The idea of a smart home is beautiful. You come home from work and the door unlocks, the kitchen and living room lights turn on, your entertainment system powers on, the TV switches to your favorite channel and the thermostat automatically turns down the temperature a few degrees. All this happens without lifting a finger.
Getting everything set up to work as intended, however, is a different story, especially with so many new options and devices coming into the make everyday.It can be confusing to say the least. Below are a few tips when choosing the right smart home devices and solutions for your project.
Research Products and Integrators
To ensure you purchase devices which best suit your needs, its necessary to dedicate a decent amount of time to research. As you compare the various gadgets and systems, factor in not just the price of each item, but also things like their particular features, how secure and scalable they are, and how compatible they will be with other products you might buy.
You should spend the most time researching smart-home hubs, because they are main controllers of any automated system. They will do a lot of the work, and be the gadget that other elements need to speak to properly. AT AHT, we specialize in Crestron control systems due to the fact they are the most reliable and customizable control system available for the projects we integrate.
Furthermore, as you compare products, keep in mind that you may wish to purchase items from just one or two different brands. Doing so keeps the look of your gadgets streamlined; gives you less systems to learn how to use; and can mean that the products will talk to each other better because theyre using the same proprietary networking standards.
Part of your research should also include taking a look at reviews and customer testimonials online and in relevant magazines. You might want to also ask people you know who own the smart-home products youre interested in or the audio video integrator you are hiring about their thoughts on the pros and cons of their purchases.
Make Sure The Products Are Secure
While it can be fun choosing and buying automated devices, dont forget that you need to think about the more serious side of security once you have them home and installed, too. Unfortunately, these days hackers continually find ways to break into peoples home networks and personal information, and smart-home products can be one of the ways they go about doing it.
To ensure your systems arenat crashed by an outsider, or your sensitive data hacked or held for ransom, you must take all the precautions you can to secure your smart gadgets. Start by ensuring your router has a strong password protecting it, as well as a firewall, and that all of the software you use is kept updated.
You should also change the default logins and passwords on all your automated products. There are typically instructions that come with the devices on how to go about doing this, or you can look up the details online.
Have Questions?
AHT Residential has over 20 years in home automation system design and implementation. If you have questions about choosing the best solutions for your home, feel free to give our team a call. We can guide you in the right direction.
Request a Consultation