Guides
Practical guides for making good decisions
No generic blog: clear answers to the problems we come across every week in Andorra.
Networks and connectivity
Networks
Why is my WiFi slow when I have fibre?
Fast fibre but slow or dropping WiFi? The real causes in Andorra (walls, router position, extenders, bands) and how to fix it properly.
Read moreNetworks
WiFi 6, 6E and 7: which do you need?
The differences between WiFi 5, WiFi 6, WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 explained simply, and when it's worth upgrading equipment in a home, office or hotel.
Read moreNetworks
Outdoor WiFi: terraces, gardens and pools
How to get good WiFi on terraces, in gardens, by pools and in car parks: outdoor access points, cabling, PoE power, and resistance to cold and weather.
Read moreNetworks
What is PoE and why it simplifies cameras and WiFi
PoE (Power over Ethernet) carries data and power over the same cable. What it is, the standards, and why it's key for cameras, WiFi access points and video intercoms.
Read moreNetworks
How to separate guest and staff WiFi
Why and how to separate guest, staff, POS and camera networks in restaurants, hotels, shops and offices. VLANs explained simply.
Read moreBusiness
How to design an office network
Rack, cabling, PoE switches, ceiling WiFi, separate networks for staff, guests, telephony and cameras, UPS and backup connection for an office in Andorra.
Read moreNetworks
Home office for remote work: a professional connection
Setting up a home office in Andorra with a professional connection: cable to the desk, a separate network, stable video calls, VPN, UPS and a backup connection.
Read moreBusiness
Backup 4G/5G connection for businesses
Keep your POS, bookings and cameras online if the internet drops: 4G/5G backup connection, dual-WAN router and UPS for restaurants, shops and offices.
Read moreNetworks
UPS: protecting your network, NAS and alarm from power cuts
What a UPS is, which type to choose, how to size it and why it's key for routers, PoE switches, NAS, cameras and POS systems.
Read moreNetworks
VPN for businesses and homes: secure remote access
What a VPN is, what it's for in a business or a second home, WireGuard vs OpenVPN, and why it's better than opening ports to the internet.
Read moreCreators
What network a professional streaming studio needs
How to build network infrastructure for a YouTube or streaming studio: Ethernet vs WiFi, multi-gig switches, NAS, backups and UPS.
Read moreNetworks
Structured cabling: categories, rack and certification
What structured cabling is, the differences between Cat 6, Cat 6A and fibre, how a rack is organised, what certification means and why it matters in homes and offices.
Read moreNetworks
WiFi in large and multi-storey homes
How to get good WiFi coverage in chalets, mountain houses and multi-storey homes: how many access points, where to put them, cabling and roaming.
Read moreNetworks
How much internet speed do I need?
How to work out the fibre speed a home or business needs: real usage, upload versus download, number of users, video calls, cameras and cloud backups.
Read moreNetworks
Guest WiFi with a login portal
How to offer WiFi to customers with a login portal: sign-in options, time and speed limits, isolation, personal data and what to avoid.
Read moreNetworks
Network monitoring: knowing before the customer does
What network monitoring is, what gets watched (connection, devices, WiFi, disks, UPS), which alerts are useful and how it helps fix faults before they affect the business.
Read moreNetworks
Business firewalls: what they do and when you need one
What a firewall does, how it differs from the operator's router, which features matter for a small business (VLANs, VPN, filtering, dual WAN) and how to maintain it.
Read more
Home automation
Home automation
What is KNX and how does it work?
What KNX is, how the bus works, which devices it uses, why it's an open standard and when it makes sense for a home, hotel or building.
Read moreHome automation
What is Loxone and how does it work?
What Loxone is, how the Miniserver works, what Tree and Air are, how it's programmed and which homes and businesses it suits best.
Read moreHome automation
KNX or Loxone? Which system to choose for your home or building
An honest comparison of KNX and Loxone: architecture, flexibility, cost, new build or renovation, and which suits each type of project best.
Read moreHome automation
What is Home Assistant?
What Home Assistant is, its strengths (local control, integrations, automations), how it works alongside KNX and when it makes sense in a home or business.
