You can buy all kinds of smart devices these days but they are only smart if they are connected to the network. Therefore, good connectivity is the start to the smart home.

When you subscribe to a fiber broadband service from the telco, they will normally give you a wireless router. This is usually sufficient for the whole house, but if your apartment is large, there may be some dead zones. Normally the further away from the wireless router, the weaker the signal. Download a Wifi scanner app from the App Store or Play Store, and check for any weak zones. If there are just 1 or 2 areas that are out of range, getting a Wifi repeater is inexpensive and it works. If there are multiple areas that are out of range, you will need to get a mesh networking solution, which is slightly more expensive.

Today, we all have some form of IT security solution in our PCs and laptops, such as antivirus or antimalware protection. However, there is no obvious way to do that for a Smart Lights, or Smart Locks, or Smart Thermostats. It is crucial therefore that we have a good control on the network and devices username and passwords. We must practice diligence in changing all the default username and password, as it is easy to hack into your network if it is not changed. You might be surprised how many people don’t really do that even!

For instance, Apple has a range of devices that support Smart homes, such as AppleTV, HomePod, and it works very well with iPads, iPhones or iWatch. Amazon, or Google, both also have their own ecosystem of products. By choosing a single ecosystem and investing in it, you will be sure to know they will all work seamlessly together to bring you convenience.

Happy Smart Home Building!

Jason Wei, Senior Manager
International