Wi-Fi for the Core: connect the control unit to the home network without a LAN cable
In many houses the whole building has Wi-Fi, but no network cable leads to the electrical panel with the Core. A USB Wi-Fi adapter plugged into the Core would connect it to the home Wi-Fi network, without a repeater or a router squeezed in next to the panel.
Why and how you would use it
The Core connects to the home network with a LAN cable to the router. Through that connection the TapHome app reaches the Core, the Core connects to the TapHome cloud for remote access and backups, and it talks to devices on the network, for example over Modbus TCP or HTTP. In a new building, the network cable to the electrical panel is planned together with the rest of the wiring. In an existing house it is often missing, and pulling one later means opening walls.
A typical case: a family house where the whole building has a good Wi-Fi signal, but the electrical panel with the Core sits in a basement or a utility room far from the router. Today the installer adds a Wi-Fi repeater or a small router with a LAN port next to the panel. It needs its own power supply and a place to sit, and inside the panel there is often no room for it.
| Today | With this idea | |
|---|---|---|
| Network to the Core | LAN cable only | Also Wi-Fi |
| Device near the panel | Repeater or router | Only a USB adapter |
| Extra power supply | Often needed | Not needed |
What will be possible
We are evaluating this idea and have not chosen a solution yet. Nothing below is scheduled, and the details may still change. In the version we are considering:
- Wi-Fi through a USB adapter. A supported USB Wi-Fi adapter plugged into the USB port of the Core would connect it to the home Wi-Fi network instead of the LAN cable.
- Wi-Fi settings in the app. The network name and password would be entered in the network settings of the Core in the TapHome app, where the static IP address is set today.
- Everything that uses the network. The app, remote access through the TapHome cloud and devices on the network, such as Modbus TCP or HTTP devices, would work over Wi-Fi as they do over the cable.
What will not be possible
- Any USB Wi-Fi adapter. Only adapters that TapHome has tested would be supported, not every adapter on the market.
- A strong signal inside a metal panel. A metal electrical panel weakens the Wi-Fi signal. Where the signal inside the panel is weak, a cable or a device outside the panel remains the better choice.
- Wi-Fi for other devices. The Core would join an existing Wi-Fi network. It would not become a Wi-Fi access point for other devices.
- The TapHome bus over Wi-Fi. TapHome modules stay connected to the Core over the bus. Wi-Fi would replace only the network cable between the Core and the router.
- One USB port for everything. The Core has one USB port, which also connects the Bus Extender. Whether a Wi-Fi adapter and a Bus Extender could work together is still open.
How to solve it today
- A Wi-Fi bridge with a LAN port. A Wi-Fi extender or a small router in client (bridge) mode near the panel joins the home Wi-Fi and connects to the LAN port of the Core with a short cable. See Network architecture for the connections the Core needs.
- Powerline adapters. A pair of powerline adapters carries the network over the existing power cables, from a socket near the router to a socket near the panel.
- A mesh node with a LAN port. When the house already has a mesh Wi-Fi system, a node placed near the panel often has a LAN port for the Core.
- Local control without a network. Without any network connection, the Core still works with wall switches and the Multi-zone Controller. The app, remote access and backups need the network, so this is only a fallback.
Learn more
- Network architecture lists the connections and ports the Core uses.
- First steps shows how the Core connects to the router during the first setup.
- TapHome Core in the shop, with its LAN and USB ports.
Where is the Core in your installations, and how do you get the network to it today? Vote for this idea, follow it for updates, answer the poll and tell us in the comments.
How would you connect a Core that has no cable to the router? Pick all that apply.
Related
Status history
- Nov 3, 2026 Gathering interest Published
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