G’day folks, Lenny here! Ever thought about getting a smart home but don’t know where to start or if your connection will support it? Turning your home into a more convenient and comfortable abode doesn’t need to be a massive leap! 

Have you ever seen that episode of the Simpsons House of Whacks in the Treehouse of Horror XII? The Simpson’s home is turned into a completely smart solution; the dishes are done, food is cooked and eventually, it turns pretty evil. Smart homes may be able to eventually cook us dinner, but this isn’t

exactly what smart homes are like right now; but it’s a fun episode nonetheless. Maybe if they had a better connection, it would have worked better…!

Smart homes are more common than you think, and you can do so many different things with them. Turn off your lights, check who’s in or around your home, turn appliances off or on, heat up or cool your home down before you get there… The options are endless in keeping your family safe and comfortable! 

Because smart homes are now more widespread, they are affordable to the average family in Australia. I’m here to tell you how you can utilise your smart home by having the right connection! Let’s jump into it! 

Benefits of Smart Homes

When we think of smart homes, we often think they will be more hassle than they’re worth. If you set up your smart home in a clever manner with a suitable connection, you won’t know how you lived without it! 

I know my family and I couldn’t live without a few things! My wife loves to be able to check she turned the iron off and my kids love when we heat up the home on cold afternoons when they’re on their way back from school. My favourite thing is my smart garage door! I can unlock the door when I’m down the road so it’s open when I arrive. Ahhh the convenience is endless with smart homes! 

Choosing the Right ‘Smart’ Brands

If you’re not tech-savvy, I would be choosing a brand that is recognisable and reliable. When you opt for the big brands, you will have the support available if you need it. This ensures troubleshooting and the like and is just a phone call or a chat away. Buy reputable brands and products and do your research for what will suit your needs. 

Connection

Your smart home does not necessarily need to high on connection usage. Unlike streaming Netflix or playing PlayStation, your smart home doesn’t download data constantly, but it does need a sturdy connection. 

Opt for a 50/20 connection. This is 50 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload. This type of connection has been coined by the ACCC as a Standard Plus Evening Speed on nbnô and is ideal for your smart home to function effectively. 

This connection also ensures everything else is running smoothly. You can avoid the dreaded “my connection dropped out” while you’re on an important Zoom meeting or home schooling – although your kids would probably be happy if the connection dropped out completely during a school day!

You can factor in your solar inverters and Tesla batteries. These can perform security updates through the internet so they don’t use high bandwidth but certainly should be considered into your overall usage.

Be sure to set up your devices securely with good passwords and a trusted product to ensure your connection is safe and stable. 

Top tip: Video and download is what you have to watch out for! This can cause major disruptions to your smart home connection. Whatever else that is just buzzing in the background is relatively minor and probably won’t affect your smart home too much. 

Wire Up!

Security cameras are a great way to ensure your family is safe or to check on your home during holidays. Security cameras have 2 modes which means you only use the high-definition mode when there is an incident, and you want to check it. Security cameras are often connected by ethernet, making for a more stable connection. 

I would suggest wiring things up where you can to save your WiFi being overextended. If there are things you can’t wire up, ask yourself if you need extenders to ensure your WiFi reaches everything in your smart home connection. If you’re having any trouble getting your WiFi to hard to reach places – here’s another Lenny’s Lesson to help you troubleshoot.

Leaptel’s plans are the ideal solution for your smart home! Choose a trusted and reliable connection paired with reputable products and your smart home is ready to go, for whatever you want it to do!  

Here’s information on our internet services and plans or if you’d like to chat with our friendly customer service team contact us.