Top 10 best Home Automation System 2022 Passed Our Test

If you are a newbie to Lynx Touch, you will need some computer know-how and the Installation and Setup Guide. The Installation and Setup Guide gives more explanations, and a copy is available online. If you are a computer geek, you should be fine with this DIY project. Note that if you want remote monitoring, you will need to pay about $10 per month for self-monitoring service using the WIFI module as communicator. If you are using this unit as a noise maker without remote monitoring, then you don’t have to pay for a monthly service. If you have a landline, you can hook the landline to this unit, and program up to two telephone numbers to call out through the Follow Me feature. The alarm will call out when a fault is triggered. There are how-to videos on line if you need help. If Honeywell would add e-mail capability directly to this unit without the need for a monthly service charge, I would give this unit 5 stars.Update: Instead of a landline which costs about $30 per month, I am using a AT&T Wireless Phone Base ZTE WF720 (to provide the landline over GSM) and H2O Wireless $10 per 90 days plan. The WF720 has a backup battery providing up to 3.5 hours talk and 36 hours standby, GSM (two bands), 3G. That means you can use the Follow Me feature through the WF720 for about $3 per month.Note: The WF720 will not carry modem signals, so you cannot use the WF720 for monitoring by an alarm company. I’m using the ZTE WF720 for the voice call via the Follow Me feature. I self monitor, I do not use a professional alarm company. The Follow Me feature calls me and my backup when there’s an alarm.Note: If you need monitoring by professional central office, I recommend getting the newest GSM module GSMVLP5-4G (currently at 4G). Traditional landline and cable risk getting cut by burglars.Note: AT&T will sunset their 3G network by 12/31/2021. Your WF720 is 3G and will stop functioning by that time. Migrate to MF279 or IFWA-40 (4G) before then to continue Follow-Me feature.

I have only had the system installed for about 48 hours, but have been very please with it’s functionality and ease of set up. The system cam with the hub, 2 door sensors, 2 motion detector, camera and key fob. The instructions for the hub were very simple and concise. To make life so much easier, set the hub and all accessories up from the app, which I used iOS. Be sure to write down your passwords for the hub and the app for future reference. Next were the 2 motion sensors. They are sensitive, so think about where you want them, especially if you have pets. My original location for one of the sensors was about 25 feet from my couch and it triggered whenever I or my dog sat on the couch. Moved it to another location, problem solved and it covers the area I wanted to target. Motion sensor 2 was just as easy and covers a large open space in my garage without random triggers of the alarm. Both went in with double sided tape, but I can foresee needing to replace that pretty quickly. To open the motion sensors, I used a flat head screwdriver, which is okay, but it dinged up the plastic, so a coin might be better. Door sensors went in quickly using just double sided tape. The are also sensitive and work quickly to trigger. All four of these sensors where installed and activated with the app in about 10 minutes. I at first thought the camera had to be hard wired to the internet to work, wrong. You have to hard wire it to program it, but then it works via WiFi. Using the app, set up took less then 5 minutes. Now deciding where to put it, that took longer, but once in it gives you good coverage of the area you want to view – for me, I can view my entire living room, which catches the front entry door, garage entry door and the entry to my kitchen – in total about 45 degree angle. My only issue with the camera is the night vision is grainy and slow to respond if you want to pan the room. If you need to get a still of someone in your house it will work, but it is not great. You can also video, which is also hard to see, but it will work. Day time vision is awesome!! The mike and speaker also work well as I tested them when a friend came to walk my dog. A person who has been in my house a hundred times, did not see the camera until I started talking to her. The speaker is clear, as I heard every word she said to the dog when she entered.The SkyNet app is pretty easy to use and download, which for a someone not very techy is fantastic!! Once it is on the phone, activating all the sensors is a breeze. You can modify each sensor as to how it alarms, when it sends notifications and to chime or not when activated. Running the camera from the app is also super simple. My biggest like about the app, you can set the alarm from any where!! So, if you forget, you can set it or disarm it with ease. It also means you do not have to carry the fob.Overall, very pleased with the system and the app. For the cost and no monthly contract, this will work just fine for my needs and I will expand for another door sensor and camera in the future. This system does not get 5 stars because of the night vision, but as of these past 48 hours, it is a strong 4.5 system!!

