The question we are asked most about smart homes is not what they can do. It is what happens when the internet goes down.
The short answer
With the systems we install, nothing much. The lights still come on at the switch and the panel, the heating still follows its schedule, and the alarm still sounds. Only control from outside the house waits until the connection is back.
Why that is not always true
Many smart devices send every press of a button to a server far away and wait for an answer. When that server is slow, or the company behind it closes, the switch on your wall stops working.
What to ask before you choose
- Does the system work from the wall switches with the internet unplugged?
- Where are camera recordings kept, at home or somewhere else?
- Can another installer take it over if you ever need one?
If the answers are yes, at home and yes, you have a system that will still be useful in ten years.
How we set it up
One hub in the house runs everything locally. The app on your phone talks to the hub, and the hub talks to the internet only when you are away. It is less clever on a sales sheet and a great deal more dependable at eleven at night.
