New home install - How to approach

Consider the communication back bone if this is a new home. I’d install 2 or more GbE connectors in any room in any wall which could support a tv or computer. Outdoor spaces too. They all don’t need to connect to your switch but having them available and labeled is sweet.
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This is good advice. I'd add to it that you put extra electrical outlets every place you think you might have a TV or computer. There are never enough!

And never enough in your main server closet. I got 6 double sockets in there, but still am using 3 multi gang extensions as well.

I am building out a home theater. Granted it’s just one room, but conduit is my friend and has saved me from tearing up drywall more than once. If your house allows, some sort of main line conduit that facilitates future runs could be great.

Thanks for the tips, everyone.

Does Lutron's Caseta switches work with Indigo? It's not Z-wave from I what I can tell, and I don't want to yield control of my home automation over to some cloud-based provider. No way.

The area we're building in is wired for fiber to the home. My understanding is that AT&T will come in after construction and install an ONT. I plan on having a server closet/room where all communications wiring will come into from the home, then use a patch panel to terminate the ends and patch into a 24 port Unifi switch.

Right now my areas for ethernet are:

- 1 ethernet in living area for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 1 ethernet in master bedroom for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 1 ethernet in bedroom #1 for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 1 ethernet in bedroom #2 for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 2 ethernet on one connector in "tinker room" for computer, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 2 ethernet in study for computer, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 2-3 ethernet run in ceiling for Wi-Fi routers in the house
- 1 ethernet in outdoor patio area for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)

That's what I'm looking at currently. No outside buildings, so everything will be under roof.

Does Lutron's Caseta switches work with Indigo? It's not Z-wave from I what I can tell, and I don't want to yield control of my home automation over to some cloud-based provider. No way.

The Lutron plugin communicates with the Caseta Smart Bridge Pro via ethernet or Wifi. No cloud involved. The bridge communicates with the Caseta devices over RF. They're not Z-wave (or Zigbee).

You must have the Smart Bridge Pro. The non-Pro bridge does not support the automation interface that the plugin requires.

Right now my areas for ethernet are:

- 1 ethernet in living area for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 1 ethernet in master bedroom for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 1 ethernet in bedroom #1 for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 1 ethernet in bedroom #2 for TV, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 2 ethernet on one connector in "tinker room" for computer, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 2 ethernet in study for computer, 1 RG6 for Over-the-Air TV (OTA)
- 2-3 ethernet run in ceiling for Wi-Fi routers in the house

Wire is cheap (comparatively). Anywhere that you're planning on installing an ethernet jack, put in two. Except for the ceiling mounted access point locations. You can always use the cable for something else, like a remote IR sender/reciever, or HDBT distribution of video.

I put one in over the workbench in the garage, with no plans of what I'd use it for. Now both jacks are in use, one for my MyQ gateway, and one for the rPi running Octoprint on my 3-D printer.

Somewhat off topic, but if you're an OTA TV user, check out the Tablo DVR. I love mine.

[jay (support)]

You must have the Smart Bridge Pro. The non-Pro bridge does not support the automation interface that the plugin requires.

On their website, there's only the Smart Bridge listed - do you know if it has the Pro features or is there no more Pro hub?

You must have the Smart Bridge Pro. The non-Pro bridge does not support the automation interface that the plugin requires.

On their website, there's only the Smart Bridge listed - do you know if it has the Pro features or is there no more Pro hub?

Would you believe that they just don't list it? It's model L-BDGPRO2. The https://www.casetawireless.com/ site is their consumer info site, and the Pro bridge isn't designed for consumers.

It's on the Caseta Pro page: https://www.casetawireless.com/proproducts

https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Caseta-L- ... B00Z8AXQCQ

Lutron's stuff certainly looks intriguing. Given how unreliable Insteon has been, I'm definitely not looking to go that route in a new home.

I downloaded Jim Lombardo's Caséta Plugin, but have no switches of course. I see a way to connect to a server via serial or IP. Is the connection to the Pro hub normally done via IP?

And once that's done, can I install first-class Indigo devices and run the full complement of scripts on them just like a Z-Wave or Insteon device?

Lutron's stuff certainly looks intriguing. Given how unreliable Insteon has been, I'm definitely not looking to go that route in a new home.

