The home networked with smart devices is no longer a dream of the future. Ten tips for getting started.
01 Make sure it’s easy to use
If you want to turn your house or apartment into a smarthome, you should make sure that the devices used in it are easy to operate. Control with a smartphone is offered by almost all networked solutions, but when purchasing, make sure that the smarthome solution supports both iOS and Android. In most cases, smarthome devices come with their own app from the manufacturer. Of course, parallel use of multiple apps managing the same devices is also possible.
This ensures that all users in the house can access the functions of the smarthome, even if you change smartphone systems. The apps should also be easy to use. If you rely on the Apple ecosystem, the smarthome solution should ideally be compatible with the Apple HomeKit app. If you use different providers with their own apps, you can still control all settings centrally with the single app.
02 Smarthome solutions should make life easier
If you intend to integrate smarthome solutions in the house, you should make sure that the devices make life easier. The processes should run automatically after integration and programming. If you have to constantly use the Smarthome app, you will quickly lose interest in the system. Shutters should work automatically, thermostats should regulate themselves, IP camera notify users if that makes sense. As soon as the smarthome system is set up, the workflows in the house should be simplified, not complicated. Therefore, when deciding on a new smarthome system, you should carefully consider whether the system makes sense or whether it is just a toy. Everyone in the household should be able to use it without having to study computer science.
03 Look for open and modular systems
If you intend to use a smarthome solution, you should make sure that it has a modular structure. It must be possible to network the solution with others and expand it in a modular way. Defining smarthome devices and rooms in the house is first of all the basis for the interaction of all your smarthome devices. Only networked devices can interact with each other, and only in this way can the smarthome unfold its potential.
If, for example, you want to integrate thermostats into the smarthome, then the system should ideally also detect open windows through sensors and possibly even be able to integrate motion detectors that automatically detect movements in the house. This makes it easier and more efficient to create rules, and the smarthome becomes more useful. Isolated solutions are often cheaper, but less efficient. Put more smarthome solutions, then you need multiple apps and can’t connect the devices, which makes the environment less efficient and ultimately costs money. Example: If the Smarthome does not recognize that the windows are open, the intelligent thermostats heat for nothing.
For example, if you use door sensors, you can define that when such a sensor is triggered at a certain time, it will automatically activate certain devices in the smarthome, for example, a switched power outlet. Or if you use a smarthome motion detector, you can set smarthome thermostats to turn down the temperature when the motion detector no longer detects a message in the room, so the room is not currently in use. If you come into the house, the iPhone recognizes this and can turn up the thermostats, deactivate sensors or play music. Such tasks are called scenarios.
04 Compatible with opensource management software
If you plan to expand your smart home, you should make sure that the hardware is compatible with open source solutions such as OpenHAB. The advantage of openHAB 2 is that the software can centrally manage smarthome devices from different manufacturers.
The new version for automating smart home devices is beginner-friendly and generally quite easy to use even for laymen. The software can also be operated on Raspberry Pi devices or on NAS systems from Synology or QNAP. openHAB 2 can also be extended with add-ons. The LiVo app can control all devices that are also compatible with Apple Homekit as well as devices that are compatible with openHAB. The app offers the advantage that the interface is very flexible to customize. Shortly after WWDC 2017, Apple also published the documentation of Home Kit as open source (access only with the activated developer account).
05 Sensible connection to AVM’s Fritz!Boxes
Especially for their first installations of Smarthome systemem use, for example thermostats, it may be useful to rely on devices compatible with AVM Fritz!Boxes are – as long as you are connected to a Fritz!Set the box as DSL router. The advantage is that the devices can be quickly and easily integrated into the system and, most importantly, can be controlled by any connected phones and smartphone apps. You don’t have to rely on AVM’s own smarthome devices to do this. There are also manufacturers that are compatible with the Fritz!Boxes are.
06 Smarthome controllable via the Internet?
Before you decide on a smarthome solution, you should plan whether you want to control not only in your own home, but also via the Internet. If you want to control your Smarthome remotely via the Internet, you need devices that support that. Not all products from all providers are able to do this. When connecting the smarthome to the Internet, be sure to also pay attention to security. Especially secure passwords play a role here, but also the possibility to update the firmware of the devices quickly and easily.
07 Use automation
Use an Apple TV in the house from the 4. Generation, you can automate the smarthome with its help, provided that compatible devices are placed in it. Alternatively, an iPad can be used as a central control unit, but ideally it should always be connected to the mains power supply. In the Apple Home app, the “Automation” function helps you with your plan. In it you define actions, these are also displayed on the home page of the app. This allows you to see at a glance whether the Smarthome is currently performing actions based on certain rules, or not.
08 Invite people to control your home with Apple HomeKit
As an administrator, you can invite other people who are allowed to control the devices in the house with Apple Home. To do this, select the menu item ” Invite ” in the administration of the house, which you call up via the icon in the upper left corner. Enter the e-mail address of the user with which he is registered at Apple. So for shared use, an Apple ID is necessary, as iPhone or iPad users need it anyway.
09 Plan WLAN and network connection at an early stage
If you are building a new house or renovating a house, you should plan the integration of Smarthome devices even if you do not yet want to purchase a Smarthome system. Make sure that sockets are available in appropriate places to integrate smarthome systems. Also, in the house should be available everywhere WLAN or cable network. If you work with WLAN, you usually need WLAN repeaters in your house to amplify the signal. Such repeaters connect you directly to a power outlet. So you should position sockets in the house in the places where you want to plug in such a repeater. The repeater should be within WLAN range of the WLAN router. This ensures that the devices that connect to the WLAN repeater get a decent performance. Most often, such chaining is done in a star shape.
The sockets can be positioned hidden, as they are not to be used by electrical devices, but mainly by WLAN repeaters. The sockets should be considered to be in WLAN range. You can check this with a smartphone, for example.
10 Getting started with smarthome cameras
To get started with the smarthome, using an indoor camera is often the easiest way to go: you buy a WLAN-enabled IP camera and tie it into the network. The control of the camera is done in most cases more smartphone or tablet. Make sure the camera app also allows you to access it via the internet. Setup is quick, and you can use the app to perform various smarthome tasks. For example, you can set the smartphone app to notify you when someone moves within the camera’s range of motion. You can also specify that the camera starts recording when someone is in the range of the camera. IP cameras are inexpensive and offer many smarthome features that make it clear what’s possible in this area. Other entry points include thermostats that can also be paired with motion detectors and window sensors.