Need to Know: Setting Up Your Smart Home
12:46 PM
As many of you know, I absolutely love new technology and gadgets (the tan line from my Apple Watch is intense, you guys). So when I decided to begin transitioning my home into a smart home I had some key features in mind; namely lighting, music, and security. Little did I know what an investment it is and what ingenuity creating a smart home requires! If you're thinking about turning your home into a smart home, here's a few things to consider before you get started...
Pick a hub. Most smart devices have the option to run through their own individual apps or connect through popular hubs such as Amazon Echo and Google Home. Choosing a hub isn't a requirement but can be a great link between devices that may not otherwise interact. For example, you could potentially use Amazon Echo to sync your locks and lights by saying "Alexa, lock up." Selecting a hub will boil down to personal preference and which features you desire most in your home.
It's not all plug-and-play. If you think it's as simple as plugging in a device, pushing "Sync" and suddenly the lights are on, music is playing, Roomba is running, and pancakes are making themselves a la Matilda, you'd be sorely mistaken. Following the shipment of my Amazon Echo I spent the better part of a Friday night installing skills, logging into various accounts and apps, and renaming playlists so Alexa could function properly. Be prepared to do your homework and get creative in finding connectivity solutions when necessary.
Play favorites. These smart systems aren't cheap and there's one for every corner of your home: lighting, sound, thermostats, remotes, adapters, locks, security systems; you name it, there's a "smart" device out there. When it comes to creating a smart home you have to play favorites and pick and choose which features will be most beneficial for your lifestyle. I love the idea of smart lighting but I know given the size of my home (and my budget) that isolating a few lights to connect is the most cost effective and viable solution.
Beef up your network. With so many devices connected and running in the background it's important to have an internet connection that's up to par. You can tell if your internet is truly powerful and built for speed when you have multiple connected devices and can run them efficiently and effectively without compromising speed. That type of connection and reliability is something Verizon FIOS is known for. Since I've become a Verizon partner I've been able to experience their superior connections for myself in multiple areas of the city; check to see if yours is one of them!
This post was sponsored by Verizon FIOS and the #BostonFIOS team. All content and opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting those who support Style-Wire.com.
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