Go to homepage

Smart Home Guide

All articles

Tagged: Education, Support

From video doorbells to smart thermostats, connected devices are becoming a standard part of modern homes. However, these smart devices require a stable, strong connection to the internet to operate effectively. 

Setting up a smart home isn’t always as simple as hooking up your new devices. You have several aspects to consider before beginning:

You also need to consider whether your internet provider can keep up with your increasing network demands as you add new devices.

Key Takeaways:

  • Smart devices and appliances allow for automation, remote monitoring, and comprehensive control.
  • Upgrading to a smart home provides convenience, energy efficiency, and improved security.
  • Smart homes require a steady, reliable internet connection to utilize appliances and devices efficiently.

What Is a Smart Home?

If you’ve ever wished you could turn off the lights or confirm that your thermostat is set correctly without getting out of bed, there’s a simple solution. Smart homes allow you to automate and control your home’s devices over the internet. Most have connectivity with smartphones and tablets, but some also respond to voice commands. 

Automating routine tasks, like what time the thermostat kicks on in the evening or when cameras arm themselves, saves time and energy. Some smart devices also add extra convenience, allowing you to control a television from your phone. Others, like a smart fridge, let you remotely monitor its contents, so you can check inventory from the grocery store.

Overall, smart homes connect your devices, making your phone or tablet your central hub.

How Smart Homes Work

Smart homes work by connecting devices and appliances to the internet. Doing so grants homeowners the ability to operate and monitor their equipment remotely, often through a phone, laptop, or tablet. The goal of setting up a smart home is to create a centralized hub that gives total control to the homeowner.

Devices communicate with each other and the user through internet-connected apps and hubs, allowing for remote use. Depending on the device, they may communicate within a cloud system, which allows for non-physical, automated storage and data processing.

Some smart devices operate on their own, relying on sensors to collect information and determine when they should trigger. For example, an outdoor light may have a sensor that determines when the sun sets. Once it detects the light levels drop to a certain threshold, it activates, turning the lights on.

Other devices may have automation features. A smart door lock, for example, automatically locks doors at a set time or when no one is home. A garage door might close automatically after 15 minutes. 

Others still rely on routines, learning your usage patterns and adjusting themselves accordingly. Smart thermostats do this when they optimize your home’s temperature based on your set schedule and real usage. Because these devices all connect to the internet and many interact with each other, they detect when people are at home. Lights can turn on and off automatically, cameras can activate, and shades can open or close on their own. 

Most devices run on automation, meaning they operate with minimal input from you outside of your initial role in setting up schedules and preferences. However, they usually allow you to manually override the main settings from the app. If it feels a little too cold, you can adjust the temperature. You could unlock a door remotely to let a guest access the home.

Common Smart Home Devices and Systems

If you have a device in your home that you use regularly, there’s a good chance that a smart version of it exists. Fortunately, you can start small on your smart home and expand over time. Choose one or two devices at first and slowly work yourself up to a level of connectivity you’re comfortable with. 

Smart lights often integrate app or voice controls so you don’t have to walk to a switch to turn them on or off. Depending on the bulbs you have, you may also be able to adjust the color or brightness of the lights. They often come with support for a “vacation mode,” which turns the lights on and off at random to mimic occupancy. Outdoor lights may include motion-activated pathing or detect light levels automatically to determine when to turn on.

Smart thermostats manage your home’s climate control and let you control your home’s temperature from anywhere you have an internet connection. They learn your routine and preferences, allowing them to adjust the temperature for energy efficiency while you’re gone and ensure it’s to your liking when you’re expected to be home. 

Smart security systems typically connect cameras, sensors, and locks to provide real-time monitoring and automatic security for your home. Some systems use AI-powered features to identify motion, recognize activity, and send alerts more efficiently. With a smart security system, you can answer the door, view your property (or check in on pets or children), and confirm your home is locked up from anywhere.

Various smart entertainment systems exist, allowing you to control volume, change shows, and more with your voice or phone. These can include video game consoles, televisions, and surround sound sets. 

Smart appliances automate mundane tasks like turning on a coffee machine or vacuuming a room so you don’t have to. They emphasize convenience and flexibility for homeowners. You can find smart versions of most appliances, including refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and even microwaves. 

Some devices integrate together. For example, a smart thermostat might integrate with your security system to detect that everyone has left the home and adjust the temperature to use less energy. When setting up your smart home, pay attention to compatibility. While not strictly necessary, it’s often easier to choose compatible devices that consolidate all your controls into one central hub.

