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Your Ultimate Guide to Understand Which Communication Protocol You Should Use for Your Smart Home Automation System The top three wireless smart home technologies are WiFi, Zigbee, and Z-wave. They are very different from each other in numerous aspects. There are several methods to use these technologies to establish a smart home automation system. Some might choose to build an entire system on one of these technologies, or you can also link them together through multi-tech hubs. The importance of WiFi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave cannot be understated because they play a critical role in connecting the modern systems that we love to use and enjoy. Rapid technological and networking advancements allow more and more devices and systems to be connected with each other to provide a wholesome experience to the home owners. A vast majority of people are familiar with WiFi. Zigbee and Z-Wave are also important wireless protocols as they are the two leading alternatives to WiFi. What are the differences between WiFi and Zigbee? In this article, you will learn about everything that you need to know about WiFi, Zigbee, and Z-Wave, including the differences between these three leading wireless protocols. So let’s start by discussing each of these technologies one of by one: What is WiFi? WiFi utilizes radio frequencies to offer efficient network connectivity. It operates on a 2.4 GHz network communication standard. A router is necessary to use the Wi-Fi can establish a local network for smart home devices. Every device on the local area connection can easily communicate with each other because they are connected to the same network. Contrary to Zigbee vs Z-Wave, WiFi is not a mesh network technology. Hence, smart devices do not repeat signals, and every device must be under the direct range of the router. Furthermore, WiFi is very battery-consuming technology. Small battery-operated devices have much lower battery life than Zigbee or Z-Wave devices. What is ZigBee? Zigbee Alliance developed the Zigbee technology in 2003. It was standardized in 2004. It is similar to Z-Wave due to the fact that it is considered to be a low-power mesh network technology. The majority of the Zigbee-based devices operate on a much higher band than 2.4 GHz. Zigbee technology overcomes a lot of hub and product range issues by using the line of sight range that is usually specified. Both Zigbee vs Z-Wave target similar applications and want to lead the wireless smart home automation industry. What is Z-Wave? Zensys developed the Z-Wave wireless protocol in 1999. It started becoming popular in the early 2000s, particularly in North America. The initial purpose of Z-Wave was to help large organizations in connecting a massive number of devices to a particular network. With the passage of time, Z-Wave has tremendously evolved. It now targets the smart home automation industry by being of the most efficient wireless protocol to connect wireless smart home devices. Z-Wave is a low-power mesh network technology. It operated in the range of 800-900 MHz band. Compared to WiFi and Zigbee, Z-Wave has the greatest non-line of sight range because it has a lower frequency. It means it sacrifices bandwidth to achieve short sight range. Slower data transmission does not significantly impact the messages sent by the devices using Z-Wave because most of such messages are small. However, if Z-Wave is to be implemented on a larger scale, it can become a considerable limitation. Now that you have become familiar with the basics differences between WiFi, Zigbee and Z-Wave, let's discuss the significant differences between these technologies in terms of application, products, and protocols. Home Automation Protocols The Reliability of the three technologies Business Models Basics differences between WiFi, Zigbee and Z-Wave features Which Automation Protocol Should You Use? Conclusion Home Automation Protocols Zensys was the initial owner of Z-Wave. After a few years, it was bought by Sigma Design. Every Z-Wave device and protocol is under the complete control of Sigma Design. Such a kind of total ownership is rare in these technologies. Any smart device that has the label of Z-Wave on it, it means the manufacturer of that device had to comply with the strict protocols of Sigma Designs and get it licensed by them. Moreover, Sigma Design even controls companies that are producing Z-Wave chips. On the other hand, Zigbee is an open wireless standard. It simply means that any company can implement Zigbee devices without following any standard rules like the one enforced by Sigma Design for Z-Wave devices. The advantage of totally controlled and regulated Z-Wave technology is every Z-Wave device will be able to communicate with each other accurately and connect to the hub. Moreover, the entire protocol is standardized, which facilitates the entire process. Zigbee devices can face issues in proper implementation due to non-standardization. Compared to Zigbee vs Z-Wave, WiFi is extremely different. The majority of smart devices use standard wireless 802.11n. It is an open protocol that can be implemented by any manufacturer. The protocol itself has stringent rules for communication with the network. Zigbee and Z-Wave are mesh networks that can expand the signal range by transmitting information from one device to the next. However, WiFi devices do not behave this way. They communicate directly with the closest access point. Moreover, they do not relay information between the connected devices. The Reliability of the three technologies It is important to discuss these three technologies' reliability because they are quite different from each other. Both Zigbee and Z-Wave are comparatively lightweight protocols than WiFi. Hence, you can expect less data redundancy in Zigbee and Z-Wave. It