Advancements in technology have made virtually every aspect of life easier. From connecting with gamer friends around the world to working successfully from home, technology has made a lot of things possible.
Something else that technology advancements have made possible? Controlling the temperature of any given room in the house, popping on a pot of coffee and unlocking the front door, all with the help of apps.
These tech advancements are part of a broader term known as a smart home. While a smart home can save you from completing trivial activities around the house, the set-up process does require a lot of time, effort and research.
What is a smart home?
Before learning how to create a smart home, it’s important to understand just what this term means. Put simply, a smart home utilises various technologies in order to make everyday life not only convenient, but also comfortable.
This means that a smart home can help you create ideal environments by automatically adjusting lights and temperature, and it can even help you make sure that your home is safe and secure.
While the idea of sitting in the lounge room and pressing a button on the phone to start a coffee maker in the kitchen seems like a dream, smart home technology often isn’t that simple. In fact, getting every device communicating with each other takes time and research.
Questions to ask when designing your smart home
Smart home technology has undoubtedly progressed leaps and bounds over the years. However, with so many products on the market, it can be hard to integrate an effective solution into your home.
To make sure that you choose the right voice assistants and smart hubs, you need to ask yourself a few questions. Otherwise, the device you ultimately end up with may not be compatible with future advancements or even current equipment that you desperately want.
Why do I want smart home features?
Everyone has different wants and desires and when it comes to smart home features, it’s no different. One family might want smart home tech in order to be able to communicate with each other from different rooms in the home. A single person may just want improved security.
Another family may want to install smart technology to make it easier to control multiple heating, cooling and lighting fixtures. By working out why you want smart home features, you are better equipped to purchase products that will actually address your wants and needs.
What smart home features do I need?
Once you’ve worked out why you want to design a smart home, it’s time to align these wants and needs with actual products. The best place to start is by purchasing a voice assistant like Alexa or Google Home.
Then, based on your needs, add smart lighting, motion sensors, smart plugs that will turn appliances on and off, as well as a universal remote to control all devices. Finally, you will need a smart hub that will integrate all devices and act as the brains of the smart home.
What automation features do I want?
Once you’ve purchased the smart home products that address your needs and wants, it’s time to think about customising these products. For example, for those looking to control lighting, you may want to configure settings so that motion sensors trigger lights on and off.
Meanwhile, those looking to make a home more safe and secure may want to look at different features such as window sensors and smart locks. This way, you can configure certain triggers such as movement or sound to add a layer of further protection.
Will my smart features use too much data?
At the heart of all smart features is an internet connection. That’s why you need to account for internet usage when installing and configuring smart home features. One way to account for these features is to add more data. A general rule of thumb is 5mbps for every 10 devices.
You can also adjust item settings. For example, most devices don’t use a lot of bandwidth. In fact, they only use the internet in small bursts when performing commands. However, cameras use data all the time. To save bandwidth, consider lowering camera resolution.
Designing a smart home in 2022
Designing a smart home is an exciting endeavour. By installing a selection of smart products, virtually every task is made easier. Whether you’re wanting to see who is ringing the doorbell or control the temperature in multiple rooms, a smart home offers convenience.
However, trying to install and manage multiple devices can seem overwhelming. Rather than having a handful of controllers, voice assistants and smart hubs, start small. This way, you can build a selection of products that will directly address your inherent wants and needs.
While smart home technology will continue to evolve over the years, doing the research and asking the hard questions can truly set you up with the right foundation of technology. All of which will ultimately benefit your entire household both now and in the future.
