--- title: "Smart Home Building Blocks: What You Need | Smart Home Networks & IoT" description: Network, hub, radios, devices and controls. What each smart home layer does, the options for each, and how to choose the right setup for your home. --- [Skip to content](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-building-blocks#main-content) ![SMH&I](https://homenetworks.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo%20Transparency%20-01-300px.png?width=300&height=127&name=Logo%20Transparency%20-01-300px.png)Homepage - Home - Products & Solutions - Networking - [Aruba Instant On](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/hpe-aruba?hsLang=en-au) - [TP-Link Omada](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/tplink-omada?hsLang=en-au) - [HPE Juniper Networks](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/hpe-juniper?hsLang=en-au) - Smart Home Controllers - Home Assistant (HAOS) - openHAB - [NUC Build Configurator](https://homenetworks.com.au/smart-home-hubs?hsLang=en-au) - Cameras & Security - IoT Devices - Guides - [What is a smart home](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/what-is-a-smart-home?hsLang=en-au) - [The building blocks](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-building-blocks) - [Connectivity](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-protocols?hsLang=en-au) - [Controllers](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-ecosystems?hsLang=en-au) - [Networks](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-network?hsLang=en-au) - [Blog](https://homenetworks.com.au/smart-home-networks-and-iot-blog?hsLang=en-au) - [Support](https://homenetworks.com.au/contact-us?hsLang=en-au) - About Us [Shop](https://shop.homenetworks.com.au) - Home - Products & Solutions - Networking - [Aruba Instant On](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/hpe-aruba?hsLang=en-au) - [TP-Link Omada](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/tplink-omada?hsLang=en-au) - [HPE Juniper Networks](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/hpe-juniper?hsLang=en-au) - Smart Home Controllers - Home Assistant (HAOS) - openHAB - [NUC Build Configurator](https://homenetworks.com.au/smart-home-hubs?hsLang=en-au) - Cameras & Security - IoT Devices - Guides - [What is a smart home](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/what-is-a-smart-home?hsLang=en-au) - [The building blocks](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-building-blocks) - [Connectivity](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-protocols?hsLang=en-au) - [Controllers](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-ecosystems?hsLang=en-au) - [Networks](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-network?hsLang=en-au) - [Blog](https://homenetworks.com.au/smart-home-networks-and-iot-blog?hsLang=en-au) - [Support](https://homenetworks.com.au/contact-us?hsLang=en-au) - About Us [Shop](https://shop.homenetworks.com.au) Smart home guides # The building blocks of a smart home Network, hub, radios, devices and controls. What each layer does, and how to choose the right one for your home. **The short version:** every smart home is built from the same layers. A network carries everything, a hub makes the decisions, and devices do the work. Radios, controls and setup fill in the gaps. Get the network and hub right first and you can add devices for years without starting again. ### Network The roads everything travels on. Strong Wi-Fi in every room, with separate zones so cameras, guests and smart devices can’t reach your laptops and phones. **What we offer:** Aruba Instant On, TP-Link Omada and Juniper Mist, as ready-made bundles. ### Smart home hub The brain. A small, quiet computer that runs Home Assistant, ties every brand together and keeps your home working when the internet drops. **What we offer:** the Home Hub for most homes, plus the AI Hub, Vault Hub and AI Vault. ### Devices The hands. Lights, blinds, air con, locks, sensors, energy monitors and cameras, from whichever brands suit you. **What to know:** devices speak different languages, so your hub needs the right radios to talk to them. ## Every layer at a glance Here’s what each layer does, what we offer for it, and where most homes start. | Layer | What it does | Our options | Where most homes start | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Network | The roads everything travels on: Wi-Fi in every room, plus separate zones for cameras, guests and smart devices | Aruba Instant On, TP-Link Omada or Juniper Mist, as Starter, Whole Home and Advanced bundles | [Aruba Instant On](https://homenetworks.com.au/network/aruba?hsLang=en-au), our #1 pick for most homes | | Smart home hub | The brain: runs Home Assistant, ties brands together and keeps working without the internet | Home Hub, AI Hub, Vault Hub and AI Vault | [Home Hub](https://homenetworks.com.au/smart-home-hubs?hsLang=en-au), the right choice for most homes | | Radios | Talk to devices that don’t use Wi-Fi, such as Zigbee sensors and Thread or Matter gear | SONOFF Dongle Max Zigbee and Thread coordinator, by USB or PoE | One coordinator, placed