Read moreHome automation
What is Matter and how does it affect home automation?
Matter, the compatibility standard for smart home devices: what it is, how it works over WiFi and Thread, and what it means for professional KNX or Loxone installations.
Read moreHome automation
Home automation and voice assistants: Alexa, Google and Siri
What you can control with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri in a professional home automation installation, how they integrate, and the limits and precautions to bear in mind.
Read moreHome automation
Smart lighting: scenes, presence detection and dimming
What smart lighting offers: scenes, dimming, presence detection, daylight harvesting and schedules in homes, hotels, offices and shops.
Read moreHome automation
Room-by-room heating control
How to control heating room by room with underfloor heating or radiators: thermostats, motorised valve heads, schedules, windows and control from your phone.
Read moreHome automation
Motorised blinds and awnings: automation based on sun and wind
How to automate blinds, awnings and curtains: by sun, wind and time of day, protection in high winds, presence simulation and energy efficiency.
Read moreHome automation
How much does it cost to automate a home?
What changes the price of home automation: floor area, system (KNX, Loxone, wireless), new build or renovation, level of automation, network and security.
Read moreHome automation
My home automation system has no support: what can I do?
A KNX, Loxone or other installation with no documentation or support: how to recover it, audit it, update it and secure ongoing maintenance.
Read moreHome automation
Solar panels and home automation: using your surplus
How to combine solar panels and home automation to use your own energy: metering, load management, hot water, heating and cooling, EV charging and batteries.
Read moreHome automation
EV charger at home: managing the charge
What to consider when installing an electric vehicle charger in a home or building: power, dynamic load balancing, charging on solar surplus and shared car parks.
Read moreHome automation
Multi-room audio: music throughout the home
How to bring music to several rooms: ceiling or wireless speakers, zones, networked amplifiers, home automation integration and what to plan for in a new build or renovation.
Read moreHome automation
Home automation scenes: useful everyday ideas
What a home automation scene is, with examples people actually use: leaving home, goodnight, arrival, cinema, holiday and alerts. How to design them without overcomplicating.
Read moreHome automation
Switches, screens, app or voice: how to control a smart home
The ways to control an automated home and when to use each: switches, touch panels, mobile app, voice and automation. How to design a home that's easy to use.
Read moreHome automation
Presence detectors: types and where to use them
The difference between motion and presence detectors, the technologies (infrared, radar), where to place them and how to use them for lighting, heating and security.
Read moreHome automation
Air quality and ventilation at home
Why indoor air quality matters, what CO2, humidity and particle sensors measure, and how to automate ventilation in homes, offices and hotels.
Read moreHome automation
Underfloor heating and home automation: how to control it well
How to control underfloor heating with home automation: thermal inertia, room-by-room control, schedules, heat pumps, floor cooling, dew point and common mistakes.
Read more
Telephony and video conferencing
Telephony and video conferencing
IP telephony for business: how it works
What IP telephony is, what the phone system, extensions and SIP protocol do, its advantages over traditional phone lines and what you need to set it up.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Cloud or on-site IP phone system: which to choose
The differences between a cloud-hosted phone system and an on-site or open source IP PBX: cost, what happens without internet, remote work, multiple sites and customisation.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
No customer left unanswered
How to design a business's phone handling with an IP phone system: welcome menu, queues, ring groups, opening hours, holidays, diversions and missed-call statistics.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Dropped calls: a network ready for voice and video
Why IP calls and video meetings break up or sound robotic, and how to fix it with a voice VLAN, QoS, PoE, cabling and a good internet connection.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
DECT IP phones: mobility for hotels and businesses
What DECT IP phones are, why they handle voice better than WiFi, how to cover a hotel, restaurant or warehouse, and what handover between base stations means.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Your office extension on your mobile
What a softphone is, how to take your company extension onto your mobile or computer, call with the company number from anywhere and keep work and personal life apart.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
How to equip a video conferencing room
What a meeting room needs for video calls that work: camera, microphones, speakers, screen, acoustics, network and compatibility with Teams, Zoom or Meet.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Meeting audio: conference phones, headsets and webcams
How to improve meeting audio: conference phones for rooms, speakerphones, noise-cancelling headsets and webcams for the office and remote work.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
IP paging: announcements, background music and intercoms
How IP paging works with SIP speakers: zone announcements from any phone, background music, door chimes, intercoms and alerts in hotels, shops and businesses.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Analogue gateways: keeping existing equipment
How to connect analogue phones, fax machines and other existing equipment to an IP phone system with adapters and gateways, and when it's better to replace them.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Centralised management of communication devices
Why manage phones, intercoms and communication equipment from a central platform: zero-touch provisioning, firmware updates, monitoring and configuration backups.
