Hello
Are there good retrofit smart home systems available?
We bought a semi-detached house as a new build from a developer.
The electrician declined to work with KNX and said he is not familiar with it and won’t do it.
My question is: Are there good retrofit options for smart home systems that don’t require opening up the walls (that is not an option)?
Which systems would you recommend?
Functions:
Light control
Window sensors (preferably invisible)
Shutter control
Music control
Video doorbell
It should definitely be possible to create scenes and rules.
I’m also open to other suggestions for useful functions I may not have thought of yet.
Are there good retrofit smart home systems available?
We bought a semi-detached house as a new build from a developer.
The electrician declined to work with KNX and said he is not familiar with it and won’t do it.
My question is: Are there good retrofit options for smart home systems that don’t require opening up the walls (that is not an option)?
Which systems would you recommend?
Functions:
Light control
Window sensors (preferably invisible)
Shutter control
Music control
Video doorbell
It should definitely be possible to create scenes and rules.
I’m also open to other suggestions for useful functions I may not have thought of yet.
Patricck schrieb:
No price advantage, but definitely added value... mainly because the possibilities are much greater than with KNX and much easier to implement.
Otherwise, KNX also requires a server, and if that fails, it’s game over.
You’ve never really worked with Loxone, have you? Why would I need a server for KNX?
This is a genuine question. Our KNX installation runs completely without a server.
We do have a server, but it’s only used for Active Directory, file storage, and network monitoring.
Patricck schrieb:
Definitely added value..I’ll pass that back to you...You probably have never worked with KNX. Compared to that, Loxone offers absolutely no added value... none at all.Patricck schrieb:
simply because the possibilities are far greater than with KNXUm, no. Not really.Patricck schrieb:
and much easier to implement.Well, yes and no, if you don’t know how to handle ETS. Then of course, everything seems complicated and only solutions with colorful graphics are cool…But even then, the answer is no... the “clicky-bunti” style, as already mentioned here, is not necessary… parameterizing works very well without it. The final visualization can then be done with a colorful interface on any platform you like. Natively in KNX if desired, or with any other hardware and software. Then you don’t even need ETS anymore if you don’t want to.
Patricck schrieb:
Because otherwise with KNX you also need a server, and if that goes down it’s game over.That is actually the biggest advantage over Loxone. Thankfully, a server is not necessary in a properly functioning KNX system. With smart component selection, you can do far more than with Loxone—and all that without a server. But I know, for smart selection and parameterizing you need knowledge that many don’t have, probably because they took a wrong turn somewhere.Patricck schrieb:
You’ve never really worked with Loxone, have you?Yes, definitely. But it offers no added value. No price advantage. Proprietary system. And a few other annoyances. Like the already mentioned issues with the server. Also, the system can be quite easily disabled. Sorry… Loxone is for people who don’t value certain things much. Sure, it’s quick to set up. But whether you want to sacrifice a lot else just for fast installation… well.A
AllThumbs2 Aug 2021 21:53Isn’t it even possible to use the Loxone Miniserver as the logic engine and for visualization in a standard KNX installation? I mean, for functions beyond the basic ones, where I wouldn’t be left in the dark if the Miniserver fails?
I have this in mind because, while I was impressed by Loxone’s intuitiveness, I decided against it due to the limitations in components and the single point of failure. However, I’ll need to look into this again once the basics are set up, even though right now I’m leaning more towards iobroker or openHAB for these tasks.
I have this in mind because, while I was impressed by Loxone’s intuitiveness, I decided against it due to the limitations in components and the single point of failure. However, I’ll need to look into this again once the basics are set up, even though right now I’m leaning more towards iobroker or openHAB for these tasks.
Yes, that is possible, but you can also use any other suitable logic engine (with or without KNX integration). It doesn’t necessarily have to be Loxone. Other options can also be configured via touch input on a tablet or phone and might be more cost-effective and reliable than the mentioned logic server.
For the end customer, you need a programmer for every little thing.
No programmer can implement the customer’s wishes perfectly on the first try.
KNX makes sense if someone can do it themselves or in commercial projects where changes are rare. But as soon as I need a programmer for every small change, it gets expensive.
If you look at who works with Loxone and provides the appropriate APIs, almost anything can be realized.
Why should I use other manufacturers if I can implement it this way?
And as soon as I want to visualize something via web or app, I need a server, which brings me back to the price of Loxone, which already includes it on board.
Regarding Miniserver failures... apart from the SD card, this rarely happens nowadays.
A Loxone partner should usually have a Miniserver in stock and, with the right backup, it’s a matter of 30 minutes to fix.
If the customer wants to do the programming themselves... well, that’s not my problem. Just restore the backup and it works again.
No programmer can implement the customer’s wishes perfectly on the first try.
KNX makes sense if someone can do it themselves or in commercial projects where changes are rare. But as soon as I need a programmer for every small change, it gets expensive.
If you look at who works with Loxone and provides the appropriate APIs, almost anything can be realized.
Why should I use other manufacturers if I can implement it this way?
And as soon as I want to visualize something via web or app, I need a server, which brings me back to the price of Loxone, which already includes it on board.
Regarding Miniserver failures... apart from the SD card, this rarely happens nowadays.
A Loxone partner should usually have a Miniserver in stock and, with the right backup, it’s a matter of 30 minutes to fix.
If the customer wants to do the programming themselves... well, that’s not my problem. Just restore the backup and it works again.
Patricck schrieb:
For the end customer, you need a programmer for every little thing.
No programmer can implement the customer's wishes perfectly the first time. How current is your information? It’s already 2021. Nowadays, the end customer can do a lot themselves. You just have to give them the possibilities. If you don’t allow that, or don’t know how to, then yes... you’ll need someone to guide them for almost every small thing.
Patricck schrieb:
But as soon as I need a programmer for every small change, it gets expensive. Thankfully, those times are long gone.
Patricck schrieb:
If you look at who works with Loxone and provides the corresponding API, you can realize just about anything. Here, too, I don’t see any advantage.
Patricck schrieb:
Why should I use other manufacturers if I can implement it this way? For example, for budget reasons.
Patricck schrieb:
And as soon as I want to visualize something via the web or an app, I need a server and I’m back at the price of Loxone, which already includes that on board. But even here there is no price advantage with Loxone, so why? Why settle for second place when you can get first place for exactly the same price???