According to Dave Evans, former chief futurist at Cisco, the number of connected devices will reach 50 billion in the next five years. In addition to your smartphone, tablet, and personal computer, many home devices have become Wi-Fi enabled—including refrigerators, washing machines, and door locks. Whether you want a coffee maker that connects to your phone or not, manufacturers are headed in that direction, so it’s crucial to be prepared. A high-quality home network will ensure all of your devices run well. Keep reading this blog to learn about how a professional network solution can transform your smart home in Orlando, Florida.
SEE ALSO: 4 Signs You May Need a Home Network Installation
The Limitations of a Basic Router
The basic router actually has two devices inside—the router which enables the connection to wireless devices—and the modem, which communicates with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Essentially, Wi-Fi is a radio signal, but instead of traveling over large distances it can only travel about 150 feet. Not only is a typical router limited by space, but if it’s especially weak it won’t be able to travel through certain structures like metal ductwork, and stonework. So your Wi-Fi signal may work perfect in your living room, but be unreliable in the bedroom.
How to Improve Your Signal
The first thing you can do to improve the strength and performance of your Wi-Fi is adding a wireless access point which serves as an extended antenna. There are even outdoor WAPs that can extend the signal to your patio and pool areas. WAPs and high-quality routers are usually installed by integrators like us who specialize in audio video and automation technology.
In large homes, multiple WAPs can be spread throughout the house to cover every area. However, placing the WAPs in the precise locations can be tricky. The best solution is to hire a professional to design the layout. Control Designer not only places access points in the proper locations around your home, but we also provide top-notch equipment that you can’t access easily. As a dealer of quality brands, we have routers and modems that will deliver fast internet speeds and reliable performance. If your internet service ever goes down, we have support teams available to help solve the problem and get your smart home running again quickly.
It’s important to equip your home with the right technology for today and tomorrow. To improve your internet performance and support all your wireless devices, contact us online!
You may wonder, 'what makes a smart home run perfectly?’ While there are many factors to installing a fully integrated smart home, there is one key factor that is often overlooked – the network. It may seem obvious, but many times the problem lies with the Internet connection, not with the device, design, or the installation company.
The true secret to an effective smart home is the network installation. In order to live an electronic lifestyle, you need strong internet connections established in your Winter Park, Florida home. Without it, every other aspect fails. Your wireless Internet connection is the backbone of the smart home. Continue reading this article to discover why a home network is so important and what services we offer to guarantee a perfect smart home operation.
SEE ALSO: 4 Signs You May Need a Home Network Installation
Our Smart Secret
The reality is that you can purchase a quality smart home system and the performance of the devices will still only be as good as the network it runs on. You can’t expect perfect performance using the modem and router supplied by your local Internet Service Provider or electronic store. You need professional equipment and a professional install.
The network is the 'secret ingredient' – the foundation – of your smart home. So it’s best to invest in networking solutions that can support all of the connected devices you own. A bad network will produce poor quality video streaming, slow download speeds, and interruptions in your smart home performance. Oftentimes, people wrongly blame the integration system or device for the problem when in reality all they have to do is fix their network. Here’s a run-down of our networking services:
Our Networking Services
Control Designer uses quality, enterprise-grade Wi-Fi technology to support the smart homes we install throughout the Winter Park, Florida area. Here is an in-depth summary of the steps we take to ensure your connection is strong and reliable.
Assessment: Maybe you have a custom home theater and want to download 4K content or hi-fi music. Or perhaps you have an integrated home system and you need to be connected constantly and consistently. Either way, we match the size of your home with our network packages. Our team will assess your home to acquire the specifications of the technology in order to recommend the right networking equipment. The Control Designer team will take your specific applications, usage patterns, devices, and conditions of the home into consideration so that we can customize your home network. We'll make sure it's powerful enough to transmit all the connections you want – from lighting and shading to security and home theater control.
Planning: After the assessment phase, our staff designs a plan to get your smart home up and running with premier performance. We'll give you an estimate price on a networking service and package. We can move forward with the installation after we go over those details with you and you sign off on the proposal.
Installation: Control Designer uses both wired and wireless networking solutions to ensure that your Internet connection remains steady. We'll place wireless access points in key areas of your home and check all of the connections to avoid any pitfalls and ensure no loss of Internet coverage throughout your home. If we discover that additional work or equipment is needed, we'll let you know before we proceed any further. All of the equipment won't affect your decor, and we'll install components out of the way so that it won't create clutter – out of sight, out of mind.
Service & Support: One of the greatest benefits of working with a local smart home company is that you get more personalized service and support. You won't have to wait on the phone for long periods of time or talk to a scripted robot on the phone. Our team will respond personally and fix your problem quickly. Since we already know the ins and outs of your system, it will be easy to come up with a solution. It doesn't matter if we installed the system two or 20 years ago—we'll take your service call and install updates as needed.
Do you need a better Internet connection? Or perhaps you are interested in a new smart home install. To get started with us, fill out this online form and we'll schedule a discovery meeting with you.
We all definitely live in a connected society. Internet service is no longer a luxury; it has become an essential utility service for the home just like water and power. We need Internet to communicate, work and manage our schedules. Our kids need Internet to learn and complete their schoolwork. Our world of connected devices – such as computers, tablets and cell phones -- increasingly require a robust home network and a strong Internet service in order to reliably operate. Our team can help you identify the best options for Internet service, as well as design a network solution, so your devices can easily connect and control features like lights, audio, video and more.
Here are the main signs you may need a professional to do a network installation in your Steamboat Springs, Colorado home.
SEE ALSO: What Really Makes a Home Smart?
1. You use many audio and video streaming services.
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Spotify put a lot of demand on your home network, which can slow down the Internet speed for everyone in your house. Without a quality network, your movie, TV show or music will lag or freeze. It could also affect the quality of your content. These issues can be super frustrating when all you want to do is relax after a long day. We can ensure your signal will be reliable and strong so that you can listen to Pandora all day long, or binge watch shows on Netflix without experiencing any interruptions.
2. You have a lot of connected--or wireless--devices.
If you have a smart home automation system, or even just a lot of wireless devices, a strong network is not an option — it’s required. High-bandwidth content like HD and/or 4K movies put a lot of pressure on home networks, and many times paying for a faster speed through your Internet Service Provider (ISP) won’t do the job. By hiring us to install a strong network, you won’t have to pay extra for a faster speed or get frustrated when the connection dies. We’ll make sure you can access all the technology you need to, like arming the security system with your phone, playing music in every room wirelessly, and enjoying a good show on Hulu in your home theater.
3. Your Internet does not cover your whole house.
Today, our phones go everywhere we go. And with mobile devices and laptops, we venture out further in our residences–from the edge of the driveway to the end of the backyard—pushing our Internet coverage to its limits. We are often frustrated by the size or distance of our wireless bubble. We can evaluate your residence, determine coverage gaps, and install additional repeaters to extend your wireless flexibility. We can also install wireless controllers to provide smooth roaming between wireless antennas in your home and make your network seamless.
4. You live in a remote location.
Colorado has plenty of natural beauty which is why we love living here. But our rugged natural surroundings also pose many challenges for delivering reliable Internet to some locations. The Control Designer team works with all local Internet Service Providers and can help you identify the best solution for getting reliable and fast service to your home. Regardless of where you live in the Steamboat Springs area, we will provide professional service that works within your budget.
Do your smart home devices just not work the way you want them to? Is your Internet always giving you problems? Give us a call or fill out our online form. Tell us your issue and we can work to give you a solution.