Smart Home – Safe, Fast and Easy

Smart Idea – Smart Implementation

No programming knowledge, no tearing holes in walls, no time-consuming commissioning process: WAGO Home Automation is the easy way for electrical professionals to access their customers’ home automation – for both new builds and retrofits! Do you already work with smart home solutions? Then expand your offerings, while maintaining your flexibility and independence!

The benefits of WAGO Home Automation for you:

Certified electrical safety and quality and industry-standard cybersecurity
Maximum compatibility, flexibility and future-proofing thanks to Matter^®
Quick and easy installation – secure conductor contact
Easy commissioning, smooth handover to customers, clear documentation

Time to Make a Smart Move!

Movie theater ambience on voice command? Can do! Discover how WAGO Home Automation makes the smart home experience possible for your customers – quickly, easily and safely.

An Easy Way to Get Started with Home Automation

The WAGO Home Automation portfolio for smart control of devices like electrical outlets, sunblinds and lights consists of eight wireless modules, divided into two variants: “Matter® over Thread®” and “Matter® over Wi-Fi®.” Each variant includes four coordinated products. In addition, the Home Setup feature in the WAGO App supports easy commissioning and a smooth handover to customers.

WAGO Home Automation wireless modules will be available in summer 2026.

Home Automation – Possible Applications

Your customers know what they want – to be more comfortable, to feel more secure or to make their everyday lives a little easier – and as an electrical professional, you know what’s possible. Thanks to Matter^®, WAGO Home Automation can also be integrated into existing smart home systems.

Lighting Control

Lights on, lights off, dim or brighten – using a smartphone, via voice commands or the old-fashioned way with switches or push-buttons. For flexibility in two-channel lighting control, WAGO offers the Home Relay with output current up to 6 A, as well as the WAGO Home Dimmer for atmospheric lighting. You can even set corresponding dimming curves in advance using the WAGO App’s Home Setup feature.

Sunblind Control

From bright to dark and back again: Automatic shading control with electric sunblinds, shutters or awnings saves time, increases security when homes are unoccupied and provides safety against weather damage. The WAGO Home Blind Control wireless module with output current up to 3 A is available for intelligent time-dependent or light-dependent control of the drives for these shading elements. As an additional benefit, you can also set the sunblind travel times in the WAGO App’s Home Setup feature before commissioning.

Electrical Outlet Control

Power comes from the outlet – and now smart outlet control does too. The WAGO Home Relay is available with output current up to 16 A, so various large household devices with high power loads can be plugged into outlets, integrated into standard smart home systems and controlled safely.

Home Automation Commissioning for Electrical Professionals with the WAGO App

Home Setup is the WAGO App feature for electrical professionals for commissioning WAGO Home Automation. With it, you can create a project at the customer’s site, add WAGO Home Automation devices by scanning their Matter^® QR codes^® and pre-configure them, all before installation. After installation, you can then hand the bundled setup over to your customer.

Your customer then uses the WAGO Home Setup app to import data from the project and integrate the WAGO wireless modules into their smart home hub via the Matter^® commissioning process.

Downloads

Do you need bundled information about WAGO Home Automation for yourself and your customers? Then download the information material you need here!

Matter^® and Thread^® FAQ

Matter^® is the name of a manufacturer-independent smart home standard, developed by several hundred companies in the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA, link). Its goal is to make devices compatible with all control systems and platforms that support a Matter^® interface. CSA working groups continue to develop the standard and publish new specifications to enhance or expand its functionality. The first version (Matter^® 1.0) was released in October 2022. The standard now covers all major building technology applications – from lighting and shading, to heating and air conditioning, to cameras and household appliances.

A Matter^®-capable device can be used with any controller that supports the standard – both consumer solutions like Amazon Alexa and Apple Home and professional building installations. Matter^® even permits parallel operation of multiple control systems. Households can use various apps and voice assistants to access the same devices. Encrypted connections ensure security, and every Matter^® device can be controlled locally, i.e., without an Internet connection. Paid CSA certification ensures that manufacturers meet the standard’s requirements. Certified devices can be identified by the official Matter^® logo.

