Every building needs a backbone. Make it KNX.
KNX isn’t a brand or a gadget. It’s the open, international standard that lets lighting, heating, blinds, security and energy from over 500 manufacturers speak one language on one cable. We design, programme, install and look after it, for homes and commercial buildings alike.
Or call us on 01425 7050358 devices · 8 manufacturers · 1 language
- 16:48:081.1.11/1/1 Hall lightsOn
- 16:48:061.1.203/0/1 Wind alarmBlinds up
- 16:48:061.1.81/1/2 Kitchen lights65 %
- 16:48:061.1.11/1/1 Hall lightsOn
- 500+
- manufacturers make KNX-certified products
- 8,000+
- certified products that work together
- 180+
- countries in the worldwide KNX community
- 30+
- years of backward compatibility
One language, spoken by products from…
- ABB
- Busch-Jaeger
- Gira
- Jung
- Hager
- Schneider Electric
- Siemens
- Theben
- MDT
- Zennio
- Steinel
- Basalte
- Berker
- Merten
- Elsner
- Weinzierl
- Ekinex
- Lingg & Janke
A small selection of the 500+ manufacturers making KNX-certified products. Names and trademarks belong to their owners.
A protocol, not a product.
KNX is a communication protocol: a shared language that devices in a building use to talk to each other. Nobody owns it, and nobody sells “a KNX”. Manufacturers build switches, sensors, dimmers, thermostats and touchscreens that speak it, and every one of them is certified to work with all the others.
That’s the whole point. You choose products for how they look and what they do, not for which logo they need to match. And because it’s an approved international standard, the building you wire today will still speak the same language in thirty years.
Published as a standard in
- ISO/IEC 14543-3International
- EN 50090European · CENELEC
- EN 13321-1European · CEN
- ANSI/ASHRAE 135United States
- GB/T 20965China
You don’t buy “a Wi-Fi”.
You buy a laptop, a phone and a printer from whoever you like, and they all join the same network.
You don’t buy “a Bluetooth”.
Headphones, speakers and cars from different makers pair up because they speak the same language.
You don’t buy “a KNX”.
You choose switches, sensors, dimmers and touchscreens from any certified maker, and they all understand each other.
Certified to work together
Every product is tested against the standard before it can carry the KNX mark, so a keypad from one maker can drive a dimmer from another.
One tool for every brand
ETS, the software from KNX Association, programmes every certified device from every manufacturer. No proprietary tools, no locked boxes.
Run by an association, not a company
KNX Association in Brussels looks after the standard, certification and training. No single manufacturer can change the rules or switch it off.
Backward compatible
Devices from the original European Installation Bus of the early 1990s still work alongside products released this year.
One language, four ways to carry it.
Most KNX runs on a dedicated green cable. The other media exist for the places a cable can’t reach, and they all mix happily in one installation.
ETS6
One tool programmes the lot
ETS is the manufacturer-independent software from KNX Association. Every certified product, from every maker, is set up in the same place.
KNX TP
Twisted pair
The famous green bus cable, laid alongside the electrics at first fix. The most common and most reliable way to run KNX.
KNX IP
KNX IP
KNX over Ethernet. A fast backbone between floors and buildings, and the link to apps, touchscreens and remote access.
KNX RF
KNX RF
Wireless KNX for retrofit, where a cable simply can’t go. Mixes seamlessly with a wired system.
KNX PL
Powerline
KNX over the existing mains wiring. Rarely used today, but still part of the standard.
Why every building should have KNX as its backbone.
Think of KNX as the building’s nervous system. Lights, heating, blinds and sensors are the muscles and senses. Apps, touchscreens and voice are simply ways of talking to it. Get the nervous system right and everything else can change around it, for decades.
How you control it · changes whenever you like
- Wall keypads
- Touchscreens
- Phone app
- Voice
- Control4
- Loxone
- Sensors & schedules
The backbone · stays put
KNX
One cable · one language · decades of life
What it runs
- Lighting
- Heating & cooling
- Blinds & shading
- Security & access
- Energy & EV
- AV & audio
No single point of failure
Every KNX device has its own intelligence. There’s no central box that takes the whole building down when it fails.
