Introduction
The internet of things (IoT) is all about making your home smarter. Imagine a world where your refrigerator can tell you when you’re out of milk, or your lights turn on automatically when it gets dark outside. If that sounds like something you want to live in, read on for how to make your house an internet of things hub!
Decide on the hardware.
Deciding which hub to use is the first step in making your house an IoT hub. You need a device that can communicate with all of your devices and connect them to each other, so it’s important to choose one with the right features.
- Compatibility: Make sure the hub you choose is compatible with both your home’s Wi-Fi and any other networks you want to use it on (such as at work).
- Features: Look for one that has all of the features you need–a good user interface, easy setup process and helpful customer service would be good things to have in mind here.
- Compatibility with devices: This one should go without saying! The more devices your hub can connect automatically or manually, the better off you’ll be when trying out new ones later down the road (or even now).
Choose a platform.
You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a platform for your house. There are many different types of systems, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but the most important thing is that you choose one that works for you.
If you’re looking for something super-simple, maybe even DIY (do-it-yourself), then IFTTT may be the way to go. It’s free and easy to use: just connect your various devices through their respective apps, then set up “recipes” (or “applets”) based on triggers or actions–for example: if my garage door opens at 6pm every day while my family members are home from work; then turn on lights in my kitchen or turn down our thermostat automatically! If IFTTT doesn’t have an applet already built for your specific device(s), there’s always room for customization!
If having more control over every element of your smart home sounds appealing then Wink might be worth looking into instead – especially since its open API allows developers’ creativity run wild by giving them full access via SDKs (software development kits). This means they could potentially create custom solutions without needing help from third parties like Amazon Alexa etc…
Connect your first device.
- Connect your first device.
- What kind of devices should you connect? This depends on how you want to use your hub, but a good place to start is with something small and simple like a smart lightbulb or an air conditioner that can be controlled from an app on your phone. You can also choose something more complex, like a garage door opener or even security cameras (which we’ll talk about later).
- How do I connect it? There are two ways: either directly through WiFi or via Bluetooth–and if there’s no other way for the device to communicate with the internet, then you’ll probably want to use Bluetooth instead of WiFi because it’s usually faster and easier for devices without built-in wireless capabilities (like some thermostats). If there’s no physical connection between them at all (like with most lights), then both methods will work fine! Just make sure everything works before moving on 🙂
Create a smart home app.
In order to create a smart home app, you’ll need to choose a platform. There are many options out there, but we recommend using Amazon’s Alexa as the foundation for your project. The reason is simple: it’s free and easy to use.
If you’re familiar with programming languages like JavaScript or Python (which most people aren’t), then building an Alexa skill is like playing with Legos–you can do whatever kind of thing you want! If not…well…we’ll get into that later.
Get connected to Amazon’s Alexa.
If you’re a Prime member, the first thing to do is connect your Amazon Echo to your home network. If not, there’s still time: The device only works with the 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick or 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube (you can read more about those here).
Once that’s done, follow these steps:
- Open up Settings on your Alexa device and select Connected Home under Smart Home Skills & Services in the menu bar on top of this page.
- Click Connect New Device and enter credentials for connecting with Wink Hub 2 or Wink Hub 3 (following instructions from Wink). Once connected, return to this page and select “Add Skill” from above where it says “Connected Home.” Select Wink as well as any other skills that support Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant (like Honeywell Lyric).
Now you can control your home from anywhere in the world!
Now you can control your home from anywhere in the world!
You can monitor and manage all of your devices from a single app. You’ll also be able to receive alerts when something happens in your home, like if someone opens or closes a door or window. And finally, if you have an Amazon Echo device such as Echo Dot or Tap (or any other Alexa-compatible product), then you can create custom scenes that automate certain functions within your house–like turning on lights at night time or adjusting temperature controls based on weather patterns.
Conclusion
We hope that you’ve found this article helpful and informative. We know how difficult it can be to get started with a new technology, but we also know that once you do it’s an amazing experience! If you have any questions about how to set up your own smart home or if there are other ways in which we can help out then please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
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