You can, but it only has downsides… single connection, no use of existing lan / WiFi needs you to stay wired to the thing, driver issues, dongles from B to A to C etc. just to save 15€ on a >15k€ Knx installation.
The USB era is over 
Have a look at this video, he does a smart home install with Shelly devices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iju8sWhlyww It is similar to the approach you were considering.
One thing he mentions that I forgot to say: Don’t get “smart” blinds, whether PoE, Bluetooth Matter, etc. Just go with mains powered, Somfy or similar. They need three wires: Neutral and Mains Up and Down. You can connect whatever technology you want to control them afterwards. You electrician will have no problem running the cables, and connecting them is simple.
Also, if you do go with a lot of WiFi devices, consider a decent WiFi setup. Your ISPs box is unlikely to be able to cope.
Thank you, great video.
I was seriously considering zigbee or similar but no longer. Makes perfect sense going standard motorized with smarts back at the din rail.
Plan is to avoid WiFi as much as possible but already a Unifi convert and will put a couple of AP’s positioned using the planner previously recommended. Also considering some Unifi cameras or at least the doorbell and the rest reolink.
Good call, thank you and to those supporting the sentiment.
Again, really appreciate everyone’s experience and guidance. I feel far more confident with the path forward now and I hope the discussions in this thread might assist others too.
You might loose some functionality. With mains up/down you can’t have multiple speeds or perfect position - it’s always calculated based on time. Might be fine though.
If you want wired blinds with nice positioning and maybe even multi speeds you’d have to go for something like SMI. But motors and gateways are quite rare (and expensive) for that. Haven’t heard about PoE ones yet though
Isn’t Somfy using some radio protocol?
I think Somfy do offer their own battery powered options. The Somfy Sonesse 40 roller blind motors we used were 240V and cost around €120 each. Our blind suppliers wanted to sell us their own automated system, but this was much cheaper and simpler. Also, the motor is very quiet in operation. I had looked at SMI control, but it was more expensive and difficult to source.
I used Warema KNX blind controllers and I haven’t even looked at them since they were installed. Once the top and bottom limit switches were setup on the Somfy motor, and the run times configured on the Warema, they worked reliably and the positioning has always been spot on.
I used a HA Blueprint do control them: Cover Control Automation (CCA)
UniFi released a major Protect update that made third-party cameras from brands like Hikvision, Reolink, and others much more usable within the ecosystem. ONVIF-compatible cameras now support features like motion detection, audio, and even PTZ controls, which is a huge improvement.
That said, I still highly recommend buying UniFi cameras where it really counts. For specialty cameras such as 180-degree panoramic models, PTZ cameras, or anything requiring advanced features, I’d stick with UniFi to avoid compatibility headaches.
For basic dome or turret cameras, third-party options can be a great way to save money. Just be careful with extremely high-resolution models. Some cameras with resolutions beyond 4K, particularly unusual aspect ratios or multi-sensor configurations, can have compatibility issues. There’s no universal 6K cutoff, but it’s worth checking compatibility before purchasing. It’s especially strange when you consider that UniFi sells cameras with resolutions higher than what some third-party setups can reliably handle.
As for the console, here’s my advice: If you’re building a new system, I’d personally skip the Cloud Key+ and smaller all-in-one consoles for anything beyond a modest installation. In my experience, they worked well initially but eventually became troublesome, particularly with heat and long-term reliability. That’s my experience, though, not necessarily a problem every owner will encounter.
I’d recommend starting with at least a UDM Pro or UDM Pro Max, along with a decent 12U rack if you have the space. You’ll have a cleaner, more expandable setup with better headroom for future upgrades.
Ultimately, third-party cameras are a great way to save money, but I wouldn’t compromise on the cameras or infrastructure that matter most.
Oh yes I saw that, very classy move from Ubiquiti. Was actually watching this video last night on just this and he mentioned compatibility is inconsistent across brands currently and best to stick to Unifi cameras for now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6eFlU4sllI he even showed the TV PiP thing you mentioned and using web hooks for pulling specific Protect events into HA.
