Smart homes were once merely just a concept of the future. But the future is now, and smart homes are becoming something that’s quite common to come across in this country. That is because to convert your home from a traditional household into a smart home doesn’t take much rocket science, in fact it’s much easier than it seems.
To shift from a traditional household into a smart home only requires you to install smart devices in your home, and that’s it! There is no need to undergo any hectic and expensive renovations. Smart Home devices are easily available and affordable for the domestic user, and get this, they can be installed and functional in under 30 minutes!
All you would really require is a stable and good internet plan that can support smart home devices alongside your other internet usage. Cleveland Wi-Fi providers have great plans for their customers, you can check them out on FirstEnergy Home’s website.
Once you move towards installing smart home devices it would make sense to have collective control of every device installed within your home. Although individual control of every smart device is possible, it comes in handy to have a sort of smart home network set up. So how would you set up a smart home network?
Invest In a Smart Router
The basis of every smart device is good Wi-Fi connectivity. Each smart device, just like our smartphones and Smart TV’s connect to the Wi-Fi network – anything from smart thermostats, smart sprinklers, smart cameras to smart kitchen appliances like a smart oven and smart refrigerator. Therefore it would only make sense to invest in a smart router because they work much better than any ordinary router, coupled with a lot of smart features they bring with them too.
Here’s a smart router that you should consider: The Google Nest Wi-Fi Router. Retailing for $169, this router is nothing like the ordinary one you already have in your homes. The router alone can cover an area of 2200 square feet, providing seamless connectivity to every device connected, and eliminating any dead corners and buffering issues within the premises. You can now walk from one room to the next without any lag in your ongoing video call. The device also automatically updates itself when needed in order to keep your network secure at all times and bring in any new features added.
Through the Google Home app on your smartphone, the Nest Wi-Fi Router can be easily set up and configured, and through the app users can control any settings and use any features brought forward by the device. For instance, the Nest Wi-Fi Router offers parental control, allowing adults to set schedules in order to monitor and manage their children’s screen time, see what devices are connected to the network and restrict access to the network itself on selected devices, as well as certain content.
Install Central Hubs
Installing a hub can allow for collective control and connectivity of multiple smart devices around your home. For those that plan on switching to using smart lights in their homes can opt for the Phillips Hue Smart Bulb range. With prices starting at $24.99, these are ideally the best smart lights to install in your home.
And should you plan on installing multiple Phillips Hue Smart Bulbs, you can install the Philips Hue Bridge, which retails for $59.99. It is essentially the brains behind the lighting system, allowing you to control up to 50 lights and accessories collectively through the Hue app. The app also allows you to set schedules for every light or accessory connected, with the option of adjusting the brightness level as well. They can also be paired with voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant and even the Apple HomeKit.
Another smart device that serves as a hub is the Google Nest Hub 2nd Generation which retails for $99.99. This device may resemble a tablet but does much more. With a built-in Google Assistant, this device lets you enable voice control over any smart device connected to it, as well as control them manually through the Nest Hub itself. Set schedules, watch your smart camera video feed, turn down the smart thermostat, play music from any music streaming apps like YouTube, Spotify and watch your favorite Netflix shows – all from this device.
It is quite simple, setting up a smart home network if you already have smart home devices installed within your home. Accessing these devices through our smartphone itself is great because it allows for remote and wireless access to your devices, even if you’re away from home. But it is always more convenient having one single device, or a central hub as they say, to control all smart devices altogether. It makes things simpler of course.
So if you’re looking to buy a central hub or even just any of the smart devices we’ve mentioned above in this article, you can head on over to FirstEnergy Home’s website, www.firstenergyhome.com and check out what they have in store for smart homes.
