Wireless smart home systems: the smart choice for the modern home
Not so long ago, a smart home was the stuff of science fiction. Then it became reality, but only for the wealthy, because these systems were so expensive. Today, thanks in no small part to wireless smart homes, these systems are within reach of every family in Israel.
If you want a smart home too and aren’t sure whether to install a wired or a wireless system, here’s an overview of wireless smart home systems, their advantages and a few more things to keep in mind.
Why install a smart home system at all?
More and more people are choosing to install a smart home system that gives them a high level of control over the electrical appliances in their home, with the ability to run them on a schedule or remotely using an app or a remote control. You can control things from anywhere in the house or away from it, for example turning lights on and off, controlling the air conditioning, opening and closing shutters, managing the alarm system, turning on an electric water heater, running the sound system and more.
This control also helps you save electricity, because you can set in advance when different appliances run, so they don’t stay on for no reason. Smart home systems today are offered at prices to suit every budget, with either a wired or a wireless infrastructure.
Why choose a wireless system over a wired one?
In the contest between wired and wireless systems, demand for wireless has been growing fast lately for a few main reasons. First, in most cases a wireless smart home costs significantly less than a wired installation. That’s because you save on installing a complex electrical system and laying wired infrastructure, which means breaking into and rebuilding walls. In fact, that kind of installation is usually done only when building or renovating a home.
A wired smart home installation typically costs tens of thousands of shekels in total. A wireless system, on the other hand, is much cheaper to install, since it runs over Wi-Fi or radio and doesn’t require major changes to the home’s electrical infrastructure. The main change when installing a wireless smart home is fitting wireless devices behind the regular switches, and sometimes adding a neutral (“0”) wire.
A wireless system also avoids laying a wired network and running more cables around the house, which makes it more convenient and looks neater. And just like a wired system, you can connect any electrical appliance to a wireless smart home system, whether it’s electric shutters, an intercom, a water heater, air conditioning, light fixtures and so on. On top of that, wireless smart home systems offer a high level of quality and reliability, which makes them well worth investing in and installing at home.
Common wireless communication protocols
- Wi-Fi: the most common protocol, which connects smart devices directly to your existing home network. Its main advantage is that it needs no extra equipment; its drawbacks are relatively high power consumption and the load it puts on the home network.
- Zigbee: a protocol designed for smart homes that creates its own separate wireless network (a mesh network). It’s especially suited to connecting many low-power devices, and requires a central hub.
- Z-Wave: like Zigbee, it creates a mesh network with similar advantages, but it runs on a different frequency that gives longer range and better penetration through walls.
- Bluetooth: suitable for devices within a relatively short range, with low energy use, but usually limited in range and in the number of devices you can connect.
- Matter: a relatively new protocol that makes devices from different brands compatible with each other, and promises to become the future standard for smart homes.
Choosing the right protocol for your wireless smart home depends on the size of your home, the number of devices, the type of walls and power consumption. In many cases, the best system combines several different protocols.
Key advantages of a wireless smart home system
- Quick, easy installation: no complicated construction work or rewiring of the house.
- Flexible and expandable: you can add new devices easily at any time, with no need for a professional.
- Relatively low cost: a wireless smart home costs significantly less than a wired system, and you can start with a small investment and expand gradually.
- Portable: many devices are easy to move from place to place, or even from home to home when you move.
- Works with existing systems: modern wireless systems integrate easily with products you already have, which makes the switch to a smart home easier.
A modern wireless smart home system also includes advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence that learns your habits, automation that lets you create complex scenes, and presence detection that runs devices automatically based on where you are.
More features of wireless smart home systems
Beyond the features already covered, wireless smart homes have a few other characteristics. First, the system is based on either a home server or a cloud server, and the type you choose has a big impact on its quality and reliability, and on how easily you can upgrade and change it later. You’ll also find wireless smart home systems with different kinds of devices, such as light switches that connect directly to the Wi-Fi router, or systems with a controller that has a local protocol adapter. Control of the smart home goes through the server, usually via a smart display, voice control or a phone app.
Tips for planning and choosing a wireless smart home system
Before installing a wireless smart home system, there are several things worth thinking about, planning and defining in advance:
- Start by defining what you need the wireless system for and which functions it has to perform. This will help you choose the right smart home products.
- A wireless smart home needs stable, strong Wi-Fi, so if your network is slow and unreliable, it’s worth upgrading your modem or router. We recommend a mesh network.
- Read the installation instructions for every product in the system carefully, and install each device step by step according to them.
- It’s worth investing in a reliable wireless network with several access points that can give good coverage to every device connected to it.
- Since every device connected to the internet is exposed to cyber threats, the wireless smart home systems on the market also include security features, including encryption protocols. If security matters to you, check these details when choosing smart home products.
- It’s also worth checking whether a wireless smart home system has ways to cope with internet outages, for example built-in redundancy and the ability to keep working without internet.
- From time to time, check for updates to the wireless system that improve its performance and security.
- When planning a wireless smart home system, it’s important to set a budget in advance for buying the products and for installation.
A wireless smart home system is a big step toward a more modern, efficient and comfortable home. With advanced technology and falling prices, a wireless smart home is more affordable than ever. Choosing the right smart home products, careful planning and professional installation will let you enjoy everything the world of wireless smart homes has to offer.
To order high-quality, advanced products for a wireless smart home system directly from OZZI’s online store click here.