centrally | | Devices | Do the work: lighting, blinds, air con, locks, sensors, energy and cameras | Mix brands freely, chosen to suit your hub and network | One room, then grow | | Controls | How you use it: the app, voice, wall tablets and automations that need no one at all | Home Assistant app, Alexa, Google or Siri, private voice on the AI Hub, configured wall tablets | The app, then a wall tablet in the kitchen | | Setup | Who builds it and how much you do yourself | Hardware only, pre-configured on our bench, or on-site in Sydney and the Central Coast | Pre-configured, so it arrives ready to plug in | ## Typical starting points Most homes fit one of these. Treat them as a starting point, not a rule: we adjust every setup to the home. Apartment or townhouse **Network:** a Starter bundle, with one gateway, a small PoE switch and one access point. **Hub:** a Home Hub with 8GB or 16GB. **Devices:** lights and a few sensors to begin with. **Setup:** pre-configured on our bench. Family home **Network:** a Whole Home bundle, with two access points for two storeys. **Hub:** a Home Hub with 32GB, or a Vault Hub if you keep camera footage and family photos. **Devices:** lights, blinds, air con, locks and cameras. **Setup:** pre-configured, or on-site in Sydney and the Central Coast. Large home or home office **Network:** an Advanced bundle, or Juniper Mist designed and quoted for the site. **Hub:** an AI Hub or AI Vault for private voice and many cameras. **Devices:** whole-home automation, energy and security. **Setup:** on-site, with cabinet and access point installation. ## What you need to start ### Do it yourself Your hardware arrives boxed with factory settings. You set it up with the vendor app and our free setup and segmentation guides, and you can book remote help any time you get stuck. ### Pre-configured on our bench We set up your network and hub before they ship: firmware updated, zones and firewall rules built, every device labelled. You plug it in. Available Australia-wide. ### On-site A technician sets everything up in your home, tests coverage room by room and walks you through it. Mounting, cabinets and cabling are available as add-ons. Sydney and the Central Coast. See setup options ## Frequently Asked Questions Which layer should I start with? The network. Every other layer depends on it, and most smart home problems are really Wi-Fi problems: devices dropping off, cameras lagging, automations that fire late. A solid, segmented network means everything you add later just works. If your Wi-Fi is already strong, start with a hub and one room of devices. Can I use my ISP's modem router? For a handful of devices, yes. Once you have dozens of devices, cameras and a hub, most ISP routers struggle with the load and can’t separate devices into their own zones. Our bundles replace the router’s job while keeping your NBN connection exactly as it is. Do I need a hub if I already have Alexa or Google? Not to start. A hub becomes worthwhile when you want brands to work together, want automations that run without the cloud, or want to stop depending on one company’s app. Your speakers keep working alongside it as the voice front end. See [Alexa, Google, Apple or Home Assistant?](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-ecosystems?hsLang=en-au) What is a Zigbee or Thread dongle, and do I need one? It’s a small radio that lets your hub talk directly to Zigbee and Thread devices, such as battery sensors, buttons and many Matter products, with no brand bridges in between. You need one if you plan to use those devices, which most homes do once they add sensors. See [Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Bluetooth and Matter](https://homenetworks.com.au/guides/smart-home-protocols?hsLang=en-au). Can I mix brands? Yes, and that’s one of the main reasons to have a hub. Philips, IKEA, Aqara, Shelly and many others can sit side by side in one app and one set of automations. Choosing Matter-certified devices for new purchases makes mixing even easier. Can I add to it later? Yes. That’s why we build the network and hub first: they’re sized to grow. Most homes start with one or two rooms and add blinds, climate, cameras or energy over the following months, without replacing anything. ## Want help choosing your building blocks? Tell us about your home and how you live. We’ll recommend a network, a hub and a starting set of devices, and tell you what you can skip. [Help me choose](https://homenetworks.com.au/contact-us?hsLang=en-au)Find your situation [![SMH&I](https://homenetworks.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo%20Transparency%20-01-300px.png?width=300&height=127&name=Logo%20Transparency%20-01-300px.png "SMH&I")](https://homenetworks.com.au/?hsLang=en-au) We build networks for Aussie homes who've outgrown their ISP router or basic mesh WiFi. From prosumer WiFi and smart home automation (HAOS, openHAB) to mini PC home servers, we design systems that just work.  Smart Home Networks and IoT Baulkham Hills, NSW, 2153 0417-427-106 sales@homenetworks.com.au --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026. All rights reserved.