Program and set up GIRA Homeserver in 3 hours!

To make it perfectly clear: There will be no successor to the Gira Homeserver 4! So there will also be no Gira Homeserver 5.

This is very clear information from our side, which will not change in the coming years. Gira will continue to develop the Homeserver in the form of firmware updates and updates for the Expert software, while the hardware will remain the same.

In this case, there are two possible solutions: If the Gira Homeserver can only no longer be reached via the network, a restart very often helps first. However, if the Gira Homeserver no longer boots at all – i.e. starts up – the blue LED no longer flashes and there is no longer a boot tone, then in most cases the power supply unit is defective.

In the case of >10-year-old Gira home servers, the external power supply unit is very often defective (according to our practical experience). This can always be remedied by replacing it. However, it is also possible that the internal power supply unit (voltage converter, VRM module) is defective and cannot be replaced so easily. In this case, only a complete replacement of the home server will help. Important: Back up all data from the home server to the hard disk beforehand!

We have often been asked this question in the past: Can the Gira Homeserver 4 be retrofitted cost-effectively on your own? The answer is: YES, with a lot of effort! You have to assemble the VIA EPIA motherboard and the flash memory on which the Gira Linux installation runs yourself. And you need the flash module with the Linux distribution. You can do this, but you don’t have to.

The GIRA Homeserver extends essential automatic and comfort functions in a house based on an existing KNX system. These include Switching lights on and off, controlling blinds, setting room temperatures – anywhere in the house/apartment and remotely.

In your absence, many functions can be monitored and controlled remotely.

Multiroom audio

Audio systems with a KNX interface or Sonos can also be operated via the visualization.

In combination with the free Gira Homeserver app, all areas of the house/apartment can be operated on the move via smartphone or tablet. The entire KNX system, including the connected music system, can be operated with a single app.

An important function is presence simulation, which increases security and thus minimizes the risk of burglary. You can also receive images from your door camera at any time to see what is happening on your property.

You can control the heating in your home at home or on the move with individual room control and time control and call up a desired temperature for each room. The air conditioning system can also be controlled via the Gira Homeserver to adapt it to your individual needs. The highlight: with just one click, you can find out about the consumption values of your heating and air conditioning system as well as all other areas (ventilation, lighting, paneling, audio system, door camera) in all rooms.

The Gira Homeserver enables many useful and energy-saving settings for blind control. For example, you can specify that the slats of your blinds change their position automatically. In addition to simple raising and lowering, many time sequences can be pre-programmed or adjusted manually. Conveniently at home via your touchscreen or remotely via the Gira Homeserver app when you are out and about, for example.

Adapt light individually to your needs in the house/apartment – this can be set immediately at the touch of a button: switch individual or multiple lights on and off, activate automatically dimmed light at night, dim light and set it exactly to the desired light value, create a pleasant mood with the color temperature control or combine several lights into light scenes, these are just a few examples. With the GIRA Homeserver app, you can control your lighting easily and flexibly.

Would you like to dim the light to a certain brightness, call up a light scene such as “Dinner” or “Guests” and never have to search for the light button in the dark again? Or lower the blinds in the bathroom before you get in the shower? In combination with the Gira S1, the Gira Homeserver enables voice control in conjunction with Amazon Alexa. This allows you to easily control light, blind or scene settings using voice commands.

The Gira Homeserver has an integrated network interface. It itself is controlled via the TCP/IP network and also transports the KNX commands via the network. This means that KNX devices can be read out and controlled via the Gira Homeserver.

The Gira Homeserver itself does not have a KNX interface! This is also not necessary, as KNX data communication takes place via the network.

The Gira Homeserver can be controlled via visualization from a smartphone, tablet or touchscreen PC. There are apps for Apple iOS, iPadOS and Android. The earlier Windows phones are no longer supported.

This happens quite often with old Gira Homeserver 3 or Gira FacilityServer 3: The server no longer starts at all because it can no longer find its bios settings. We have often found the cause to be empty CMOS batteries.

This can be remedied by using a new CR20232 CMOS battery, which should then last for the next 10 to 15 years.

They really are two different worlds: While the Gira Homeserver has been on the market for 20 years, the Gira X1 has only been around for 7 years.

The main difference between the two KNX servers: While the “large” Gira Homeserver can be used for almost all areas of building control (hotels, town halls, schools, industrial/commercial buildings, larger detached houses and villas), the Gira X1 with its features is aimed at apartments and smaller detached houses.

The Gira X1 can do less, costs less and is also easier to program. In contrast, the Gira Homeserver is practically the all-purpose weapon when it comes to KNX Smart Home.

The Gira Homeserver does not have the option of establishing an encrypted VPN connection (for remote access) ex works. With the S1, Gira offers a way to establish an encrypted OpenVPN connection quickly and easily.
However, there is also a whole range of other solutions, so that the Gira S1 does not necessarily have to be used in conjunction with the Gira Homeserver.

The answer is short and sweet: A Gira home server cannot be reset to its factory settings. The reason for this is that both firmware and software have been uploaded to the flash memory of the home server over time and cannot be reset.

As the Gira Homeserver is designed for silent continuous operation, it has a 2 GB flash memory instead of a hard disk. This flash module also contains the Linux operating system and the program files required to run the home control system.

In normal operation, the Gira Homeserver 4 is designed for “blind operation” as a server : It does not need a screen and boots up with an acoustic triple beep.
However, if you always want to know the current status of the Linux computer, you can connect a monitor to the Homeserver. There is a DVI socket for this purpose, which is fitted with a plastic cover at the factory.

After removing the plastic cover, a monitor can be connected via DVI cable, which displays all details during the “boot process”. This procedure is very suitable for diagnosing a Gira Home Server that no longer starts properly. And this is not that rare!