Today, most devices are connected to the internet and most of them require internet access to work or operate. Whilst the same goes for smart home devices, you’d never have thought that we could operate or control these devices without being connected to the internet. There is a solution to control said devices without the internet, being provided by a few companies.
As can be seen, smart devices are much more delicate than their analog counterparts, and need to be handled with care, and that’s the reason people are opting for smart homes that can be used in the absence of internet.
Either with or without the internet, devices should run perfectly in all conditions. Advances in technology led to smart devices that connect to the internet or any network.
How can Smart Homes work without the Internet?
Firstly, we need to know about the various technologies that can work without internet, how to set them up, and how to integrate them with our controller.
Technologies that can work without the Internet
To make our home smart and to access smart home devices without the internet, there are a few prerequisites. Find a central network hub and gateway that can give support to the wireless protocol. Few technologies can work without internet access and related issues. These technologies create their own network, and when connected to the network, these devices can be controlled via your smart phone too.
Z-Wave and ZigBee provide control access to controllers such as Aura, and let these devices be controlled by the user. These technologies provide a wide range of control options that can be used to connect smart home appliances to the controlling device and app. To control these appliances via our smart phones, users need to connect to the same network as the smart devices.
There are few companies that focus on and provide smart home controllers or hubs, that includes Aura Smart, Control4, Elan, RTI, Fibaro, etc. These companies provide their controllers to connect all your smart devices, and then control them via their applications (with or without internet).
Z-Wave
Z-Wave is a wireless technology that can operate as an independent wireless network for compatible smart devices. Unlike Wi-Fi and ZigBee wireless networks, Z-Wave works on the 918/600 MHz band while regular Wi-Fi uses 2.4GHz to 5GHz, whereas ZigBee uses 2.4GHz.
Therefore, the possibility of signal interference is greatly reduced. The range of Z-Wave is also better than Zigbee. The former can reach distances of over 100 feet, while the latter only works at distances of 30-60 feet.
Wireless technologies have previously faced standardization issues, which is why Z-Wave compatible devices have to adhere to necessary Z-Wave standards being maintained by the Z-Wave alliance.
Here, Z-Wave is more attractive by reducing compatibility issues within Z-Wave compatible brands and devices. On the other hand, ZigBee is a wireless technology stack that has always been prone to high levels of customization by various brands creating compatibility issues in the long run.
ZigBee
ZigBee has been fairly popular in the smart home space. ZigBee creates a mesh network that allows us to connect devices in one network to other devices in the same network.
The operating frequency used for ZigBee is 2.4GHz which is also used by Wi-Fi. In fact, new generation antennas within modern access points that are used to extend wireless range, support ZigBee and Wi-Fi simultaneously.
The maximum distance allowed between ZigBee connected devices cannot be more than 60 feet, because of the mesh network created by the ZigBee.
KNX and other Wired Protocols
Being an open protocol, KNX has been in the wired automation market for a long time for smart home devices. KNX is a wired network protocol, and allows us to connect all of our devices to a wired network controller.
It is based on a decentralized network, where devices are independent of each other, and the system is not operated by a central command unit. This means that every unit that is hooked up with KNX is smart. When a device fails, others can continue to operate independently without any issues.
Conclusion
Smart homes need not be reliant on the internet to be operational. Users should always remain in control of their smart homes and their privacy.
With the plug-n-play and convenient Aura in place, you can manage all your devices that are smart enough to be controlled using a single interface, regardless of device, technology, or brand.
Visit Aura to know more.