior after you moved to this hardware?
Sure thing! My experience has been the opposite - everything loads much faster (basically instantly).
18:34, Personally I would take out the SSD, etch the HASS OS to the SSD and put it back in.
this is more user-friendly than having to deal with linux-commands
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, great video! I got inspired. I am running on an RPi4 now, but would like to upgrade. I am also interested in running Frigate. Can I run Frigate on the Beelink S12 Pro without any additional hardware? If I want, can I add a Coral? Can I install Coral internally, or would I need an USB one?
Hey, thanks! I know people are doing each of those on a Beelink S12 Pro: Frigate without Coral, Frigate with an internal Coral, and Frigate with a USB Coral. I haven’t gotten around to my Frigate project yet, so I can’t speak to the specifics.
I went from an i7 10700k running HA in VM (super fast, but a waste of power) to the HA Green (a stupid mistake, but runs on next to nothing) which is now unused because compile times are SLUG SLOW! I replaced the HA Green with a Beelink SER6 Ryzen 9 6900. The Beelink compiles as fast as the 10700K, or at least feels as fast, so I'm happy.
If you mess around with ESPHome, you're going to want Home Assistant installed on a fast machine. The slowest of these little mini-PCs are faster than the HA Green. Avoid the HA Green at all costs. They're an easy setup, but that's all they are. A mini PC costs a little more than the HA Green but SMOKES it when it comes to speed.
I’m loving how much faster everything is on the Beelink compared with the Pi 4.
@@michaelsleen The 10700k gave me a taste of just how fast Home Assistant and ESPHome can be. I was addicted and didn't know it. 🤣
I think the Pi4 is about the same (speed-wise) as the HA Green, so they're equally as slow.
I just looked up the specs for the Beelink N100 vs, Pi4.
Pi4 CPU mark... 852
N100 CPU mark.. 5489.
Those are some numbers that'll put a grin on your face. It's nice when you can actually feel an upgrade.
Enjoy.
@@phillipzx3754I think the HA Green is essentially a Pi4 as far as compute goes. The HA Yellow definitely is because it needs a Pi Compute Module installed for it to do anything. HAOS 14 now supports version 5 of the Pi compute module so if you install a CM4 then compute-wise your HA Yellow is basically a Pi4 and if you install a CM5 it’s basically a Pi5.
Pi5 is said to be 2 to 3 times faster than Pi4 but N100 still beats it, and an N100 mini PC can be got for less money, so that’s what I’ll be getting.
I cant find anything that specifically says under settings "advanced restart" what am i missing?
At the time of recording on a Beelink S12 Pro mini PC with Windows 11, I had to go to Settings > Security > and click on Advanced Restart.
Hey, What's the electricity consumption per month with the Beelink??
I have it plugged in to a smart plug with energy monitoring, which shows it to be drawing about 0.15 A on idle at any given moment.
@michaelsleen thank you for confirming that
@@michaelsleen 220 or 110 Volt?
@ 110
Hi. Started on Pi400 now on HS Yellow witk M.2 drive. Have messed with HS on a PC but just or something to do.
why not flash Ubuntu from mini pc itself? after all it might be running Windows 11 already?
Preferred to go this route, but whatever works for you. Thanks for watching!
11:22 your black screen looks like my black screen lol
Thanks for watching
Let me ask yah! I have an Pi4 Argon One with m.2... Can I just swap out m.2 to new BeeLink after BIOS tweaks? Really want to upgrade to take advantage of better GPU vs my Pi4. Want to get a Google coral USB for Frigate and AI
I cannot confirm the swap, but the Beelink would set you up well for moving toward Frigate.
I have a Home Assistant Green and starting to stress it, so just purchased the beeline s12 Pro and plan to migrate over the holidays
Nice, good luck!
Done, the 1.6GB Home Assistant green backup took a minute or so to restore
zigbee2MQTT required a couple restarts to fully return all devices,a couple of integrations will require re-installing
@@michaelhorton6881 Thanks for sharing your experience. I don’t believe I had to re-install any integrations.
Any problems with z2mqtt when restoring from backup or any setting that need changing?
I didn’t have to do anything like that for Z2MQTT. It just worked.
great because I’m planing to move over to an mini pc too. 😀 thanks for the video.👍🏻
thanks doing the same right now