Getting Started

Getting started with your smart home is simple with Smartio

A smart home is made up of smart technologies helping you control different parts of your home, and can be categorized into these four aspects.

1. Smart Lighting
2. Smart Appliances
3. Smart Curtains and Blinds
4. Home Security and Monitoring
5. Automations and Remote Controls

Getting started with a smart home simply means starting with one of these. This Getting Started guide goes through each category, and the products you’ll need to achieve them. You can also contact us if you would like to arrange a site visit, to help you choose the right devices to make your home a smarter place.

Smart lighting is the simplest and most impactful way to create a smart home. Lights are an essential part of our homes, and we use them everyday. Turning your lights smart is the natural first-step to your smart home.

At Smartio we use a variety of smart light devices and switches to turn our lights smart.

• Smart switches replace your existing light switches or complement them. In the past, you’d flip the switch to turn the lights on and off. Now, smart switches can “flip the switch” electronically – turning the lights on and off – by themselves! They’re wirelessly connected to other smart devices and to your phone, and this allows you to use your phone or voice to turn the lights on. Your phone would send a command to the smart switch, which then electronically turns the light on.
• Smart lights are new lights that you can add to your space. Examples are smart LED strips, smart outdoor lights, smart bulbs, TV lights, and gaming lights.

Air-conditioners and fans are something else we use everyday in Lebanon. Having smart AC and fan control means greater convenience, reduced energy usage, and better cost savings. With these appliances integrated into your smart home, you’ll be able to automate your appliances (e.g. turn off AC when it’s 26C), and remotely control them.

• The Broadlink Mini 4C has an infrared (IR) emitter which can be setup to send commands to your air-conditioners and fans. These are the same commands that are beamed by your remote controls. It also works other appliances, such as TVs and air purifiers.
• You can also use a smart plug to turn on/off any appliance you have, like your air purifier, coffee maker, and more.

Getting curtains motorized and automated may seem like a big commitment and effort, but the results are so worth it. Time-based automations, such as your curtains opening automatically at 7am in the morning, just as you’re getting up, really helps get the sun into your home to warm it up, and get your ready for the day. Likewise, closing your roller shutters automatically in the evening to give you private and secure comfort not only saves you time, it signals you to start winding down.

Besides, who doesn’t love some mechanical help in mundane tasks? Seeing your curtains draw themselves at the touch of a button is a treat in itself. Incorporate curtains into a scene – such as a Movie Time scene – and triggered by Siri or Alexa voice command, and the effect is simply satisfying.

With a well-connected smart home, you’ll be able to know many things about your home, even when you’re away. Stream video footage from our home monitoring cameras to see what’s going on, or check recorded footage from the cloud. Sensors can notify you if windows are opened or if motion is detected in your garden. And our Aqara M1S Gen2 Hub  can be set up as a security system, which sounds a 120 dB alarm on a trigger of your choosing – such as if your door is opened when you’re not at home.

At Smartio, having remote controls start with your phone. Once set up, your lights and appliances can be controlled by your phone – even when you’re not at home. Beyond that, our smart speakers can be set up as a dedicated assistant for controlling certain lights, such as your bedroom light, to be placed on any table in your home. This gives you convenient, hands-there control.

For more flexible, hands-free control, our products are also fully compatible with voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa.

But why stop there? A smart home can also be set up so that it doesn’t have to be controlled at all – by using automations. You can equip your home with our Smartio collection of affordable sensors, which gives you the ability to add sensor-based automations. Motion sensors can turn your lights on. Temperature sensors + motion sensors can work together to turn your AC on only when it’s hot, AND you’re in the room.

Smart homes can be a complicated topic, but it doesn’t have to be. We’re here to help. With our years of experience helping Lebanon homes get smarter, Smartio can help you on your smart home journey. You can get in touch with us on this page if you would like us to arrange a site visit to your home.

This page is consistently updated with the newest products and ideas. Be sure to bookmark it and visit often!