is a clear advantage over WiFi because lightweight protocol means that the devices will have to transmit less data than a WiFi device. It also increases the battery life of the Zigbee vs Z Wave devices. A WiFi sensor running on a battery will drain the batteries much faster than a Zigbee or Z-Wave sensor in terms of battery. However, the fault tolerance of Z-Wave and Zigbee is extremely low. Typically, a Z-Wave network does not have massive traffic that can cause problems. However, excessive traffic can disturb the entire network due to low fault tolerance. Business Models Z-Wave is a proprietary system. Other companies do not have many opportunities to develop devices based on Z-Wave technology. The manufacturers must pay a certain fee to Sigma Design to use this technology. It means the overall cost of the Z-Wave devices is much more than Zigbee and WiFi devices. Comparatively, Zigbee has joined forces with several tech giants like Apple, Amazon, and Google. Lack of partnerships of Z-Wave can cause serious issues in the future. Basics differences between WiFi, Zigbee and Z-Wave features: Zigbee vs WiFi and Z-Wave have different features with their own pros and cons. These are: 1. Availability WiFi is wide-ranging as it operates through a router on the universally-accepted 2.4 GHz. Similarly, Zigbee also operates on the universally-accepted 2.4 GHz band. It facilitates the manufacturing process as the same chip can be used to distribute products around the world. On the other hand, Z-Wave products can only communicate in a certain range of government frequencies. In the USA, the Z-Wave products use 908 MHz while in Europe, 868 MHz is used. Numerous other frequencies are available in different parts of the world. Most of the manufacturers produce only limited Z-Wave products for the US and Europe. 2. Interoperability Most of the WiFi is interoperable, especially the ones that use the same networking protocols. Some manufacturers provide company-specific integrations. Major companies like Amazon and Google provide their own WiFi integration like smart speakers and other smart home products. All of the Z-Wave products are interoperable because a single organization, Sigma Design, certifies them. The entire certification process ensures that all of the products are compatible with the whole Z-Wave ecosystem. The large-scale interoperability has helped the Z-Wave in quickly increasing its industry adoption. According to an estimate, there are more than 3,000 Z-Wave certified products available in the market. On the contrary, Zigbee has suffered a lot due to its failure to implement interoperability standards. Zigbee had to face a lot of fraudulent activities, especially in its starting years. In 2007, Zigbee Pro standard was introduced to increase the interoperability and prevent fraud. Zigbee 3.0 products have very impressive interoperability now. 3. Computability Out of Zigbee and Z-Wave, WiFi is the only smart home automation that is supported by all three major platforms: Amazon, Google, and Apple. You can also add a multi-tech hub that will offer more flexible and efficient features. It is very easy to integrate WiFi products with most of the companies because it is a very well-known technology. An extensive range of multi-tech hubs like TUYA support Zigbee. Moreover, many open-source programs also support Zigbee devices. However, Zigbee computability is certainly much less than WiFi devices. On the other hand, almost every multi-tech hub and home software program support Z-Wave. However, Amazon or Google smart speaker does not support Z-Wave. Which Automation Protocol Should You Use? The features, advantages, and disadvantages of Z-Wave, Zigbee vs WiFi are quite different from each other. It can be quite challenging for people to make the best choice between them. However, you can choose the best smart home wireless technology by considering the following things: Z-Wave is a suitable choice if you are going to purchase many products at the same time. It means you will not have to spend a significant amount of money on buying other products and hubs because Z-Wave devices are all interoperable. Furthermore, the more products you buy, the better your mesh network will be, making the network more efficient and reliable. Zigbee devices also form mesh networks like Z-Wave. However, it is quite different from Z-Wave due to the fact that if you have Zigbee devices from different companies, some devices will form separate meshes that can interrupt the entire main Zigbee mesh. WiFi is completely different from Zigbee and Z-Wave; it does not form mesh networks. Instead, there are two primary ways of using Wi-Fi devices. Firstly, you can buy the WiFi products and use them by simply connecting them to Google Home, Amazon Echo, or any other such as smart home technology. This method is considered to be the most straightforward and user-friendly way of using smart home products. However, it does not offer much security. Secondly, you can use WiFi devices by using them only in local communication. But it requires technical knowledge for implementation due to which the second method is unlikely to be adopted by most of the smart home products manufacturers. Conclusion Wireless communication between smart home devices is surely a complicated procedure which makes it challenging for the people to choose the best wireless communication protocols for their implementation. Since both Z-Wave and Zigbee require hubs, they can be quite difficult to implement, especially if you are using different companies' products. WiFi, on the other hand, is the simplest technology available because it does not require a hub. All you have to do is install a device and connect it to the network. Therefore, everyone should carefully analyze their own requirements and the type of smart home devices before choosing suitable technology.

