Welcome to Mesh. Smart Homes Made Simple.

We’re Ben and Vicky, and Mesh is our online space where we delve into the exciting world of smart home technology. We’ve been living in our smart home for a while now, and honestly, we can’t imagine going back. From controlling home appliances hands-free with our voice to lights that automagically turn on when we arrive home after dark, our smart home makes life undeniably easier, more comfortable and secure.

From Clueless Newbies to Smart Home Enthusiasts

Our smart home journey began with an unassuming box labeled “Aeotec Smart Home Hub” from our housing developer. We were clueless as to what this little device could do for us initially but curiosity sparked during our home renovation, and we dove headfirst into exploring smart home possibilities. We wanted to build an open smart home, one that would provide us flexibility to expand and choose devices from different brands and protocols in future. We envisioned crafting the ultimate smart haven, but quickly discovered the path to smart home bliss wasn’t quite the walk in the park if you choose the DIY path.

A Beginner’s Smart Home Struggle

As newbies, we were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available (but not necessarily all in one place) and the many questions on our minds, such as:

• “What is a smart home hub and do we really need one?”
• “What’s the difference between smart devices using Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter or Thread protocols?”.
• “How do we build a future-proof smart home?”

Endless research and consultations with smart home experts left us bewildered and a little frustrated. The biggest hurdle? Compatibility (or rather the lack of) between smart home devices and ecosystems. For instance, our favorite smart video doorbell (Google Nest) wasn’t compatible with our preferred ecosystem (Apple HomeKit) out of the box.

Sharing the Knowledge: Why Mesh exists

This experience was the lightbulb moment for Mesh. We know how challenging building a smart home can be, especially when you’re just starting and we want to help you navigate this exciting journey to build the smart home of your dreams.

Mesh is all about fostering open discussion and information sharing. Feel free to leave comments and ask questions on any post (no matter how basic!). Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned smart home pro, there’s always something new to learn and share.

So, welcome to Mesh! We hope you find your time here informative, engaging and maybe even a little bit inspiring. Let’s build smarter homes together!