The real power behind any great Z-Wave home automation system undoubtedly lies with the central home controller. What some people may not realise though is that using a PC for this task is probably the most straight-forward and affordable way there is of setting one up.
Step 1: First you'll need a Windows PC or laptop; something you don't mind leaving on most of the time. This is where a laptop is ideal as they don't require much power to run. You don't need the latest tech either.
Step 2: Next, you need one of our Z-Stick USB adaptors which simply plugs into any available USB port. This allows your Z-Wave devices to "talk" to your PC.
Step 3: The software! Our recommendation is InControl HA Server Pro. If you've ever shopped around for home automation software, you'll know that you can literally spend hundreds of dollars on this. What's great about InControl is that it's a fraction of the cost of other similar software solutions. It's also simple to use, which is great if you're a beginner, but powerful enough to drive even the most complex home automation systems.
Step 2: Next, you need one of our Z-Stick USB adaptors which simply plugs into any available USB port. This allows your Z-Wave devices to "talk" to your PC.
Step 3: The software! Our recommendation is InControl HA Server Pro. If you've ever shopped around for home automation software, you'll know that you can literally spend hundreds of dollars on this. What's great about InControl is that it's a fraction of the cost of other similar software solutions. It's also simple to use, which is great if you're a beginner, but powerful enough to drive even the most complex home automation systems.