[deanfranks]

Another non-answer for your question, but I'm not convinced that WiFi is the way to go for IOT. WiFi networks don't deal well with large numbers of clients, power is an issue and setup can be a pain.

POE would be nice for new builds where the cabling is not a problem but I don't think it is practical for anything you would want to retrofit into an existing residential structure.

If I had to bet, 6lowpan is probably going to be the winner in the wireless IOT fabric arena.

What microcontroller/board/etc is best depends totally on your application. Do you need low power, do you need processing power, do you need a significant web management interface?

I have chosen the STM32 ARM line and 6lowpan using atmel zigbee chips but your mileage may vary.