{"id":268113,"date":"2021-06-06T21:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-06-06T18:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2021-06-06T21:00:26","modified_gmt":"2021-06-06T18:00:26","slug":"why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why a Proper Smart Home Doesn\u2019t Need a Hub \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2fcda55d207\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2fcda55d207\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#The_Empty_Promise_of_Smart_Home_Hubs\" >The Empty Promise of Smart Home Hubs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#You_Cant_Skip_the_Cloud\" >You Can\u2019t Skip the Cloud<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#Hub_Automations_are_Expensive_and_Overrated\" >Hub Automations are Expensive and Overrated<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#Smart_Hubs_Arent_Faster_than_Wi-Fi_Anymore\" >Smart Hubs Aren\u2019t Faster than Wi-Fi Anymore<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#One_App_to_Rule_Them_All%E2%80%94Hub_or_No\" >One App to Rule Them All\u2014Hub or No<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#The_Main_Downside_of_Wi-Fi_is_Solvable\" >The Main Downside of Wi-Fi is Solvable<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub-review-geek\/#Dedicated_Smart_Home_Hubs_Are_a_Dying_Breed_Anyway\" >Dedicated Smart Home Hubs Are a Dying Breed Anyway<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Why a Proper Smart Home Doesn\u2019t Need a Hub \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-86570 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/3fdc3f1e.jpg?width=1200\" alt=\"A water sensor, a video doorbell, a humidity sensor, wi-fi light bulb, smart switch, and more wi-fi powered smart home devices.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Josh Hendrickson\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Josh Hendrickson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Technically speaking, there\u2019s no wrong way to set up a smart home. But some smart home advocates insist that \u201c<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/730467\/why-a-proper-smart-home-needs-a-hub\/\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">proper smart homes need a hub<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u201d I disagree entirely. Your smart home doesn\u2019t need a hub. In fact, you\u2019re better off without one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I\u2019ve been in the smart home <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> for years. I surfed the wild ride that was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/217902\/htg-reviews-the-wink-home-automation-hub\/\">Wink when it was good<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/409925\/why-we-cant-recommend-wink-hubs-anymore\/\">Wink when it was faltering<\/a>, and Wink when it went so far off the rails the proper answer was to throw it in the trash. Over time I\u2019ve dealt with the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/411860\/all-the-worst-parts-about-owning-a-smarthome\/\">worst things about owning a smart home<\/a>, and I\u2019ve used other hubs like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/405858\/how-to-bring-your-smarthome-outside\/\">SmartThings<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/407582\/should-you-use-hubitat-to-automate-your-smarthome\/\">Hubitat<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.home-assistant.io\/\">Home Assistant<\/a>. And for a while, every smart home device in my home communicated over Z-Wave and ZigBee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But since then, I\u2019ve ditched all the \u201ctrue hubs\u201d in my home. The only hubs left are the ones that are forced on me to control a few devices, like the Philips Hue bridge and the Ikea TR\u00c5DFRI Gateway. If I could, I\u2019d dump those hubs too. Now when I look for smart home devices, I try to stick to anything that connects to Wi-Fi and compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Empty_Promise_of_Smart_Home_Hubs\"><\/span>The Empty Promise of Smart Home Hubs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/a071c127.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-86572 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/a071c127.jpg\" alt=\"A Nest thermostat, Wink Hub, z-wave lock, and other hub-based devices.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Josh Hendrickson\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Josh Hendrickson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Listen, I get why people want to like smart home hubs. They make lofty promises, promises I\u2019ve even bought into in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cGet the right smart home hub, and you can skip the cloud.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cWith a smart home hub, you can create powerful automations.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cSmart home hubs are faster than Wi-Fi.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cA smart home hub will let you set up and control your smart home with just one <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But after years of smart home hubs and the shifting landscape of smart homes in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, I found most (if not all) of those promises to be empty. And it\u2019s not entirely the fault of hubs, either. Smart home tech, like most tech, is rapidly changing and evolving. And many of those changes made those promises impossible to keep.