1. Welcome to Control4® automation, a smart automation solution for homes and
businesses that makes it easy for you to intelligently control every aspect of your
home—from TVs to thermostats, door locks to drapes—no matter where you
are, using one simple-to-use interface. Control4® solutions make your life more
comfortable, more efficient, and more secure.
Lighting Control
Wireless Dimmer
Wireless Switch
Wireless Outlet Dimmer/Switch
Panelized lighting control
Occupancy Motion Sensor
motion sensors
curtain control
Safety & Security
Automated Security System Control
High Definition Surveillance
Keypad Door Locks
Garage Door Control
Motion Sensors
Remote Home Monitoring
Listen
Whole House Audio
Streaming Music
IPod Docks
ITunes Music
Comfort
Wireless Thermostats
Fireplace Control
Motorized Window Treatments
Automated Irrigation Control
Pool Control
Fan Control
Watch
Video Display
Distributed Video
Movie Servers
The Control4 System

2. This solution for home automation is remarkably well designed and works mainly with
Control4 devices that use Wi-Fi, Z-Wave or ZigBee communication technology, but you
can use other devices that utilize this technology to expand your smart house system.
For example, Control4 is compatible with the Nest Learning Thermostat. However, the
strictly professional installation Control4 leverages makes it difficult to integrate new
devices. Each Control4 system can be customized based on your needs, whether you
require whole house audio or a secure network of cameras.
The Control4 home automation system is easy to use and offers every type of peripheral
that you might want in a smart home system. Control4 suffers from a significant lack
of compatibility. The professional installation the company requires makes it difficult to
customize and expand your system on your own. Beyond this, the only families of peripherals
that are compatible with the controllers in this system are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, KNX, Z-Wave and
ZigBee. You can control any device that is Z-Wave or ZigBee compatible, even for complex
operations like interfacing with certain computer applications (like Windows Media Player or
iTunes).
Lighting
Devices
Thermostats
Media
Controller
Audio/Visual
Distribution
Slave
HC-300
Controllers
Touch Screens
&
LCD Keypads
ZigBee
Network
Home
Network
Security
Systems
Other
Audio/Video
Components

3. 10 TopTen Reviews
http://home-automation-systems-review.toptenreviews.com/control4-review.html
Pros: Control4 is the easiest to use out of the home automation systems we reviewed.
Cons: The requirement for professional installation makes it a little more difficult to
expand on your own.
The Verdict: 9.7/10
Control4’s ease of use makes it one of the best home automation systems available.
?
Help & Support - 8.1 of 10
Compatible Peripherals - 10 of 10
With Control4, you can control every enabled device in your home
from a Control4 touchpad, a standard desktop computer, an iPad or
a smartphone, as long as you have an internet connection. You can
also program certain events to take place automatically through basic
triggers and random actions.
Functionality - 9.9 of 10
Control4’s total system integration makes it extremely easy to use, and
its professional installation only augments this. You can simply tell the
installer what you want and they take care of the rest, tying it all in
to a centralized control pad as well as a convenient web app. There is
nothing complicated about Control4’s smart home system.
Summary - 9.7 of 10
Control4 provides one of the most robust and easy-to-use intelligent
home systems. Control4 works with Z-Wave and ZigBee home control
technologies and is well-equipped for use with the KNX protocol. This
system is a great choice if you’re planning to remodel your home and
wish to add a powerful home automation system in the process.

