Remarks to your house-control

Your house-control from flex-control is one of the following two types shown below. The difference is it's type of connection:

Ethernet
GSM/GPRS

GSM and GPRS are communication technologies working on wireless media, exactly like a mobile phone. Ethernet is a network technology working on a wired media, like the Internet-cable connected to the computer. This means house-control of type GSM/GPRS are communicated to wirelessly, and the ethernet type requires a physical Internet-connection as a cable.

The difference means that each has some benefits and drawback, which are shown in tabel 1.

	GSM/GPRS	Ethernet
Communication speed	Low	High
Update frequency	Low	High
Communication expenses.	Covered by subscription	None
Required broadband subscription	No	Yes
Affected by wireless coverage	Ja	Nej
Affected by Internet failure	No	Yes
Affected by power failure	No	No

Tabel 1

Each row in tabel 1 is explained in each following section.

Communication speed
As a user of the house-control remote control the possible reduced communication to the house-control speed is not notised, since the remote control does not communicate directly to the house, but instead with an intermediate server (further explanation).

Update frequency
The update frequency is lower for GSM/GPRS since an expense exists for each update.
The time is takes to complete a change in the house from it is made by the user, is quite high in relation to the almost none existing delay using ehternet*.
*) Requires that port-forwarding is made in routers between the house-control and the Internet in the house. If not, the server cannot etablish connection to the house-control, and user actions are conducted once the house-control on own initiave created a connection to the server. This time interval varies typically from 10-30 minutes.

Communication expenses
The expenses for GSM/GPRS are compared to broadband per minute, which is most more expensive. Only if the GSM/GPRS subscription expenses is monthly rated lower than a broadband, GSM/GPRS will be a cheaper solution.
GSM/GPRS expenses are included in the flex-control subscription.

Requires broadband subscription
According to the update frequency broadband is both cheaper and faster* to conduct changes to the house-control.
*) Depends how often the user interacts with house-control.

Affected by wireless coverage
GSM/GPRS works on GSM 900/1800. Bad coverage means lowered communication speed, or even periodically break of communication.

Affected by Internet failure
Ethernet requires a wired network, and all devices in the setup must be powered. Are these devices not equiped with a battery, no communication is possible between the remote control and house-control on power failure.

Affected by power failure
The house-control is backed up by a batteri, and will make sure the system continues to operate on power failure. Note that the battery operation time is highly affected by the use of the house-control functions.