Home Networking

The home network is quickly becoming the most important appliance in the home. This is due to the huge increase in streaming music and video services along with social media and its constant connection.

As consumers demand faster speeds, getting these speeds can be harder than you might expect in a larger home. For homes under 1,500 sq feet, the device supplied by the internet service provider (ISP) is usually perfectly fine and provides fast coverage all of the entire home. With larger homes, things get more complicated as you need to add additional wireless access points (WAP) around the home. If the client has a large outdoor entertainment area, a weatherproof outdoor WAP becomes necessary.

Many clients will just change out to a faster device from their ISP and try to add it to their older network setup and be disappointed. We see this happen a lot as the older, slower gear bogs down when it sees the much higher speeds and actually provides worse performance than it did with a slower connection.

Planning for a high-performance home network, capable of concurrent streaming services is critical to the best experience for the homeowner. Wireless access points require they be hard-wired back to the main router and this should be done with CAT6 cable for best performance.

Now, and into the future, the network will become a more critical part of the home. Providing a fast, stable, and secure home network can be done but does require some planning upfront.  At Audio Advice, we've recently launched our 24/7 Technology Concierge PlatformTM to help our clients monitor, maintain, and manage their home networks. This includes remote firmware updates, performance testing, and remote reboot and troubleshooting. Contact us today to learn more.

Network Security

As network security becomes more and more of a concern for clients, it is important to design a network where security patches and updates can be pushed out without the client having to do anything on their part. Some providers of consumer or home networks include this as part of their service to their clients. Patches can be pushed out remotely and these types of network setups can also be remotely monitored.

Self-Healing Networks

Another trend that is relatively new is the self-healing home network. Everyone has probably experienced a network outage that was fixed by a “reboot” of the network equipment. The self-healing network setup has a device that checks the internet connection and if it fails, reboots the correct associated equipment in the correct order to restore the network. This can also usually be done remotely by the network provider and allows them to also reboot those cable boxes and streaming video boxes that lock up from time to time.

Smart Home Automation Buying Guide

A typical home contains many technology systems. These may include whole house music, intercom, distributed video, home networksecuritylighting and shading control, heating and cooling systems, cameras, pool and spa control, gate control, energy management, and more. A truly smart home ties all of these systems together into one seamless platform that is easily controlled. Explore our guide to understand the available options and how you can automate your home for fun, safety, and convenience. At Audio Advice we love smart homes so reach out to us so we can help turn your vision into a reality! 

Visit Our North Carolina Showrooms

Interested in learning more about lighting and shading? Contact us today to talk to one of our experts or set up an appointment in our Raleigh or Charlotte showroom! Our showrooms have a full assortment of Lutron, Hunter Douglas, and Control4 lighting and powered shading solutions.

Audio Advice Raleigh - Smart Home Experience Center

Raleigh, NC

8621 Glenwood Ave
Raleigh, NC  27617

Phone: 919-881-2005

Hours:
Tues-Fri - 10am - 8pm
Saturday - 10am - 6pm

Audio Advice Charlotte - Smart Home Experience Center

Charlotte, NC

11409 Carolina Place Pkwy
Pineville, NC 28134

Phone: 704-821-4510

Hours:
Tues-Fri - 10am - 7pm
Saturday - 10am - 6pm