The Lynx series (5000, 5210) set the bar for a good home-installed system. Beware that the different models have different options for landline-vs-wifi-vs-cellular connections and make sure the options you want will work with the panel model. 5210 is probably the most versatile choice. The only thing that is bothersome, is that the red light on the PANIC key on the console is ALWAYS ON, so there is always a “red light” literally, on the panel. Even when there’s nothing wrong. A spot of tape cures that. (Really, Honeywell??) It was disappointing that the system threw a “tamper alert” on installation. Apparently the tamper switch on the cover wasn’t quite aligned properly, and the instructions are rather vague about whether they include which screw which might need to be added into an unmarked untapped post to close that up. A little fidgeting around with the cover and repowering it finally cleared that though. These are generally pretty simple, reliable, flexible. There are a lot of options installation and setup aren’t really “hard” but you’ll need to take some time going over everything. If you are connecting to a central monitoring service, they CAN do a lot of the setup remotely for you, and that’s often well worth the price.

I waited over a year to write a review on this matrix switch to ensure it had a decent amount of action. I have been very satisfied with this purchase and probably like most of you, poured over many reviews for many products trying to make the right decision regarding this important piece of equipment.I wanted to update my entire home to run from an AV rack in the basement. Control4 is my main home automation system and the driver for this unit was easy to obtain and install.As you can see from one of the attached images, all of the inputs are being utilized along with a decent amount of the outputs including HMDI, HDBaseT, IR and audio extractors. Some of the runs for the install were quite long, so HDBaseT was a must.The main unit has been rock solid along with the HDBaseT receivers and the audio extractors. I have not had a single issue with the hardware to date.A couple comments which may be relevant regarding your decision.The internal fans that came with the unit were quite loud. The fact that my rack is in the basement helps, but I still have a theater room down there where the noise was too much. I replaced the fans with Noctua fans. An incredible difference and one the manufacturer should consider, if they have not made a change already.Your TV’s need to be 1080P or higher if your source is 1080P or higher. I have an old plasma I cannot seem to part with because the color is still amazing, but it can only handle 720P. I tried separate down scalers to overcome this issue between the HDBaseT receiver and the TV, but without success. I ended up having to dedicate an AppleTV to only output its resolution to 720P. The EDID settings are easy to access and change, but it could not help with this particular situation.Everything else has been perfect. I have not had any picture issues, switching issues or audio issues. When first configuring the unit, I contacted the seller a couple of times and they were very much helpful.I would and have recommended this product to others. Good luck with your decision!

I have the RM4Pro now controlling 8 banks of lights (14 sockets) that were previously just controlled with a 433.29 [Mhz] BN-Link remote and 315 [MHz] Westek RF remote. The RM4Pro is also controlling my Sony receiver, Samsung TV, and Samsung DVD player. The IR signal strength is very good, and works in the same room from about 25 feet away and through a metal grate in the cabinet doors. The RF signal strength is also very good, and I control sockets in cabinets and on different floors of my house. The RM4 Pro is very stable on the WiFi network and I have never had it drop or not be found.However, the Broadlink app is not more convenient than a physical remote control, and is less well laid out, and has less button mapping, than the apps that come with my receiver, DVD, Lights, etc. The real improvement is the ultimate goal of controlling the RM4Pro with my smart home assistant. I use G—-e H–m Assistant (“GHA”), one of the two Alexa competitors. And this works pretty well. The switches have to be set up as “bulb” in Broadlink, or GHA won’t recognize them. The control with GHA for the receiver/DVD is basic: on and off. But I really only wanted to control the lights, and the other device on-off control is really “gravy.” If you want to control more, like volume, changing source, etc., you should use the Broadlink app, physical remote, app that came with the device, or set up scenes in Broadlink (then you have to use the “activate scene” terminology in GHA).Con: I accidentally included sub-devices, temperature and humidity, when setting up the RM4Pro, and I cannot find a way to remove them without starting all over. Given how long it took to learn all the remotes and buttons, I actually ordered the sensor cable so that they will be functional rather than have to set everything up again. The sensor and humidity are interesting, in that they confirm my thermostat readings and are more precise (to two decimal points).Note: The RM4Pro cannot control Bluetooth controlled devices, like a PS4 or FireTV; but they do not advertise that they do, and could not do so without cooperation from the manufacturers anyway.Con: If you have a 5 [MHz] and 2.4 [MHz] WiFi broadcasting the same SSID, you have to disable the 5 [MHz] when setting up, or the device won’t connect.Con: I had some trouble getting the RM4 Pro to connect to my WiFi LAN. I tried about 7 times, and, after the Broadlink app connected to the device, it just kept failing when trying to send the SSID and password to the device. I tried in AP mode and smart mode. I unplugged it and re-plugged it several times, and one time and it finally worked. Be persistent and keep resetting the device. Once set up though, it has been rock-solid.Con: This device does not come with a USB power supply. You must supply a USB micro that can put out at least 1 amp. I tried an old supply that put out 0.7 amps, and the device was flaky with this underpowered power supply.Overall, this Broadlink device paired with RF/IR is a much cheaper way to get smart on-off control than buying lots of smart lamp sockets individually. I’m already paying a significant amount to control overhead lights with Lutron’s Caseta hub system as I slowly replace switches for $150 a pop as I get the version with the built-in preset and matching Pico remote and pedestal.Conclusion: I’m actually very happy the RM4 Pro solution the more I use it. Now I am going to buy some of the RM4 Pro’s little brothers, the IR-only remotes, to hit some IR fans in other rooms. Looking at some information on-line, it looks like I’ll get the on-off functionality with GHM easily, and will have to use Broadlink’s scenes for oscillate, speed, etc.2021.06.10 update: Con – No Ethernet over USB support, so must use WiFi.