Smart Lighting - Smart Curtain - Smart Shutters - Smart Temperature Control - Smart Circuit Breaker What could be the potential energy saving from using Smart Thermostat for temperature control, Smart Lighting, and Circuit-Level Control The potential energy saving from having home automation system Home automation technologies use connectivity, sensing, and controls to provide consumer benefits, such as enhanced comfort, control, convenience, and security. These benefits reflect consumer priorities and are driving the rapid increase in adoption. Collectively, networked home automation systems can enable sensor- and user-driven control of HVAC systems, appliances, lighting, outlets, home security, webcams, home energy displays, home performance analytics, and beyond. By controlling these systems, home automation technologies can strongly influence home energy consumption. So, let's deep in and evaluate the potential energy saving for the main home automation approaches Potential Energy Saving From The Smart Home Automation System Home automation technology provide several benefits to the homeowners, our concerned topic here is to evaluate the potential energy saving across the different home automation applications i.e. Temperature Control, or HVAC control, Smart Curtains or Shutters, Smart Lighting Control, and Smart Circuit-Level Control and how worthy it is to invest in Potential Energy Saving from Smart Thermostats Potential Energy Saving from Smart Shutters Control Potential Energy Saving from Smart Lighting Potential Energy Saving from Circuit-Level Control Potential Energy Saving from Smart Thermostats Smart thermostats allow users to access and control their thermostat remotely over a wireless network, for instance, using a smartphone, tablet, computer, or other connected device. These features, not available in traditional unconnected manual or programmable thermostats, give users added control and flexibility that could improve thermal comfort and potentially save energy. In addition, Smart Thermostats can make automatic adjustments based on external signals that could lead to energy savings. Features like automatic temperature setbacks – driven by occupancy sensing, geolocation, or learning algorithms – aim to reduce energy used during periods of vacancy or sleeping. Other features apply behavioral feedback to encourage people to choose more energy-efficient settings. Automated controls could also improve the efficiency of heating and cooling equipment under specific conditions. Examples include strategies to minimize the use of inefficient auxiliary electric resistance heating for heat pump systems, fan overrun for air conditioners to recover residual cooling after the compressor has switched off, fault detection and diagnostics, and the ability to respond to changes in weather or utility demand response signals. Since feature sets vary widely by product, there can be wide variation in potential and realized energy savings among products. Savings can also vary widely among users of a specific connected thermostat product, owing to differences in occupancy patterns, thermal preferences, HVAC systems, and housing characteristics. Check out our Universal IR Controller for Air Condition along with the other smart sensors Potential Energy Saving from Smart Shutters Control Window coverings, such as blinds, shades, shutters, and curtains, influence heating, cooling, and lighting energy consumption of homes by altering the transmission of solar gains, natural light, and to some extent, heat transfer through windows. The effect on these end-uses depends on control strategy, together with many building-specific parameters. Automated window covering control could improve the energy performance of complex and interrelated building systems relative to manual control. Automated smart curtain or shades systems typically include a motorized device that can adjust position. Some can be installed with existing shades or blinds. Architecture varies from standalone, self-contained units to systems with wireless mesh networks that are controlled centrally or through a server. Adjustments can be made through an interface (wall switch, remote control, smart phone, tablet, etc.), automatically through mobile app or scenario-based controls, or manually through physical adjustment. The energy impact of window coverings depends strongly on many complex and interrelated variables, including climate; window covering material, properties, and geometry; amount and type of windows; building properties; thermostat settings; and especially the covering control strategy. Energy savings also depend on how precisely the coverings are installed. A gap of a few inches around the window perimeter, for instance, could compromise savings. The vast combination of variables leads to a higher uncertainty when estimating the potential energy impact. Smart Curtains Control Strategies Today most window coverings in homes are controlled manually and lack automated capabilities; however, automated control can help occupants achieve specific goals such as increased energy performance, thermal comfort, visual comfort, privacy, and security. Some systems may increase the resale value of the home. Energy savings is rarely the highest customer priority, so it is unlikely that people will optimize energy savings at the expense of these other benefits. Still, automation can help people achieve energy savings while respecting their preferences. Although there are many possible control strategies, these are common high-level approaches: Manual Control: physically adjust curtains/shades at will Scheduled Automation: adjust curtains/shades at predetermined times to programmed levels Feedback Automation: curtains, shades and/or lights respond to sensors, external data (weather, occupancy, etc.), or utility demand response programs Scenes: user defines one or more settings and controls multiple actions at once (e.g., all smart curtains open and smart lights dim; all shades open and smart lights turn on, adjust shutters in all rooms, etc.) Most automated window curtains or shutters can be programmed with user-defined schedules, allowing each unit to change states at designated times. Smart curtains or smart shutters can be grouped together into “collections” to be controlled simultaneously or according to similar rules. Various criteria can be