Works with no internet
Core functions run locally on the bus. No cloud, no subscription, and no server somebody else can switch off.
Outlives the apps
Apps, hubs and platforms come and go. The cable in the wall, and the standard it speaks, stay put.
Never locked to one brand
Pick the switch designs you love from any certified maker, and change your mind later without rewiring.
Saves energy by design
Presence-led lighting and heating, shading that follows the sun, and metering that shows where the energy goes.
Secure when it matters
KNX Secure adds encryption and authentication on the bus and over IP, for homes and commercial sites alike.
Grows without starting again
One flat or a whole campus: same standard, same software, and you can extend it years later.
Anyone certified can take over
Over 140,000 KNX professionals worldwide use the same tools, so you’re never tied to a single installer.
First fix is the moment.
Laying a KNX cable while the walls are open costs far less than retrofitting later. It’s the single decision that future-proofs a building, even if you only automate a few things on day one.
Built to last, not to be replaced.
Plug-in smart gadgets are great for a rented flat. For a building you own and want to keep working, the backbone matters. Here’s the honest difference.
- Who owns it?KNX: Nobody. It’s an international standardPlug-in gadgets: One manufacturer
- Mix and match brandsKNX: 500+ manufacturers, certified to work togetherPlug-in gadgets: Usually one ecosystem
- Works without the internetKNX: Yes, everything core runs locallyPlug-in gadgets: Often relies on the cloud
- If the maker drops supportKNX: Other certified products drop straight inPlug-in gadgets: Devices can stop working
- ReliabilityKNX: Dedicated wired busPlug-in gadgets: Wi-Fi and batteries
- Designed lifespanKNX: DecadesPlug-in gadgets: A few years
- Someone else can take it overKNX: Any certified KNX professionalPlug-in gadgets: Depends on the app
- ScaleKNX: One room to an airportPlug-in gadgets: Rooms and small homes
And it doesn’t compete with Control4 or Loxone. We’re partners for both, and they sit beautifully on top of a KNX backbone: KNX does the wiring and the devices, the control system does the experience.
One system for everything the building does.
The same standard runs a family home, a block of flats, an office or a care home. Pick a building to see what KNX typically looks after there.
- Lighting & DALI
- Heating & cooling
- Blinds & shading
- Security & access
- Energy, solar & EV
- AV & multi-room audio
- Weather & sensors
- Apps & touchscreens
From a cottage to a country estate
Lighting that sets the mood, heating that only heats the rooms you use, blinds that look after themselves, and a house that knows when you’ve gone out.
- Lighting scenes and dimming in every room
- Room-by-room heating and cooling
- Motorised blinds, curtains and skylights
- Alarm, door entry, gates and leak alerts
- Solar, batteries, EV charging and metering
- Multi-room audio and AV control
“Leaving home”
One press by the front door turns every light off, sets the heating back, closes the blinds and arms the alarm.
Whoever’s building it, we speak your language too.
KNX projects involve a lot of people. We work with all of them, from the first sketch to the day someone moves in, and long after.
Homeowners & self-builders
Building, extending or rewiring? Get the backbone in at first fix.
- Honest advice on what’s worth automating
- A design that fits the budget now and grows later
- Looked after properly once you’ve moved in
Architects & interior designers
Clean walls, beautiful switches and lighting that does your design justice.
- Keypads and sensors from dozens of design-led makers
- Lighting scenes designed with you
- Drawings and schedules that slot into your package
Developers & housebuilders
A selling point buyers notice, specified once for every plot.
- Repeatable designs per unit type
- Clear pricing per plot
- Commissioned, documented handovers
Electrical consultants & M&E
Specify by function, not by brand.
- Topology, device schedules and specification support
- Integration with BMS, DALI, HVAC and AV
- Open, multi-manufacturer tendering
Electricians & contractors
You wire it, we programme it.
