Where should the "brains" of your home be located?
Where's your center?
This question should be asked and answered before purchasing your first smart home product:
- Can I rely on WiFi and the cloud to automate my home?
Or
- Do I want local control of my home without relying on the internet?
If your installation is small and casual, you can probably rely on the internet and get by without a hub or controller.
However, with minimal expense and setup, your home can operate on its own, so we suggest hub and controller solutions.