Home automation, technically known as the Internet of Things (IoT), is supposed to make our lives easier by making technology behave in the way that we prefer. It lets us see information from sensors or timers and use that and other information to switch or adjust devices in our homes.
In reality, the rapid development of IoT has resulted in confusion for everyone, with a mass of incompatible technology that exploits our misunderstandings. This had led to an economic disadvantage to those who would wish to enjoy the ambitions of IoT and also to those who could use it to further their business potential.
This article looks at various available systems, their incompatibilities and ways to overcome any problems.
All computer‑based devices employ software and hardware technology, each with their own protocol. There are two main approaches for home automation; Apple’s HomeKit protocol, or Android, the latter dominated by Amazon and Google.
Promising to merge these approaches are devices designed around the new Matter protocol, which is fully supported by the Apple HomeKit system and by Amazon, Google and many other companies.
Most devices connect to an Apple or Android controller via a wireless interface, such as Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth or Thread.
The following communication systems are commonly used:
Wi‑Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)This traditional wireless connection is defined in the 802.11b/g/n standards for 2.4 GHz , and 802.11a for 5 GHz.
Your existing Wi‑Fi router, whatever type, is perfectly able to convey IoT messages. For HomeKit, a compatible hub is also essential, allowing you to control devices whilst away from home. If you have a suitably modern Apple TV, this will automatically work as the hub. For maximum reliability, this should be connected to your router via an Ethernet cable. And, if you don't have an Apple TV, you can use any kind of HomePod for the task.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) (2.4 GHz)Bluetooth, originally devised as a point‑to‑point wireless system, can also operate as a mesh network. It operates in the same frequency spectrum as other 2.4 GHz services, such as Wi‑Fi, Thread and Zigbee, but with narrower channels, conveying data at up to 200 Mbit/s over a range of up to 240 metres, depending on the version of BLE and the nature of any obstructions. Its design minimises interference with the other systems on these frequencies.
BLE is especially suited to battery‑powered devices, such as thermometers, humidity detectors and other sensors where the use of Wi‑Fi would consume an excessive amount of power.
Thread (868 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.4 GHz)Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 radio standard, Thread is an improvement over the earlier Zigbee system. It can accommodate 250 devices, is highly reliable and uses very little power, a great advantage for battery‑driven devices.
Since Thread data flows directly between devices, independently of any associated router, it can reduce the amount of traffic conveyed via Wi‑Fi. However, some interference between the two can occur, which some have noted between Wi‑Fi channel 11 and Thread channel 25, the latter of which is often used by default.
Thread normally works with the Matter protocol, which requires at least one border router to act as a system hub. This can be a Thread‑enabled Apple TV 4K, a second‑generation HomePod, a HomePod Mini, or a third‑party border router. There can be any number of border routers within a single Thread network, with some devices automatically acting as extra routers or bridges, extending the coverage to further devices.
All the systems described below require a matching hub or bridge in order to work with Apple or Android devices:
Zigbee (2.4 GHz, 868 MHz and 915MHz)With 16, 1 and 10 channels on each frequency respectively, this can work as a mesh, and provides full local control of devices, even when the Internet is disabled. It can be used with up to 65,000 devices over distances of 9 to 100 metres.
The most common frequency band of 2.4 GHz is shared, as in Thread, with Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth, although data and bandwidths are different, minimising interference between them.
LightwaveRF (433.92 MHz)This proprietary radio system, used in Honeywell’s Evo‑Home devices and other products, operates at a lower frequency than Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth, covering a distance of up to 15 metres indoors or 30 metres outside. It provides direct relay operation of hundreds of power outlets, dimmer switches and other equipment.
Z‑Wave (868‑921 MHz)Also at a lower frequency than Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth, Z‑Wave is ideal for large installations, being supported by 300 companies, including Danfoss, Horstmann, Ingersoll‑Rand and Leviton.
It accommodates up to 232 relays or dimmer switches at a range of up 50 metres indoors or 200 metres outside, extending to 1600 metres in the LR version, with optional mesh operation.
Insteon (868‑921 MHz and 131.65 kHz Powerline)This uses both RF and Powerline technology, the latter conveying digital data over mains wiring as short RF bursts. Each method of transmission backs up the other whenever the other fails.
