Sentinel
Sentinel Ultimate · Smart-Ready Infrastructure

The infrastructure behind a truly smart home - built for the size of a Nigerian home.

Big homes need a real backbone. Sentinel designs the network, automation core, access control, gate, and sound that make a duplex, penthouse, or whole compound work as one system - quietly, reliably, and without the cloud.

See what's involved
Why infrastructure first

A smart home is only as good as the backbone behind it.

The flashy devices get the attention. But in a large Lagos home, it's the wiring, the racks, the network, and the power behind the wall that decide whether any of it actually works.

Lagos homes are big.

Duplexes, penthouses, a BQ, a gatehouse, a garden. One consumer router and a single access point were never going to cover it - you get dead spots, dropped cameras, and devices that fall offline.

Smart is only as good as its backbone.

Locks, cameras, panels, and automations all lean on the network and power behind them. Get the infrastructure right once, and everything you add later just works.

The walls only open once.

Cabling, racks, gate and speaker runs are far cheaper and cleaner during the build. Done before plaster, the smart layer stays completely invisible.

What we build

Five systems, designed to work as one.

Network, automation, access, perimeter, and sound - specified together and installed while we still have access to the substrate, so the smart layer stays invisible.

Pillar 01 · Connectivity

An enterprise network, built into the house.

A Lagos duplex is too big for a single consumer router. We design a structured, wired backbone - enterprise racks, managed switching, and distributed Wi-Fi - so every floor, the BQ, and the gatehouse get the same fast, reliable connection.

  • Cat6A structured cabling to every room and outbuilding
  • 6U, 9U, or larger network rack - multiple racks for bigger homes
  • Ubiquiti UniFi gateway, managed PoE switches, and controller
  • Wi-Fi access points placed for full coverage, no dead spots
  • Coverage extended across the compound - BQ, gatehouse, garden
  • One network that scales as you add more devices
Pillar 02 · Automation core

A Home Assistant-ready home.

We build the home around an open, self-hosted automation core. Home Assistant ties every brand together and keeps running locally - so your home stays smart even when the internet doesn't.

  • Dedicated, always-on automation server in the rack
  • Vendor-agnostic - mixes Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, and Wi-Fi devices
  • Local-first: routines keep running without the cloud
  • Dashboards for wall panels, phones, and tablets
  • Room-by-room scenes, schedules, and presence automation
  • Owner control without lock-in to a single app or brand
Sized to your home

From a single flat to a full compound.

Nigerian homes vary enormously. A flat needs one rack; a duplex with a BQ needs more; an estate needs multiple racks and access points to cover every building and the grounds. We design to your footprint.

Apartment / Flat

Single-floor flat or penthouse

Racks
1 network rack (6U)
Wi-Fi
1-2 Wi-Fi access points

Duplex / Family Home

Multi-floor home with a BQ

Racks
1-2 racks (9U or larger)
Wi-Fi
3-5 access points

Estate / Compound

Main house, BQ, gatehouse, and grounds

Racks
Multiple distributed racks
Wi-Fi
6+ access points, compound-wide

Every smart-ready home is scoped and quoted bespoke - to its size, layout, and compound. We'll size the racks, switching, and access points to your plans during the survey.

How it works

From plans to a working home.

We work alongside your architect and contractor, ideally before walls close - but we can retrofit established homes too.

Step 01

Smart-ready survey

We walk the home, the plans, and the compound with you and your architect or contractor.

Step 02

Infrastructure design

Rack locations, cable routes, AP placement, access points, and gate integration - all mapped before walls close.

Step 03

First-fix cabling

Cat6A, gate, intercom, and speaker cabling run during construction, completely hidden.

Step 04

Rack and systems build

Racks populated and labelled, network configured, then Home Assistant, access, and audio commissioned.

Step 05

Handover and documentation

Network diagrams, rack labelling, and a walkthrough so the system stays maintainable for years.

Step 06

Sentinel Care

Ongoing monitoring, updates, and support as the home and your needs grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I just use my ISP's router?+
An ISP router is built for a small flat, not a duplex or a compound. It can't reach every floor, the BQ, or the gate, and it has no managed switching, no PoE, and no room to grow. We design a proper backbone so coverage is complete and devices stay online.
How many racks and access points does my home need?+
It depends on size and layout. A flat is usually one rack and one or two access points; a duplex with a BQ typically needs one to two racks and three to five APs; an estate often needs multiple distributed racks and six or more access points to cover the main house, outbuildings, and grounds. We size it during the survey.
What is Home Assistant and why does it matter?+
Home Assistant is an open, self-hosted automation platform that runs locally in your rack. It ties different brands together and keeps your automations working even when the internet is down - and it means you're never locked into a single manufacturer's app or cloud.
Can you cover the whole compound - BQ, gatehouse, and garden?+
Yes. That's the point of a structured network. We run cabling and place outdoor-rated access points so Wi-Fi, cameras, access control, and audio reach the outbuildings, the gate, and the grounds - not just the main house.
Does access control and the gate keep working during a power cut?+
Yes. The network, access readers, cameras, and gate motor run on UPS backup, and we integrate with your inverter or generator changeover, so the perimeter stays secure and you can still get in and out during an outage.
Can you add this to a home that's already built?+
Often, yes - though it's cleaner and cheaper before walls close. In existing homes we use trunking, ceiling voids, and wireless where needed to get as close to a smart-ready outcome as possible. We'll tell you honestly what's achievable during the survey.
Is whole-home audio (Sonos-style) included or separate?+
It's an option within the smart-ready design. If you want multi-room sound, we run speaker cabling and plan zones during first-fix so it's clean and built-in rather than added on later.
Do I have to be locked into one brand?+
No. We design around open standards and Home Assistant, mixing Ubiquiti networking and access with Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, and Wi-Fi devices. You keep control and can change or extend individual parts later.
Ready when you are

Let's plan the infrastructure for your home.

A short call and a survey. We listen first, design around your build, and give you an honest, itemised quote scoped to your home and compound.

See retrofit packages
Free smart-ready consultationWe listen first and recommend second - no commitment, no upsell.
Works with your architectWe coordinate with your builder and contractor so infrastructure fits the build.
Bespoke, itemised quoteEvery home is scoped and priced to its size, layout, and compound.