Update 27-Oct-20: Changing from 2 stars to 4 as the vendor has really spent time effort and communication with me showing real interest to increase compatibility and correct issues. I’ve also learned a bit more about IR remote control – there are a lot of different protocols/techniques used and there is no standard. So it’s very challenging – probably impossible – to be 100% compatible with every IR device. Fortunately, one of the main things I want to be able to control with this looks like they will be able to get working!Update 19-Oct-20: Changing from 1 to 2 stars as the vendor has replied – so far not any fix. Read updates at bottom.Have wasted lot of time with this poorly engineered product, and the bottom line is: It WILL NOT connect to my TP-Link Archer A7 router (2.4ghz wireless).I have tried lots of things, including even disabling wireless security, changing the support for A/B/G/N, etc. The same thing happens every single time: this Broadlink device makes attempt to connect to the router, but it fails. I can see the Broadlink mac address as it connects to the router with 100% signal quality, and it shows in the wireless devices for a second or two, disappears, and will keep repeating the unsuccessful connection attempt.I have a spare older Netgear router, and in my troubleshooting set it up. This Broadlink will connect to it – but it’s not the router I want to use. So, is the problem the TP-Link or this Broadlink? I would have to say it’s the Broadlink because I have never had a problem connecting any wifi device to the TP-Link, including Amazon echo devices, Google home devices, smart plugs, smart thermostats, phones, notebook computers, etc., etc., etc.Extremely disappointed, but not entirely surprised as I look at other reviews. As I see it, there’s something funky about the wifi setup/firmware on this device and it will work with some 2.4ghz routers, but definitely not all. So, even if it works for you, would you want a device that may not work in the future if you change/upgrade your router?UPDATE 1: Was ready to request RMA to send it back, and thought, well maybe I should at least see how it would work if it could connect to my network, so I hooked my old Netgear router up to the Internet, connected my phone and setup the Broadlink device. After it connected and finished the initial setup, it immediately downloaded from the internet new firmware. Aha. So, with that maybe it will connect to the router I actually use? I then put the TPLink back to the net and the Broadlink back to setup mode and….. It now connects to the TPLink router….SO, we have a product that ships with bad firmware that prevents it from connecting to at least some routers/wifi, and the only way to fix it is to connect to a router/wifi and download new firmware! What really needs to happen is the vendor needs to re-flash these things before sending them out as new product….UPDATE 2: After getting the hub on my network, started adding my remotes. No issue with TV, but had immediate issue with my set-top-box which is a Cisco ISB7150 – a ‘cable’ box with DVR provided by Hawaiian Telcom for their ‘cable’ provided by fiber using IP technology. I didn’t find the remote listed by BroadLink, so tried to add it as custom. No matter what I tried, it would not learn a single button. Believe me, I tried and tried and tried. I have 2 remotes that can operate the stb – the one provided by Hawaiian Telcom (URC 2025B1-BB) and my old Logitech Harmony 650 which is perfectly able to learn any of the remote codes and is in the Logitech database. Almost ready to give up, I noticed a BroadLink database listing for: Iptv Cisco! (Under ‘I’ not ‘C’). Well, that worked for the basic function of the stb, but none of the DVR-related keys are programmed, and many of the “less-used” set-top buttons as well are not there – with no success in getting BroadLink to learn any of them.I rec’d the product from Amazon on Sat. BroadLink support is “5×24” no Sat/Sun. But on Monday I did receive an email response from BroadLink to my problems. They acknowledge firmware update can resolve some compatibility issue with wifi (but that’s catch-22 for most people as it requires connecting to a different router before it can be fixed and there’s absolutely no mention of this potential issue anywhere). And, I was told they will change the database listing from ‘Iptv Cisco’ to ‘Cisco Iptv’. And, I was asked more about the remote that can’t be learned as if they are interested in addressing that. Will see what happens….Finally, my ultimate goal is to use this with Alexa, and that does seem to work, but until I can get the STB remote functionality, it’s too limited to be useful.

