Power
It is easy to forget about the power requirements of your devices. After setting up their devices, some people find out that their power supply is not adequate. The modern home is filled with portable electronics, such as lights, TVs, routers, and speakers, so it’s easy to run out of power sockets. It is possible to overload the main power supply of your home by purchasing energy-intensive devices such as heaters, ovens, large entertainment systems, and the like. Traditional mains wiring will have at least one room and, usually, lights and power sockets. Each room will be assigned a circuit breaker rated at a specific amperage. Overloading the circuit breaker can lead to your TV cutting out during your favorite program, your blog post being lost due to a power surge, or your bread loaf falling apart when your oven turns on unexpectedly. This is a significant problem for everyone. Overloading can also pose a risk to your home if it is older or poorly wired. You may also have to consider the space required to plug in your devices. If your home is older, poorly designed, or has insufficient outlets, you’ll need adapters and extension bricks.
Before you begin your digital home project, make sure you check the rating of your circuit breaker ratings and outlets in your rooms. If you aren’t sure, it’s best to consult a professional electrician. You should use no more than 50% of the Amps your house mains is rated for. Some devices can pull more power than others under certain conditions. And, let’s be honest, not everyone who uses your home will think about how much electricity they are using. It’s better to buy high-quality extension cords and bricks for extending outlets. This will allow you to fit the bulky AC/DC converters that come with many devices. You should ensure that your adapter meets all standards, such as FCC, CE, UL, or FCC. This is why it is essential to choose a trusted brand. You can save space by buying power adapters that have USB ports built-in. This makes it easy to plug in your tablets and phones and also allows you to keep separate chargers out of your home.
Network
The network is the key ingredient to a smart home. Although more devices are connecting to mobile technology like 3G, 4G, and traditional cellular, the best network for your home is still fixed wired or wireless. Although LAN (wired Ethernet) has been around for decades, it is still affordable, fast, and compatible. Installing CAT6 LAN cables is an excellent choice if you are building or renovating a house. They will also be fast enough for your smart home devices to run for at least the next decade. CAT5e is the minimum recommended cable type to guarantee reliable data speeds over long distances of at least 1 Gigabit. However, CAT6 allows you to relax knowing that your devices can reach speeds up to 10 Gigabits for longer distances. CAT5e is better if cables need to be routed through doors or other tight places. If you are planning to live in your home for a long time, it is worth spending a bit more on your network. A 100Mbit LAN is capable of supporting Blu-ray 1080p content and possibly 4k video. You can also be sure that a 1 Gigabit LAN will keep your media streaming needs for the next 10 years. Gigabit Ethernet can transfer data at over 100 MB/s, while 1080p Bluray streaming only requires around 5%.
A wireless WIFI network is essential for every smart home. However, it can be much more challenging to distribute digital content throughout your home with WIFI. You will save hours and money if you choose a wired Ethernet LAN as your backbone. You must have WIFI. Make sure you spend as much money as you can on your router. Choose one that has excellent antenna performance, range, and the most current specification.
We are not recommending “powerline” Ethernet adapters as they are expensive and less reliable. They can still be superior to WIFI if you’re confident about their performance.
Server
Technology is becoming increasingly distributed, but a central server is the best and most future-proof solution for your home. A server is a system that includes a processor, file storage, and networking. There are many servers. You could connect one USB drive to the network and call that a server or have a powerful computer with massive storage. A system with at least one hard disk and a processor under five years old will suffice for most people. The server must be connected to your network at the fastest speed possible. For several hundred US Dollars, you can buy a “DLNA,” “NAS,” or “High-End” system to control your whole house for several thousand dollars. However, any computer, laptop, or capable Internet router can be used. You can connect a USB drive to some internet routers. The router’s processor can handle media streaming if the router has the appropriate software, such as a DLNA Server. In minutes, you can download DLNA and other server software free of charge on a Windows or Mac computer. You can either re-use an older computer as a home server or purchase/make a new one. Linux is used by many networking devices. If you see a NAS server or DLNA server on sale, you should know that you can install Linux on an older computer to quickly duplicate or exceed the performance of dedicated servers. Make sure your server has the following: a) A minimum of 100Mbits network speed; b) Plenty of storage space; c) A processor less than five years. As long as the network speed and processor are breakneck, you should spend as much as possible on storage.
Entertainment
Now that you have superfast data and high power ready to plug your devices into, music is probably the most important thing you will need. It’s essential to keep you going while you set up your smart home. You will need a music receiver if your server is online or you have a portable storage device such as a phone. You can choose to have a short-range such as Bluetooth or a more extended range such as WIFI. The most important thing is convenience. Music can be played instantly, or it can cause stress and make listening more stressful than enjoyable. A music receiver should have an always-on connection such as Bluetooth, WIFI, or a 3.5mm analog input cable that you can plug in. You can find your favorite song or playlist by using a music player that has fast and straightforward navigation. Simply add speakers. You will need a screen for TV, video, movies, and games. It can be a TV screen, computer screen, projector, or portable device such as an iPad. Some screens are more intelligent than others. You will need a processor if your screen is not a full-featured display. The new “Smart” TVs are equipped with the software and processor necessary to work with most servers. If you don’t have a TV or a screen, you can purchase a “Smart TV box” or “Dongle,” which can do the same. Video content requires a processor, unlike Music. So, choose a more recent “Smart” TV. The longer it is, the more you can use it.
Information
Information is created wherever you are. The question is where and how to store it until you require it. This is where you should keep your server. It’s a good idea to get a reliable service if you don’t already have one. Redundancy is essential for your information. The server should have at least one backup that can be restored. After you have transferred your data to the server, either manually or using automated backup software, you can choose to backup the server’s data manually. This is an inefficient process and can be time-consuming. Two hard drives are required for most servers. One will be a mirror of the other, which is known as RAID 1. One disk can fail, and all data is lost. The other will retain an exact copy. A redundancy system is essential due to the increasing importance of digital information such as photos, documents, and designs. Apart from saving your important files, you can also download web-access information like news via your network. This information can then be accessed on any device, such as a tablet or screen. A screen in the kitchen can be used to view recipes and check the latest news.
Security
You cannot expect to be immune from hacker attacks or other casual snoopers if you have a limited budget. Security must be considered. First, change default passwords on devices. Step 2 is to restrict access to your files from those who don’t require it (should be guests). Third, you need to set up and maintain firewalls and antivirus software on your server and any other devices within the network. Private information should be encrypted to ensure that only the password holder has access to it. You should consider encrypting all secure files on your server, such as financial and personal data, scans of digital documents, etc.
Your smart home can also be an asset and not a threat. Once your network is ready, LAN- or WIFI-enabled cameras can be plugged into your home to stream video to the server.
Finally, make sure to physically secure your server. Keep it safe from theft and damage.
Automation and home management
Smart homes are now able to leverage your network to control your home’s lights, curtains, and heating. This technology acts as both a receiver and actuator. For example, a WiFI radio with motors to open curtains or a Bluetooth radio with switches to control lighting. A phone, tablet, or sensor can be used as an input. You may even use the Internet to maintain your house from the outside. These devices were previously only available to high-end customers. Now, budget-friendly options are being offered.