Read moreTelephony and video conferencing
Hotel telephony
What IP telephony looks like in a hotel: room phones, a front desk with queues, DECT for staff, wake-up calls, and integration with the management system and video intercom.
Read more
IoT and sensors
IoT and sensors
IoT protocols: which to choose and why
How connected-device protocols differ (WiFi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Matter, Bluetooth and LoRaWAN) and which to choose based on range, power use and purpose.
Read moreIoT and sensors
IoT sensors for business
The connected sensors that add most value in hotels, restaurants, offices and shops: cold room temperature, CO2, water leaks, energy use and occupancy, with alerts.
Read moreNetworks
Securing connected devices
How to protect cameras, alarms, home automation and connected devices: passwords, separate networks, updates, secure remote access and per-user accounts.
Read more
Security and access
Security
How to choose an alarm for your home or business
Wireless or wired alarm, self-monitoring or monitoring centre, sensors, image verification and communications: choosing the right alarm in Andorra.
Read moreSecurity
How to choose security cameras
What to look for in a security camera: resolution, lens, night vision, backlight handling, cold-weather rating, PoE, local or cloud recording and smart detection.
Read moreSecurity
Security cameras and privacy: what you need to know
What to consider before installing cameras at home, in a business or in a building in Andorra: coverage areas, signage, footage retention and staff.
Read moreBuildings
IP video intercom: benefits for homes and buildings
What an IP video intercom offers over an analogue one: answer from your phone, open remotely, code access, camera integration and upgrading existing buildings.
Read moreSecurity
Garage and car park access
How to manage access to residential, business or hotel garages: remote controls, cards, mobile, number plate recognition, logs and privacy.
Read moreSecurity
Smart locks for homes: types and how to choose
Types of smart lock for the home (motorised, keypad, fingerprint), how they connect, what happens when the batteries run out and what to check before buying one.
Read moreSecurity
Technology for apartment buildings and owners' associations
The technology that improves a residential building: IP video intercom, access control for the entrance and car park, cameras in common areas, WiFi, EV charging and maintenance.
Read moreSecurity
Smoke, carbon monoxide and water sensors
Which safety sensors are worth having at home or in a business: smoke, carbon monoxide, gas and water leaks. Where to place them and why they should be connected.
Read moreSecurity
Perimeter protection: detecting before they get in
How to protect the outside of a home or business: outdoor detectors, beams, cameras with analytics, deterrent lighting and how to avoid false alarms.
Read moreSecurity
Access control in offices: zones, schedules and visitors
How to organise access control in an office or business: zones, profiles and schedules, credentials, visitor management, event logs and data protection.
Read more
Homes and new builds
Second homes
How to set up a second home for remote monitoring
How to protect a house that sits empty for months: water, smoke and temperature sensors, alarm, cameras, access and remote heating.
Read moreHomes
How to prevent frozen pipes in an empty house
Protecting an empty mountain home from freezing: minimum temperature, sensors, alerts when the boiler stops, power cuts and remote action.
Read moreHomes
How to upgrade an older home's technology without major works
WiFi throughout, alarm, cameras, smart heating and home automation in an existing home: wireless solutions, reusing conduits and working in phases.
Read moreNew builds
Technology pre-installation in new builds: what to plan for
What to prepare in a new build or full renovation: conduits, rack, network points, ceiling WiFi, home automation first fix, cameras and video intercom.
Read moreHomes
Full renovation: the technology to plan before you start
What to decide about network, WiFi, home automation, security and energy before a full renovation, in what order, and what to prepare even if you don't install it now.
