The Hardware Requirements

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So, let’s get right to it. All of this automation will require hardware, and plenty of it. Seems to me that the hardware is the first thing I need… since without it, the software is just a game!

Insteon

For controlling my lights, my fans, my appliances, my thermostat, and my watering system. Insteon provides all sorts of automation modules, from lamp controllers and switches, to dimmers, to thermostats and watering controllers. They have some slick light switches and keypads, and they even have a module that will allow you to control the Insteon modules via TCP/IP. Good thing too - we’ll need that.

Global Cache

For converting TCP/IP signals into IR signals to control AV equipment. Global Cache provides modules that will receive commands via TCP/IP and emit IR signals to control anything that uses an Infrared Remote Conrol. That’s all my AV equipment!