Buying a condo under construction. Just got told I am meeting with the “wire guy” tomorrow. If I want to buy Smart Things version 2 when it comes out… what should I have done now? What about an alarm system… I really would like one I could control from my phone as part of the system… Suggestions? Thanks Ginny…
Run Ethernet all over your place, every room, like telephone outlets. I kid you not. The best thing you can do. You can decide on the devices later and of course what @ehoffman73 suggests below about zwave switches.
Common wires to every place where your thermostats are going to be…
2 Likes
I wouldn’t rely on ST for alarm stuff quite yet…Smart Alarm is a great program but I myself still kept my ADT installation while I built ST around for everything else and may end up putting a siren in. Response by actual police, etc still has value to me even though ADT is a bunch of crooks themselves…errr, I mean, overpriced bandits.
For wiring, I suggest using zwave switches and outlets in appropriate places. Don’t plan to put in smart bulbs anywhere you may have someone in the house actually using the real switches to turn stuff on and off. A lot of my install is zwave switches and outlets and it has worked very, very well with 3 kids and the wife…they can operate like they normally do but I get the advantage of all the automation.
You’ll find several “building a new home” topics in the forums that should give you some ideas.
That said, it’s important to understand that everyone has different requirements for peace of mind when it comes to security systems.
For me personally, my minimum requirements for something that might be used in a life and death emergency is that it work when the power and WiFi are off, that it be professionally monitored 24/7, and that it communicate with the monitoring center via cellular, not Internet. SmartThings misses on all 3 of these points, so I use a different system altogether for security.
But there are other people who just can’t stand the idea of paying a monthly fee, and who believe they can monitor their system as well as a paid center. So they have a different priority list.
Here are a few of the more recent “I’m building a new place” topics to give you some ideas:
.
.
.
Meanwhile for the shortest answer: you want lots of Cat6 cable and lots of power outlets in every room. You want neutral wires available at all the light switches. You want both power outlets and cable both high and low in the rooms (high so you can plug in things like motion sensors and speakers.)
Cable and wiring is cheap to do while the walls are open, and literally hundreds of times more expensive to add later.
1 Like
Yeah, I second that. I only ran ethernet and cable to 5 rooms, and 10 years in they aren’t the rooms I want it in now at this point since things have changed with a growing family, etc. LOL
1 Like
Since the hub (v1 or v2) will only have an Ethernet port, I’d ensure you’ve got a LAN port in each major room in case you need to move the hub around.
As for an alarm system, I keep mine separate from ST but I know others have done integration. I can still control everything from my phone by using an EnvisaLink 3 from EyezOn. Personally I use a Honeywell system with all hardwired devices.
Also, plan for outlets properly, especially so you can have battery backup units in close proximity to your gear.
2 Likes
Hi @jgirvine, I am building a house also (one of the linked threads is my set of questions). One thing I don’t see mentioned in here is that the V2 hub will have video streaming functionality that wasn’t possible with V1. For that reason I will also be running CAT6 to 4 locations for POE cameras. That may be something you want to consider. Foscam has a number of options and they seem to be pretty helpful, though I haven’t purchased anything yet so I have a pretty narrow view on that so far.
I would also suggest putting some thought into where you are placing your hub, router and switchs. There are a few good threads on how the radios are positioned in the hub V1 and explain what types of interference to be aware of for the different radio types (I really hope they do something similar for V2). I certainly get that I may have to move my hub to another location later but I am still crossing my fingers that my planning for WiFi and HA coverage works out.
Good luck, and if you learn anything good please share!
-JD
It’s a good idea to place your hub away from the rest of your electronics, especially wifi and other rf devices. The ideal location is central within the space where controlled devices will be, and high up. So when you run all of that CAT6 wiring, think about that spot as one to get wired, and to get an AC outlet. Mine is on a high shelf in a closet that happens to be central to the house.
1 Like
I use all cat7 because it is flat and shielded. Hardly couple of dollars more.
Tons of these in various lengths and colors
BUT THE FLAT VERSION OF THE ONE SHOWN IN THE LINK. ALSO AVAILABLE AT AMAZON. And I don’t mix and match 6 & 7’s. Only 7’s.
1 Like
OP here… WOW !!! Thanks to everyone… I have been reading all this for about 3 hours now. I have 2 pages of notes. Appreciate.
So @jgirvine, did you get everything set up? What worked out great and what would you do differently?
Still under construction. Be a couple of months yet… I did have the network wiring upgraded, had a couple of access points added… other than that, I just plan to come in behind them and change stuff out. Ginny