used, depending on what information or sensors are available and on the user’s goals or preferences. This feedback could originate from sensors that measure occupancy, space temperature, or light levels, or it could come from control hub such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant that provide access to data about weather, HVAC, and lighting systems. Users may select rule-based “if-this-then-that” methods or more sophisticated algorithms that attempt to optimize energy, comfort, and privacy settings within the constraints of user preferences. Potential Energy Saving from Smart Lighting Smart lighting control aligns lighting usage with occupant presence in one of two ways. Occupancy-based control senses when a space becomes occupied and automatically turns on the lights in response. In contrast, vacancy-based control relies on people to turn on the lights when they enter a space and subsequently turns off the lights when occupancy is no longer detected. In practice, we believe that occupants would prefer using vacancy-based lighting control systems in most interior spaces because it is more aligned with how people typically operate lights in the home (i.e., manually turning on lights when they enter a space). For instance, bedroom and hallway lights that turn on when people awaken in the middle of the night. Occupancy-based lighting controls fundamentally save energy by turning off lights when spaces are not occupied. To evaluate energy savings potential requires comparing lighting usage patterns to occupancy patterns in different household spaces. Importantly, both variables and total lamp power vary as a function of space type Fully networked lighting control systems also have the potential to monitor lighting usage and energy consumption, which can be used to provide feedback on energy consumption and identify energy savings opportunities. Connected systems also increase customer convenience (i.e., remote wireless control of lighting) and can enable households to create and implement different mood or scene settings that enhance the indoor environment. This functionality could also be used to mimic an occupied home while the home is unoccupied, providing a security function. Occupancy-based control of exterior lights can also provide security benefits by triggering lights when motion is detected, potentially deterring would-be thieves or vandals. It may also enhance personal safety by ensuring that outdoor areas are lit when people are present, likely reducing the risk of injury. The demand response potential of occupancy-based lighting controls in homes is very limited because, by definition, the technology only turns on – or, in the case of a vacancy sensor, keeps the lights on – in spaces when they are occupied. Moreover, only about 2% of daily lighting energy consumption occurs in each of the hours during peak demand periods, i.e., typically noon to 6PM, in June, July, and August, yielding an average lighting power draw of approximately 50W. Consequently, turning off unneeded lighting left on or dimming (if possible) connected lighting during peak demand periods would achieve a very modest peak demand reduction. Potential Energy Saving from Circuit-Level Control Many electric devices consume power when they are in idle, sleep, standby, or off modes. In addition, people sometimes leave devices on (in active mode) when they are not being used, such as leaving a television on while no one is watching or listening. With an appropriate sensing system, circuit-level controls can intelligently disable the circuits powering these devices to save energy without compromising ordinary functionality. Both occupancy- and time-based approaches could be implemented with web-based user interfaces such as TUYA mobile app and controllers that, in turn, integrate with networked and controllable circuit-breaker panels that switch on and off individual circuits. Circuit-level controls could reduce consumer electronics (CE) energy consumption. First, they could turn off CE that are in a sleep or standby power mode, reducing the power draw of the devices connected to each circuit to that of the standby power draw of the circuit-level controller. Second, they could turn off devices that have been unintentionally left on after a period without user input. Field and modeling studies suggest that this functionality dramatically increases the energy savings potential by about 350%, most notably by reducing the on time of computers and televisions. Many appliances (such as Cooktop, Stove, Dishwasher, Clothes Washer/Dryer) have controls, power supplies, and displays or clocks that draw 2 to 3 W continuously. In an aggressive case, circuit-level control would power off these devices when they are not running, i.e., typically all but one or two hours a day. A manual wall controller would be used to turn back on the circuit as needed to operate different appliances. In addition, Ceiling fans appear to have the greatest energy savings potential of common loads, specifically from occupancy-based power-down of fans when the spaces they condition are unoccupied. Although some ceiling fans do have occupancy sensors, it appears that most do not. Based on the survey responses, it appears that approximately 39% of ceiling fan usage occurs when rooms are unoccupied. Interestingly, this is like our estimate for the energy savings potential of occupancy-based lighting controls in homes. Moreover, it has been evaluated the potential savings from powering off coffee makers, toasters, and toaster ovens when not in use. Only a portion of these products draw power when not in active use, and the analyses take this into account. Of these devices, coffee makers may be able to realize significant additional savings by eliminating some portion of the energy consumed in idle (warming) mode when they draw about 70 W. It is not immediately clear, however, how detection of excess warming energy consumption would be implemented and integrated with circuit-level control. Check out our Energy management products Conclusion Home automation technology offers the potential to achieve substantial energy savings if they are used for that purpose. In this article, we evaluated the technical energy savings potential of several home automation approaches relative to the baseline of household energy consumption. Beyond energy savings, home automation offers benefits to both consumers and utilities. For consumers, these include greater convenience, control, thermal and visual comfort, privacy, and security. For utilities, home automation could enable demand response capabilities, streamline evaluation for energy efficiency programs, and remotely diagnose and detect retrofit opportunities. teknetic can support you in designing an eco-automation system for a significant energy saving at your home

