words Al Woods
If you’ve always dreamed of owning a modern smart home that’s bristling with technology, then a house move might represent the perfect opportunity to start afresh. But exactly how might you approach this project? Let’s take a look at how to set up your devices after you’ve relocated – and how to create a home tech setup that requires minimal effort and stress in the future.
Establishing a Reliable Internet Connection
Increasingly, modern life requires an internet connection. The entertainment you consume, your grocery shopping, your tax return – while it’s still possible to get these things done in the traditional, offline manner, you might be surprised at the extent to which many aspects of your life are made easier by reliable broadband. If you’re working from home, then there’s probably no getting around the fact that you need to be online.
A house move might represent a great opportunity to switch your broadband provider, particularly if you are out of contract. Check for broadband availability, and look for the best broadband deals to ensure you’re getting good value for money.
Setting Up Your Home Network
There’s no sense in having the best available fibre-optic connection if you don’t have the home network to support it. Larger houses, in particular, might benefit from a ‘mesh’ arrangement of WiFi extenders, so that the entire footprint of the property is covered. Think about the quality of your router, too, and how you’re going to be running cable through the house. Wireless internet technology has come a long way, but lounges, media rooms, and home offices might all benefit from a physical Ethernet connection.
Integrating Smart Home Devices
Once you have your home network in place, you can start to think about all of the life-improving devices you’re going to integrate into it. Some of these might be more useful than others, and it’s worth carefully considering your needs and what implications your chosen devices might come with.
Being able to interact with all of the devices in your home using voice commands can be a real game-changer. Perhaps paradoxically, it can actually reduce the extent to which you involve yourself with your various gadgets. No more interacting with screens when you can avoid it!
Enhancing Home Security with Smart Systems
For example, if you want to install a system of cameras, you’ll need to think about where you’re going to store the footage. This might mean investing in network-attached storage, or it might mean paying a subscription fee to a cloud-based storage provider.
The best smart security systems will provide you with notifications about what’s going on in your home, the moment it happens. You might be able to log into the system remotely and check what’s set the motion sensor off, for example.
