You have smart home automation questions, we have… well, smart answers
Have questions about getting started with smart home automation technology and feeling a little overwhelmed? You came to the right place, because we have answers. We recently spent a few days asking wanna-be smart home owners what they wanted to know. Here are answers to a few of the most common questions they had for us.
I see different terms, like “smart home,” “home automation control,” and “home automation,” which all seem to refer to the same thing. What’s the difference?
The answer to this could be an article in itself, but the short version is this. Smart home automation control and home automation are the things that smart homes do. Smart Home automation control means being able to operate your lights and locks and thermostats and so forth remotely, from a single device like your smartphone. Home automation is the process of programming those devices so that they operate automatically, in ways that best suit your lifestyle.
Can I add smart home tech to my existing house without having to tear down walls and add new wiring?
Absolutely! Technologies like Z-Wave work wirelessly, so while you may need to tap into the existing wiring in your home to replace your existing lights and thermostat with smart equivalents. You won’t need to add any additional wiring.
How do I know which smart home automation devices work together?
The easiest way is to look for products with the Z-Wave logo. Z-Wave products are built to be interoperable. That doesn’t mean that you’re limited to only Z-Wave products, though. Some hubs, like SmartThings and Wink, support several different standards. So your best bet is to check the website for your hub’s manufacturer and see which products it supports.
Zigbee wireless interfere?
Zigbee wireless is the ideal solution for creating flexible and robust networks for control and monitoring applications. Connectify sell a range of Zigbee products that make it easy to create a wireless network from scratch or with sensors.
Will smart home technology affect my internet speeds?
Not at all. While most smart home systems rely on your home network for some functions (like remote access and communications between your smartphone and smart hub), the bulk of the home control action takes place on a separate wireless network that doesn’t interfere with Wi-Fi at all.
Does smart home technology make your home hackable?
Any technology that uses the internet to communicate can be susceptible to intrusion. However, with Z-Wave or Zigbee, it’s very unlikely. With its 128-bit encryption and advanced security framework, Connectify’s Z-Wave or Zigbee smart home system is likely more secure than your Wi-Fi network. Smart People Smarter Living