What Is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

Smart devices need a way to communicate to operate. The Internet of Things (IoT) allows this to happen. Think of IoT as a web connecting all compatible devices so they can work together. It’s the network that all your internet-connected devices use to communicate, collect data, and allow for remote control.

For example, if your security system can't communicate with your lights or thermostat, the lights and thermostat can’t adjust automatically when the home is empty. You also wouldn’t be able to remotely control devices that run on a schedule, such as a smart vacuum, view the inside of a smart fridge from the grocery store, or confirm your garage door shut after you left for work. 

All of these tasks require you to send data requests or commands over the internet. You can use your phone to press the button that closes your garage or starts your vacuum. It’s transmitted over the internet, then received by the device. The device then responds. The IoT provides the pathway for this exchange.

What Devices Are Connected in a Smart Home?

Modern homes often have significantly more connected to the internet than you might think. While most people assume a smartphone, television, gaming console, or computer camera likely has an internet connection, not everyone suspects the stove or dryer. Devices that may connect online include:

  • Cameras
  • Locks
  • Garages
  • Sprinklers
  • Doorbells
  • Window or door sensors
  • Water leak detectors
  • Smoke detectors
  • Lightbulbs
  • Curtain openers
  • Outlets and switches
  • Fans
  • Thermostats
  • Vacuums
  • Refrigerators
  • Ovens and stoves
  • Microwaves
  • Coffee makers
  • Washers and dryers
  • Speakers
  • Displays like the Amazon Echo or Google Nest Hub
  • Pet feeders
  • Routers
  • Printers
  • Barbecue grills and smokers (for temperature monitoring and control)

This list is far from exhaustive. If you can think of a device commonly used around the home, there’s likely an internet-connected version available.

It doesn’t take long for all these different devices to put a strain on a home’s network. If you want a smart home, you need network performance that can support it.

Benefits of Upgrading to a Smart Home

Upgrading to a smart home is a long-term investment. Devices can be costly to install and maintain. However, it also provides a significant lifestyle improvement for people of all ages. Imagine if you installed smart lights in your elderly parents’ home so they could turn them off with the sound of their voice. If you have children, a smart home enables you to track or cut off their internet access with just a few buttons. 

Transforming your home with smart devices provides key benefits:

  • Convenience: Smart devices make managing your home more convenient. You don’t have to approach the device to activate it or change a setting. Instead, you can access or control settings remotely or with your voice. Many devices also allow you to set automated routines that run with virtually zero oversight after installing the initial settings.
  • Energy efficiency: Even with multiple devices running, smart homes can help improve energy efficiency by reducing unnecessary usage and automating routines. You can minimize waste by tweaking usage as needed. However, many smart devices also analyze usage and user behaviors to make optimized adjustments. For example, a smart lighting system that detects a room is empty can shut off, saving electricity.
  • Cost savings: Because smart home devices reduce energy waste as they learn behavioral patterns, homeowners often see lower energy bills. Yes, you pay more for a smart device than a conventional one, but that’s offset by reduced utilities, and you get the added convenience of controlling your system online.
  • Improved home security: Smart security systems provide round-the-clock remote access to your home. The simple presence of a camera is often enough to deter criminals, but smart security systems allow you to respond immediately if one attempts to get into your home. 
  • Easier monitoring: Smart devices typically document usage, readings, and other key information as they operate. This enables you to review usage patterns or tailor routines. If you have children, you can monitor how they use data on their devices as well.
  • Customizability: Smart homes work for you. With the right devices, you can customize everything from the temperature of your home to routines for when your coffee brews in the morning. Dim or change the color of lights, set schedules for internet access, and more. Even better, smart devices learn and adjust by pulling your usage data. They help you customize and fine-tune routines automatically.

Smart Home Security Considerations

Any time you use internet-connected devices, security matters. If you don’t take the appropriate precautions, people could gain access to your network and the sensitive data that may be on it. This can also be a problem if you use unsupported or poorly connected devices. Because they often have unpatched vulnerabilities, they leave your network compromised.