The health benefits of smart lighting and smart light bulbs are many, although they may not seem very obvious at first. After all, we’re talking about lights here—how beneficial to our health and safety can lights be? Many people think of lighting purely from the “being able see things” standpoint—and yes, that is one clear benefit of lighting and was the central idea behind Thomas Edison’s invention of the first incandescent bulb in 1879. Smart Light Control enhance your health, safety, sleep, Mood, and productivity But smart lighting, including smart light bulbs, actually has benefits far beyond just being able to know that we aren’t about to walk into a wall, a window, or a stairwell and just generally being able to see what we’re doing. Here are those benefits: 1. Safer at-home environment 2. Mood enhancement 3. Better sleep 4. Productivity enhancement 1. Safer at-home environment In a day and age when staying at home most of time has become the norm, you want to feel as safe as possible in your home environment. Well, you want to feel as safe as possible, regardless, but home safety becomes even more important when you are also working from home or have kids doing home schooling or distance learning. With smart lighting and smart light bulbs, you can automate lights to come on outside if their sensors detect movement. You can also control your lights remotely, having them come on when you aren’t home to deter any would-be intruder. And while you’re sleeping, you can set up a light on-off automation to make it look like someone is awake and hence scare off anyone who may be thinking about trying a midnight break-in. That’s beneficial, human-centric lighting in a nutshell, and it’s something that will be growing rapidly in use and popularity in the coming years, not only in smart homes but also in smart commercial buildings. All of the above may at first seem like subtle things and only slight advantages over the simple on-off functionality of regular lighting, but taken all together and also, especially, over time (consider how much longer smart light bulbs last, too, compared to regular bulbs), the health benefits of smart lighting become very clear. And remember: you don’t have to get it all set up at once. Start with a smart bulb or two, then move on to light strips or fixtures. Soon enough, your home will be completely outfitted with smart lighting and smart light bulbs, and you will begin to see the health benefits. 2. Mood enhancement We are getting to the point where we can stop thinking of lighting and light bulbs as something only interacting with our eyes. That is, lighting is slowly becoming something that also interacts with our moods, via our eyes. The tone, or hue, of light you use at home can have a major impact on how you feel. The adjustment of lighting to match our desired mood or emotional state at that particular time is also known as human-centric lighting. But true human-centric lighting and bulbs go further than just providing energy-boosting white-hue lighting schemes during the day and more soothing, melatonin-producing yellow lighting during the evening. It’s about learning which lighting hues best suit your particular daily routines and habits. Say, for example, you are a painter who paints in the morning and are at your most creative with soothing yellow light—you can program your smart lighting or smart light bulb automations to come on at the times you do your painting to provide the perfect setting for your creativity. 3. Better sleep Many people are used to using meditation apps and white noise to help them fall asleep. Similarly, having the right hue of lighting can also greatly enhance our sleep by getting our body clocks in line with our location’s natural lighting cycles. The better you can adjust your lights to match when you need to be more awake and when you need to be winding down, the more control you have over your ability to use lighting to your advantage when it comes to sleep. Regular lighting’s simple on-off functionality does very little to help us in this endeavor, and furthermore, the blue light that comes from our electronics has been shown to be extremely disruptive to falling asleep. With smart bulbs, you can set up automations to turn the hue from a bluer shade of white during the day to help with productivity to a warmer shade in the evening hours to help prepare the body for sleep. 4. Productivity enhancement You may not see productivity as a type of health benefit, but when you consider that the more productive you are, the less stressed you are because the more time you have for yourself and for disconnecting, then productivity is actually a very key health benefit of smart lighting. Every year scientists get more plugged into the importance of the interconnection between lighting and work. Lighting and smart bulbs have a significant effect on our circadian rhythms, which determine our moods, sleep cycles, and concentration levels. With regular lighting, we cannot control the hues in any way. Smart lighting allows us to take accurate approach to lighting—one that enables productivity-enabling lighting plans that encourage the use of natural light for peak production and smart lighting with soothing hues to wind down in the evening. You can also use smart lighting to signal bedtime for the kids: the lights flash blue at 8 pm and the kids know it’s time to start getting ready for bed. Less stress. More productivity for everyone. And it’s all thanks to smart lighting. Teknetic provides a comprehensive smart lightings solutions, including the smart light bulbs. Either your home is under finishing or finished - thanks to our smart wireless solutions that let you touch the smart lighting benefits in a scale way without building up the entire smart lights system for home with a high capital. Talk to our expert for more info and customize your smart lighting solution based on your needs and budget.