Matter^® introduces a universal language that devices in smart homes can use to communicate. This simplifies integration and makes it easy to set up an installation without special software tools or specially trained employees. However, the standard does not replace bus systems like KNX^® or DALI that have been proven in practice over decades. On the contrary: Matter^® can be used to expand conventional wired building control systems – for convenient (voice) control with assistants like Alexa and Siri, or to integrate Matter^® products into the existing bus installation.

Communication of Matter^® products is based on the IP protocol (IPv6). The standard defines three types of networks that can be used to transport traffic: Thread^® and Wi-Fi^® as wireless technologies, and LAN (ETHERNET) for cable connections. Each Matter^®-certified device uses at least one of these three technologies to communicate with its peers. Therefore, operating them requires a functioning IP infrastructure. Setting up devices also requires a smartphone with a Matter^®-capable app. During commissioning, the app queries an online CSA database and checks whether the product is authentic and officially certified. The smartphone needs an Internet connection, even if the devices will subsequently only operate locally in the secure network. If Thread^® is used as the protocol, a Thread^® Border Router is required.

The Matter^® standard supports two wireless connections: WLAN (also called Wi-Fi^®) and Thread^®. They have different properties, which carry over to devices with the corresponding technology. Wireless internet is almost ubiquitous in households and thus easily accessible. It can transmit large data volumes and is also used for camera streaming. However, for large installations with dozens or even hundreds of devices, Matter^® over Wi-Fi^® is less suitable – and home networks are usually not designed for this scenario. A Thread^® network operates independently of the wireless LAN and can grow as demands increase. It can also manage large numbers of devices. Since Thread^® requires little power for transmitting and receiving, this protocol is also recommended for battery-powered devices. Wireless sensors almost always work with Matter^® over Thread^®.

Simultaneous operation within one installation is possible, but does not always make sense, since Thread^® and Wi-Fi^® both transmit in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. A Thread^® network consists of wireless cells that interlock in a mesh structure. Devices connected to the power grid serve as nodes in the network that amplify the wireless signal and extend the network. The more devices are installed, the greater the positive effect is. A single Thread^® module surrounded by nothing but Wi-Fi® devices cannot take full advantage of its capabilities. Therefore, the positioning of Thread^® products should take wireless coverage into account.

At least one “Thread^® Border Router” (see below) is required. It can connect wirelessly via Wi-Fi® or a LAN cable to the IP network, which also connects computers, smartphones, smart TVs and other devices in the household. Additional border routers ensure fail safety, since they can compensate if an active unit fails.

The border router connects a wireless mesh network of Thread^® products to a home Wi-Fi® or LAN network. It is usually not a separate device; the border router functionality is built into other hardware like Apple’s HomePod mini, Amazon’s Echo models or Samsung’s Smart TVs. Nearly every Matter^®-capable ecosystem includes devices with integrated border routers.

The same rules apply to Matter^® over Wi-Fi^® as to other Wi-Fi® networks: Anything that ensures good reception on a smartphone or laptop also benefits the Matter^® devices. Wi-Fi® repeaters or Wi-Fi® mesh systems can be used to close coverage gaps. In the case of Matter^® over Thread^®, the installed devices can do this themselves. Each powered Thread^® product (230 V) acts as a repeater and automatically transmits received wireless signals. To extend coverage to distant areas of a home, all you need to do is install additional Thread^® lamps, smart plugs, light switches or flush-mounted modules on the way there.

Each Matter^® product has a unique setup code printed directly on the housing in the form of a square QR code. The code contains information about the application (lights, switches, roller shutters, etc.) and for establishing a secure connection and can be scanned with a Matter^®-capable platform’s smartphone app. The Matter^® controller (see below) then establishes the secure connection and adds the device to its encrypted Matter^® network.

For security reasons, each code is unique and linked to the hardware of the Matter^® devices. This prevents unauthorized access, because establishing a connection requires this code. Potential hackers do not have this data, so they cannot take over the devices. However, this also means that you must not lose the code – without it, the device cannot be set up or re-commissioned if the factory settings are restored.