4. For an all-in-one home automation system, few packages can beat the ease of use that
Control4 provides. This total automation system must be installed professionally by an
authorized dealer – Control4 provides a list of these dealers on its site – and may not
be available in all areas. However, if you are searching for a convenient and functional
home automation system, a professionally configured solution from Control4 can help
meet your needs with a modern flair. For this reason, Control4 earns our Top Ten Reviews
Silver Award for home automation systems.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi (or WiFi) is a local area wireless computer networking technology that allows
electronic devices to network, mainly using the 2.4 gigahertz (12 cm) UHF and 5
gigahertz (6 cm) SHF ISM radio bands.
The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any “wireless local area network” (WLAN) product
based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) 802.11 standards”.
[1] However, the term “Wi-Fi” is used in general English as a synonym for “WLAN” since
most modern WLANs are based on these standards. “Wi-Fi” is a trademark of the Wi-
Fi Alliance. The “Wi-Fi Certified” trademark can only be used by Wi-Fi products that
successfully complete Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification testing.
Many devices can use Wi-Fi, e.g. personal computers, video-game consoles,
smartphones, digital cameras, tablet computers and digital audio players. These can
connect to a network resource such as the Internet via a wireless network access point.
Such an access point (or hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters (66 feet) indoors and
a greater range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can be as small as a single room with walls
that block radio waves, or as large as many square kilometers achieved by using multiple
overlapping access points.
Depiction of a device sending information wirelessly to another device, both connected
to the local network, in order to print a document.
Wi-Fi can be less secure than wired connections, such as Ethernet, precisely because an
intruder does not need a physical connection. Web pages that use TLS are secure, but
unencrypted internet access can easily be detected by intruders. Because of this, Wi-Fi
has adopted various encryption technologies. The early encryption WEP proved easy to
break. Higher quality protocols (WPA, WPA2) were added later. An optional feature added
in 2007, called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), had a serious flaw that allowed an attacker
to recover the router’s password.[2] The Wi-Fi Alliance has since updated its test plan
and certification program to ensure all newly certified devices resist attacks.
Z-Wave
Z-Wave is a wireless communications specification designed to allow devices in the
home (lighting, access controls, entertainment systems and household appliances, for
example) to communicate with another for the purposes of home automation.
Z-Wave technology minimizes power consumption so that it is suitable for battery-
operated devices. Z-Wave is designed to provide, reliable, low-latency transmission
of small data packets at data rates up to 100kbit/s,[1] unlike Wi-Fi and other IEEE
802.11-based wireless LAN systems that are designed primarily for high data rates.
Z-Wave operates in the sub-gigahertz frequency range, around 900 MHz. This band

5. competes with some cordless telephones and other consumer electronics devices, but
avoids interference with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other systems that operate on the crowded
2.4 GHz band. Z-Wave is designed to be easily embedded in consumer electronics
products, including battery operated devices such as remote controls, smoke alarms
and security sensors. Z-Wave was developed by a Danish startup called Zen-Sys that was
acquired by Sigma Designs in 2008.
As of 2015, Z-Wave is supported by over 325 manufacturers worldwide and appears in
a broad range of consumer and commercial products in the US, Europe and Asia. The
lower layers, MAC and PHY, are described by ITU-T G.9959[2][3] and fully backwards
compatible. The Z-Wave transceiver chips are supplied by Sigma Designs and Mitsumi.
Some Z-Wave product vendors have open source options for the hobbyist communities.
They require users to start with a complete Z-Wave transceiver from a Z-Wave OEM
such as an Intermatic USB stick. The xPL project also provides open source support for
Z-Wave products,[4] but requires Microsoft Windows.[5]
ZigBee
ZigBee is a specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to
create personal area networks built from small, low-power digital radios. ZigBee is
based on an IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Its low power consumption limits transmission
distances to 10–100 meters line-of-sight, depending on power output and environmental
characteristics,[1] ZigBee devices can transmit data over long distances by passing data
through a mesh network of intermediate devices to reach more distant ones. ZigBee
is typically used in low data rate applications that require long battery life and secure
networking (ZigBee networks are secured by 128 bit symmetric encryption keys.) ZigBee
has a defined rate of 250 kbit/s, best suited for intermittent data transmissions from
a sensor or input device. Applications include wireless light switches, electrical meters
with in-home-displays, traffic management systems, and other consumer and industrial
equipment that requires short-range low-rate wireless data transfer. The technology
defined by the ZigBee specification is intended to be simpler and less expensive than
other wireless personal area networks (WPANs), such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Web: TheSOHOShop.com
The SOHO Shop, LLC Locations
Des Moines, Iowa
10052 Justin Drive, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
Phone: (515) 661-5520
Fax: (636) 486-4975
St. Louis, Missouri Area
(Main Office)
3333 Rue Royale, Suite #2
St. Charles, MO 63301
Phone: (636) 442-1616
Toll Free: (866)867-1628
Fax: (636) 352-4570