How Can Smart Homes Be Hacked?, Are The Smart House devices Secured From The Cyber Attacks?, Are You Safe With The Smart Home IOT Technology? As the popularity of smart home technology continues to grow, you may be one of the many homeowners enjoying the convenience of virtual assistants, smart appliances, smart home security, smart lighting and more, but have you wondered whether smart homes are secured from cyber attacks? It’s a good question, because smart home technology has the potential to put your personal information at risk of being compromised. You’ll want to do what you can to protect your smart home from hackers. When you consider the different ways homeowners are using smart devices in their homes, it’s no surprise that the risks have increased. From regulating a home’s temperature to controlling entry into a home through monitoring, locking and unlocking doors, smart devices have become part of everyday household routines in many homes. Despite all their awesome benefits and like any digital technology, smart home devices can be vulnerable to hacking, and can therefore introduce the possibility that your sensitive information and home safety and security could be at risk. How Can Smart Home Be Hacked? Before we dive into steps you can help to prevent cyber attacks from penetrating your smart home devices, let’s answer a fundamental question: How can a smart home be hacked in the first place? A smart home’s vulnerability lies in its connectivity to the internet. Any smart home device that is capable to connect to the internet has the potential to be hacked, accessed remotely, and in many cases, even controlled by outside users just as any website or computer can be. The devices themselves may have little or no built-in security measures, making them susceptible to attacks by software that is designed to gain unauthorized access to a computer or home network, potentially allowing your personal information to be exposed. Or, as the case may be, the devices may have security features that you need to set up or enable. So, review the information that come with the devices to confirm the built-in security and to determine if there are steps you need to take to enable the security features. The key to preventing a cyber attack is to first recognize the device’s potential vulnerabilities and to then make sure you have the necessary security built-in and appropriately set up to properly safeguard your home network and your smart devices. The key to preventing a hack is to safeguard the network your devices are connected to, as well as to secure your individual devices using strong passwords and other safety measures. To help prevent your smart home technology from being hacked, consider the following tips: Tip #1 - Understand your smart home devices and their vulnerabilities The first step toward protecting your smart home technology from hacks is to identify which devices are capable to connect to the internet and whether there is a need or desire to connect those specific devices. You will also need to understand what security features are available for a device before purchasing it or installing and connecting it to your home network. For example, if your smart speaker is connected to your Wifi router, which is also connected to your smart TV, your intercom doorbell, smart door lock and your smart thermostat, then any one of those smart products can pass on vulnerabilities to another. If one device is hacked, the rest may be susceptible to the hack. Therefore, you’ll need a plan to protect not just one device, but every item in your smart automation system. Tip #2 - Use only reputable smart home technology brands Some smart home technologies are expensive and, for many of us, it can be tempting to cut corners and buy the lowest priced product. Consider your options carefully, and keep in mind that choosing based on price alone may come with added risk. You may expect that brand names typically tend to take extra precautions to protect their reputation, which may mean they take security seriously. But even brand names can be hacked. There are no guarantees, so it’s important to research your options appropriately. When choosing your smart device, consider whether or not it comes with regular software and security updates, and read the privacy policy to understand how personal data on the device might be used after it’s captured. Consider reading customer reviews and conducting research on consumer protection websites. Tip #3 - Protect your WiFi network When you are setting up your WiFi router, or if you have not updated default settings, it’s very important to create a strong and unique password for your WiFi network. The default password, for example, the one that’s labeled on your router or given to you by your service provider, may present a vulnerability. Choose a unique password that’s not used on any of your other devices or accounts and use it only for your network. You should also use WPA2 encryption (located in your router settings) and enable any firewall that’s available. Refer to the product information from the manufacturer included with your WiFi router when you bought it, for more detailed guidance. If you need help accessing your router settings, beyond product information, visit the manufacturer’s website. Your service provider’s website may also be a good resource. Additionally, consider working with your service provider or router manufacturer to learn how to keep your router up to date with the latest security updates. Tip #4 - Use unique passwords for everything Having a unique password for your network may not be enough to safeguard your smart devices. Consider having designated passwords for all your devices each one different and specific to that product only. Be sure to update these passwords at least a few times a year. Also consider enabling multi-factor identification. This usually requires entering a code that’s randomly generated and sent to you by text, email or mobile app. Additionally, you may want to consider using a secure, easy-to-use and reputable password manager, to manage your logon credentials across all your devices. A password manager is an encrypted digital vault that