Setup Guides

A smart bulb or a smart plug is the easiest way to start. Neither needs an electrician: the bulb goes into an existing light fitting and the plug into a power point, and both can come out again when you move.

Most first-time problems come from the choice, not the setup: a bulb with the wrong base for the fitting (most Australian ceiling lights take a B22 bayonet, many lamps an E27 screw), a plug not rated for what goes into it, or a device that only talks to an app you would rather not use. These guides cover what to check before buying, then the setup step by step.

Once you have a few devices, a hub brings them together under one app and keeps them working locally when the internet drops. Home Assistant is the most flexible choice, and the third guide walks through setting it up.

Many setup problems trace back to the home network. Plenty of smart plugs, cameras and doorbells only connect on the 2.4GHz band, and a crowded network can drop devices that worked fine on day one.

Before you start, find your router’s admin address and login, and check whether your provider’s modem lets you split or rename the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Some provider-supplied modems hide these settings.

Pair each device close to the router first, then move it into place. If a device works next to the router but drops out in its final spot, the problem is coverage, not the device.

Sorting the network out before adding more devices saves troubleshooting later: find the right band, consider a separate network for smart devices, and know how to diagnose a device that keeps going offline.

Australian construction can be hard on wireless signals. Double brick, foil insulation and metal-clad garages all block radio. Zigbee and Thread devices form a mesh through mains-powered devices, so where you put the coordinator and the repeaters decides how far the network reaches.

Battery sensors do not pass the signal on; mains-powered devices such as smart plugs and many bulbs do. Place a few of those between the hub and the far end of the house before adding sensors out there.

For Wi-Fi itself, a mesh system with a node near the garage or granny flat often works better than a single, stronger router.

Once devices are connected, a handful of simple routines does most of the work: lights that follow the time of day, an away mode, appliances on a schedule.

Start with routines that save you something you do every day, and keep each one simple: one trigger, one or two actions. A complicated routine is hard to fix when it stops working.

Name devices by room and what they are, such as “Kitchen bench light”, and avoid names that sound alike. Clear, consistent names for devices and rooms make voice commands more dependable, and they cost nothing to fix.

With rooftop solar and time-of-use tariffs, the useful question is when you use power, not just how much. Home Assistant can separate solar export from grid import and price each against your tariff.

You do not need Home Assistant to start. Many inverters and energy retailers already have apps that show generation and usage. A dashboard earns its place when you want to act on the numbers, such as running the dishwasher while solar is exporting.

Check your tariff with your retailer before you build anything. Time-of-use windows and feed-in rates vary by retailer and state, and a dashboard is only as accurate as the rates you give it.

Work on your home’s fixed wiring is regulated in every state and territory and usually needs a licensed electrician. Plug-in, battery and screw-in devices avoid the question entirely.

Before installing anything that connects to the wiring, check with your state or territory’s electrical safety regulator. They set the rules, and they are the authority on what you can do yourself.

A licensed electrician can fit smart switches, dimmers and in-wall relays, and can tell you whether your switch boxes have the neutral wire many smart switches need. Ask what paperwork your state requires for the job, and keep a copy.