Alexa
This is the 'wake word' and name of Amazon's voice assistant, but not the name of the device that features this functionality. Many devices use the Alexa voice assistant and the Amazon product is called Echo.
Bandwidth
The generalised term to describe the amount of throughput a data connection has, when taking into consideration the amount of signal and the quality of the connection. The Bandwidth is usually measured in "bits per second" (bps).
Bluetooth LE
A low energy version of Bluetooth that is a common protocol for smart home devices.
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)
A DLNA is an agreed communication standard for devices established by Sony and Intel, now adopted by many major firms (except Apple.)
Geofence
A virtual perimeter set up so that when you enter or leave it you can trigger a function, for example, you can set a radius of 200 metres around your home so that when you leave that area your lights turn off, and when you enter it again the heating and lights turn on.
Group
In the world of smart home devices it is often desirable to control a series of similar devices all at once. For example, 6 smart LED light bulbs in one room. All the desired devices can be added to a group and then by naming that group you can control them all at the same time as if they were an individual item.
Hub
A central device that allows different products to work together. This might mean different products in different ecosystems (like Samsungs SmartThings and Tuya devices), or a hub for only one particular ecosystem (like Philips Hue.) Most hubs connect to their respective devices and also connect to your network to make the devices controllable by your smart home system (normally your smart phone app.)
HVAC
A sort of acronym for Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems, common in the USA.
IoT, Internet of Things
A term used to describe the era of internet technology that is built into 'things' to provide extra functionality, as opposed to merely in places we would expect to access it (computers, phones, etc.) As such the IoT and the smart home are very similar, as are smart business systems and other applications.
IP: Internet Protocol
Something called an IP device means it communicates using standard networking (rather than, for example, a smart lightbulb that uses a smart home protocol.)
Mesh Network
A kind of network in which devices save energy and extend the range of the network by passing signals between each other (known as "hopping") rather than needing to communicate directly with a central point like a traditional Wi-Fi network. Z-Wave and Zigbee devices provide mesh networks.
NFC: Near-field Communications
This is the name for technology that allows devices to communicate over a very short range - like contactless payment systems or the setup procedure for Apple's HomePod.
Protocol
Wi-Fi, TCP/IP, Bluetooth, and numerous others are all protocols - agreed standards by which devices can communicate and software can be written to talk to them. Z-Wave and Zigbee are the first created with home automation in mind.
Remote Access
Generally, remote in the context of smart homes is operation from beyond your home (usually not connected to your home network.)
Smart Meter
Electricity and gas smart meters can share your usage data with the utility company directly, and can also give you an idea of your own usage.
See Smart Electricity Meters
Voice Assistant
Another term for a digital assistant, but specifically referring to those designed to be spoken to, such as Alexa or Siri.
Wake Word
The word or phrase which, when spoken, starts a voice-activated assistant such as Alexa or Siri ("Hey Siri"). Typically they then send the rest of your command as a sound recording to be processed remotely by Amazon or Apple before being turned into a response.
Wi-Fi
The most common protocol for wireless communication in the home, allowing fast enough transfer (Bandwidth) for HD video (assuming a good connection speed) and other data transfer for connected devices. Wi-Fi is not suitable for all smart home devices as it requires a relatively high amount of energy. That's find for a device with a permanent power supply, but if you want something compact then al alternative solution is needed.
Z-Wave
A wireless protocal for the smart home that doesn't interfere with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Zigbee
A wireless protocol for the smart home and other networks where long battery life is required.