stores the login information you use to access websites. It can generate strong passwords to help ensure you aren’t repeating them across your devices and services and is another way you can keep your passwords safe. Tip #5 - Secure your smart home devices Unique passwords aren’t the only way to secure your individual smart devices. Consider going into the privacy settings of each device and make sure you have the highest security options enabled. You’ll also want to disable remote access while you’re there (unless it’s a feature you absolutely need). Also, consider disabling WiFi on devices that you choose not to use as a smart device. Finally, it’s important to be careful about how you manage and use your smart home automation technology. Accessing your intercom doorbell, smart door lock, or home security system while connected to a public network (like at a coffee shop, or Airport for example) can put your entire home at risk. Never access your smart devices on an open or unprotected network. Instead, use your own personal hotspot or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) app to protect yourself before opening these connections. Smart Home Devices Can Be A Safe & Convenient With adequate security measures in place, your smart home devices can be a safe and convenient addition to your household. Keep in mind that security risks are constantly evolving, so it is important to update and manage the security of smart devices as well as your home network regularly. The possibilities for smart home devices are always expanding. Some homeowners use smart technology to turn on lights and appliances remotely from their mobile devices, or set and schedule different routines to automatically control the room temperatures, movie night, gathering with lighting schemes throughout their home. Other people use the smart solutions to play music, keep their schedule, shop online, or schedule alerts and reminders. Sources: https://www.tuya.com/rule https://us.norton.com/blog/iot/smart-home-security-core# https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-password-manager/

Nowadays, everyone needs their devices to be smart in their homes but nobody wants lots of different apps on their smartphone to control all the products, nor buy different gateways, bridges and hubs. Besides, the manufacturer companies need their devices to be smart but particularly the small brands don’t have enough resources to create and manage their own systems and apps to support the smart products. Tuya Smart, All-in-One mobile App, Home Automation, Tuya Platform, Smart House, Tuya Features, Smart App This is where Tuya comes in. Tuya is an IoT services platform smartphone app that the manufacturer of smart products can use to support their devices. With Tuya app, companies make their products smart and users can have various products from different brands into a single platform. Tuya app supports switches, lights, cameras, sensors, security cameras, smart humidifiers, ceiling fans, and much more. For instance, two smart light bulbs from different companies that Tuya Smart supports act similarly within the app. Tuya offers a complete app that provides various unique features including free, easy to control, immediate use, useful functions, diversified scenarios, and world readiness. Main Features of Tuya Tuya Smart app has the slogan “Smart Life, Smart Living.” The key feature of Tuya is to manage the smart home devices remotely. You can add and regulate different smart products in this simple app with just some simple clicks. Here are the features of Tuya: Control home appliances and devices remotely Voice control through Amazon Echo and Google Home Add and manage multiple devices with a single app Share products easily with other family members Quickly and easily connect the Tuya app to your smart devices Get real-time alerts to ascertain safety What makes Tuya Smart the best smart home app? Here are some of the unique and intelligent features and functions of Tuya that make it the best smart home app. Smart device management With the Tuya Smart app, adding and managing new smart home appliances is super easy. The app can either automatically search the devices or you can manually add the device following the instructions provided by the app. The auto-scan feature is of great use if you have multiple smart devices at home as it can find every single intelligent device you turn on. When the devices are connected to the app over WiFi, you can find them on the home screen of the app. Then you can use the app to switch on and off the devices, manage other parameters of the device and also perform tuning of each product. For instance, if you add the RGB smart light into the app, you can access the controls quickly from the home screen. It will allow you to change the brightness, colour, and temperature of the light as well as turning it on or off. Device organization When you connect a device to the Tuya app, you can ascribe each device to a separate room in your house. For example, if you have many smart thermostats in various rooms and assigning each one to a room within the application, you can use voice commands to communicate to your assistant which device you are talking about. It is quite useful for light bulbs and smart speakers. Automation scenarios and rules With the automation feature, you can take things a step further. For instance, the automation of various tasks that that application performs before you reach home from work. The app tracks your location through your smartphone and it will access you when you entered a 1 km radius of your home. When you do, the automation rules steps in, and things begin to happen such as light and air condition turning on and regulating the ideal temperature, and more. User Management It also enables your family members to use the app making the whole household in control of your smart products. The individual who sets up the Tuya Smart application acts as an administrator and can give separate app features to different family members. It also lets you create a “Guest” profile that you can provide to anyone that visits you for some days. Multiple homes management Another great advantage of Tuya Smart