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_Cant_Skip_the_Cloud\"><\/span>You Can\u2019t Skip the Cloud<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the past few years, smart home device manufacturers have overwhelmingly embraced Wi-Fi as a \u201cstandard\u201d and eschewed Z-Wave and ZigBee. Attend a CES event, and you\u2019ll mostly see smart devices touting <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/32424\/smart-home-devices-are-embracing-wi-fi-and-thats-great\/\">compatibility with Google and Alexa\u2014not a smart hub. Those devices have come down in price, while ZigBee and Z-wave devices haven\u2019t\u2014when you can even find them. And that\u2019s to say nothing of a few smart home companies that insist on creating single-use hubs for specific devices like Philps Hue, Ikea, and Lutron.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Unless you go to extreme lengths to avoid any Wi-Fi devices or any device that uses a specific hub like Philips Hue, you can\u2019t skip the cloud entirely either. And do you want voice controls? Then you need the cloud because, for better or worse, there is no mainstream voice assistant for smart homes that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/440388\/how-to-set-up-a-smarthome-without-the-cloud\/\">doesn\u2019t rely on cloud servers<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hub_Automations_are_Expensive_and_Overrated\"><\/span>Hub Automations are Expensive and Overrated<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/4e9bcd83.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-86573 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/4e9bcd83.jpg\" alt=\"A Nest mini and Echo dot in front of a Wink and SmartThings hub\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Josh Hendrickson\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Josh Hendrickson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Do you want powerful automations? You\u2019ll need smart home sensors. But the most affordable and best smart home sensors either use the cloud or Wi-Fi\u2014or both. Years ago, I bought a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/407582\/should-you-use-hubitat-to-automate-your-smarthome\/\">Hubitat hub<\/a> and worked towards converting everything to it with the full intention of automating my entire home. But when I realized that Z-wave or ZigBee motion sensors from known brands <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Aeotec-Multisensor-temperature-humidity-vibration\/dp\/B0151Z8ZQY?tag=reviewgeek-20\">cost $60<\/a> or more each, I gave up on that plan. I can\u2019t justify spending $600 or more on sensors to outfit my home with automation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I can, however, pay $15 for a Wyze motion sensor. Even if you factor in the $80 starter kit that comes with two contact sensors and a motion sensor, I\u2019ll end up ahead. And for most of my automation needs, the routines Alexa provides are more than enough. I have routines to turn on, raise, and lower my blinds at the start and end of the workday. Other routines turn on and off lights as I move from room to room. And another automation controls the plug to my basement dehumidifier so that it only runs for a half-hour every few hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It doesn\u2019t matter how powerful those automations are if I can\u2019t afford them. Or they\u2019re too complicated to set up, another issue I ran into with Hubitat. I watched a\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/Hubitat\/videos\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">dozen videos<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and read through\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/hubitat.com\/blogs\/home-automation-tutorials\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">novel-length helpfiles<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0only to find myself confused at times on how to set up a basic routine. I got through it, but it didn\u2019t feel worth the effort and learning involved. And I\u2019m tech-savvy! Easy may not always be \u201cbest,\u201d but complicated isn\u2019t always better.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Smart_Hubs_Arent_Faster_than_Wi-Fi_Anymore\"><\/span>Smart Hubs Aren\u2019t Faster than Wi-Fi Anymore<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Once upon a time, smart home hubs were nearly guaranteed to be faster than Wi-Fi devices. That\u2019s because many (not all) skipped the cloud. And by staying local only, the process of triggering a command sped up. But that\u2019s not true anymore for plenty of reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For one, not every smart home hub skips the cloud. SmartThings CAN control SOME things locally but prefers the cloud, for instance. And again, if you want to use voice commands, you\u2019re still heading to the cloud, so you haven\u2019t avoided it at all. And let\u2019s be honest, most people rely on controlling their smart home with voice commands over digging out a phone and tapping through an app.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But beyond that, companies like Google, Amazon, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/32053\/the-new-lifx-bulbs-bring-a-vintage-feel-to-your-smart-home\/\">LIFEX, Nanoleaf, and more have worked together to speed up cloud processing. As long as you have decent internet speeds, the wait is minimal now\u2014often less than a second. Even the Shelly Wi-Fi motion sensor turns on my lights so fast I never feel the need to reach for the light switch. Smart home hubs may have an edge, but it\u2019s imperceptible.\u00a0 The kind of thing that you wouldn\u2019t notice unless you test side by side. In fact, the automations in my Wi-Fi-centric home work so quickly, my family asked me to dial them back!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"One_App_to_Rule_Them_All%E2%80%94Hub_or_No\"><\/span>One App to Rule Them All\u2014Hub or No<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<figure style=\"width: 1921px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/b810f80d.