16 Oct Smart Home Hub Compatibility – Continued

How can I be sure my technology will connect?

Smart devices have to be connected to some sort of controller to work.  In other words, you need to have a means to communicate to your lightbulb from your smartphone or voice-commands.  This is the work of the hub.

Compatibility of your smart home hub with your devices is critical for the system to work.  This is a continuation of the last post, with the addition of some new smart devices.  At this time, we have chosen to feature the 3 top systems.  This list is not exhaustive.  Always be sure to check with the manufacturer of the system’s supporting company to find out if your devices will work.

The smart home hubs below is Insteon, Samsung SmartThings and Wink.  These were chosen due to their popularity at the time of this post.

Insteon: One of the first systems available, Insteon uses wired and wireless signals to communicate to their devices.  Insteon is a closed system so, although it works very well with other Insteon products, you are limited to other manufacturers. It can be a bit more work to install and set up, than the newer systems which automatically finds and connects with other smart products.

Samsung SmartThings: The newest kid on the block, SmartThings works well with Samsung as well as third-party devices.  It is very easy to use and practically sets itself up with a simple interface.  Since it is so new, currently, there are not quite as many products on the market.  But as with all technology – this is changing rapidly.

Wink- Refined and easy to use, Wink has a large range of compatible products which easily connect and manage.  Although there are no Wink devices, it connects with just about any device on the market.