is that it enables you to manage multiple homes using a single user account. You just have to add a new home to the application, define rooms, add products and here you go. This feature is very useful if you have a second home or apartment. It is great for people having a private office or running a renting business. It also enables you to check up on their elderly parents and assist them with jobs smart products can do. Device Compatibility To use the smart home appliances with the Tuya Smart app, you will have to get the Tuya compatible devices. Before buying check the device compatibility with the system then install the app and optimize it with your home system. Tuya Smart is compatible with lots of OEMs and it will not be an issue for you. Tuya also supports voice control through Google Home and Amazon Echo meaning that regulating the smart appliances at your home doesn’t require physical handling of the smartphone app at all. Advantages of Tuya It is free for users to download and use You can manage multiple products with a single app It supports many manufacturer brands of smart home products You can manage your smart home products remotely from anywhere across the world It operates with WiFi and doesn’t require a gateway for many products It blends well with your smart home system Tuya smart app can be connected with third-party programs like Google Home and Amazon Alexa It is compatible with various devices including smart lights, electrical outlets, and many more. Teknetic provides comprehensive smart home solutions, through just one smart mobile app "Tuya", you can secure, monitor, and control your entire smart house, making plenty of scenes for more comfort, Luxury, and elegant themes such as movie night, romantic dining, party scene and much more. Talk to our experts now and book your free at home consultation to know how to transform your home into the desired future one Conclusion Tuya Smart is a great way small companies can use to make their devices smart. It means that users don’t have to spend money on app development and production companies will be quick to introduce intelligent devices that communicate via a standard protocol. Tuya Smart app supports products like air conditioners, electrical switches, light bulbs, and many more. While purchasing a smart product, ensure that you check the Tuya Smart compatibility tag on the product packaging. Learn more about Tuya in our guide

PDLC smart film is a type of glass film that can change from clear to opaque at the touch of a button. This makes it a versatile and stylish option for glass treatments, with a wide range of potential applications. Smart Film, Home of The Future, Switchable Glass, PDLC, The Future of Glass Treatments PDLC stands for Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal. It is a type of smart film that can be used to create transparent or opaque glass. The film is made up of a polymer matrix with liquid crystals embedded in it. When an electric current is applied to the film, the liquid crystals align and the film becomes transparent. When the electric current is turned off, the liquid crystals randomly align and the film becomes opaque. Benefits of using PDLC smart film PDLC smart film is a versatile and innovative product that can be used in a variety of applications. It is a great way to add privacy , security , comfort , and style to your smart home or smart office. Privacy : PDLC smart film can be used to create a private space without blocking out natural light. This makes it ideal for bedrooms, offices, classrooms, and other areas where privacy is important. Security : PDLC smart film can be used to deter crime by making it difficult for criminals to see inside a house or a building. Comfort : PDLC smart film can be used to control the amount of light and heat that enters a room. This can help to create a more comfortable and energy-efficient environment. Style : PDLC smart film can be used to add a touch of style to any room within the smart home. It can be used to create a variety of effects, such as frosted glass, mirrored glass, and even stained glass. Teknetic is a pioneer system integrator for smart home automation solutions and have installed hundreds square meters with a well-trained and professional team for installation, aftersales, and services. PDLC smart film can be used in a variety of applications, including: Offices : PDLC smart film can be used to create private offices without blocking out natural light. This can help to improve productivity and create a more comfortable work environment. Classrooms : PDLC smart film can be used to create private learning spaces without blocking out natural light. This can help to improve student focus and engagement. Hospitals/Clinics : PDLC smart film can be used to create private patient rooms without blocking out natural light. This can help to improve patient privacy and comfort. Hotels : PDLC smart film can be used to create private guest rooms without blocking out natural light. This can help to improve guest privacy and comfort. Retail stores : PDLC smart film can be used to create private dressing rooms without blocking out natural light. This can help to improve customer privacy and comfort. There are a few drawbacks to using PDLC smart film, including: The Cost of PDLC smart film varies depending on the size of the film and the features that are included. In general, PDLC smart film is more expensive than traditional window film. However, the cost of PDLC smart film is offset by the benefits that it offers, such as privacy, security, comfort, and style. Maintenance : PDLC smart film requires regular cleaning to remove dust and fingerprints. Electricity : PDLC smart film requires electricity to operate. If the power goes out, the film will become opaque. Conclusion PDLC smart film is a versatile and stylish option for glass treatments that offers a variety of benefits. If you are looking for a way to improve the privacy, security, comfort, and style of your smart home or office, PDLC smart film is a great option. However, it is important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before deciding if PDLC smart film is the right choice for you or not.