I downloaded Jim Lombardo's Caséta Plugin, but have no switches of course. I see a way to connect to a server via serial or IP. Is the connection to the Pro hub normally done via IP?

And once that's done, can I install first-class Indigo devices and run the full complement of scripts on them just like a Z-Wave or Insteon device?

Did you get the plugin from the Plugin store? Jim wrote the original, but I've been maintaining and updating it for several years now.

RadioRa2, which is a different product line than Caseta, allows for either IP or serial. Caseta only does IP (the Caseta Bridge doesn't have a serial port).

Not sure what you mean by "scripts" in this context, but Lutron dimmers/switches are controlled exactly the same as "native" Indigo dimmers/switches (ie Z-wave or Insteon).

Yes, I got it from the Plug-In store here: http://www.indigodomo.com/pluginstore/84/

And yes, by scripts, I mean I can tie these devices to control pages, use them in scripts, and perform other behaviors that I do now for Insteon and Z-Wave devices in Indigo. If that's the case, then that's what I want to do .

I wonder why I've never heard of Caséta... always presumed it was a Z-Wave/Insteon/Zigbee world when it came to home automation. I'm going to do some more exploring.

[jay (support)]

I wonder why I've never heard of Caséta... always presumed it was a Z-Wave/Insteon/Zigbee world when it came to home automation. I'm going to do some more exploring.

Mostly because Lutron is primarily an installed dealer brand. They started caseta several years ago as a consumer brand but hasn't really pushed it that much IMO. And particularly for the high-end DIY category, they still are somewhat of the installer mindset (i.e. they "hide" the pro hub). I don't believe they think of themselves as competitors to Z-Wave/Zigbee really. I've got some questions about how their hardware works but I'll start a new thread about that.

Right now my areas for ethernet are

I went a little overboard with my installation when we built 7 or 8 years ago... but I am actually glad that I did. For each living room/bedroom type outlet we ran 2x CAT6 for networking, 2x CAT6 for video-over-ethernet (which has since been sunset for a solution over digital cable), 1x RG6 for OTA/Cable/whatever, and another CAT6 for IR distribution.

All those go to a patch panel in a server rack in the office closet so if the need arises I can re-purpose them. I've done that a couple of times to avoid having to add a switch in behind the TV, for instance.

Wiring 5000'+ of cable in Louisiana summer isn't the most fun... it was hot even without walls. So if you are doing it yourself, buy multiple boxes of CAT6 and pull multiple wires at once to the same location. The wire is pretty cheap in the big scheme of building.

Adam

All good info. I'm still not sure how I will architect the network, but I am currently leaning towards 2x of CAT6E in the office, living room, and bedrooms.

On another note, I really want to move away from the Insteon GarageLinc devices. I would think that garage door controllers these days would come with their own integrated smart solution for opening/closing via app. Looking into it, I ran across this one, with a camera to boot:

https://www.liftmaster.com/85503-dc-bat ... ra/p/85503

Anyone have any experience with this and if there's any Indigo integration possibilities?

Any Liftmaster or Chamberlain opener with MyQ support works with the MyQ plugin (http://www.indigodomo.com/pluginstore/77/). But keep in mind it's a reverse engineered cloud solution, so no control if you loose Internet (or MyQ is messing with their servers and changed the API).

I'm a big fan of the Liftmaster 8500 series direct drive wall-mount openers. Very quiet. Less clutter on the ceiling. I have two of them.

Right now my areas for ethernet are

I went a little overboard with my installation when we built 7 or 8 years ago... but I am actually glad that I did. For each living room/bedroom type outlet we ran 2x CAT6 for networking, 2x CAT6 for video-over-ethernet (which has since been sunset for a solution over digital cable), 1x RG6 for OTA/Cable/whatever, and another CAT6 for IR distribution.

All those go to a patch panel in a server rack in the office closet so if the need arises I can re-purpose them. I've done that a couple of times to avoid having to add a switch in behind the TV, for instance.

Wiring 5000'+ of cable in Louisiana summer isn't the most fun... it was hot even without walls. So if you are doing it yourself, buy multiple boxes of CAT6 and pull multiple wires at once to the same location. The wire is pretty cheap in the big scheme of building.

Adam

Video over digital? What is that? I started with hdmi over 2xcat5 but was cheap so upgraded to a proper spec hdmi over single cat6. It’s mostly stable but interested in other options.