Router selection

In the SmartESP project, we deliberately avoided a simple web socket technology to connect each controller to the server. The fact is that this method is simple in the beginning, but over time it leads to certain problems. Therefore, if you make a little more effort and overcome the initial inconvenience, you will subsequently gain a decisive advantage in operational stability, which is so valuable for home automation.

We all know that we use a router to connect to the Internet. The nuance is that now you will need not the first one you come across, but a good router that has a built-in VPN-client function. Note that it is a VPN-client, not a VPN-server! With the VPN client, your router will connect to the SmartESP server. Of course, this is only if you plan to use the cloud-based version of the server. If you are going to use your own local server, in this case, you can use any router. Because then the local SmartESP server will access the controllers directly through the internal addresses of the local network.

So, you will most likely need to purchase a new router to connect to the cloud server. It is important to realize that not only SmartESP, but any smart home project will require a router. It is advisable to choose a router carefully, no matter what solution you will use for your smart home. It is advisable to choose a router that is powerful enough to keep the entire local network running well and stable. In addition, a smart home router should provide for different emergency scenarios in case of all kinds of failures. All of this means that the first router that comes along is probably not the right one for your smart home.

First router connection option

This is recommended as the easiest option if you are just starting to build your smart home. In this case, you don't risk messing up any of the settings on your current router, which already has a variety of appliances connected to it.

Your new Mikrotik router will simply be connected to the main router via a network cable, just as you would connect any other device, such as a computer. As a result, you will have two WiFi networks in your home. One old one - for technology and the other new one - for smart home. The main thing is to connect the routers to each other correctly. For the main network cable should be connected to one of the connectors named LAN, and for the gateway router, the cable will need to be connected to the WAN or Internet connector.

The second option for connecting the router

This is a more advanced option where you create your own network of routers in different parts of the house.

Look at the diagram. In its center is a Mikrotik router. The minimum model is RB941-2nD, or if you want to connect to the Internet via USB-modem, then you should use RB951-2nD. This will be the central router that connects your local network to the global Internet. And further, to this central router it is recommended to connect other routers as needed to expand your network when you have a large building or separate buildings.

So your old router can connect to the central router (preferably via cable) and be located in another room or building, such as a garage. In this case, it acts as a repeater. Thanks to this, you get several WiFi networks, which undoubtedly increases the stability of the smart home and improves the speed of home appliances - TV, phone, laptop, which are located in different rooms.

Now that you've decided on a router, you can get down to the general configuration of your Mikrotik smart home router.

A bit of technical information

As for the SmartESP controllers - ESP8266 chips, they are undemanding for WiFi signal.

That's because we don't use web socket technology, which is easy for the user in the beginning but problematic later on. Web sockets are a great technology, but it is quite demanding in terms of resources for the controllers and the north and WiFi network. Therefore, if every smart home controller starts using this technology, then stability issues arise. It is quite another thing when a single VPN connection is created between the router and the server, which is used as a tunnel to communicate with the controllers!

Speaking of other smart home data transportation standards like Z-Wave, ZigBee, BLE and others, despite all the uniqueness and advantages/disadvantages of each technology, there is still one word that is akin to them all. That word is gateway, which is essentially a highly specialized router that connects to your home router. So you can't do without a gateway. Whether you will use the service of one company all your life is an open question, but they will sell you their specific and closed router. The SmartESP project implies buying a universal router that will serve you for a long time and for different tasks. For example, even if you want to refuse our service and develop your own variant or try another smart home service.