- ETS design, programming and commissioning on subcontract
- Cabling and topology guidance before first fix
- Site support when the job needs it
Building owners & facilities teams
Already have KNX? We’ll take it on.
- Takeovers of systems installed by others
- Fault finding, upgrades and KNX Secure
- Recovering or rebuilding the ETS project where possible
Everything KNX, under one roof.
Take the whole lot, or just the part you need. We’re happy designing for someone else’s electricians, programming a job another firm has wired, or doing it all ourselves.
Tell us what you need- 5/0/1
Design & specification
Topology, device schedules, cable plans and specifications, written for the people who’ll build it.
- 5/0/2
ETS programming & commissioning
Programmed in ETS, tested room by room and commissioned properly before anyone moves in.
- 5/0/3
Supply & installation
Our own team, from first-fix cabling and distribution boards to the last keypad on the wall.
- 5/0/4
Takeovers & repairs
Systems installed by someone else, faults, and devices that have quietly dropped off the bus.
- 5/0/5
Upgrades, visualisation & KNX Secure
Touchscreens, apps, voice control, IP routers and secure upgrades for older installations.
- 5/0/6
Integration
Control4 and Loxone (we’re partners for both), DALI lighting, Dante audio, CCTV, gates and heating.
- 5/0/7
Support & maintenance
Remote support, health checks and changes as the building and the people in it change.
From the first chat to the last keypad.
- 01
Talk
Tell us about the building, the people in it, and what you’d like it to do.
- 02
Design
We plan the topology, choose the devices and send a clear, itemised proposal.
- 03
First fix
The green bus cable goes in alongside the electrics while the walls are open.
- 04
Programme
Everything is programmed in ETS and tested before it’s switched on for real.
- 05
Handover
Commissioned, documented and explained, with support whenever you need it.
Certified KNX Partner. One team across KNX, Loxone and Control4.
KNX Partners is the KNX division of New Forest Technology Services, based in Lymington in the New Forest. We’re also registered Loxone and Control4 partners, so we’ll tell you honestly which approach fits your building, and very often how they work best together, with KNX as the backbone.
- Certified KNX Partner
- Registered Loxone Partner
- Registered Control4 dealer
Good questions, straight answers.
Can’t see yours? Ask us. There’s no such thing as a daft question about KNX.
See every question on one pageKNX is a shared language for buildings. It’s an open, international standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3 and EN 50090) that lets lighting, heating, blinds, security, energy meters and controls from different manufacturers talk to each other over one network. You get one joined-up building instead of a drawer full of apps.
Neither. KNX is a communication protocol, like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. More than 500 manufacturers make products certified to speak it, and the standard itself is looked after by KNX Association rather than any one company. That’s why a switch from one maker can control a dimmer from another.
No single company owns it. KNX is published as international and European standards and maintained by KNX Association in Brussels, with hundreds of member manufacturers. Its roots go back to the European Installation Bus (EIB) of the early 1990s, and devices from those days still work on KNX systems today. It isn’t going anywhere.
No. KNX runs on its own dedicated network, usually a low-voltage green bus cable. Your lights, heating and blinds keep working if the broadband drops or a cloud service shuts down. The internet only comes into it if you want remote access or links to things like voice assistants.
Mostly wired, which is why it’s so dependable. The usual version runs on twisted-pair cable (TP). KNX IP carries it over Ethernet for fast backbones and app connections, and KNX RF is wireless for retrofit spots where a cable can’t reach. They can all be mixed in one system.
It can be very secure. KNX Secure adds encryption and authentication, both on the bus (KNX Data Secure) and over IP (KNX IP Secure). Combined with a properly designed network, it’s suitable for homes and commercial sites where security really matters.
Let’s give your building a backbone.
New build, renovation, an existing KNX system or a job that just needs programming. Tell us where you’re up to and we’ll help you work out the next step.
- Call01425 705035
- Emailinfo@newforesttech.services
- HoursMonday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm
- AreaThe New Forest, Hampshire, Dorset and beyond