NextForGen is a smart home and building automation company based in Maltepe, Istanbul. For villas, offices and residential projects it handles everything from site survey to handover; lighting, climate, curtains and security come together in one place in the NextForGen hub and app.
How does a KNX installation connect to the app?
The NextForGen hub joins your home's local network and reaches the KNX line through a KNX IP interface or a KNX IP router (KNXnet/IP). The hub sends commands to the group addresses already defined in the installation and reads their status. That way your KNX devices show up in the app by room and by name.
- Nothing is torn out. Actuators, switches and cabling stay where they are.
- Your ETS project doesn't change. We don't reprogram the installation; we use the existing group addresses.
- Your switches keep working. KNX devices communicate over their own bus, so wall switches work independently of the app.
- Manufacturer-independent. The brand of the KNX devices in your installation doesn't matter; functions that have a group address come into the app.
Details: KNX integration guide
Which KNX devices can be connected to the app?
Every function that has a group address defined in your installation can be brought into the app:
- Lighting: on/off, dimmers, color temperature and color lighting actuators
- Curtains and blinds: open/close, position and slat angle
- Heating and cooling: room thermostats, fan coils, underfloor heating and valve actuators
- Sensors: motion and presence, temperature, humidity, door and window contacts
- Weather station: wind, rain, light level and outdoor temperature
- Energy metering: values from meters and metering actuators
- Binary inputs and KNX scenes: your existing switch and scene programs
During the site survey we decide together which functions come into the app, in which room, and under what name.
Do you need a VPN or open ports for KNX remote access?
No. The NextForGen hub starts its own encrypted connection to the NextForGen cloud. So you don't need port forwarding on your router, a static IP or a VPN. Your KNX IP interface is never exposed to the internet; it stays on your home's local network.
You use the same app at home and away.
Can KNX and wireless devices run in the same scene?
Yes. Once your KNX devices are connected to the app, they can share scenes and schedules with wireless devices from brands such as Shelly, Yale and Aqara. For example, a single "Leaving home" scene can switch off the KNX lighting and close the curtains while also locking the wireless door lock.
- A terrace, a garden or a room added later where no KNX cable was run can, in most cases, join the system with wireless devices without opening up walls.
- Scenes and schedules are set up room by room, and scenes run with a single tap.
- At handover, every device is ready in your app with its name and room.
What does NextForGen add to a home that already has KNX?
- One app. Your KNX installation in the same app as your door lock, cameras, garden irrigation and outdoor lighting.
- Remote control. Access from anywhere without opening ports or setting up a VPN.
- Scenes and schedules. Scenes that use KNX and wireless devices together, and room-by-room schedules.
- Wireless expansion. New devices where there is no KNX line, without opening up walls.
- Changes and support. When you want to change something, we do it remotely or on site. Technical support is available 7 days a week, 08:00–00:00.
What is KNX?
KNX is an open worldwide standard that lets building systems such as lighting, curtains, heating and cooling, and security communicate in a common language. Its international standard number is ISO/IEC 14543-3, and in Europe it is published as EN 50090. The standard is owned by the KNX Association, based in Brussels.
In KNX, devices most commonly communicate over a separate low-voltage data cable (twisted pair, TP). Wall switches, sensors and actuators send commands directly to one another on this line; nothing depends on a central computer to operate. Devices are configured with the KNX Association's software, ETS. KNX can also run over IP (KNXnet/IP) and radio frequency (KNX RF).
Devices from different KNX-compliant manufacturers work together on the same line, so an installation isn't tied to a single brand.
KNX, Zigbee, Matter or Wi-Fi: which one fits?
There is no single right answer. KNX stands out in new builds and major renovations where cable can be run; Zigbee and Matter in lived-in homes where installation must not involve opening walls; and Wi-Fi for individually added devices. NextForGen does no cabling: we connect your existing KNX installation to the app and add new devices wirelessly, and both run side by side in the same app.
| KNX | Zigbee | Matter | Wi-Fi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connection | Wired data line (TP); IP and RF options also exist | Wireless mesh network (IEEE 802.15.4, 2.4 GHz) | IP-based application standard; runs over Wi-Fi, Thread or Ethernet | Wireless; through your home router and access points |
| Best suited for | New builds, major renovations, large villas and commercial buildings | Lived-in homes, battery-powered sensors, devices added later | New devices from different brands used together | Individual devices: plugs, cameras, some lighting |
| Cabling needed | Needs a data line; planned during construction or renovation | Not needed | Not needed (except Ethernet devices) | Not needed |
| Manufacturer independence | Devices from different KNX-compliant manufacturers work on the same line | Common standard; some features can differ by manufacturer | Designed for interoperability between manufacturers | No common device language; devices mostly come with their own manufacturer app |
| Working without internet | The line runs locally on its own programming | Runs on the local mesh network | Designed to run on the local network | Varies by device; some depend on the manufacturer's cloud |
| Scale | Designed for multi-story villas and large buildings | The mesh network grows as devices are added | A relatively new standard; the range of devices is growing | Wireless network planning matters more as the device count grows |
The table summarizes widely accepted qualitative differences. We work out the right mix for your installation together during the site survey.
Details: Smart home systems guide
I'm planning KNX in a new build. When should we talk about the app?
Your electrical or KNX contractor installs the KNX system and programs it in ETS; NextForGen connects it to the app once the installation is complete. Talking at the design stage makes things easier: reserving space for a KNX IP interface in the installation and having the group address list handed over to you at completion are two steps that speed up integration.
For areas where no KNX line will be run (garden, terrace, rooms added later), we can plan wireless devices at the same stage.
What do you need for KNX integration?
- A KNX IP interface or IP router. If the installation already has one with a free connection, we use it; if not, one needs to be added.
- The group address list. Exported from the ETS project. If you don't have it, you can usually request it from the company that installed the system.
- The KNX Secure keyring file. Needed only for installations that use KNX Secure.
- A local network. The hub and the KNX IP interface must be on the same local network.
During the site survey we check together which of these are already in place in your installation; if anything is missing, we note it in the written quote.
Details: KNX integration guide
How does a KNX integration project go?
- Site survey. We see the installation on site; we note the KNX IP interface, the group address list, the devices and the rooms. It is free.
- Project. The KNX functions to bring into the app, any wireless devices to add, and the scenes are itemized in a written quote.
- Installation. We install the hub, connect it to the KNX IP interface, and map the group addresses to devices, rooms and names.
- Handover and support. We test the scenes and schedules together; later changes are done remotely or on site.
KNX is a registered trademark of the KNX Association. NextForGen is an independent integration company with no affiliation to the KNX Association; it connects existing KNX installations to the app and does not do KNX cabling or ETS programming.