The controller is the central control unit of a Matter^® installation, responsible for device commissioning, management and control. This role is usually played by a smart home hub, which can take the form of a standalone hub or be integrated into other devices like smart speakers or televisions. Purely software-based controllers, running as servers on a computer or smartphone app, are another possibility. The controller function is normally tied to a specific platform. For example, Apple controllers only work in the Apple ecosystem, Amazon hubs only work with Alexa, Samsung controllers only work with SmartThings, etc. If you want to run multiple platforms in parallel, you need at least one controller for each system. However, any number of controllers can be installed with a given platform. The Thread^® protocol requires a border router. Therefore, a border router always requires a Matter^® controller, but not every Matter^® controller necessarily offers border router functionality.

Four founding members of the Matter^® initiative have integrated the standard into their smart home systems: Amazon, Apple, Google and SmartThings (Samsung). But they’re not the only ones: for example, controllers using Tuya technology also support the standard. Athom from the Netherlands has equipped its Homey platform with this technology, and open-source software – from Home Assistant, to ioBroker, to openHAB – is also Matter^®-capable. Profile solutions like KNX^® servers from 1Home, Atios or Hager and the Busch-Jäger free@home system also exist.

A function called Multi-Admin allows control of multiple Matter^® systems. Devices that are already connected to a platform can be shared with another ecosystem. The output platform generates a new unique Matter^® code which can be used to add the device to the target system. The sharing step can be repeated over and over with additional systems. Every certified Matter^® product must support at least five parallel connections.

The official logo with symbol and lettering indicates devices that have obtained Matter^® certification. Such components can be used in any Matter^® environment as long as the necessary technical requirements are met – for example, devices with Matter^® over Thread^® require an installed border router.

Currently, the products on offer cover many common applications, such as lighting and shading, sensors (temperature, motion, energy consumption, humidity, air quality) and heating control. There are also household appliances like air purifiers, robotic vacuum cleaners and refrigerators. However, the Matter^® specifications are evolving and new product categories are added regularly – most recently, cameras in Matter^® 1.5. It takes time for these innovations to translate into market-ready products, so the actual selection of products often lags behind the specifications in the standard.

The official Matter^® certification guarantees that devices meet the specifications of the standard. Because Matter^® software code is freely accessible, anyone can develop products with it – regardless of whether these products ultimately comply with the standard. Therefore, it makes sense for the certification process to include manufacturer-independent verification. In principle, uncertified products can be commissioned. However, major platforms’ Matter^® controllers expressly warn that the device is unverified, so you integrate them at your own risk.

Wireless protocols that are not part of the Matter^® standard – or smart home systems that do not offer support themselves – can be connected to Matter^® via a bridge. One prominent example is Philips Hue: this wireless lighting system uses the Zigbee protocol, which is not part of the Matter^® standard. For this reason, the manufacturer Signify has further developed its Hue bridge to work as a Matter^® bridge. As such, the Hue system’s wireless hub makes its lights and accessories, such as switches and motion detectors, available to Matter^® systems, where they function just like Matter^® products connected via Wi-Fi® or Thread^®. This method also works with other protocols like Bluetooth^®, EnOcean^® and Z-Wave or with manufacturers’ proprietary wireless systems.

KNX^® installations and Matter^® can be connected in two ways: with a bridge or a controller. In the first case, a KNX^® server or gateway plays the role of the Matter^® bridge. Devices from the KNX^® installation are made available to Matter^® platforms like Apple Home or Amazon Alexa, where they can be controlled by voice commands or with the ecosystem’s app, for example. In the second case, KNX^® itself takes control: The server then acts as a controller and integrates Matter^® devices into the KNX^® installation – providing a way to connect products like robotic vacuum cleaners or wireless components that use Thread^® and Wi-Fi®.

For the developers of Matter^®, protection against cyberattacks was a high priority. “Security by Design” is a fundamental concept of the standard. Connections within the network are encrypted and protected against manipulation through digital certificates. Devices receive a unique identifier, and new devices must be digitally authenticated before they gain access to the network. The ability to operate the system locally without the Internet also enhances security. However, Internet connections are not completely ruled out. Matter^® platforms and device manufacturers can operate their own clouds and also collect user data on them; in that case, the provider is responsible for protecting this information.

For Matter^® devices, the manufacturer’s app is not the only way to receive software updates. The standard provides an alternative: distribution via the ecosystem to which these devices are connected. Matter^® platforms like Apple Home, Google Home and Home Assistant offer such updates automatically in their app. However, not all platform operators and device providers make use of this option.

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