As I mentioned in my introduction, we purchased a mid-terrace house built in 1975 and have renovated it so far.
Current setup:
- Internet via cable connection
- Vodafone cable router in bridge mode
- FritzBox 7590 as Wi-Fi router in the attic
- FritzRepeater 2400 in a mesh network on the ground floor
- IKEA smart home gateway connected to the repeater via LAN cable
- Lamps in the living room and hallway from IKEA Tradfri
Planned additions:
- Dining room lamp with Tradfri lights
I am quite satisfied with the IKEA lamps, but I still have several plans.
What I would like for the future:
Heating efficiency:
- In the next few years, a new gas condensing boiler will be due --> it should be smart enough to integrate into a smart home system (e.g., Junkers or Buderus)
- Smart thermostats on radiators in several rooms
- Wall thermostat in the living room (central position)
- The thermostats should communicate demand-based directly with the boiler
Security:
Outdoor cameras on the street side and facing the garden. I was thinking of something like the Bosch SmartHome Eyes or comparable products from Steinel or Netatmo.
Regarding the manufacturer or system, I’m still quite open. Zigbee support to integrate the IKEA lamps would be nice to have but is not a must.
It should be IP/Wi-Fi based only since we are already quite far along with the renovation.
What experiences have you had? Which overall system/ecosystem are you using? And where do cost, benefit, and quality best align?
Current setup:
- Internet via cable connection
- Vodafone cable router in bridge mode
- FritzBox 7590 as Wi-Fi router in the attic
- FritzRepeater 2400 in a mesh network on the ground floor
- IKEA smart home gateway connected to the repeater via LAN cable
- Lamps in the living room and hallway from IKEA Tradfri
Planned additions:
- Dining room lamp with Tradfri lights
I am quite satisfied with the IKEA lamps, but I still have several plans.
What I would like for the future:
Heating efficiency:
- In the next few years, a new gas condensing boiler will be due --> it should be smart enough to integrate into a smart home system (e.g., Junkers or Buderus)
- Smart thermostats on radiators in several rooms
- Wall thermostat in the living room (central position)
- The thermostats should communicate demand-based directly with the boiler
Security:
Outdoor cameras on the street side and facing the garden. I was thinking of something like the Bosch SmartHome Eyes or comparable products from Steinel or Netatmo.
Regarding the manufacturer or system, I’m still quite open. Zigbee support to integrate the IKEA lamps would be nice to have but is not a must.
It should be IP/Wi-Fi based only since we are already quite far along with the renovation.
What experiences have you had? Which overall system/ecosystem are you using? And where do cost, benefit, and quality best align?
B
borderpuschl12 Feb 2020 08:24I agree with Rick.
Please write down what you would actually like to have, because so far I haven’t seen anything that would qualify as smart. Lamps controlled in any way via smartphone, tablet, or Alexa are not really smart. The same goes for so-called smart heating controllers. That’s nonsense; there is nothing smart about them. Unfortunately, the term “smart” is not protected or clearly defined, so anyone can call their system smart if it can be controlled through an app on a smartphone.
If you want something truly smart, you need smart components that can recognize specific situations or conditions and then carry out corresponding actions.
Wireless communication can achieve something in this regard, but wired connections would of course be better.
Please write down what you would actually like to have, because so far I haven’t seen anything that would qualify as smart. Lamps controlled in any way via smartphone, tablet, or Alexa are not really smart. The same goes for so-called smart heating controllers. That’s nonsense; there is nothing smart about them. Unfortunately, the term “smart” is not protected or clearly defined, so anyone can call their system smart if it can be controlled through an app on a smartphone.
If you want something truly smart, you need smart components that can recognize specific situations or conditions and then carry out corresponding actions.
Wireless communication can achieve something in this regard, but wired connections would of course be better.
SidekickJohn schrieb:
So far, I have found the overall concept of Bosch SmartHome quite interesting. It allows direct integration of boilers from Junkers or Buderus.Yes, that is the simple option I mentioned earlier, and it’s not necessarily a wrong choice, but the possibilities are quite limited and basic. It’s essentially just everything nicely repackaged with colorful images and touchscreens.SidekickJohn schrieb:
That’s why I’m considering the Bosch outdoor camera. I would prefer to have just one app on my phone or tablet to control everything or access all systems. So my thought was which manufacturer offers the most in one package. Yes, that’s not necessarily wrong either, but the basic idea is mistaken. Committing to a single manufacturer is not effective.Usually, nobody who wants more functionality or true smart home features does that.
A simple real-life example: car manufacturers.
Apparently, cars come from one factory and everything “seems” from one brand. But if you look closer, Bosch, Hella, Michelin, and Delphi supply parts that somehow work together.
The same can be achieved in a house. However, this rarely works if you focus on just one manufacturer. You inevitably need to have multiple devices from different manufacturers working together. In other words, you need a common platform that enables communication. Only then can you cautiously talk about a “smart” home.
Also, there are general rules that certain systems should not be connected to others.
For example, video surveillance or alarm systems should be separate from the rest of the home electrical system and operate more or less independently—unless it is just meant for hobbyist purposes.
S
SidekickJohn12 Feb 2020 10:45@Mycraft Thanks, I realize that with my thoughts so far, I’ve only scratched the surface of what truly counts as "smart" and what is actually possible. It’s only now becoming clear to me that there’s more behind the topic than just a few functions controllable via an app.
Thanks also to the other contributors. It probably makes sense to first familiarize myself with the technologies and possibilities in detail before I can really say what I want. Only once I know “what is possible” can I decide what I would like to have.
Thanks also to the other contributors. It probably makes sense to first familiarize myself with the technologies and possibilities in detail before I can really say what I want. Only once I know “what is possible” can I decide what I would like to have.
Almost anything you can imagine is possible. These ideas aren’t actually new, even if they seem fresh now because even the local hardware store suddenly offers "smart home" products. Whatever that might actually mean *scratches head*
Building automation systems for the average consumer have been available since the 1980s.
Building automation systems for the average consumer have been available since the 1980s.