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turtle2472

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  1. Great answers guys. Thank you very much. I'm getting a much better understanding of how the communications works with C4 and any other device. At this point, I may just run an isolated VLAN for those IoT devices that connect to the controller. This would sandbox them and still allow the control I'm looking to have.
  2. I have a new question about WiFi connected devices paired with Control4. When using a driver to integrate with Control4 do they provide any additional security? Is the connection still unencrypted and as vulnerable as if I just did a device and an app on my phone? Example being if I buy a WeMo switch and the driver from Chowmain would that be more secure over buying the same switch and using the standard app? IoT network/WiFi devices being horrible security risks normally means I don't want to use them, but if they are encrypted like HomeKit does then maybe they are worth looking at as an option to integrate.
  3. I get not wanting to put his name on eBay hardware. If I buy one or two switches at a time and have him install them he would make more on the labor than markup on the devices. Now the thermostats, I'm sure he made some cash on those since I bought 6 from him and he didn't even install them. I had my HVAC system reworked and that installer put the new thermostats in. They aren't integrated into Control4 yet, but not that is all that has to be done. The reason it is weird is I must not know enough about how these dealers make money. In construction the markup isn't the money maker, it is the labor. When I was doing computer service for businesses, it was my labor that made the money not the parts I resold to them.
  4. I actually found a dealer who is local that will be willing to work with me. He is actually going to be moving onto the same street I live on once his house is built! I was very candid with the guy when he came to my house and spoke with my wife and I. We even had the clear understanding of things I might do that would "offend" him and a DYI guy and he has been told to tell me when/if I offend him. He REALLY doesn't want me buying hardware and just having him install it. He is totally cool with remotely integrating though. Kinda weird way to go about it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ He did mention the home edition thing. I'm going to have to see how this pans out though. My wife needs to be able to call someone if I'm not available. She doesn't want me hacking together a system that no one will be able to figure out and not be able to do anything with it unless I'm the one doing it. I totally get that so I'm really going to try to make it brainless for all of us. I just need to make sure we have the right system from the start as we build, not something that is going to require upgrades and replacing hardware because I outgrew it.
  5. Cool. Thanks for the info. How does Control4 handle an actual alarm system? Every time I check out security all I see are cameras. What about actual monitored alarm systems? For buying the hardware, what would be recommended for a system like I described? I'm not very familiar and did see there is a CA-1 that can handle Z-wave now. Thing is I don't specifically want Z-wave but I'm familiar with it so I tend to gravitate to it. I'm also guessing it won't handle my homes future needs given I want to be able to control 50 switches upstairs and about as many in my basement. Some are fans and many are 3-way. I also saw that the touch panels aren't necessary but better for intercom and such. I would want at least a few of those, though we all have iOS devices and can install the app on them too. Part of the appeal of C4 is my kids being able to access the scene controls and such. When I figure out how I want to handle the media/theater room then I'll be adding it in too. I have a Playbar for it now but still trying to figure out if I want a projector or flash screen TV instead. Edit: Feel free to message me directly if you can't post actual costs online. I think I read somewhere that you aren't supposed to or something like that. Maybe links to listings on eBay/Amazon etc..?
  6. Hello everyone I'm new here and have been reading through the forum and gathered a fair bit of information. I'm a server/network admin by trade and geek/tinker by hobby. For years now I have invested in a Z-wave/Alarm.com automation solution for my home but have been frustrated by a number of things with that system. I've recently moved and did not bring most of the Z-wave modules with me since they are wired into the fans/walls. This gives me a chance to start fresh. I've contacted the closes C4 deal to me but am still waiting to hear back after more than a month with a couple of back and forth emails with their salesman. I've gathered that with C4 either I become a dealer and heavily invest in the training or I let my local pro do the work. So one of my questions is how difficult is it to do things like add additional light switches? Maybe window blind controls? If I go with C4 am I really going to have to pay my local pro to do all the physical work? When it came to the old Z-wave system I got the code from the installer to my panel and was able to add/remove devices and integrations at will. Is it all or nothing with C4? Can the install be done in phases? One of the biggest reasons I'm looking at C4 is that my wife had a hard time with scenes in the Alarm.com app. Basically she is the exact opposite of me and hates tech, she's an artist. C4 seems to make things a whole lot simpler for her. We want to control lights, shades, thermostats, and at some point our media room. I use Plex for my media library and Sonos for our home audio. Currently using Unifi for networking and VMs running in a couple of ESXi hosts, Plex Media Server being one of them. The second big concern I have is security and privacy. My wife's big question is how hackable is C4? I haven't looked into the papers on it, but am curious of how much of the home's data is feed outside of my home be to ti C4 corp or other third party companies. I like having my surveillance be closed circuit and not part of the alarm system. Basically, I don't want anyone else being able to see the footage/feed from the cameras and am wondering if C4 allows it to be done even if "no one ever looks". I had a Skybell at my old place and hated every minute of it. I won't add Google or Alexa into my home so I'm going to "miss out" on the voice control functions unless Siri is integrated in some way. Anyway, I have way more questions and likely all would be answered if my dealer actually contacted me back with a sales pitch. At this point, I'd rather do my own searching.
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