Read moreHomes
Technology for mountain homes
What to consider in a mountain home in Andorra: frost, power cuts, humidity, snowy access, outdoor equipment and remote management when nobody is there.
Read more
Hotels and holiday rentals
Hotels
What a professional hotel WiFi network needs
Per-room coverage, high density, separate networks, bandwidth management and monitoring: how to improve hotel WiFi in Andorra.
Read moreHotels
Hotel access control: card, mobile key or PIN?
How to choose a hotel access control system: cards, mobile keys, PIN, online or standalone locks, staff areas and front-desk integration.
Read moreHotels
How to cut a hotel's energy use with automation
Occupancy-based climate, window contacts, presence lighting, common-area schedules and zone metering: how to save energy in a hotel without sacrificing comfort.
Read moreHoliday rentals
Keyless entry for holiday rentals: how it works
Smart locks and temporary codes for holiday rentals: lock types, connectivity, per-booking codes, the building entrance, batteries and a plan B.
Read moreHotels and tourism
Smart hotel rooms: comfort and savings
How hotel guest room control works: occupancy detection, heating and cooling, lighting, curtains, do not disturb, window contacts, front desk integration and savings.
Read moreHotels and tourism
A restaurant's network: tills, orders and guest WiFi
How a restaurant or bar network should be built so the till, order tablets, card terminals and guest WiFi keep working without drop-outs at peak times.
Read moreHotels and tourism
Self check-in for hotels and holiday rentals
How self check-in works in hotels and holiday rentals: pre-registration, verification, code or mobile key, building access and what to plan for if something fails.
Read moreHotels and tourism
TV and entertainment in hotels
How hotel TV has changed: IPTV, casting from the guest's phone, international channels, hotel information on screen and the network it all needs.
Read moreHotels and tourism
Technology for shops
The technology a shop needs: network for the till, WiFi, cameras, alarm, stockroom access control, background music, people counting and remote management.
Read more
Software and management
Software and management
Open source software for business: benefits and limits
What open source software is, its benefits for a business in Andorra (licences, data, independence) and what to consider before adopting it.
Read moreSoftware and management
Open source CRM and invoicing: Twenty and Dolibarr
The difference between a CRM and an ERP, what Twenty offers for managing customers and what Dolibarr offers for quotes, invoices and stock. When to use one, the other or both.
Read moreSoftware and management
Nextcloud: a private cloud for your business
What Nextcloud is, what it offers (files, calendars, contacts, online office and video calls) and when it makes sense instead of Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
Read moreSoftware and management
Business backups: the 3-2-1 rule
How to make backups that actually work: the 3-2-1 rule, off-site copies, immutable backups, restore tests and common mistakes.
Read moreSoftware and management
What is a NAS and what is it for?
What a NAS is, what it's for (shared files, backups, photos, cameras, apps), what RAID means and why a NAS is not a substitute for a backup.
Read moreSoftware and management
Password managers for businesses and teams
Why a business needs a password manager, how it works, which open source options exist and how to roll it out without complicating the team's day.
Read moreSoftware and management
How to protect your business from ransomware
What ransomware is, how it usually gets into a small business and the measures that cut the risk most: immutable backups, updates, VPN, two-factor and separate networks.
Read moreSoftware and management
Phishing: how to recognise a fraudulent email
How to recognise fraudulent emails, messages and calls in a business: warning signs, invoice and CEO fraud, what to do if someone falls for it and how to prevent it.
Read more
Websites and online presence
Websites and online presence
How to show up on Google with a business in Andorra
How to improve a business's visibility on Google in Andorra: Google Business Profile, a multilingual website, consistent details, reviews and useful content.
Read moreWebsites and online presence
Business email on your own domain
Why use email on your company domain, what SPF, DKIM and DMARC are, how to keep your emails out of spam and how to move away from a free account.
Read moreWebsites and online presence
What a local business website needs
What makes a local business website useful: what you do and where, visible contact details, languages, mobile speed, a page per service, trust and measurement.
Read more
Connect · Protect · Automate · Control
Tell us about your project
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- Emailinfo@knxandorra.com