Tell me what smart home gadgets you have?

DCFC79

Brian_Pamo said:

onomatopoeia99 said:

While I've installed ethernet points to every room in the house except the bathroom, all wired back to a data cabinet in the boiler cupboard, I don't really consider those "smart home" things, more like avoiding the terrible bodge that are powerline adapters and getting a stable and secure network.  If you're doing a complete renovation I'd say put ethernet cabling in everywhere, unless you buy into the "powerful wifi" guff that some ISPs peddle.

Hi. Thanks for advice. Just curious to how this works...
Question 1: So, Imagine my broadband comes in at the front of my house under the lounge window. What do I do...take an Ethernet cable to a hub/switch hidden away and then distribute an Ethernet cable from there to every room? 
Question 2: Supposing I do route an Ethernet cable to every room (and it terminates at an Ethernet socket on the wall) do I then plug a mini router or such into that socket to supply that room with wifi? Otherwise how can we use our iPhones whilst lay in bed?
thanks 

Yes I believe thats how its done.

Re 2 See if the wifi would reach the bedroom/s by using the supplied gear from your ISP, if it doesnt work then look into something like a Mesh network setup.

fenwick458

fitted 2 x Eufy video doorbells front & back last week, £125 each in black Friday sale, plus I sold a spare Homebase 2 for £50 so all it they cost me £100 each, bargain.
was so impressed with the eufy stuff I bought a pan  & tilt camera from them for £35 in the sale, I have put that in my garage. I'm also amazed by that
Got an Echo dot a few months ago which I just used to use for listening to the radio, it's handy to be able to turn on off and change the volume by shouting at it, and setting the odd timer/reminder when cooking
impulse bought an echo show in the black friday sale just so I can now say "alexa show me the front/back door" with my new doorbells/camera
also got a smartplug with the echo show at a discounted price , which I can set to auto refill my coffee machine with filtered water
had a firestick for ages, only just realised you can talk to it too and everythings connected....

what a time to be alive

J_B

Brian_Pamo said:

onomatopoeia99 said:

While I've installed ethernet points to every room in the house except the bathroom, all wired back to a data cabinet in the boiler cupboard, I don't really consider those "smart home" things, more like avoiding the terrible bodge that are powerline adapters and getting a stable and secure network.  If you're doing a complete renovation I'd say put ethernet cabling in everywhere, unless you buy into the "powerful wifi" guff that some ISPs peddle.

Hi. Thanks for advice. Just curious to how this works...
Question 1: So, Imagine my broadband comes in at the front of my house under the lounge window. What do I do...take an Ethernet cable to a hub/switch hidden away and then distribute an Ethernet cable from there to every room? 
Question 2: Supposing I do route an Ethernet cable to every room (and it terminates at an Ethernet socket on the wall) do I then plug a mini router or such into that socket to supply that room with wifi? Otherwise how can we use our iPhones whilst lay in bed?
thanks 

There are other things apart from WiFi - as I said originally, hard wired internet always gives a better/more stable connection e.g. smart TV. TV aerial? Sky dish? Telephone? Alarm? Heating controls? Sound/speakers?

stueyhants

CAT 6A in every room so should be future proof for a long time. Honeywell evohome heating system to control 6 i floor zones and two radiator rooms. Expensive but it does work really well.

lifx smart bulbs for colour effects on walls, work really well through the the bespoke app.

fibaro lighting modules with standard light switches. Works ok but I didn’t buy their hub so it’s not quite as good as it’s through a Samsung SmartThings hub.

the key issue I found is there wasn’t a single brand or system that did it all for me despite what all their marketing says.

getmore4less

Brian_Pamo said:

onomatopoeia99 said:

While I've installed ethernet points to every room in the house except the bathroom, all wired back to a data cabinet in the boiler cupboard, I don't really consider those "smart home" things, more like avoiding the terrible bodge that are powerline adapters and getting a stable and secure network.  If you're doing a complete renovation I'd say put ethernet cabling in everywhere, unless you buy into the "powerful wifi" guff that some ISPs peddle.

Hi. Thanks for advice. Just curious to how this works...
Question 1: So, Imagine my broadband comes in at the front of my house under the lounge window. What do I do...take an Ethernet cable to a hub/switch hidden away and then distribute an Ethernet cable from there to every room? 
Question 2: Supposing I do route an Ethernet cable to every room (and it terminates at an Ethernet socket on the wall) do I then plug a mini router or such into that socket to supply that room with wifi? Otherwise how can we use our iPhones whilst lay in bed?
thanks 

In some locations like the broadband point of entry (if it can't be moved) you may want multiple cable runs to a distribution point where you can locate the router and have a run back to the same room. 

You only need switches at end points if you want multiple devices in that location. 

WiFi you can use a central access point or multiple if signal loss in parts of the property. 

fred246

Be interested to know how you connect a light bulb to ethernet. Do you run the cable along the floor then vertically upwards to the bulb or run it up the wall, along the ceiling and down to the bulb.

Quorden

fred246 said:

Be interested to know how you connect a light bulb to ethernet. Do you run the cable along the floor then vertically upwards to the bulb or run it up the wall, along the ceiling and down to the bulb.

 could do that but in fairness but most people installing PoE light systems tend to hide the cable in the ceiling, though I do like the idea of lots of ethernet cables dangling like spaghetti throughout the house, most entertaining if you had pets.  (nb - 99.9999% certain you were joking).

RumRat

While I agree to a certain extent with wiring up the house, if you are doing an electrical rewire anyway the extra cost is minimal, but running a smart home is mainly done via WiFi.
The only thing wired in my house is the router/PC. Lights, speakers, plugs, thermostat, Security cameras and Assistants (Google and Alexa) are all connected via Wifi. As are, tablets phones and laptops.

getmore4less

fred246 said:

Be interested to know how you connect a light bulb to ethernet. Do you run the cable along the floor then vertically upwards to the bulb or run it up the wall, along the ceiling and down to the bulb.

There are ethernet connected light switches but that would only provide on off, 
Fully functional lamps(bulbs) not seen any, have seen complete units(which we could call a lamp)

As said there are the PoE options available.
Cables would be run in the walls ceilings

An office I worked in had a solid floor(ex factory) so they cabled in the ceiling and used drop cables to provide power and ethernet to the desk locations,

Having had our wifi bulbs in the hall for just a few days  what is missing is motion detection.
The upstairs landing one which is just motion is much more convenient in the transient location. 

J_B

RumRat said:

The only thing wired in my house is the router/PC. Lights, speakers, plugs, thermostat, Security cameras and Assistants (Google and Alexa) are all connected via Wifi. As are, tablets phones and laptops.

Television???