Everything You Need To Build A Smart House On Any Budget – Forbes
Everyone wants a smart home, but what does a smart home even solve in a time where we’re all walking around with handheld devices that have more computing power than an entire bank of vintage NASA supercomputers? When your phone can stream media, play games and communicate with others, do you even need a connected, smart house? Even in a time when we’re constantly encouraged to live more mobile, nomadic lifestyles, I’d argue yes.
A Google Home Hub smart speaker photographed on a kitchen counter, taken on January 9, 2019. (Photo … [+]
Future via Getty Images
Smart devices are handy to have around, letting you keep your phone in your pocket and keeping you focused on the task at hand. They also add extra value as digital picture frames, speakers, intercoms, and more. Plus there’s vacuuming robots, smart kitchen devices and more that do more of your work for you so that you can relax …and play on your phone.
The Best Smart Home Routers
The first step to a smart home is a network that all your devices can use. There isn’t a sub-$100 entry in this category because this is the one area you don’t want to skimp. A good, solid and smart wireless router is something you can build on as your smart home grows (both in number of devices and size).
Entry-Level Option: Google Nest Wifi Mesh Router
It’s hard to get mesh wireless routers that are truly smart and self-adjusting that don’t cost hundreds of dollars. It can handle up to 200 connected devices and automatically adjusts to changes in network traffic. The access points are also Google Assistant-enabled, so you can easily access Google smart voice assistant features throughout your home. Plus, if you end up needing additional access points, it’s simple to add them via the Google Home app.
Mid-Range Option: Plume SuperPod with WiFi 6
Plume provides magical little SuperPods with a subscription service that serves up Wi-Fi that gets faster, safer and more reliable as Plume learns your habits and the needs of your home network. Now with Wi-Fi 6, Plume’s SuperPods are exactly the right device for your burgeoning smart home.
They intelligently determine how to best route traffic from every device so they won’t interfere with each other. Also, with IoT protection, Plume will monitor and, if necessary, block off traffic to devices that are acting suspiciously and might be infected, allowing you to take action. It costs around $7 per month (with a three-year membership) for a HomePass membership, but it’s more than worth it to have Wi-Fi that adapts to your specific home and your specific devices, no matter what changes.
Luxury Option: Linksys Atlas Max 6E
The Atlas Max 6E is Linksys’ fastest, most advanced mesh networking system. It has 4×4 MU MIMO (Mulit-User, Multi-Input, Multi-Output), meaning it has room for several different people, accessing and sending data over your network at once. It’s also got a full GB of …….
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2021/12/17/connected-house-smart-home-guide/