Less than a year ago, Google introduced their new router, called OnHub, that serves as an update to their old router which don’t support the newest wave of home automation. The OnHub is meant to offer you the fastest WiFi, with the added bonus of including features that enable you to use the functionality of home automation. When the new device was announced, it was teased that the device would support many new and exciting features. While these features have been slow to be released, they are coming out now and promising capabilities that consumer want, from a name that they know and trust.
The Latest on
The latest news from Google is that their OnHub device will be able to support the popular IFTTT (If This Than That) inputs. With IFTTT, users are able to create recipes that act as rules for functions. This router is the first ever to be able to work with IFTTT. Some examples of what OnHub will be able to do with IFTTT include:
- Locking and Unlocking Doors – You can create a recipe that locks or unlocks your doors as you come and go (if you are using smart locks).
- Controlling Lights – If you arrive home and you have your hands full with groceries or kids or pets, don’t worry – you can set your smart lights to turn on automatically when you get home
- Tracking Your Kids – This is not as bad as it sounds. Well, it is exactly what it sounds like, but in a good way. If you’re a parent that has an older kid that can be home alone after school, you may still want some assurance that they are safe. Well, using IFTTT you can have an alert sent to you once your kid gets home.
You can see more about Google’s OnHub IFTTT support in their video.
How Google’s OnHub IFTTT Works
While using IFTTT recipe might sound complicated, it’s actually pretty simple. Google’s OnHub connects to your family’s mobile devices, and you build your recipes around whether or not a specific device is connected to the home network. It’s that simple. There are of course concerns about prioritization of recipes if two devices that compete are connected, but Google offers features that let you prioritize your recipes.
Google’s OnHub vs. Amazon’s Echo
There are some major, and minor, similarities between Google’s OnHub and Amazon’s Echo. The first thing to keep in mind is that OnHub is a router, while Echo is meant to be a home assistant. Because of this, the two devices cannot really be compared apples to apples. That said, here are a few ways they differ:
- Speakers – both devices include a speaker
- Microphones – only the Echo has a microphone
- Voice Commands – only Echo supports voice commands
- WiFi – only OnHub offers WiFi coverage
- App – both devices offer an app that allow you to do more advanced functions
Photo by: OnHub