In the wake of Samsung’s acquisition of SmartThings and afterwards their unfortunate neglect of the product, I was forced to look for a new Z-wave hub. I decided to go with Hubitat because it was just about the only one on the market based on the latest Gen 7 Z-wave standard, which promises higher speeds, longer distances, better battery life, and better security. I was forewarned that setting up a Hubitat system is not as easy as with SmartThings, but I dove in anyway.The differences between Hubitat and SmartThings are many, but here are the ones that really matter (IMHO):1. SmartThings is dying, while Hubitat is growing. That’s pretty important. No one seems to be working on the SmartThings app anymore, and the hub is no longer available from Samsung (it’s now only available from Aeotek and it’s a legacy device based on the older Gen 5 technology). In the meantime, Hubitat is obviously a very energetic universe, with nearly twice-weekly updates to the hub firmware since I’ve had it. It’s nice to be in a place that seems to have a future, as SmartThings once did. There is a very active community of Hubitat users too, who are constantly posting tips, tricks, and ideas.2. SmartThings automation depends on the cloud. If you lose internet access in your home, your entire SmartThings automation scheme is DOA until internet is restored. Hubitat, on the other hand, provides local execution of automation, independent from the cloud. You can cut your internet data cable and the automation that has been configured into the Hubitat hub will not be affected (except for any automation that explicitly uses internet services like IFTTT). The resulting Hubitat automation is much faster and more reliable than SmartThings.3. With Hubitat, there is no all-encompassing App for iPhone or Android like there is for SmartThings. Instead, you connect to and configure Hubitat with a browser-based app on your computer or phone. Browser apps are best used on a computer, where there is enough real estate to see everything at once. I can’t imagine trying to configure Hubitat from a phone. There is, however, a simple phone App for Hubitat that allows you to see your system and interact with it after it’s built, but that app does not support any changes in configuration (like adding a new device).4. You can tell Hubitat has been designed by a bunch of coders who have made it very easy for them to expand and maintain. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have invested one thin dime is the area of “User Experience”. As a result, the configuration of a new Hubitat Hub is like building a house. First you dig up the ground, then you pour the foundation, then you start framing, then you attach the roof, and on and on. Almost nothing is automatic; there is no anticipation of what your next logical action is likely to be. For example, in SmartThings, if you add a water sensor, the SmartThings app is smart enough to realize that you may be interested in getting a notification on your phone that water has been detected, and you are lead by the hand down that path. Hubitat, on the other hand, may recognize a new sensor as being a water sensor but that’s the end of it. You want a display to check sensor status? you’ve got to add the Dashboard app, then add a Dashboard tile (based on templates, at least). You want a notification? You have to add the ‘Notification’ app, then configure a ‘Notifier’ that alerts your phone (if you’ve added your phone to the system, that is) to the message that you want to send under what conditions. Along the way there are myriad drop-down lists, checkboxes, fill-in values, and what-have-you. In the end you will get what SmartThings would have given you in 3 minutes, except the first time with Hubitat will take you 60 minutes. All very logical, but absolutely not user-friendly. It does get easier as you learn and you will be very productive after completing your first automation, bit it takes patience to get there.5. The complication that Hubitat brings to the user experience also provides for some very powerful logic capability that can be incorporated into your device automations. All you have to do is learn the arcane “Rule Machine” app (of course you have to add it first) and you can create logic so complex that no one will ever be able to understand it.6. Hubitat supports more than Z-wave; it also supports Zigbee and a small family of LAN devices. More importantly, it supports cloud ‘devices’ like IFTTT as well as Amazon Echo and Google Home too. Just add the apps…6. A word of caution: The Hubitat universe apparently used to have built in SMS (text message) capability, but this has been removed in recent times. You can get equivalent messages via your phone’s Notification capability. if you still want true SMS capability, you have to add an app that allows you to access a paid SMS service called Twilio. I signed up for this but immediately regretted it because the cost can get out of hand pretty fast, and in the end there was no benefit (for me at least) over and above simple phone notifications, which are free.In summary — Hubitat is, at present, not for everyone. And it will never be for everyone unless and until the Hubitat team gets serious about a comprehensive iPhone/Android app for both configuration and monitoring. Whether they get there is anyone’s guess, but for me it was the best choice here in 2021. I am now officially rooting for their continued success.

