TLDR: Looking in a good wireless networking AccessPoint for my HA setup. What to choose?
i am relatively new to the HA community, i looked into it several years ago, and it was too technical (timeconsuming) for me at that time.
Now moved into a new house with an upcoming renovation, and looking into making stuff smart. To make sure i have a good foundation i am looking into a good WiFi/Network setup.
What i have currently:
AppleTV with Homekit setup, Meross Garagedoor opener (HK) and Aqara CameraHub with button. All setup via HomeKit.
Current AP is a Aruba AP-535
Why do i want to change/upgrade?
I feel i will be limited keep using HomeKit expanding my smarthome in the near future, and i find the HK hardware quite expensive. Therefore i have now set up a Laptop with Home Assistant to see if this fulfill my needs.
How i look into expanding the setup in the near future:
Setup lightning Smart but also manual operational (using Aqara Presence Sensor FP2?)
Frontdoor opener. (fingerprint reader?)
Probably smart blinds
As a start i would like to set a good foundation for the network, now looking in the best AP setup. I would like to limit the use of additional hubs.
Looking for this Network foundation:
Technical room: HA server, ISP router, POE switch, AP (including zigbee/zwave/matter/thread functionality).
Dining room: POE(!) AP (including zigbee/zwave/matter/thread functionality)
2nd floor: POE(!) AP (including zigbee/zwave/matter/thread functionality)
What advise on Brand/Model & anything else can you give?
The new WiFi 7 based stuff is hitting the market right now in a big way. Have a look at some of the announcements out of CES 2024 this week. The whole WiFi 6, 6e and 7 path has been a huge CF IMHO. Full WiFi 7 stuff (and even this is not full fleshed out yet, especially for some of the new IoT functions) is where you want to invest your coins (and yes some of the stuff is VERY spendy right now, so if possible some wait and watch is useful).
HomeKit is IMHO the best ‘proprietary’ hub system out there right now. Yes, you want a aim toward a fully open source 100% local system (Home Assistant is the clear leader), that said it is pretty unrealistic to say you will not have one or more of the BIG3/4 proprietary hubs in your home for several years to come. Matter standard is starting to get traction and is a good direction, however it will be 12 to 24 months before it will be the ‘lead’ integration tool. And Apple is doing a good job with its adoption. A good reliable mix of Home Assistant and HomeKit is possible, I have it and am happy. Yes, Apple is probably more difficult to integrate at times than say G or A, but its positives on privacy and ease of use are strong.
You will find a lot of good first person experience and help here on this forum. That said, like anywhere on the interweb, there are plenty of opinions withOUT first person experience, so do check your sources creds. Do monitor github repositories of home automation projects, lots of stuff going on beyond Home Assistant.
Good hunting and much success with your home automation adventures in 2024 and beyond!