X10 (120 kHz Powerline)This older system operates entirely over Powerline technology, without any need for an Internet connection. Up to 256 devices can be used, with each device having a physical code selector. No error detection or correction is provided.
Ethernet (Wired Connection)The use of direct Ethernet wiring to accessories minimises the danger of electrical interference or insecurity posed by RF communication, but is rarely used in modern home automation.
Operating up to 16 devices, this frequency is used for various incompatible remote controls, with a range 9 to 100 metres, but is rarely compatible with common home automation systems.
The most common apps are:
Apple HomeKitThe Apple Home app only exists in Apple devices. Any changes made within the app are also stored in your iCloud space in encrypted form, and in your HomeKit or Matter hubs, ensuring it always works, even without an internet connection.
Every device marked ‘Works with Apple HomeKit’ is certified through Apple’s ‘Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad’ (MFi) licensing programme and is always identified by this logo:
whilst devices that use their own application, without offering any compatibility with HomeKit, are marked with:
To add a new HomeKit or Matter accessory to your system you must have a Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi or Thread connection between your mobile phone, the controller, and the product.
A new device can be added in the Home app by simply scanning its QR code and waiting for confirmation. Alternatively, just place your Apple device near the accessory and wait for a response, or type in the device’s code. Once recognised, you can rename it and set any other options.
HomeKit devices do not need registration to work, but you may need a separate manufacturer’s app to set up special features or to download firmware updates, often requiring you to register and log in. If these options are not needed you can still use the device and thereby maintain your internet security. And, even though some manufactures tell you to use their app first, this should not be necessary. The device should work directly using the Home app.
Assuming a new hub or bridge is compatible with HomeKit, you can add it to your system. You should first set it up using the manufacturer’s application and then add the bridge to the Home app in exactly the same way as any other device. Once added, you should be able to see all the accessories connected to the bridge.
HomeKit allows unlicensed devices to be used, even though they could possibly pose a security risk.
Amateur experimenters, as well as traders, frequently create unlicensed accessories by taking simple Wi‑Fi based devices containing an ESP series processor, such as those made by Sonoff, and reprogramming them for HomeKit. This involves connecting the internal interface of the accessory to a suitable computer via USB and a 3.3V Future Technology Devices International (FTDI) adaptor module, loading the necessary code into the accessory and ‘flashing’ the device.
This rather geeky exercise can produce perfectly reliable HomeKit devices and, fortunately, there is no need to log into the website of some unknown or dubious supplier in order to make the accessory operate. As usual with HomeKit, such devices will work on a Local Area Network (LAN) without any kind of internet connection.
Adding an unlicensed device to HomeKit is trickier than for MFi accessories. Proceed as follows:
Following step 4 your device will be accessible in to your Local Area Network (LAN). If you use suitable software, such as iNet Network Scanner, you should be able to see the device, identified with an Internet Protocol (IP) number, such as 192.168.1.12, and a Media Access Control (MAC) address, such as Сc:50:e3:1a:0e:68. If you then open the item in the scanner using HTTP, which activates your Web browser, you’ll see a window similar to the original ‘captive’ portal’, or one that simply allows you to turn the accessory on or off.
Android ApplicationsSeveral IoT apps are available for Android phones, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung's SmartThings, all of which are also available for use on an iPhone, providing support for numerous devices. SmartThings is especially designed to work with any accessories and hubs that are marked ‘Works with Samsung SmartThings’.
To begin, the device should be powered, any specific app required for setting up the accessory should be to hand, as well as the registered account details, with all subscriptions paid up to date. In Amazon Alexa, just choose the manufacturer under the ‘Skills’ menu and enable the service by logging in to your account for the chosen manufacturer. In Google Assistant and in SmartThings you have to choose ‘Add Devices’ and then select the device you want.
Tuya SmartAlso known as Smart Life, this app is available for Apple and Android devices, supporting accessories with these names and many other products. It also integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and the IFTTT automation platform. Being cloud‑based, it always needs an internet connection, even for devices on your local area network (LAN).