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-86575 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/b810f80d.jpg\" alt=\"A smart home app folder filled with apps.\" width=\"1921\" height=\"1080\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">I admit I have a lot of apps.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Another common promise of hubs is complete control of your devices in one app. And not just control, but setup too! You won\u2019t need to download \u201cyet another app\u201d every time you purchase a new device. And as long as you can stick to just Z-Wave or ZigBee devices, that\u2019s true.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But as we\u2019ve already established, you probably can\u2019t, not without spending a lot of money on more expensive devices and searching far and wide for an option from a brand you trust. Chances are you\u2019ll buy a Wi-Fi device sooner or later, so you\u2019ll end up downloading other apps anyway and THEN connecting them to your hub for control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But you can already get that same experience. If you want\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/435765\/how-to-control-your-entire-smarthome-through-one-app\/\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">one app to rule them<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0all, just use Alexa or Google Assistant. All you need the manufacturer\u2019s app for is the setup process. After that, stick it in an app folder and forget about it. Do everything else through your chosen voice assistant app <\/span><\/p>\n<p>You can take of routines and basic functions with Google or Alexa. Or better yet, use voice commands. That last bit might be necessary for Google Home users. Unlike Alexa, Google doesn\u2019t have an official smart lock API to integrate smart locks into the Google Home app. So most smart locks only offer Google Assistant voice control. You can control Yale locks (owned by Google) from the Google Home app, however.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You\u2019ll notice I didn\u2019t say delete the manufacturer app. And for good reason. Occasionally you\u2019ll need the app to do some sort of maintenance if your smart home device isn\u2019t responding. And as mentioned above, there\u2019s a small possibility your device might only support voice controls\u2014not full app control from Google Home or Alexa. But more importantly, here\u2019s a hard truth about diving deep into smart homes. Eventually, the \u201cone app to control it all\u201d dream becomes a \u201cpainfully long list of devices to scroll through\u201d reality. In my Alexa app, I currently have 130 devices in my \u201call devices\u201d list. If I need to open the garage, it takes forever to get to it on that list.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One solution is to use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/404272\/want-better-smarthome-voice-control-use-groups\/\">groups and rooms<\/a>, but as you can imagine, I have quite a few of those. So frequently, when I want to control my garage door without voice, I use the other solution\u2014open the dedicated garage door app. It has one item it is so it\u2019s easy to find. The same thing goes for my IKEA Smart blinds. I have four of those in the home, so it\u2019s faster to open the IKEA app than scroll through my Alexa or Google Home app.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That problem will exist whether you use a smart home hub app or a voice assistant app. If you manage to buy solely Z-Wave or ZigBee devices, you don\u2019t even have manufacturer apps as a fallback. Frankly, the whole thing is moot anyway\u2014the best smart homes rely on automations (or routines) and voice commands. Most of the time, you shouldn\u2019t need an app to control your stuff, so how many apps you have doesn\u2019t matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Main_Downside_of_Wi-Fi_is_Solvable\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"moka_anchor_maindownside\">The Main Downside of Wi-Fi is Solvable<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72210 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/02\/ba9d5ff4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-credittext=\"Netgear\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Netgear<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ok, so let\u2019s address the elephant in the room. When people advocate for hubs, they\u2019ll often point out that more Wi-Fi devices in your home mean more congestion. And that leads to a slower network: an unacceptable outcome in the day of age of \u201cwork from home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">And that would be a fair point if it were wholly accurate or impossible to avoid. But the truth is, that complaint is inaccurate. And easy to avoid, but we\u2019ll get to that in a moment. Congestion happens when numerous devices send data simultaneously and overwhelm your network. In the \u201chighway analogy,\u201d it\u2019s like having too many cars for the two-lane highway. This is especially true on the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/222249\/whats-the-difference-between-2.4-ghz-and-5-ghz-wi-fi-and-which-should-you-use\/\">2.4 GHz band<\/a>, which many smart home devices use, where there are fewer channels or \u201clanes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">And therein lies the first problem with this argument. ZigBee communicates <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/394567\/zigbee-vs.