D-Link's new smart-home hub speaks Wi-Fi and Z-Wave
D-Link shows that it's taking home automation seriously at CES 2015 with a new $80 hub and an assortment of compatible accessories.
LAS VEGAS -- D-Link now has its own home automation hub, a Wi-Fi-and-Z-Wave-fluent device that's designed to plug into your router to bridge smart-home connectivity between various accessories and the Mydlink app.
This new device, dubbed the Connected Home Hub, is reasonably priced at 80 bucks, yet it doesn't understand as many protocol languages as competitors Wink and SmartThings . Still, its compatibility with AllSeen gives it a solid shot at a number of key smart-home integrations.
To kick off D-Link's foray into home automation, the team is unveiling a few specific Connected Home Hub-friendly products in tandem: a Z-Wave Open & Close Sensor (DCH-Z110), a Z-Wave Motion Sensor (DCH-Z120), a Wi-Fi Water Sensor (DCH-S160) and a Wi-Fi Siren (DCH-S220).
The Open & Close Sensor costs $40. As the name suggests, it's supposed to send you an alert whenever it senses that a door or window has been opened; D-Link claims that this battery-powered gizmo can last for as long as 3.5 years.
The battery-powered Motion Sensor comes in at $50 and is expected to last for up to two years. Like the Open & Close Sensor, the Motion Sensor is also designed to notify you whenever motion is detected. But this device also has built-in temperature and light sensors so you can track a couple of key environmental factors.
D-Link's $60 Wi-Fi Water Sensor plugs into a outlet and will send you an alert if it detects a leak. And, the $50 Wi-Fi Siren has six different alarm sounds and, like the other accessories, can be used as part of a custom rule in the Mydlink app.
All of these products, including the Connected Home Hub, will be available in the second quarter. Click here to see what else is happening at the 2015 International CES.