“Should I go with a wireless or a wired home technology system?”. This is a decision all people must make when choosing a solution for their home. The choice about which solution to use in the end depends on the user’s preferences. Most users,however, tend to benefit more from a wireless home solution. This is especially true now that wireless is becoming much cheaper and the standard norm for every product.
Think of the landline phones for a minute. When was the last time you saw one? And if you own one, you’re in the minority because now 47% of households in the United States only have cell-phones.
Here’s a snippet of what you will be learning about in this post
- Wireless solutions are not safe! Or are they?;
- The Wireless Revolution and why it’s time to join;
- More access to systems, at a cheaper cost;
WIRELESS SOLUTIONS ARE NOT SAFE! OR ARE THEY?
We will go ahead and address the bad rabbit. It is normal for people to fear the potential threats of a wireless home technology system. But, this depends on the solutions provided. There are many wireless protocols that still aren’t quite ready for hacker attacks. On the other side of the coin, there are wireless protocols that are as safe as wired solutions, such as ZigBee and Z-wave. “In 2016, the Z-Wave Alliance reinforced their security policy and introduced NFC-like pairing standards for Home Automation solutions. Unless a hacker is hiding somewhere in your living room, there’s no chance your gadget gets compromised.” And if the hacker is hiding somewhere in the home…You might have a bigger issue than a compromised system!
The Z-wave protocol is currently the most used protocol in the home automation market. Mark Walters, chairman of the Z-wave Alliance said “…greater than 80 percent of the North American security company-based lifestyle solutions are powered by Z-Wave.” If home security giants such as ADT are trusting the Z-wave wireless protocol, why shouldn’t you?
THE WIRELESS REVOLUTION AND WHY ITS TIME TO JOIN
You might read the words “wireless” and think “Oh! That’s old news!”. Is it old news? We hope this article written in 2004 by the economist can give you some hindsight about how WIFI was perceived at the time. It was only 13 years ago that the massive WIFI boom started. You might be wondering now, what does this have to do with home automation today? Short answer? Look around. Tv’s are wireless now, the new iPhones can CHARGE themselves wirelessly. Cables are disappearing.
For disruptive companies that internalize and accept radical movements this is HUGE. Wireless home technology solutions open the market for completely diverse audiences. If you own -or owned- a small apartment, could you justify spending thousands of dollars for a wired solution? Wireless solutions give you the access to automate your own home, regardless of its size.
Another point to think about is the convenience factor. While wireless may have a longer process at the beginning, afterwards it’s a matter of plug-n-play. “…The big problem with wired is that it is totally inflexible once it is installed. If you place a wired PIR (passive infrared) motion detector in one corner and then want to change it to another side of the room, you face having to totally rewire the space to accommodate it”. Ouch, that sounds painful.
MORE ACCESS TO SYSTEMS, AT A CHEAPER COST
You were most likely looking forward to this part. You guessed it. More wireless solutions mean easier access for everyone AND much cheaper products. We as a company have lived and witnessed the dramatic changes in price throughout the years. Wired home technology has the disadvantage that it has a much higher entry barrier. This means that the community is much smaller and community is vital for the success of any industry.
Wireless also gives access to a diverse set of people to tinker with it. Another great part of wireless protocols such as Z-wave, is the interoperability of the devices. This decentralizes the industry and allows YOU to make a choice about what smart products you want for your home.
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