UNDERSTANDING THE INTERNET & HOW IT IMPACTS HOME AUTOMATION
With the proliferation of connected devices, home networks have become a necessity. Over 275 million Americans have the internet in their home, yet many users have a limited understanding of how it works.
The Internet into the Home
Internet Service Providers (ISP) such as Fios and Comcast send a signal via a cable into your home where it connects to your modem. ISPs understand that when it comes to the internet, there is no one size fits all solution, so their options range in bandwidth and speed.
Speed describes the number of bytes per second traveling between the internet and your computer or device. Bandwidth describes the capacity for speed. Think of bandwidth as a pipe and speed as water. Water can trickle through pipes, or it can gush. However, you can never get more water out of your faucet than your pipes can hold.
The signal from the modem is sent to a router allowing both wired and wireless (Wi-Fi) connections which is how computers and devices gain internet access.
The Internet in Smart Homes
Home technology systems are a series of computerized devices that communicate via the internet. If the internet is down or not performing correctly, it will negatively impact your home automation. Ensuring that you have the proper bandwidth and are receiving the speed, you pay for is important when evaluating your home network.
Optimal Performance
Home Technology Experts was an early adopter of residential IP control systems and one of the first Control4 integrators in the world. Over a decade working with these systems has repeatedly proved that a sub-par internet connection can bring down a perfectly engineered automation system.
What to Watch Out For
BUFFERING
When streaming video or audio, data is preloaded to a reserved area of memory (the buffer) before playing. This allows for continuous streaming. Slow internet speeds will cause the video to catch up with the preloaded data causing interruptions as the new data loads.
POOR VIDEO QUALITY WHEN STREAMING
If you are watching a homemade YouTube video, poor video quality may be a production issue and not a reflection of your network. However, if you notice poor video quality when streaming from a source such at Netflix, TiVo, or Kaleidescape, there is an issue. A poor internet signal can result in blurry, pixilated, or choppy images. Remember many sources are now streaming 4k if you have a UHD television your streamed content should look like ultra-high-definition video.
UNRELIABLE CONNECTIONS
At Home Technology Experts we hardwire every product with an Ethernet connection. We then use top of the line equipment to create a secure and reliable Wi-Fi network. In fact, the equipment we use even adjusts to avoid interference from your neighbors’ Wi-Fi signals, an important feature in Manhattan. Our clients are not working off a plug and play ISP router/modem combo. There should never be an unreliable connection. If the internet is skipping out, there is a problem.
POOR ROAMING & DEAD ZONES
The technology used in our designs allows for overlapping wireless signals. Basic consumer equipment requires you to disconnect from one wireless booster before connecting to another. By contrast, our equipment allows for overlapping booster ranges, automatically connecting to the strongest signal. As a result roaming or dead zones should never be a problem. If there is suddenly a connection problem in a specific area of your home, this indicates a larger issue.
Easy Fixes
Technology is constantly advancing, the best way to avoid problems with your internet is to verify your network is equipped to handle your needs. Below are a few things we check when clients experience internet issues.
ISP SPEED CHECK
HTE will first verify that you’ve chosen an ISP package that can support your online needs. Next, we check that you are receiving the speed you are paying for.
LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) EVALUATION
By looking for issues such as packet loss and latency we can determine if your network is experiencing congestion. There are homes where the demand on the Wi-Fi have doubled or tripled in the past five years. In situations like this, simply upgrading one or two pieces of equipment will make all the difference.
MONITORING & TROUBLE SHOOTING
Home Technology Experts offers client care packages that monitor your internet service, network, and connected devices. Many times we can identify potential issues and proactively prevent them through remote support. Learn More