Appreciate this, will look into it.
Fish tape.
For Zooz + dumb LEDs, the main “gotcha” is neutral wiring in multi-way setups and box depth. Zooz smart switches are solid Z-Wave hardware, but if you’re planning 3-way or 4-way circuits (e.g. hallway or bedside double switches), running line voltage wiring to every gang box during a full rewire gets expensive and messy real quick.
Since you’re doing a full rewire, one clean workaround a lot of people overlook is installing a single smart switch/relay at the primary fixture/box, and then pairing it with wireless kinetic (self-powered) switches for the remote ends.
Since kinetic remotes harvest energy directly from the press, they don’t consume battery, need zero wiring, and mount anywhere on glass/plasterboard. You get pure local toggling without pulling extra Cat6a/mains wire or clogging up your Z-Wave network with battery ping polling.
Just make sure whatever LED drivers/bulbs you pick don’t have extremely low wattage loads that might cause floating voltage flicker on smart relays.
I would disagree. Zooz also has ZEN51 and ZEN52, which can be in-wall or in-fixture, and you would only need one regardless 3-way or 4-way or 8-way.
And it’s not just Zooz, almost any if not all in-wall / in-fixture smart relay module can do the same with any regular (non-smart) switches and bulbs setups, as long as the smart relay be, as you mentioned above, “at the primary fixture/box”.
Thank you both. Think my approach will need a mixture of several methods or pricing and wiring complexity will spiral. I guess the objectives with wiring all dimmer switches back to the shelly din rail units is ethernet reliability and future proofing. In some scenarios like the motorized blinds i am more likely to be relying on the protocol built into the unit (such as RF Somfy).
The one thing I would add while the walls are still open is to overdo the boring infrastructure and keep the gadgets flexible. Put a neutral wire in every switch box, use deep boxes so a smart switch or module actually fits, and run a spare Cat6 or empty conduit to the TV spots, the front door, and anywhere you might want a camera later. It is cheap now and miserable to add after the drywall is up.
On the smart plugs, I would keep it to just the washer and dryer for cycle-done notifications, and skip trying to chase every small standby load. The washer notification alone is the one that actually gets used every week in our house. For the alarm question, I would sort the insurance side first before committing to a fully DIY setup, since that paperwork tends to matter more than the hardware choice.
Fair point by @k8gg! In-fixture relays like the ZEN51/52 (or similar micro-modules) definitely simplify the wiring tree compared to traditional 3-way line-voltage runs.
The main reason I still favor pairing a primary relay with kinetic remotes on remote ends comes down to physical placement flexibility: with kinetic remotes, you aren’t tied to where the builder placed the gang boxes. You can mount secondary controls on glass panels, furniture sides, or tile without cutting into plasterboard or fishing wires through studs. Plus, zero battery maintenance down the road is always a win in a busy setup.
@homeopathyAssistant Totally agree with Mike’s comment on the infrastructure side—whatever protocol/hardware path you take, go for extra-deep junction boxes (47mm+) everywhere while the walls are open. You will thank yourself later when tucking in relays, wire nuts, and extra cabling!
Thank you folks. Had first walk through with electrician and he looked at me like i was just visiting from the planet zib zob while i explained the din mounted Shellys. Sent him the spec sheets and links and i know Shelly support will help him out.
It is frustrating when you put so much time into researching this stuff in an attempt to future proof. Think he is a big fan of daisy chaining and worried about all the dimmer circuits chasing back to the board. He was even talking about daisy chaining ethernet which i didn’t know was a thing, wouldn’t that cause network packet collisions?
Good call on the deep wall boxes, it may be that i let him do some daisy chaining and use shellys behind the wall switches in some cases?
Don’t let this guy anywhere near your data cables! The only way you can “daisy chain” ethernet is if you put an ethernet switch at every link in that chain.
That’s gonna work out to be pretty expensive for you in terms of both configuration & money.