If you get wide-eyed and confused any time someone mentioned the newest smart home technology, you aren’t alone. Even the “basics” of this emerging industry can be overwhelming to the old and young alike. You’ve got big and small companies releasing new products and new services and new features and announcing new partnerships and it’s really just enough to make you want to walk away from it all. With just a little research, however, you can start to feel better about the whole thing and your ability to get on board.
Check out the Answers to Smart Home Questions That You’re Too Embarrassed to Ask article for the first round of questions, and check out the additional Q&A below to get one step closer to being a smart home technology expert.
What should I program my smart home to do?
The answer to this question will depend on your living situation (do you own or are you renting) and your technology needs. Some people want to use their smart home automation system just for security, while others want to integrate it into their locks and lighting and everything. If you’re just getting started with smart home technology you probably want to start with a few basic devices, like a thermostat, smart locks, and a video doorbell. This will give you a great overview of what a smart home can do; you can sync your thermostat with your locks for auto temperature adjustments, and the video doorbell will give you some security.
Which smart home devices work together?
This is a loaded question, and the answer is complicated. Not all devices are going to be compatible, and it can get confusing to figure out which to buy. Your best option is to just put in some time to do research. If you’re using an Amazon Echo and shopping for compatible smart home products on the Amazon site, you’ll see a hand “works with Alexa” notification on product pages.
What if my Internet goes down?
If your Internet goes down, devices that don’t have backup (like an SD card for a camera that usually uploads to the Cloud), you will lose functionality during the down time. That said, you won’t lose complete access to everything. Your smart locks won’t be accessible through your phone, but you can still use your key; your lights can’t be turned on with a smart assistant or through an app, but you can still use a switch to turn them on and off.
Will I be at risk of getting hacked?
The short answer is yes, because pretty much everything we do nowadays that is electronic-based puts us at risk of getting hacked. There are, however, things you can do to lower your risk. Start with passwords that are unique and that follow the rules for best practices. You also want to look for things like encryption and https access. If the device you are looking at is shady about how secure their product is, you don’t want to deal with them. Look elsewhere.
In case you didn’t get a chance to read, here’s the first blog to Answers to Smart Home Questions That You’re Too Afraid to Ask. Be sure to leave us any other questions you may in the comments down below!
