So, you want to make your home a smart home. You already have a smart TV and a video doorbell, but you are looking to take things to the next level. Before you start spending money, learn everything you can about the smart home concept. A good place to start is familiarizing yourself with the main components of a modern system.
Options for Getting Started
Take note that there are several ways to go about transforming your home. Your first option is to go with a well-known brand like Vivint Home Security. With a Vivint system, you get access to a wide range of devices along with professional installation and continuous monitoring. Vivint and its competitors do an excellent job of servicing customers.
You can also go the DIY route. You can settle on an ecosystem, like Google Home or Amazon Alexa, and then invest in devices that are compatible with that ecosystem. But you could also build an entire system from the ground up using an agnostic platform light Home Assistant.
Common Smart Home Components
Regardless of the route you ultimately choose to take, your system will be built on a number of basic components. The first is some sort of central user interface, also known as a hub. Home Assistant acts as a hub. Google Home and Amazon Alexa can also be used as hubs.
The remaining components are as follows:
- Devices – Home automation is nothing without devices you can automate. Popular devices include smart thermostats, light switches, light bulbs, and security cameras.
- Sensors – In addition to select devices, home automation takes advantage of different types of sensors. Examples include motion sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, etc.
- A Network – In order for all the devices and sensors to interact with the central user interface, they must all be connected on a home network. Connection can be accomplished through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or several other types of protocols.
- Automation Rules – Automation requires rules that determine what devices do and when they do it. A typical user interface has basic rules built in. The user can add custom rules.
We could talk about secondary components like actuators and gateways. But secondary components are built into primary components by default. There is no need to get into their details here.
Tying It All Together
The one thing that ties all the components together is the user. As a smart homeowner, you ultimately decide how you want to use your system. You also decide on the particular components you want to utilize. This is why it is a good idea to learn everything you can about home automation before you start spending money.
There are a range of home automation solutions designed for consumers with very little knowledge and no interest in learning the details. Let us go back to Vivint Smart Home. If you were to invest in a Vivint system, they would do everything for you. Professional installation comes with the package.
In terms of platforms like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, they require some basic home automation knowledge. But you by no means need to be an expert. Building a system on either platform is pretty straightforward.
If you are looking for the most challenging option to test your tech skills, look at something like Home Assistant. It will allow you to build your own system from the ground up. But be prepared for a lot of learning and some frustration along the way. You will certainly earn your wings by building a smart home system from scratch.