Your internet provider likely already has some measures in place to secure your network, but following some standard practices helps:

  • Use secure passwords: Strong passwords, which combine letters, numbers, and symbols, are harder to guess. Set a different password for every device and account.
  • Update devices regularly: All those update requests you receive are important to maintaining a secure network. They often contain patches designed to fix vulnerabilities in the software. In other words, updated devices provide more secure protection for your smart home.
  • Disable unused features: If you don’t intend to use voice commands or video surveillance with a certain device, disable the features. This limits potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication: Set up all your smart accounts with multi-factor authentication. That way, you’re prompted whenever a device tries to log into your account, and you must approve the request manually. You’ll know that the only ones logged into your account are the ones you’ve granted permission to.
  • Review app permissions carefully: Some apps collect or request data that you might not feel comfortable sharing. When first setting up your accounts, review permissions and only grant the ones you approve of.

These steps provide a solid safety foundation for your smart home because they keep your devices from being exploited and used against you. However, you still need to protect your network.

Many people with smart home configurations prefer to segment their networks. They set up a separate network specifically for their IoT devices. Even if someone gets into your network through one of your smart devices, they won’t have access to your primary computers, where the sensitive data is.

To further protect your network, confirm that your router isn’t using the default password that it was sold with. It’s also wise to disable remote management since you likely don’t need to grant someone access to your router from outside your home. Additionally, have your router run using Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) encryption, which improves wireless security by making it harder for hackers to guess your password.

How to Build Your Smart Home System

Building a smart home system intentionally and thoughtfully cuts out the frustration of incompatible devices. With a little planning before you start converting, you can set up a convenient, well-connected home system.

  1. Choose your goal: Determine what you want to get out of your system. Some people want ease of use. Others prioritize energy efficiency or total control. What you want determines which ecosystem is best for you.
  2. Choose an ecosystem or platform: Think of an ecosystem as a platform or brain that controls your entire smart home. If you use Android phones, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa are strong choices. Apple HomeKit is good for iPhone users. Choose your ecosystem early and prioritize compatible smart devices so you have fewer hubs and apps to juggle.
  3. Choose a hub: Your phone can serve as a central hub or controller for your smart home, but you can also get a dedicated device for this, such as an Amazon Echo or a Google Nest Hub.
  4. Choose your devices: Decide which areas of your home you’ll upgrade first, focusing on high-impact areas such as security, climate control, and lighting. 
  5. Install devices: Professional installation can help your systems run more smoothly and ensure that they’re compatible with your existing infrastructure. A professional also has more experience handling larger network setups and can configure for future expansion.
  6. Set up device settings: After installation, fine-tune your device to work with your preferences. Set schedules and fill in other key information. Once that’s done, your smart home is ready for use.

You don’t have to upgrade your whole home at the same time. As long as you stick to the same platform or ecosystem, adding extra devices along the way is simple, and you won’t need multiple apps clogging up your phone or hub.

The Importance of a Strong Home Network

If you want several smart devices, your internet strength and quality directly impact performance and user experience. Because they all require internet connectivity to function as intended, your network needs to be strong enough to support them all. That means having high speeds and enough bandwidth for multiple devices running at the same time.

Your internet’s bandwidth determines the amount of data your network can transfer at the same time. Some tasks demand more bandwidth than others. For example, watching your 4K (Ultra HD) security camera footage remotely in real time demands significantly more than a thermostat updating the reported temperature on your app. 

If your bandwidth is relatively low compared to the demand from all your connected devices, you may experience service interruptions or lag. Your smart hub might struggle to answer questions or process commands as quickly, or your smart TV may get stuck buffering. The only real solution to these issues is ensuring you configure your network to support everything on it.

  • Mesh networks solve the issue of spotty connections around your home. They pair a main router with multiple satellite nodes that echo the router’s signal, extending your network’s range. 
  • Optimized setups that utilize a high-quality router and designate a specific network for smart devices often run more smoothly.
  • Choose an internet plan with a download speed that’s high enough to handle the load. Large, well-connected homes often benefit from faster plans and reliable bandwidth that can support multiple devices at the same time, while smaller households with fewer connected devices may need less.

Managing Your Smart Home with the Right Tools

If you had to download and use a unique app for every smart device in your home, you’d lose the convenience factor quickly. Fortunately, many tools have centralized apps or platforms that act as a dashboard for all compatible devices. This clears up your phone while also making it easier to manage, control, and monitor your device. 

Resound Networks customers have access to the My Resound App for exactly this purpose. This app manages your internet network and connected devices, all in one place. Internet network apps like the My Resound App provide access to troubleshooting, network visibility, and complete control from your phone. Many other internet providers have similar applications.

The right tools and setup make all the difference between a smooth, seamless smart home and one that brings more frustrations than solutions. Work with a professional team to configure your network, install your devices, and ensure you get the most out of your devices’ smart features.