What’s it like to reside in a smart home? As enthusiasts of smart home technology, we can confidently say it’s pretty fantastic. Our living room and patio lights automatically activate at sunset and switch off at sunrise, our coffee maker begins brewing just before we wake up, our home security system arms itself when we leave and disarms when we’re nearing home, and our front door locks itself each night.
Home automation is a relatively recent technology, and for those who haven’t been using it as long as we have, it can initially seem overwhelming. However, we assure you that automating your home is less daunting than it appears, especially with our guidance.
What Exactly Is Home Automation?
Let’s begin with the fundamentals – what exactly is home automation?
Home automation is a technology that enables users to establish and activate automatic functions for home devices. This can be accomplished through schedules, rules, or scenes. For instance, with scheduled automations, you can set lights to turn on at a particular time. By using rules, you can make your devices react to specific actions or situations (e.g., turning on lights when a door is opened). With scenes, you can group together various home devices so that they perform a particular action whenever you activate the scene. This means you can manage several devices with just a single touch.
Home automation enhances convenience in life and can even help reduce expenses on heating, cooling, and electricity bills. It can also enhance safety with Internet of Things devices such as security cameras and systems. But wait; what is the Internet of Things?
Internet of Things vs. Home Automation
From a broader viewpoint, an Internet of Things (IoT) device refers to any device that connects to the internet, enabling it to communicate with other devices. Typically, this includes your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. However, in smart homes, IoT devices can take many different forms. For instance, your smart TV is an IoT device. So are your smart bulbs, smart locks, smart thermostats, and so forth. In essence, any device that connects to the internet and communicates with other devices qualifies as an IoT device.
Conversely, home automation is the process of programming a home device. Even a traditional programmable thermostat qualifies as a home automation device because you can set automation schedules. Anything that can be programmed is considered a home automation device.
There is significant overlap between home automation and IoT devices. Most home automation devices also fall under the category of IoT devices, but that doesn’t imply all of them do. For example, some Bluetooth smart locks connect to your smartphone and can be controlled via an app – similar to IoT smart locks – but since they lack internet connectivity, they do not count as home automation devices.
How Does Home Automation Function?
Home automation operates by linking a network of devices so they can communicate and manage your home independently. Typically, there will be a central device coordinating everything. This can be a smart speaker or display housing Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. It may also be your smartphone equipped with the appropriate controller app.
Almost all home automation systems nowadays need an internet connection, but that doesn’t mean non-internet-connected home automation devices are excluded. To incorporate them into an internet-connected home automation system, a hub is necessary. They utilize different communication protocols to connect to a hub – whether it’s Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, X10, or Matter – and the hub then connects their communication to the internet.
Components of a Home Automation System
While certain home automation systems require hubs, some mobile applications can connect directly to a router, which then connects to an IoT device. Naturally, it’s preferable to avoid a hub since it adds an extra expense on top of the cost of the IoT device itself.
Remote Control
The defining feature of home automation is remote control, which is executed via either a mobile application or a voice assistant.
- Mobile Application: The mobile application enables users to manage their devices in real-time, whether it’s deactivating outdoor lights or opening the smart garage door for a neighbor. The app is also where users can establish schedules, create scenes, group IoT devices, and personalize device settings, such as adjusting your living room lights to the ideal shade of blue. Most of the IoT devices we’ve assessed have apps compatible with both Android and iOS devices, making them accessible to most mobile phones and tablets.
- Voice Assistants: If home automation is the sundae, then think of voice assistants as the icing on top. With voice assistants, you can command devices using your voice, whether it’s disarming a security system as you enter through the front door, displaying your video doorbell’s footage on your Echo Show device, or setting a timer on a smart speaker while your hands are occupied with cooking tools. The majority of IoT devices are compatible with one of three voice assistants: Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.