-z-wave-choosing-between-two-big-smarthome-standards\/\">over the same 2.4 GHz band<\/a>, and so would contribute to the same congestion problems. If you want a smart home hub to avoid congestion, you have to stick with Z-Wave devices, which means no Philips Hue or IKEA devices for you, to name a couple of major players. Smart hubs don\u2019t avoid the issue unless you severely limit your options. But more importantly, congestion isn\u2019t an issue in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Did you notice that the theoretical problem occurs when too much data passes through your network at once? Well, that\u2019s not how most smart home devices work. When it comes to smart lights, plugs, locks, and other similar gadgets, they spend most of the time \u201cat rest.\u201d They don\u2019t transmit data. Instead, they listen for it\u2014the tiny signal that tells it to turn on or off, lock or unlock. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After that, they transmit a quick burst to confirm the command succeeded. That\u2019s it. Your gaming console and smart TV running Netflix cause far more \u201ccongestion\u201d than most smart home devices. The rare exception here is security cameras and video doorbells.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">So congestion of data isn\u2019t the real problem; it\u2019s the number of devices you\u2019ll connect to your router. The Wi-Fi 5 standard didn\u2019t account for smart homes, and likewise, most manufacturers didn\u2019t design Wi-Fi 5 routers to handle smart homes. In many cases, they can\u2019t handle more than a few dozen devices, which is no surprise. Until recently, most homes connected a few tablets, phones, and a computer or two.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Switching to a hub to handle some of those devices would help, it\u2019s true. But that won\u2019t solve any of your other network congestion issues you might be facing. So instead, your smart home needs a Wi-Fi 6 router. Wi-Fi 6 routers can handle hundreds of devices, and the Wi-Fi 6 standard does a better job of preventing congestion on the 2.4 GHz spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s a two-for-one solution that will improve all of your home\u2019s network needs, not just your smart home. In my home, I have 150 active devices connected to my network, and my network was struggling with our frequent need for three simultaneous video calls for myself, my wife, and my son\u2019s school at the same time. The moment I switched to a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/NETGEAR-Whole-Tri-Band-System-RBK852\/dp\/B07WNY2WKG?tag=reviewgeek-20\">NetGear Orbi WiFi 6 mesh system<\/a> my problems disappeared. Everyone is happier, and that\u2019s really all that matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dedicated_Smart_Home_Hubs_Are_a_Dying_Breed_Anyway\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"moka_anchor_dyingbreed\">Dedicated Smart Home Hubs Are a Dying Breed Anyway<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But above all else, there\u2019s one final reason you shouldn\u2019t spend all your time and money investing in a smart home with a dedicated hub for its brains. They don\u2019t have a long shelf life in the smart home world. I don\u2019t mean that if you buy a smart home hub today, it will die tomorrow. I mean, you probably won\u2019t be able to buy one in the near future, and the one buy today may not be supported in the not too distant future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Smart hub companies are dropping like flies. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/fyi\/lowes-is-dumping-its-iris-smarthome-platform\/\">Lowes<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slashgear.com\/staples-connect-hub-is-dead-as-iot-graveyard-grows-26521126\/\">Staples<\/a> got out of the game. After multiple buyouts, Wink is a total dumpster fire. Revolv shut down and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2016\/apr\/05\/revolv-devices-bricked-google-nest-smart-home\">bricked all of its hubs<\/a>. Samsung doesn\u2019t make its own <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/staceyoniot.com\/where-have-all-the-smart-home-hubs-gone\/\">SmartThings hubs anymore<\/a>; you have to buy a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B08TWDNQ5Q?tag=reviewgeek-20\">third-party option<\/a>. Oh, and first-generation SmartThings hubs will lose support soon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Frankly, Google and Amazon killed the traditional smart home hub and replaced it with something better and easier to use. And soon, it will get even easier as Matter (formerly Project ChiP) takes off. It\u2019s a smart home standard that primarily connects over Wi-Fi and will work with Apple, Amazon, and Google devices. Philips Hue, Ikea, and Nanoleaf will also support Matter. And if you buy a Matter-certified device, it will just work in your Matter smart home, with no need to relearn how to set it up\u2014kind of like the original promise of smart home hubs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You don\u2019t need a smart home hub. Google Assistant, Alexa, or even Apple\u2019s Homepod will do. So if you\u2019re worried whether you have a \u201cproper smart home\u201d now with your smart plugs and bulbs and total lack of hub: stop. You have a smart home. And if anything, you\u2019ve invested in the future of smart homes.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/86358\/why-a-proper-smart-home-doesnt-need-a-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Why a Proper Smart Home Doesn\u2019t Need a Hub \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Josh Hendrickson Technically speaking, there\u2019s no wrong way to set up a smart home. But some smart home advocates insist that \u201cproper smart homes need a hub.\u201d I disagree entirely. Your smart home doesn\u2019t need a hub. In fact, you\u2019re better off without&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":268114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/06\/3fdc3f1e.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-268113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}