Basics of wireless smart home solutions

Wonderful entertainment as always when someone lures the KNX zealots, especially , out of their holes. Radio is cheap, already outdated, and basically evil by nature. Cables are like Jesus, the way to revelation. And a smart home is only a house when it at least calculates the entire Earth's weather model itself and then determines the preferred scent mixture for the current mood of the house owner in the automatically preheated sauna.

A light switch at the door [is] an outdated model.

Yeah, sure! Absolute Middle Ages, the business model is as good as dead :p

P.S. as you yourself note, the cost/benefit ratio of KNX is in no relation to the actual performance. For the money you would have to invest in KNX, you could book a ‘smart’ house servant by the hour for years who can really do clever things for you. First build your house, later you can retrofit sensors and actuators via radio or even (HE SAID JEHOVAH!!!!) WLAN where it makes sense.

P.S. as you yourself note, the cost/benefit ratio of KNX is in no way proportional to the actual performance. For the money you would have to invest in KNX, you can also hire a 'smart' housekeeper on an hourly basis for years, who can really do smart things for you. First build your house, later you can retrofit wireless or even (HE SAID JEHOVAH!!!!) WLAN sensors and actuators where it makes sense.

As I said, I see the advantages and disadvantages of both systems. I am quite pragmatic about it, no worries. If the costs for KNX are too high for me, I won’t do it and will then retrofit step by step with wireless.

The cable that can be saved can also bring advantages. For example, fewer slots in the walls. Everything has its pros and cons. I clearly see the advantage in the cable solution that complicated circuits, for example, crossover circuits for lamps, can be completely "simplified" by placing the light switches via BUS cable in the control box and connecting them there accordingly. Then only the power cable goes to the lamp, which can simply be switched by an actuator. I would also welcome continuing here and working out the "most future-proof" radio protocol. I currently rely on Enocean (constantly powered or via tap radio) with the flush-mounted actuators. For tinkering, on Zigbee.

Promising is what most market participants agree on. Connected Home over IP could possibly create a certain pull effect. Until then, I find EnOcean the most likeable because it does not operate on the overcrowded 2.4 GHz band.

The cable that can be saved can also bring advantages. For example, fewer slots in the walls. Everything has its pros and cons.

I clearly see the advantage in the cable solution that you can completely "simplify" complicated circuits, e.g. cross circuits for lamps, by placing the light switches via BUS cable into the control box and accordingly laying them there. To the lamp goes only the power cable, which can then simply be switched via a switching actuator.

Slots are not an issue, at least during the initial installation. As mentioned, it is built in timber frame construction and then has an installation level on the interior walls.

I would also welcome it if one could continue here and work out the "most future-proof" radio protocol. I currently rely on enOcean (powered or via tap radio) for the flush-mounted switching actuators. For playing around, on Zigbee.

If radio, then I would tend towards Z-Wave, it seems to me the most flexible protocol. Where do you see the advantage of enOcean?

The cable that can be omitted can also bring advantages. For example, fewer slots in the walls. Everything has its pros and cons.

Too simple thinking. Or just not thought through. The slots are already there, or how do the 230V get to the sockets and other consumers? It looks similar with the light switches. Because the average builder doesn’t rely 100% on radio technology anyway (who does?). Because they still want absolute control and still want to be able to press the switch in case of emergency. Thus, there is also a slot for the NYM here, which can be replaced with any SELV during the planning phase.