FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the best time to install?

A: Ideally when you are either refurbishing, extending, or building your house. While many products offer wireless connectivity, a wired cable is the most reliable and these need to be hidden from sight and protected. Some modern houses may have the appropriate cabling in place, in which case this will be checked during the initial survey to ensure the infrastructure in place is suitable for the new technology.

Q: Which products work with each other?

A: Most products can be combined through the use of our central control units. There are new products available almost every day, but if your existing technology is from a well-known vendor then it’s likely we can integrate with it. Many vendors offer an “API” that lets us link up to them, so even if it’s not listed we may still be able to integrate it for you.

Q: Do I have to do everything at once?

A: Most products are modular which means you can buy the basics and then expand their distribution throughout the house when your time or budget allows for it. The only exception to this is the cabling which should be installed whenever the opportunity arises as it’s more expensive to retrofit.

Q: Do you install cabling?

A: Cabling is quoted for in isolation to the smart project, this allows you to make an informed decision and compare against other quotes with complete transparency. Unless previous test results can be confirmed, when third party cabling it to be utilised it will need to be tested to ensure it meets the data transfer rates required. Cables should meet Cat5e standards for control units, audio and network distribution, and Cat6e for video distribution.

Q: Where does the equipment get installed?

The equipment for whole house installations should be located within a standard size AV cabinet. This ensures the correct physical conditions for the equipment, that it is protected and kept as dust free as possible. The cabinets come in a variety of sizes and are installed in the location that all the house cabling runs back to. It is good to plan a location for the cabinet if you are currently renovating, but otherwise its location will be assessed and discussed with you on the initial house survey and proposal.  If you are just installing a single smart item or hub then it will usually go next to where your home internet router is to ensure it can connect to the network easily.

Q: How secure are the devices?

A: There has been a lot in the news about the security of smart technology and home networks. The bottom line is that any network is only ever as secure as its weakest point and many people don’t enforce security on the network correctly. We use complex passwords on all devices, and firewalls with access rules to ensure only the people and devices we want to be able to access the equipment are the ones that can. Please see our Wi-Fi section for more information on network security and our configuration options.