Smart Home Automation Hubs

Smart Home Automation Hubs

Smart Home Hubs act as the conductor for your home's smart home orchestra of devices.   Smart hubs enable more than just simple scheduling.  They provide more advanced integration between devices, triggers based on changing device states or weather conditions, remote smart phone control, integration with voice assistants and user notifications. Some home automation hubs can tie in other system like security alarms, cameras or audio/video equipment.  Today's smart home automation hubs are cost effective and powerful with support for technologies including ZWave, Zigbee and IP or WiFi.

SMART HOME HUB vs CLOUD

Yes it's possible to have a smart home without a smart home hub. For example, WiFi devices typically have their own cloud service and smart phone applications. These can be set up and controlled without a smart hub. It's even possible to set up schedules with some WiFi devices.  So why would anyone want to use a smart hub if home automation can be achieved without one?

Technology - Protocols like ZWave and Zigbee require a smart hub to set up and program devices.

Local Control - smart hubs can have some or all of the device information and programming saved locally so local control, timed events and triggers based on changing conditions or device states, will work even if the Internet or cloud connection goes down.  Technologies like ZWave and Zigbee use local mesh networks so the hub has direct communication with devices.

Privacy - Local programming lets the own keep control of their data rather than sending it all up to the "big data" cloud.

Expansion & Integration - A smart home hub is needed to support popular technologies like ZWave or Zigbee. The hub is used to set up devices from multiple technologies and multiple vendors.  Hubs often have support for some type of "plug-in" architecture or "device handlers" to allow the hub to grow beyond basic devices.

Buy your Smart Home Hub online at Aartech Canada - experts in home automation since 2002 with local Canadian service, support and warranty assistance.

If you need help selecting a hub, please contact us and let us know what you're trying to accomplish so we can provide selection assistance and advice.