How many devices have you added to your home in the past few years?
New phones, tablets, smart thermostats, security cameras, wireless speakers, Amazon Alexa… the list goes on.
And with all these new devices being added, have you thought about the strain that it puts on your home network?
All technology becomes obsolete eventually, but for many of us, we only think about the devices, not the network they run on.
Unsurprisingly, the more devices you add to a system, the slower it becomes.
This is why you need quality, high-performance home networking to get the very best from your smart home.
What does a home network entail?
A home network is simply a term for the combination of all the electronic devices in your house which connect to each other and the internet.
Devices such as computers, tablets, phones, printers, and gaming systems all work together on the same network, usually wireless through your router, but can sometimes be physically connected with wires.
Your router allows all these devices to talk to one another and to access the web, but even if you’re not connected to the internet, you can still have a home network.
If you have several devices all connected to the same printer for example, then even this basic set up is a form of home networking.
Why a good home network is important
From streaming the latest movies on Netflix, to maintaining a comfortable temperature, and communicating with friends and family, we rely on modern technology now, more than ever.
Smart devices are now able to control almost every part of our lives, from turning the lights on and off to locking the doors at night, and it’s all run through our home network.
But here’s the problem; the more devices on the network, the less efficient is becomes.
Imagine the network is like a highway and each device is a car. Too many devices equal a traffic jam.
A modern, state-of-the-art home network adds an extra couple of lanes to the highway and increases the speed limit, allowing all those cars to flow smoothly along to their destination.
When the network becomes overloaded
If your home network does turn into a traffic jam, then even the smartest device becomes dumb.
Say for example your teenage son is playing his Xbox online in his room, while his sister is facetiming with her friends in her room, and your partner is streaming a movie in the living room, then you can probably say goodbye to that important Zoom business meeting you had planned.
Audio and video streaming, especially high-definition (HD), is incredibly taxing in terms of data usage and both are considered latency-sensitive data traffic.
Your son’s video game will probably start to lag (he’s not going to be happy about it as you’ll soon find out), while your partner’s movie will keep freezing.
All these devices are trying to use the internet at the same time, and the network simply can’t cope.
The result is no one gets to have want they want, unless half the people in the house stop what they’re doing.
Good luck finding volunteers!
Control4 and Pakedge
Of course, there is a simple way around all this – upgrading your home network.
A built for purpose wireless home network will be consistent, effective, and responsive.
It will handle multiple devices with ease without any lagging, never dropping in signal no matter where you are in the house.
When we’re installing smart homes, we use the Control4 and Pakedge systems, the best in the business.
The Pakedge network is designed to offer faster speed, more simultaneous connections, and be customisable, allowing you to adapt the network to your unique individual needs.
While Pakedge is the nerve-system of the smart home, Control4 is the brains.
Control4 allows you to operate every aspect of your home from a single control panel or even your phone.
Close the blinds, raise the temperature, play some music… it’s all at your fingertips, and with the award-winning Pakedge network carrying out your orders, you can rest assured in total and complete comfort.
Have your home working at peak efficiency
With millions of people working from home during this COVID-19 pandemic, many people are finding their home network isn’t as great as they thought.
Important business meetings are being missed or are too frustrating to participate in because the internet keeps crashing when it’s needed the most.
And with the entire family at home 24/7, it’s becoming clear to many that a faster, more reliable network and internet connection is essential for a peaceful household.
As technology is evolving so rapidly, it’s important to have a home network that not only supports your needs today, but can also scale to meet your technology goals in the future.
If you need to upgrade your home, then we can help.
We have decades of experience with home networking, first with audio equipment and then with computer networks and wireless devices.
We can have all your devices working seamlessly, without fear of crashing or running slowly.
Contact us today and speak to one of our experts about how we can help you upgrade your home – and your life.