Get the Network You Need for the Modern Connected Home
Current research shows that the average American home has 15-25 connected devices. It may not sound like a lot, but that number can represent a strain on your network. Chances are your Bountiful home is anything but average, and you have even more connected devices with computers, tablets, smart TVs, smart speakers, and much more.
During the pandemic, home networks were more strained than ever. As families worked, learned, and were entertained at home with heavy reliance on internet connectivity, Utah homeowners gained a new appreciation for the importance of robust connectivity.
What can you do to ensure your home connectivity is the best it can be? Working with a professional network installation company like Show and Tell AV is a great way to start. In the first of this three-part series, we’ll explain our approach to robust connectivity for homes. Stay with us by reading below!
SEE ALSO: Is Your Home Network Keeping Pace with Today's Demands
Will a New Router Solve All Your Problems?
Internet routers, like the kind you can easily purchase on Amazon or at Best Buy, come in all shapes and sizes. Some low-end models provide basic connectivity and Wi-Fi, and some go well beyond the basics. But here’s the rub with consumer-level products, even high-performance equipment. They combine several vital functions in one box. Internet routing is the function of giving every one of your devices a pipe or lane to the internet. Wi-Fi is a matter of collecting that wireless signal from all your devices and feeding it to the router to “route” to the internet. We’re greatly oversimplifying here, but part of the problem is that routers are doing many things in that one box.
One of the most common issues in a home is W-Fi performance. That may depend on more than just a better router. True, a newer router with Wi-Fi 6 standards will have more capacity for greater devices. But if you have a very large home, lots of walls between routers and devices, or certain construction like steel which can impede wireless signals, even good all-in-one routers may not be able to handle all your connections well.
How About Those New Distributed Mesh Networks?
You may have heard of the newer mesh network systems, which place wireless mesh nodes throughout your home. The mesh network concept is like a daisy chain, where the network can extend the wireless signal strength farther from the main router with devices that connect to each other rather than all back to a central point. These networks might help wireless performance, but there’s a catch. Many of these mesh networks rely on a wireless “backhaul” connection, the way they extend the signal by connecting to each other. This backhaul can often steal bandwidth away from your wireless devices! As a result, sometimes mesh networks don’t appreciably improve Wi-FI performance.
OK, so you might be wondering now, what’s the solution? Unfortunately, there’s no one magic bullet that’s right for the best connectivity in your home. Our approach combines commercial-level equipment, heavier reliance on wired connections, and professional evaluation of your home’s layout and signal dispersion to design the right solutions. We’ll cover more of this in the next two installments of this series.
At Show & Tell AV solutions, we provide cutting-edge technology solutions that enhance our clients’ everyday lives. To learn more about home network design and installation or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact Show & Tell AV Solutions today.