In the 1950’s and 60’s, Americans fantasized about the “Home of the Future”, with cartoons like Bugs Bunny and The Jetsons introducing ideas that ranged from automatic cleaning ladies to instant food cookers. Today, many of the ideas that seemed like pure imagination in those days have become a reality. You can now talk to your “personal assistant” in the form of a speaker to control devices in your home, allow a robot to do the vacuuming for you, and track your health and fitness with a small, sleek wrist watch.
But how do you create a truly Smart Home? How do you get started? What do you need to know? What equipment do you need? While it’s true that technology is still developing, there is a wide variety of ways to automate your home and lay the foundation for features that can simplify your life and give you more control. Getting started the right way can make it possible to integrate new technology as it appears.
Begin by choosing your “assistant”, or Smart Hub. This is a device that will talk to all of your devices. You can opt for a speaker with a hub built in, but you will want to choose one that is compatible with lots of devices and apps. The best speaker “assistants” are the Amazon Echo Plus and the Google Home Max, because they offer the best compatibility with other devices. The drawback to these built in hubs is that they often require that you use several different apps to communicate with your devices. Alternatively, you can implement a stand-along Smart HUB that connects to all the devices in your home and controls them from one platform, rather than many different apps.
Interacting with your smart assistant can be as simple as talking to a speaker, using your smart phone or using your smart watch. You may want to choose to use the speaker and talk directly to your assistant while also using your phone when you are not at home. Make sure that the hardware (phone, speaker, smart watch, or computer) that you intend to use is compatible with your assistant. In general, you can find an app to make hardware work with most assistants and smart hubs.
Once you have selected your assistant or hub and connected your hardware, it’s time to start the fun! There are so many devices and products available today to automate your home and give you control of your environment. Among the many parts of your home you can control via a Wi-fi connection, the following are some of the most popular:
Smart Doorbells: You can monitor who is at the door and see your visitors and talk to them right through your home’s existing doorbell.
Smart Locks: Never forget your keys again! You can control your locks through your phone, and even offer separate pass codes for your dog walker or visitors.
Indoor and Outdoor Cameras: Boost your security, know when a postal delivery is made, and even keep an eye on the dog while you’re out, all right on your phone.
Smart Thermostats: Allow your thermostat to adjust the temperature to save energy when you’re not home and monitor your energy usage for big savings.
Smart Outlets: Control when your outlets are active to prevent “vampire power” and use energy in your home more efficiently.
Smart Light Bulbs: Turn on the lights when you enter a room or come home, dim the lights or change the color for mood lighting, and conserve energy.
Smoke and Carbon Dioxide Monitors: Keep an eye on your house when you’re on the go and monitor the amount of fresh air in your home for better health.
Smart Refrigerators: Take a snapshot of what is in your fridge while you’re at the store and never forget an item you need again.
Smart Trashcans: Your trash can is able to track the barcodes of the items you buy regularly and help you monitor both waste and the brands you typically buy.
Smart Sensors: These multipurpose sensors can track motion or light to help turn on lights when you enter a room or lock doors when you leave home.
Smart Blinds and Shades: Enjoy natural light and save energy heating or cooling your home with automatic blinds that open and close based on your settings.
And there are myriad more devices and more being developed every day to allow you to control your home from one piece of hardware, like your phone or computer. Nearly all of these devices work via Wi-fi, making your Wi-fi connection more important than ever. You’ll want to make sure that your Wi-fi signal is strong enough throughout your home and on your property to control all these devices reliably.
If you are interested in smart technology, be sure to check out our blog post about Smart Technology Security to help keep your devices safe.
Contact Sure Site Satellite for information about how we can provide the best whole house Wi-fi possible and ensure that your Smart Home will function smoothly and without delays. Get in touch with us today and make sure that all your devices work flawlessly to make your life simpler!
