If you want to automate your home, you need a control unit, or controller as it is sometimes called. The control unit is also sometimes referred to as a gateway. Generally speaking, the term control unit is used for the consumer market while gateway is often used for the commercial market. They refer to the same thing, products that allow you to control your smart home. A control unit or gateway acts as the central hub for all your smart home devices, allowing you to control and automate them from a single interface.