Cloud Computing with Home Automation
Instead of relying on a dedicated IP address or a high-end computer for home automation systems, many are now built on cloud technology, which is generally more cost-effective and user-friendly. For instance, Nest cameras lack micro-SD card slots, which would facilitate local footage storage; instead, all recorded video is automatically uploaded to a cloud server, accessible only through a Nest Aware subscription. Overall, cloud computing enjoys immense popularity on the Internet, and IoT devices are no exception to this trend.
Control Protocols
The means by which IoT devices connect to the Internet and each other is determined by their control protocol; if IoT devices were people, the protocol would be their shared languages. Similar to human communication, various languages, or protocols, exist that devices can utilize, including:
- WiFi: WiFi is by far the most prevalent control protocol; this means your IoT device will leverage the standard Internet service provided by your Internet Service Provider. While this option does not require an additional hub, it can potentially slow down your web browsing speed, particularly if you have numerous IoT devices connected at the same time.
- Z-Wave: If you’d rather avoid affecting your home’s WiFi, Z-Wave is a wireless technology that operates without interfering with it, using low power at 908.42 MHz in the U.S and Canada.
- ZigBee: Much like Z-Wave, ZigBee provides a mesh network and a universal language that facilitates communication among IoT devices.
Thread: Thread is another low-power protocol for wireless mesh networking based on an open standard IP address, allowing IoT devices to connect with one another and the cloud. - Bluetooth: Lastly, Bluetooth is another mesh technology that enables users to control and oversee IoT devices and automate processes. For most users, WiFi-connected devices should suffice, but if you’re looking to create a more sophisticated smart home, you might consider switching to a mesh network like Z-Wave or ZigBee.
Pros and Cons of Home Automation
As with any aspect of life, home automation presents its own advantages and disadvantages. Overall, we believe it’s worth considering, though it may not suit everyone’s personal preferences.
Pros
- Remote access: The ability to manage your devices from afar means you can unlock the door for a house sitter without needing to hide a key under the mat.
- Comfort: Have you ever found yourself cozy in bed only to remember that you’ve left the bathroom light on? With smart bulbs, you can turn them off from your warm bed without needing to get out of those luxurious sheets.
- Energy efficiency: How often have you left the heat running while you’re away from home for hours? Home automation allows you to set thermostats on schedules, ensuring you’re not wasting energy. Studies have shown that Nest thermostats, for instance, can lead to savings of about 12 percent on heating and cooling expenses; this means that over time, these smart thermostats may actually cover their own cost through savings.
- Convenience: The capability to control devices remotely or by using voice commands, schedule them, or sync them with sunrise and sunset adds a significant level of convenience. Imagine waking up to fresh toast made automatically without having to press any buttons!
- Safety: Finally, numerous smart security devices can enhance your home’s safety, including sensors for doors and windows, security cameras that detect movement, and video doorbells that enable you to greet visitors from any internet-enabled location.
Cons
- Costs: IoT devices tend to be pricier than their non-WiFi counterparts. For example, the average smart bulb is around $32, while a traditional light bulb costs about $5. Of course, one must take into account added features like remote control, dimming capabilities, 16 million color options, and voice integrations, but in general, home automation can be expensive, depending on your shopping choices.
- Security issues: Unfortunately, it’s a harsh reality that anything involving the Internet, whether it’s shopping online or monitoring a motion alert from a smart security camera, can be vulnerable to hacking, and IoT devices are no exception. There have been numerous cases of security breaches with major technology firms that produce IoT devices; for example, Ring’s cameras were notably compromised, which allowed unauthorized access to live feeds. While non-internet-connected devices do not have this risk, if you choose IoT devices, you need to adhere to recommended digital security practices, which will be covered later.
- New technology: Since IoT is still a relatively recent advancement, you may encounter some issues like devices struggling to connect to the Internet or experiencing delays, depending on the specific model.
- Surveillance: If privacy is a pressing concern for you, smart security systems may not be ideal, as they allow users to livestream camera feeds through their respective apps. In this case, opting for a local alarm system might be a better choice; for instance, SimpliSafe offers a version that doesn’t require a monthly subscription plan.
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