The scalable
Good Way Intelligent Home Solution includes a Z-Wave Home Gateway, Z-Wave USB Dongle, Z-Wave Roller Shutter Controller, Z-Wave In-wall Power Monitor Switch, Z-Wave RGBW Color LED Dimmer, Z-Wave Smart Switch, and Wireless Smart Switch. The solution aims to assist personalized home automation as well as power monitoring of home.
Intuitive user experience offers even more added-value. The system is compatible with global mega platforms including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT. Its complete support of these ecosystems enables home users flexible options of scenario setup and device pairing.
Due to wiring and installation issues in the laboratory, we only had the Z-Wave Smart Switch and Wireless Smart Switch tested with the gateway.
Apart from simple on-off-settings, Z-Wave Smart Switch and Wireless Smart Switch helps users or home managers with energy monitoring and management in real-time. Every connected device which plugged into the Good Way switches can be monitored separately, and the data are synchronized to the apps for further analysis and users’ optimized consumption strategy.
Solution application
App views: Intelligent-home for Wireless Smart Switch (left),
and Z-Butler for Z-Wave Smart Switch (right)
For system integrators and smart home users, the Good Way Intelligent Home Solution can seamlessly build up a friendly ecosystem at home. Through either TCP/IP connection of the gateway or software integration of USB dongle, users are allowed to upgrade their current Linux/Android gateways, tablets, smart speakers, intercoms, set-top-boxes, or OTT boxes to support Z-Wave home automation controls.
Z-Wave Home Gateway is interoperable with smart devices from various brands, reducing compatibility issues for system integrators and property managers. Based on the inner space and home design, users can flexibly pair their preferred sensors, metering products, surveillance cameras and alike, into the Good Way Intelligent Home Solution.
Set-up & user experience
Connecting Z-Wave Smart Switch and Wireless Smart Switch, which applies TCP/IP protocol, requires two different smartphone apps. Both installation procedures have different characteristics.
In our set up comparison, the app interface for Wireless Smart Switch is clearer, friendlier and more intuitive. It’s a great benefit for home owners who DIY the entire system. On the other hand, as Z-Wave system usually require professional wiring and set-up, the user manual for Z-Wave Smart Switch is relatively technical for general home users.
After scanning in the network, the switches can swiftly get into connection with smartphone apps, allowing users a quick customization of their device settings. In addition, the two switches have clear indicative LED signals, marking the variation of power consumption: cyan for lower than 500W, orange for 501-1000W, and red for over 1000W.
We’ve only encountered one concern during the set up process as the Wireless Smart Switch doesn’t support factory reset function, which might cause inconvenience for users.
Inside the box of Good Way Z-Wave Home Gateway, Z-Wave Smart Switch, and Wireless Smart Switch
Performance in stability & reliability
The reactions of both smart switches were fast, and the connection to the gateway was stable throughout the test times. When we moved the smart switches randomly to several different electricity outlets, they are able to start functioning within 10 seconds, which is a favorable performance compared with that of other brands. In similar situations, the lab tests have experienced more than 20 seconds on smart switches of other brands.
In the app, users can instantly view energy usage of each smart switch connected. The switches will power off the device automatically when the circuit is overloaded.
Moreover, in 100 tests of on-off and schedule settings, we found the completion rate is about 98%, which means some of the tasks were not totally completed. In one lab scenario, we designed an abrupt blackout accident during a preset automation schedule to test if the function can resume automatically. However, after the electricity is restored, the switches were unable to resume running the original schedule.
Our conclusion
It’s impressive that the Z-Wave Home Gateway is supporting plenty of applications, providing unlimited possibilities for the smart home users and system integrators to extend smart home ecosystem. It works seamlessly with the smart switches. Z-Wave Smart Switch and Wireless Smart Switch can always react in short time, creating punctual scenes of homes.
As we can easily see the real-time energy consumption in the app, we are wondering if the function could engage even more in energy saving and management of our homes. For example, by integrating the historical data with electricity bill parameters, users can get approximate calculation of how much they’ve spent on energy consumption.
Not just energy monitoring, Good Way’s solution is expandable based on home demand. All in all, we like the rapid response of the switches as well as the application of scenarios via the Z-Wave Home Gateway. And certainly, the solution could be even favorable when the time schedule are 100% complete.
*SMAhome works with Allion Labs to review the solutions. The review result may vary according to the application environment conditions and product versions.