Phosphor & Friends Computer Co.

Home Assistant is free, open-source software that brings your smart-home devices together in one place. It works with thousands of devices and services from many different brands, so you can control and automate them from one app instead of juggling many.

Your home runs on your own equipment instead of someone else's cloud. That means: more privacy, because your data stays in your home by default; faster, more reliable control of devices that work locally, even when the internet is down; one app for devices from many brands; powerful automations (for example, lights that react to the time of day or whether anyone is home); and no subscription for the software itself. Devices that only work through a cloud service still need the internet.

For the Home Assistant box, no. Plug it in, open a browser and follow the quick-start card. For the Retro-Terminal Panel, you follow a step-by-step setup guide: you add the panel's files to your Home Assistant, flash the panel from your computer over a USB cable, and connect it. No programming is needed, but you should be comfortable following careful instructions.

You need the internet for first-time setup and for updates. Day to day, devices that work locally keep working without it. Devices that depend on a cloud service need the internet, just as they do without Home Assistant.

ESPHome is free software that turns small, inexpensive circuit boards (like the one inside the CrowPanel display) into devices that talk to Home Assistant. The Retro-Terminal Panel files use it.

You get a refurbished mini PC that has been fully erased, freshly installed with Home Assistant OS, and tested before it is sold. It comes with a power adapter, a printed quick-start card and a network cable, plus any extras listed for that unit (for example, a DisplayPort dummy plug). The exact model, processor, memory and storage are listed with each unit.

Connect the network cable, plug in the power, wait about 5 minutes, open homeassistant.local in a browser, create your account and get the app. The quick-start card walks you through it.

It is a used mini PC. Every unit is fully erased, freshly installed with Home Assistant OS, and tested before it is sold. No two units are exactly alike, and some may show normal wear (scuffs or scratches on the case) from previous use.

Home Assistant can run on several kinds of hardware. A refurbished business mini PC is a solid, small machine with plenty of power for a typical home, at a fair price, and it arrives wiped, set up and tested.

The Green is a good, official, low-power choice, and it's new. My box is a refurbished mini PC with more memory (8 GB versus 4 GB) and more storage (a 120 GB SSD versus 32 GB) at a lower price, and it arrives set up and tested. The trade-offs are that it's used and draws more power than the Green.

You create your own account and password the first time you start it. There are no shared or default passwords. Your Home Assistant box is only as secure as the network you connect it to, so keep your router and Wi-Fi passwords strong.

Boxes are sold locally in the Wilsonville, Oregon area, with pickup at a public meeting place. Shipping is not offered yet.

Every box has a 30-day warranty from the date you receive it. If the unit fails in normal use, I repair, replace or refund. It also includes 14 days of email help getting online. Drops, liquid or other physical damage, opened or modified hardware, and your own devices, integrations, add-ons and cloud services are not covered.

A ready-made panel is a good choice if you want something that works with no tinkering, and many people are happy with one. The Retro-Terminal Panel digital product is for people who want a particular retro look, a panel built around their own Home Assistant devices, and full control of the files, at a low price. You follow a guide, and the result is yours to change.

No. It is a digital download (a ZIP plus a PDF guide) with an ESPHome panel config, a Home Assistant package and a setup guide. You need your own CrowPanel Advance 7" display. The files were tested on SKU DIS02170A, hardware V1.5.

If the files don't work on that panel, email me within 14 days of purchase and I will fix it or refund the purchase price. I reply within 2 business days. This doesn't cover custom changes, other hardware, or your own devices and integrations. Digital downloads can't be returned.

A CrowPanel Advance 7" display, a USB-C cable that carries data (not a charge-only cable), a computer, a working Home Assistant (for example, the Home Assistant box), and a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. The panel does not connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

The panel talks to Home Assistant, so what it can control depends on the devices you have set up there. The guide shows you how to connect it to your own setup.

It is a step-by-step PDF for running a free, private AI model on your own Windows 11 computer with an NVIDIA graphics card, written from a real install and tested on Oct 17, 2026. It is sold as-is, with 7 days of limited email support. Past buyers get free updates by email with proof of purchase.

It is a one-person business in Wilsonville, Oregon, run by Erik and licensed with the City of Wilsonville.

Yes, 3D-printed enclosures and mounts for Home Assistant panels are planned. They are not for sale yet.

Email phosphorandfriends@gmail.com or call 503-662-2411.