Smart home & home automation guides: hubs, voice assistants, Matter/Thread/Zigbee protocols, smart plugs and sensors. Everything before equipping your home.
The garage door is the most-used entrance in the house and the least served by the smart home. Our 2026 comparison of six controllers covers Security+ 3.0 compatibility, Matter, prices and a step-by-step install.
Which robot vacuum and mop is worth buying in 2026? Seven models scored on the same six criteria: mopping, dock, rug handling, height and price. Our top pick and the traps to avoid.
The Hue Bridge v2 → Bridge Pro migration keeps looping on “Update your Bridge Pro”: why it’s a confirmed Philips Hue software bug, and how a clean install gets you out.
FP300 frozen, presence stuck on ‘detected’, LED dead: that is a regression in Zigbee firmware 0.0.0_6542, unfixed by Aqara since June 2026. The three symptoms, the technical cause and the community fixes verified by independent users.
FP400 refusing to set up? The “not level” error in Thread, “Thread Border Router needed” despite a working network, and zones missing without an Aqara hub: the real causes and verified fixes, five days after the 16 September 2026 launch.
Your Matter or Thread device shows no update, or the OTA fails at 1%, 10% or 90%? Four causes explain most cases: no routable IPv6/NAT64, parallel OTAs, a manufacturer absent from the DCL, or the wrong ecosystem owning the fabric. The 2026 troubleshooting guide, tested on our Matter bench.
Motorized blinds and curtains 2026: noise and battery life genuinely measured across 7 models, Matter compatibility and the real cost per window.
How to install smart roller shutters in 2026: retrofit a motor into an existing shutter or fit new ones, wire the control, pair with Tahoma/Matter. Timings, costs and mistakes to avoid — tested on 6 shutters.
How to install a robot lawn mower in 2026: charging station, boundary wire (distance, corners, islands), wire-free RTK, app setup and first mow. The 7 mistakes to avoid — method tested on 4 lawns.
Best smart air purifier 2026: 6 models tested for 5 weeks (Philips Series 3000i, Dyson, Levoit, Xiaomi). CADR, HEPA H13, noise, filter costs, app — verdict and buying guide.
Your independent guide to smart home & home automation.
