Optimizing your home network for a seamless smart home experience doesn’t have to be challenging. With so many St. Louis homeowners embracing smart control and automation, having a well-designed home network is crucial to keep your devices operating at peak potential.

Your network is the foundation for everything—from automated lighting and climate control to streaming high-resolution audio and video throughout every room of the house! However, poorly designed networks can hinder the efficiency of your favorite connected devices and lead to frustration and subpar performance.

In this article, we'll explore a few common issues with poorly designed networks and provide a few tips you can adopt to enhance your smart home experience. Keep reading to learn more.

MORE ON SMART HOMES: Top Tips for Selecting a Reliable Home Automation Company

Tip 1: Invest in a Mesh Wi-Fi System

To eliminate Wi-Fi dead spots, consider upgrading to a mesh Wi-Fi system. Unlike a traditional router, a mesh system uses multiple nodes placed strategically throughout your home to ensure consistent wireless coverage everywhere—from the basement to the backyard. 

 Larger residences with multiple floors, walls with thick building materials, and other electronic devices can all cause signal interference. Mesh systems reduce that issue and provide seamless connectivity so your smart home solutions can function without interruption, everywhere.

Tip 2: Prioritize Wired Connections for High-Bandwidth Devices

Where possible, connect high-bandwidth devices—such as smart TVs, media players, and gaming consoles—directly to your router via Ethernet cables. Wired connections provide a more stable and faster connection, allowing your home network to manage bandwidth more efficiently. Doing this can improve streaming quality and free up Wi-Fi capacity for devices that require wireless connectivity, like smart speakers or security cameras.

Tip 3: Segment Your Network for Better Performance

Segment your network by creating separate networks for different types of devices to prevent network overload and optimize performance. For example, you can make a dedicated channel for smart home devices, another for personal devices like phones and laptops, and a third for guests. Segmentation prevents one group of devices from monopolizing all available bandwidth and helps maintain the reliability and speed of your smart home systems.

Tip 4: Upgrade to a High-Speed Router with Advanced Features

Not all routers are created equal, and technology-rich homes need high-quality hardware to keep up with homeowners’ connected lifestyles. Look for a router that supports the latest Wi-Fi standard (Wi-Fi 6 or higher) and offers advanced features such as Quality of Service (QoS) settings, which allow you to prioritize traffic for specific devices. Imagine your home’s security cameras or smart lighting always have the bandwidth they need, even when other devices are in use.

Tip 5: Enhance Network Security with Professional Help

Security should never be an afterthought, especially for smart home networks. Protect your network with strong encryption, secure passwords, and firewalls. 

 Working with a professional home automation company like Elite Technology Solutions further enhances network security. Our networking specialists will assess your network, recommend the best practices for keeping it secure, and provide ongoing support. With the proper security protocols in place, you can confidently enjoy the conveniences of smart home living without compromising your privacy.

We’re the Networking Experts in St. Louis

If you’re looking to maximize your smart home setup, partner with the experts at Elite. Fill out our contact form here, and let’s continue exploring the possibilities of an improved home network designed for smart homes.