The best mesh Wi-Fi router for a smart home is one that fixes coverage without making your network harder to manage. For most Australian homes, a two-node Wi-Fi 6 mesh kit is the safest starting point. Bigger homes may need…
A local smart home processes automations and device commands on your own network instead of sending every action to a vendor’s cloud. When the internet drops, your lights, climate routines and security automations can keep working because the hub, not…
A smart home gateway is hardware that translates between wireless protocols so your devices can work together. Without it, a Zigbee motion sensor cannot talk to a Wi-Fi bulb because they use different languages. The gateway receives one signal and…
What Is a Smart Home Hub? The Brain of Your Smart Home Explained If you’ve started collecting smart devices, you’ve probably noticed a problem: your phone is cluttered with a dozen different apps, and getting your devices to work together…
What Is a Smart Home Gateway? (And Do You Really Need One in 2025) The world of smart homes is filled with confusing terms: hubs, bridges, controllers, and gateways. While they often seem to describe the same thing, understanding the…
What is a Local Smart Home? The Benefits of Privacy and Reliability Has this ever happened to you? Your internet goes down, and suddenly your $30 smart bulbs become dumber than the 50-cent bulbs they replaced. Or perhaps you’ve wondered…
The best Zigbee stick for Home Assistant in 2026 is still the Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus P for most people. Choose the Sonoff E if you specifically want Silicon Labs and Thread experimentation, or the SMLight SLZB-06 if…
