Almost all homes currently have an Home networks that connects our computers and other devies to the Internet.

However just like our phones, our home are becoming smart. To make them smart they are being fitted with:

• smart switches
• smart lights
• smart Locks
• etc

These once normal household devices are being made smart by connecting them together over the home network, and then to the Internet.

Because most Homes built today aren’t smart they will be made smart incrementally,by adding smart devices to solve present day problems

Perhaps you might need to install a security system, so you install a smart security system.

Later you want to integrate it with your lights so you install a smart lighting system.

However will these devices work on your existing network? Will you need addition networking equipment?

In order to do this you will need a basic understanding of home networking and common home networking devices, how they work, and what functions they provide.

About This Site

Personally I’m not into gadgets and so I will not be doing product reviews on smart home or networking products.

The aim of this site is to help you :

• Learn and understand Home Networking basics
• Understand how  home network and smart home devices connect to the network and how they work.
• Understand the technology and protocols found on a  home network.
• Solve common home networking and home automation network problems.

Getting Started

Whether you are taking the DIY approach or just wanting to get familiar with the technology and products you will need to understand how to setup a home network and how it works. – See Smart Home Networking

Recommended Reading

• Basic Home Networking Course
• Internal and External IP Addresses
• What is Dynamic DNS (DDNS)? -and Why Use It?
• Beginners guide to home Automation

Questions

If you have any questions please ask

Best Regards Steve

Network latency is the term used to describe network lag. It is the time taken for a packet to be sent and received over a network and decoded by the receiver.

It can be one way or two way depending on whether a response is required.

As an example if you tell Alexa to turn on the lights the latency or delay is the time taken for you issuing the command to the lights turning on. (more…)

Smart Home devices from different manufacturers will have different control Apps to manage them.

Fortunately most provide integration with Google Home so that you can manage them Using either the Google Home App or by voice commands using Google Assistant. (more…)

Due to security concerns it is very common practise to locate smart home devices on a separate network than your home computers ,TVs etc.

In addition due to large number of smart home devices you may run out of IP addresses when using the default class C address of 192.168.1.x (more…)

Switches and routers are the two most common devices on a home/small office network.

In fact a very simple small home network consists of a single device called a home router which functions as a router,switch,access point and modem all in one. This is depicted in the diagram below: (more…)

Sonoff and Shelly are probably the two most popular 240V wireless switches on the market.

So if you are just starting with home automation then which do you choose? (more…)