REVISED: Additional CONSA decade and a half ago, to work from home, I had to prove our house had a security system. I did not want something that required a subscription and I found the SkyLink SC-100 basic system. It worked well for our small home, and gave us the peace of mind that, should someone try and break in, we would know about it. Over the years, we more or less maxed out the system.This year, we are in the process of renovating our home; adding a garage, etc., and decided it was time to upgrade the home security system. Enter the SkyLink SK-200!! Wow! Nice, small form factor on the alarm unit. I got it unboxed and set up in no time, replacing the older SC-100 sensors with the new ones.PRO: Works EXCEPTIONALLY WELL through the Android and iOS app! You set up an account through the app and then use the app to set up the hub.PRO: Uses AAA and AA batteries in the sensors. No more special A23 batteries!PRO: Set up the app on all our mobile devices – they all register the sensor activity.PRO: Though the alarm is loud, the mobile apps also tell you when an event has happened with push notifications and banners, and more importantly – WHERE! Which sensor has been fired off! LOVE THIS!! No longer do I have to race to the keypad to see which LED zone light is lit.PRO: Can set the alarm from anywhere in the house; do not need to activate it from the keypad.PRO: The alarm is LOUD, and all the mobile devices with the app running indicate there is something going on and at what sensor.CON: The iOS app is buggy and would not allow me to define the wireless hub (needed for the rest of the mobile devices to connect). I had used an old iPhone to set it up initially, and could not get more than blank alerts on the other devices. I decided to try it again; reset the hub and deleted the app off the iPhone and then install the app on my Android mobile. WORKED GREAT! Through the Android app I was able to define the wireless hub and set that password that all the other mobile systems were then able to use. Now all our devices in the house (iPhones and tablets) can see the SkyLink hub and sensors.CON: About once a month, the hub goes offline. You can tell because the indicator icon on the app turns red. I have to unplug it and using a pin, press the reset button on the bottom of the unit. Drove me CRAZY because it kept telling me that one of our sensors was open (it wasn’t). At 1AM when you want to go to bed, it was not fun having to debug this thing.CON: I really wish there was a more comprehensive owner manual other than the set-up cheat sheet.There is a ton more functionality that I may or may not get around to using, but it’s nice to know that it’s there if and when the time comes.I did not rate tech support because I have not needed to contact them, but other folks reviewing this product said they were great to work with.

