It can even read the devices from SmartThings or WINK and offer them up in one interface as well. Now your iPhone (as pictured below) can control your multimedia components as well as additional items.Īs you can see from above, my setup gives me one app to control lots of devices. If you have many multimedia devices, chances are over the years you might have owned a Logitech Harmony remote or seen them in the stores. However, primarily the strength of the Harmony Hub is its ties to multimedia devices, which SmartThings nor WINK can control. A lot of the things that SmartThings and WINK can control, so can Harmony Hub. Bear with me as this may get a little confusing. That leaves us with Logitech’s Harmony Hub. Ultimately, the hub you select determines the various accessories you can acquire. The constant need to check if your hub even endorses a device is where home automation starts to get a little tricky. Each has an app that runs on your phone that allows you to setup and controls your devices. Each supports different protocols and will control various components. At some point, you are probably going to want to own two out of the three of these. Samsung’s SmartThings and WINK are essentially direct competitors to each other. There are three significant players today in the home automation space when it comes to hubs: Samsung SmartThings, WINK, and Logitech’s Harmony Hub. However, if you want to automate things really (turn the lights outside on at 7:00 PM) then you still need an Apple TV or iPad to configure and control everything, You can just use your phone to control your devices, and there is no hub required. NOTE: You can choose Apple’s HomeKit as the protocol you are going to use. To confuse matters even more, various manufacturers products only work with their hub like Phillip Hues, Lutron Caseta, etc. The hub you choose needs to know how to control each component. Let’s say you want to start simple with a light switch or replace your front door lock. Here is the downside to home automation: there isn’t a standard. My suggestion is to start with a hub first, then buy one or two add-ons and gradually grow over time. These devices control the components you have installed (door locks, garage door opener, etc.). Now that we have a good foundation to get started with home automation we need to learn about hubs. Their phone app puts the power of your network right in your hands and allows you to monitor usage, turn devices off (go to bed kids!), port forward, and even schedule times devices can use the Internet. However, I love Amplifi’s built-in LED screen directly on the router. While I highly recommend Amplifi’s system for ease of use and simple setup, there are others you might want to consider the Google Wifi or Netgear Orbi. These would be the top three choices I would recommend. I even have full WiFI signal strength out to our mailbox. Unless you have a substantial home, this out-of-the-box system will provide you excellent coverage. Need more coverage? Buy more mesh points. The mesh points plug directly into the wall, and so they can be located throughout the home to give you the best coverage. It comes with the router (the white box) and two mesh points. I went with the Amplifi HD (High Density) mesh router pictured above. Need more space upstairs? Add a new mesh point. The best upgrade I did for my house this year is replaced my aging Asus WiFI router with a new type of wireless network called a “ mesh network.” A mesh network auto configures and routes traffic as needed and can even select the best protocol for each device. will enable you to grow and expand for the future.Think of your home network as the foundation for home automation. Home automation does not work without having a vast home network. If you are looking to get started in home automation, or maybe just a gift for that geeky family member this holiday season, this article will help you get started and give you some ideas. I started small, and every month I added something. This past year I spent much time researching and updating our house to make our life easier. The first thing you will learn about home automation is there is a lot to learn, but, you can still have much fun upgrading your home. Each time I walk into our local Best Buy, numerous people are standing around the home automation section, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. The year 2017 will probably go down as the year home automation finally went mainstream. Want just the products I use for home automation? Check out my home automation kit below.
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