6 Clear Signs That Your Home Network Is Outdated
ISP-Provided Vs. Professionally Designed Networks
As smart homes and home entertainment with stunning audiovisuals began to define the residential landscape, it became clear that standard home Wi-Fi and networking were no longer sufficient to meet the growing demands. Where we once had five connected devices, we now have 20 to 100 or more.
In one room, the kids are playing Fortnite. In another, a video conference is in progress. Throughout the home, streaming services for music and movies are adding to the internet traffic. Soon, you have bandwidth congestion and, like the I-15 at rush hour, slowdowns appear. As humans, however, we grow accustomed to minor inconveniences, barely noticing the slower speeds or dropped connections until they’re blatantly clear.
The spinning wheel of doom appears more frequently when you stream your favorite movies. The download that used to take seconds now gives you time for a second cup of coffee. While it can lead to irritation in a traditional home, an insufficient network in a smart home poses a greater threat, contributing to inadequate lighting and security errors.
Here, then, are the top six signs that tell you your home network is overloaded.
SEE ALSO: DIY Eero Vs. Access Networks: Which Is Right for Your Home?
- Video Conferencing Becomes Anything but Smooth
You may notice that your video conference sessions experience delayed audio or choppy video movements. Called lag, it’s a result of a delay in data transmissions caused by insufficient bandwidth or too many devices using the home network simultaneously.
- Slow Video Streaming
A congested network may lead to stuttering, pixelation, or buffering when a video is streaming. Periodically, the video freezes, appears patchy, or pauses while waiting for more data, creating anything but an immersive, sensory experience.
- Dead Zones Becoming More Obvious
There was a time when you could walk into the upstairs corner room or out onto the patio and retain crystal-clear Wi-Fi coverage. Not anymore. Nowadays, your family knows these spots as the Wi-Fi dead zones.
- Smart Home Destabilization
The home network is the brain behind a smart home. It allows communication between the central operating system and all the other connected devices. Network issues can affect nearly every system, from motorized shades to lighting, climate control, and home entertainment.
An unstable internet connection can cause an intelligent lighting system to turn on and off or blink randomly. Automated schedules that coordinate multiple home systems no longer function smoothly. Instead of the shades opening at sunrise and the “Good Morning” playlist streaming through your home, the shades stay closed, and the house remains quiet.
- Voice Commands No Longer Working
When the sun causes glare on the computer screen, and you tell your motorized shades to lower, they gracefully descend, perfectly synchronized and silent. That is, until they don’t. Non-responsive voice commands are a sure sign that your network can no longer handle the many connected devices that have found their way into your home.
- Security Issues
Today’s security cameras offer incredible protection, sending notifications when a potential intruder appears or an unknown vehicle enters your driveway. A few of the many issues that can occur when a network is under siege include security cameras that continue to drop their live video feed or fail to send alerts when a security event is unfolding.
The Problem with ISP and Smart Homes
Network insufficiency often occurs when an ISP serves as the gateway to the internet. While these providers offer an excellent solution for up to 2,000-square-foot homes and those without extensive home automation infrastructure, they are not designed for today’s luxury smart homes.
Off-the-shelf routers offer limited performance and capacity, lacking the features required as more connected devices are added. These features include strong security protocols, segmented networks, and compatibility. Today’s luxury homes are also built with materials that make it difficult for radio waves to pass through, such as concrete, stone, and metal.
The Solution: A Professionally Designed Network
Today’s smart homes require business-grade solutions and the latest Wi-Fi standards. Enterprise-grade networks are the same ones used by banks, retail outlets, healthcare organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. They don’t have the luxury of inadequate bandwidth or sudden loss of connectivity, and neither does your smart home.
These systems offer extreme security, reliability, and scalability.
To ensure corner-to-corner coverage, including your expansive outdoor areas, Wi-Fi 6E access points that leverage the latest Wi-Fi standard minimize interference and congestion, deliver faster speeds, and lower latency.
The result? A smart home that works the way you want it to every time.
To learn more about professionally installed home networks, contact Argenta.