Was super excited to install two of these home control panels into my home…First two panels had plunger issues; when the faceplate is off, the base unit has a plunger for each of the lights (count varies on number of light switches), and I guess it is a known issue that the plungers may fail to make contact thus not allowing the light to work; I called the company and they sent out two new base units. The new units work with no issues thus far.I have read, and my electrician did also; that there can be heat issues and that you need to use a deep box to accommodate all of the wiring and heat load… we went with a 3.5″ deep box (88.9 mm for my European mates). This seems to be doing well.The next issues I have are about value;1) Rather than allow you to choose your color, they make you buy the white version and then allow you to purchase a plastic ($0.50) cover for $25-$30… The base unit is already priced at a premium… this seems egregious.2) I luckily purchased my units in mid 2021…and for the 4-gang (switch) home control panel paid $448 each. Now for BLACK FRIDAY… the unit is $549 but you get a free dimmer switch ($70 retail value) with the panel. Seriously? You raise the price $100 and then offer an additional product that cost you $20 wholesale? Money grab with no added value…stuff like this will take me off the “fanboy” list and make me hesitant to recommend them…Software updates have been easy and the unit is available to my google assistant 95% of the time on the first try… dimming works well with my led lamps…

Needed to add some water leak sensors and decided to go with Aqara. So far works good since I have a AC unit upstairs that tends to leak, I can catch it fast. Easy to set up Hub and sensor

The Aqara app is a little buggy. And takes a little to get used to. The push notifications sometimes take a few minutes to come in.For example, if you are in the ‘shield status’ screen it will not update when an alarm happens. You have to exit out of the screen and come back into it to see current status. Sometimes the alarm notification will come in AFTER you have stopped the ‘away alert’. The ‘24×7 alert is running’ makes the Alert System a little less intuitive. As once you start it, it always runs. But you can edit it, and sometimes get the screen confused and it will show ‘24×7 alert’ as not running (gray icon).The sensor naming is also a little bit confusing. You can put a sensor in a particular room, but then in some screens it will not give you the details of which particular ‘leak detector’ you are working with. There seems to be 3 levels to the sensor naming. I was naming sensors with their location. Like basement leak sensor. But then on the screen with all the cards showing status, you have ‘basement’ and ‘basement leak …’, but then in another screen it may say leak sensor 3. And you have to know the ‘basement leak’ is just the name cut off and not that you have a leak.

Good, not great. Loses connection every once in a while. I also got a dead one but luckily after proving it didn’t work 10 ways to Sunday support sent a new one out so I’m happy about that. The Alexa integration doesn’t work for sending voice notifications and it’s useless but the system by itself and in it’s app works great.I use the light to tell my family I’m on calls and use it as a night light for the kids, so cool.I have the button and door sensors. They work flawless as long as the hub doesn’t lose connection.The app is a little weird but setup is easy once you get the hang of it.Not the most intuitive system but the size of the sensors is nice and small and when I eventually get home assistant running this should be a great starter set for sensors.I’d buy more, but only from Amazon or the Aqara store since I had issues with their hub.

Just got started but so far this Hubitat hub solved the problems I was having dealing with being caught between my Smartthings automations no longer working due to the platform changes and the Hue bridge strictly constraining the functionality of any accessory that’s not a light – in this case their outdoor motion sensors. In short, the Hubitat hub let me setup in five minutes all the automation between Hue motion sensors and Ewelink wireless relays that had recently stopped working on the Smartthings hub and that were not allowed on the Hue hub. There are some oddly unintuitive things to get past (like in order to add a new rule you need to add a new “app”) and I still haven’t quite figured out the Dashboard customization thing, which does not seem to make it easy to add all your devices after the first time you create it. However I’m extremely pleased that this hub just works, plus processes locally. I think there will be plenty of hurdles with figuring out how to do more advanced automations or use more devices since this seems like a much more developer-focused system, which is fine for me but should be understood by prospective buyers. I’m thrilled that this hub solved the problems I had with doing the automation that other hubs either recently stopped doing or wouldn’t let me do in the first place.

It’s a shame this is zigbee but will not work with other hubs. I tried all the tricks and custom code but could not get this to work with my Hubitat. I broke down and bought an Aqara hub and the switch works great. I know the description states it will only work with an Aqara hub, but I’m still knocking off a star because it should work with others. Many other brands claim their devices will only work with their hubs but they work just fine with others. Sadly, this is not the case for the Aqara dual-gang switch. It does work flawlessly with an Aqara hub.

I am happy with these door/window sensors. The two pieces need to be installed a bit closer together than VOCOlinc sensors. I put one of these on a laundry closet with a pull-out accordion type door. There is a bit of a gap between doors, so I had to install one of the pieces hanging off the door just a bit. They are simple to install and no problems maintaining connection. Using with Aqara G2H camera hubs.