1/ Most of those who follow me don't really get what a true smart home requires in terms of infrastructure. This tweetstream may provide some insight.

We recently launched new 12, 24, and 44 port GigE, PeE+, 10Gig backhaul, layer 3 switches for the home.

2/ The pros that install, configure, and manage these homes have been clamoring for these switches. https://www.cepro.com/product/snapav-ms-series-layer-3-managed-switches-with-ovrc/

3/ Woah, you might say? Why do you need enterprise-grade networking in a HOME?

Remember this?

4/ My vision that led to Windows Home Server has not changed. For homes to really be "smart", the technology needs to be infrastructure, not bolt-on accessories.

5/ The technology infrastructure in the home starts with the physical plant. Racks, mounts, conduit, throughways, etc.

Then, there's power. The switches above deliver up to 30W of power to each device connected to them.

For example, my 'smart home in a box' rack in my office

6/ in Utah has 2 of these new Pakedge switches (that's 48 ports) because I simulate a 6 room house so I can dogfood our products. A bunch of these ports are power (and provide connectivity to) 6 "media over IP" transmitters and 3 receivers.

7/ The full rack is below. Note my home in Bellevue, which was installed and configured by a pro in 2018 when I joined Control4 has THREE 18" racks like this.

See this for more details my own home:
https://ceklog.kindel.com/2018/05/24/concierge-home-technology/

8/ Back to home infrastructure.

Reliable, monitored, managed, power is critical to a home running well. It should be as reliable and "just there" as water is. These switches deliver that.

But of course, they also provide a backbone of IP connectivity, which is ...

9/ the next layer up in the stack of infrastructure (physical, power, networking, ...).

We can never have enough bandwidth. Moving 4K (and soon 8K) video around a home, while also ensuring all the other scenarios is key.

But, Charlie! Wireless!

10/ The pros know. They live by the mantra, even in 2020: If you can do it with a wired network connection, do it with a wired network connection.

Wireless continues to be way too unreliable, fragmented, and complex to rely on for home infrastructure. It's like saying...

11/ ... an aftermarket trolling motor accessory for a 30 ft fishing boat is all it needs.

Maybe someday, wireless will actually work reliably. I've personally been building wireless technologies since I helped put the first pre-801.11 wireless drivers in Windows.

12/ I see no evidence of this situation improving. But, maybe someday.

In the meantime, if you want a true smart home, that actually, really, works all the time (like your water service), and delivers on the experiences you want, you need a wired infrastructure.

13/ But ALL of this stuff is way too complex (and getting more complex).

I just ranted about PoE+ and GigE, and 10Gig backhaul. 99.99999% of the world has no idea what that crap is, nor do they care.

But a lot of folks want the benefits.

14/ The good news is there are these folks out there who actually, really, know their sh** on all this. They make a living learning about it, becoming experts, and building business to help others.

They are called professionals.

15/ I remain steadfastly committed to the vision where mere-mortals can experience the REAL power of a smart home. And I love what we do at @snapav because our entire mission is to ensure those professionals can be scale an be successful.