Question 1

We're closing on a new-build home in Storey Park — can this be ready before we move in?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is exactly the scenario the Grand Unification is designed for. Coordinated with your closing or certificate-of-occupancy date, we can have Wi-Fi, smart locks, and your unified dashboard ready before the moving truck arrives — ask your realtor about gifting it, or book directly.

Question 2

What does your process look like, start to finish?

Accepted Answer

Discovery call within 48 hours of your inquiry. On-site Estate Discovery scheduled within one to two weeks. Written proposal delivered within five business days. Because our work is configuration-only, most full-estate engagements complete in four to six business days end-to-end — equipment ordering, delivery, and implementation — scheduled in concentrated blocks around your calendar.

Question 3

What's included in the Estate Discovery?

Accepted Answer

Roughly ninety minutes on site: a walk-through of every space, professional Wi-Fi heat-mapping floor by floor, a full audit of your existing smart devices and network gear, a security and segmentation review, and a written report delivered within five business days. The $500 Discovery fee is credited in full toward any engagement you move forward with.

Question 4

What does a typical full-estate engagement cost?

Accepted Answer

Our flagship Grand Unification engagement is a flat $1,899 — full audit, unified dashboard, secure network configuration, and handover documentation. Larger multi-building estates and compounds receive a custom-scoped, line-itemed proposal after the Estate Discovery so scope and price are settled before any work begins.

Question 5

I don't need a full rebuild — I just need my current network fixed. Do you offer anything smaller?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Network Rescue is a flat $950 engagement for a network that's underperforming rather than absent: dead-zone elimination, device and channel conflict resolution, and segmentation using your existing hardware wherever it's capable, with a working, documented network when we leave. It's a common fit for smaller luxury properties that need reliability restored quickly, without a full Grand Unification rebuild. If your existing equipment can't support what you need, we'll say so during the visit, and the fee is credited toward a larger engagement.

Question 6

How disruptive is the installation? Will there be visible hardware?

Accepted Answer

Zero disruption. Our practice is configuration-only — no drilling, no new wiring, no visible hardware. Every device lives in your existing utility closet, AV rack, or mechanical room. Discretion is standard: your address, your home's interiors, and your routines are never discussed outside our engagement.

Question 7

What if I already have a mesh router (eero, Google Wifi, Orbi)?

Accepted Answer

We audit your current setup as part of the Estate Discovery. If your mesh is adequate, we say so. In most estate-scale homes we standardize on eero PoE 7 Wi-Fi 7 access points behind a Firewalla Gold SE, Plus, or Pro gateway (sized to your estate) — superior coverage, true Wi-Fi 7 speeds, and the network separation consumer mesh simply cannot do.

Question 8

Do I need to buy new smart lights or replace devices I already own?

Accepted Answer

No. Working with what you already own is a core principle. Philips Hue, LIFX, Lutron Caseta, or a mix of brands — Home Assistant integrates with over two thousand device families. We unify them under one dashboard so nothing has to be replaced.

Question 9

How do you approach cybersecurity and privacy?

Accepted Answer

Local-first by design. Home Assistant runs on hardware you own, inside your home — no cloud dependency, no subscriptions, no vendor collecting your data. Your network is quietly separated so guests, smart devices, and your personal computers each stay in their own space, with a Firewalla gateway blocking known threats at the edge. Every password, key, and backup is handed to you at completion. You own your estate's intelligence outright.

Question 10

Do you only install top-tier equipment? My home doesn't need a 10G network.

Accepted Answer

Never. We size architecture to your home's actual demands, not a fixed package. A 4,000 sq ft residence on 1 Gbps fiber gets a Firewalla Gold SE; a typical estate on 2.5–5 Gbps gets a Gold Plus; a 15,000 sq ft compound on 10G service gets a Gold Pro — same eero PoE 7 access points, same security standards, right-sized hardware. Over-speccing is its own kind of poor design.

Question 11

How much does eero PoE 7 + Firewalla Gold cost compared to a consumer mesh router?

Accepted Answer

A consumer mesh kit (eero, Orbi, Google Wifi) runs $300–$800, but has no real security gateway and no network segmentation — a hacked smart bulb and your laptop share the same network. eero PoE 7 isn't sold at retail at all: it's professional-installation hardware, sourced through the same dealer channel as our Firewalla gateways, powered over the same cable that carries its data for a cleaner install, and it comes with a five-year remote-monitoring license we use to keep an eye on your network after handover. A professionally configured eero PoE 7 + Firewalla Gold estate network typically runs $4,000–$12,000 in hardware depending on square footage, sourced at cost with no markup, plus our $1,899 flat configuration fee. You're paying for true Wi-Fi 7 coverage, VLAN isolation, and intrusion detection — not just faster Wi-Fi.

Question 12

Is Home Assistant better than SmartThings or Apple Home for a large estate?

Accepted Answer

For an estate-scale home with mixed-brand devices, yes. Home Assistant integrates with over two thousand device families regardless of manufacturer, runs entirely locally on hardware you own (no cloud dependency, no subscription), and scales to hundreds of devices without the platform lock-in of SmartThings or the Apple-ecosystem restrictions of Apple Home. SmartThings and Apple Home are fine for a single-brand, apartment-scale setup — they weren't built for a 100+ device luxury estate with cameras, locks, lighting, and climate all in one dashboard.

Question 13

What's the actual difference between the Estate Discovery and the Grand Unification?

Accepted Answer

Estate Discovery ($500, credited toward any engagement) is the assessment: a walk-through, Wi-Fi heat-mapping, a device and network audit, and a written report. Grand Unification ($1,899 flat, hardware separate) is the actual engagement: Home Assistant integration, a unified dashboard, VLAN network segmentation, smart lighting and automation scenes, and training. Think of Discovery as the diagnosis and Grand Unification as the treatment — most clients do both, in that order.

Smart Home & Network Installer in Storey Park.

Three problems. Three answers.

The Estate Discovery.

Estate Discovery

Custom Proposal

Flawless Integration

What is driving you crazy about your home tech?

Answers Before You Ask.