ᐅ Which smart home system is best for our new build?

What I haven’t really found with a wireless smart home system so far is a weather station that measures rain, wind, temperature, and brightness.

Are there any other advantages to wired smart home (F@H)?

Advantages of F@H compared to wireless:
Wired with optional wireless extension (fewer or no wireless issues)
Includes a weather station

Disadvantages of F@H compared to wireless:
More expensive (I claim that with a wireless system, I can equip a 150m (490ft) house for under 10,000€ with wireless components)
Only one manufacturer (yes, you can switch to KNX if F@H gets discontinued, but that change is also very costly)
Limited range of components
Limited selection of compatible partners (with Matter, supposedly “if it works and eventually arrives,” everything will be compatible like with KNX)
Remote access requires a subscription

Can you think of any other pros or cons for F@H?

@Neubau2022 What else would be needed to have a smart home without just gimmicks?

F@H only has motion detectors, no presence detectors.
The only practical use case is probably hallways and staircases, right?

Pacc666 schrieb:


@Neubau2022 what else would be needed to have Smart Home and avoid gimmicks?

F@H only has motion sensors and no presence detectors.
The only reasonable application area is hallway and stairwell, right?

No idea. My electrician is a big BJ fan (not what you think :-P) = Busch-Jäger fan. But all those solutions would be very expensive. And I asked myself if I really need it. Then I simply listed exactly what I want and how to implement it most cost-effectively. The electrician, quite unexpectedly, also agreed that I could buy the parts myself. He installs them then. So I have already saved over 1,000 € (about $1,100). That’s why he made it onto my craftsmen list: “Gets a gift” 😎. Of course, fitting for a Polish person, there is a very good Polish vodka :-)

Don’t let anyone tell you what is “the best.” Following the motto “KNX is the only way” is not necessary. Look at what you want and what you can implement affordably. I will control everything via Alexa (yes, many will now complain). If Amazon wants to watch me naked in my apartment, let them :-)

Oh, one thing I forgot. Video doorbell. I will get the new one from Eufy and also integrate it into Alexa. So I have everything I need for well under 2,000 € (about $2,200).

Yes, I also find F@H very expensive at €10,000 (about $11,000).

I tried to find positive features that would speak in favor of F@H but found very few, except that it is wired.

I think we will probably go for a wireless smart home and possibly wait for the new Matter standard.

We will likely get Alexa as well (but there are no cameras inside).

Video doorbell: do you know the Doorbird? It's said to be very good and works without problems.

I’ve read a lot of negative feedback about the Eufy. Slow response times, latency.
If you want to get a Wi-Fi doorbell, you might want to consider the Ring instead, as it’s supposed to work reliably.

Pacc666 schrieb:

Yes, I also find F@H very expensive at €10,000 (around $10,800).

I tried to find positive features that would speak in favor of F@H, but actually found very little except that it is wired.

I think we will probably go with a wireless smart home system and maybe wait for the new Matter standard.

We also probably want to get Alexa (but no cameras inside).

Video doorbell: do you know Doorbird? It is supposed to be very good and work without any problems.

I’ve read a lot of bad reviews about Eufy: slow response time, latency.
If you want a Wi-Fi doorbell, maybe go for Ring instead, it’s supposed to work smoothly.

Ring is cloud-based (additional subscription costs), which I do not want. Since I also want outdoor camera surveillance from Eufy, it will be Eufy. I will report back when I am ready, but it will take a little while 😎

Pacc666 schrieb:

I think we will go for a wireless smart home system, maybe wait for the new Matter standard.

We will probably get Alexa as well (but no cameras inside).

Video doorbell: do you know the Doorbird? It is supposed to be very good and work without problems.

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about the eufy.
Slow response time, latency.
If you want a WiFi doorbell, maybe go with Ring instead; it is said to work reliably.

We had to give up on wired systems due to cost and feasibility, so I’m now setting up everything wireless myself. Choose a manufacturer-independent central hub (ioBroker, openHAB, HomeAssistant…), then it doesn’t matter if you wait for Matter or which systems you use. For example, I combine Alexa, eufy, Shelly, HomematicIP, Unifi, and Aqara and have full flexibility for various setups.

Doorbird feels very Apple-like to me: Looks good and works, but you’re basically paying for the design. So far, I haven’t found better functionality. I initially wanted to use the new Unifi Doorbell, but it’s out of stock for ages. I recently got the new eufy Doorbell and like it. A 5-second response time is acceptable for a video doorbell in my opinion. Definitely not Ring, since it requires an additional monthly fee, as already mentioned.

I handle roller shutter and lighting control the same way as Neubau2022, but I avoid using Alexa and also suggest the Metzler vdm10 as a video doorbell. However, it is PoE, meaning it is wired.

Personally, I don't need anything more.