Tuya Smart lets you add accessories manually or automatically by scanning your Wi‑Fi network, or with an OCR code.
You can pair devices using:
Inevitably, some devices designed for a certain platform will not work with your chosen app.
If this is a problem, the only solution is dedicated software, installed on a constantly‑powered computer, that translates data from one platform to another. Although any computer can be used, most people who want to explore this nerdy world of programming and interfacing tend to use a dedicated microcomputer, such as a Raspberry Pi or a Next Unit of Computing (NUC), a small box‑shaped computer, complete with Ethernet connection plus the usual USB port. Most people use such a device to allow non‑HomeKit accessories to be used with Apple’s Home app.
Two systems are commonly encountered:
HomebridgeThis solution runs on most platforms, including macOS, Windows, Linux and Raspberry Pi OS, and uses plug‑ins to support numerous accessories. Microcomputers that are pre‑configured for the job include the Athom HomeKit Homebridge Server, Homebridge Out Of the Box (HOOBS) and Zemismart HomeKit Hub.
Home AssistantThis also runs on macOS, Windows 10, Linux and Raspberry Pi OS, or you can buy a ready‑made box containing a pre‑configured version of the Home Assistant Operating System (OS), to which you can add any required plug‑ins.
This project allowed a stairlift to be move up and down from its charging position via Apple’s Home app. The stairlift’s original infrared controller card was extracted from its case and connected to a dedicated power unit that provided an adequate 8.2V supply. This was also fed to a 5V regulator card which provided power to two HomeKit ‘dry contact’ relay cards, as supplied by the homehome.app website and wired to the button terminals on the controller. Having enabled both cards via the ‘captive portal’ method, the relays were added to the Home app.
To stop the lift going too far, two automations were added to cancel the ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ instructions after 20 seconds.
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The author’s home incorporates a number of different HomeKit devices:
* Indicates device is flashed to work with HomeKit.
Shown above is part of the installation, with the large white box to the right of the consumer unit containing the Athom relay switches, hard-wired into the electrical system of the house, with their low voltage supply beneath.
The router, at the top, is maintained during short power cuts by a small 12V Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), below which you can see the Sonoff thermostat, used purely for exterior temperature measurements. Beneath this is a Power Over Ethernet (POE) unit for a bird box camera, the supply to this coming from one of the 13A smart plugs fitted below.
Some of the flashed devices, such as the 13A smart plugs, do not support WPA3 security, so the associated router has been set to WPA2-PSK with AES encryption, posing a slight reduction in internet safety. Once connected to the router, these plugs are permanently tied to it by its Service Set Identifier (SSID), otherwise known as its network name, and associated password. This would constitute a problem if a new router with a different SSID and password were installed. However, one positive advantage is that these devices do not require you to log onto a dubious web site.
After a power cut, most devices resume normal operation, with the 13A plugs simply returning to an ‘off’ condition, which, in terms of safety, is probably a good thing. Following restoration of power, the functions of the 13A plugs are sometimes established before the HomeKit hub has had time to resume normal operation, making it necessary to switch the supply to such plugs off and on again, thereby preventing ‘No Response’ messages in the Home app. The Nanoleaf lamps have an option as to whether their settings should be retained or not, should the power become disconnected.
Unlike licensed HomeKit products, a flashed device can also be reached via a standard web browser. By means of iNet Network Scanner on an Apple macOS machine or iNet on an Apple iOS controller, each device can be identified by its Internet Protocol (IP) address, such as 192.168.1.14, which can then be entered into a web browser. This enables the device to be switched on or off, and, in the case of the Athom devices, for changes to be made to various settings, including those for the associated router. The big advantage here is that the device can be controlled even without a HomeKit hub, which could be very useful should there be a catastrophic failure somewhere else in the system.
Surprisingly, perhaps, all these devices operate fairly seamlessly, irrespective of the various radio networks and protocols being used, with all of them appearing as normal in the Home app. Inevitably, in the long term, it will be necessary to replace unlicensed or older elements by new models that support both Thread and Matter, assuming suitable products begin to emerge, but in the meantime they provide all the functionality needed for home automation.
©Ray White 2025.