Wellbots: Your Ultimate Guide to Setting up a Smart Home
Gone are the days when owning a home was a dream. Having a ‘smart home’ is more popular now, whether you own or rent. Imagine being able to open your front door with your phone, enter your home, have the lights turn on automatically, and ask your virtual assistant to get you a cup of coffee. Robotic vacuums clean the house when you're not there, smart thermostats reduce the heat or air conditioning to save money, and inside and outdoor security cameras let you monitor anything from your phone.
Although automating your complete home with a single solution is impossible, it is now simpler than ever to install and maintain a variety of smart devices. You may create the smart home of your dreams with a few readily available items. But setting up a smart home can be mind-boggling. There is a plethora of gadgets available in the market, but you need to know that some accessories work only with certain products, and some work well than others. So here’s a guide to help you wade through the confusion and get accustomed to your first voice-controlled smart home.
1. Wireless router
The key to building a good functional smart home is to have a strong foundation. The secret is understanding which smart home appliances don't require a hub to function. The most significant benefit of hubs is having a single user interface to control everything, however, they are not always necessary. But you absolutely must have a reliable wireless router, ideally one that can cover every area of your house.
Here are some of the best-selling routers, available at wellbots.com.
With Wi-Fi 6E as its source of power, the Nighthawk® RAXE500 Tri-B and Wi-Fi 6E Router offer the smoothest and quickest streaming, eLearning, video conferencing, and gaming experience. Now that there is a fully new and broader 6 GHz Wi-Fi band with up to 3.5X more Wi-Fi channels, you may enjoy all the power of 6th generation Wi-Fi in addition to enhanced speeds, connections, and capacity. Smart home automation, ultra-smooth 4K/8K streaming, low latency gaming, and more are made possible by up to 9x faster Wi-Fi rates of up to 10.8Gbps and a 1.8GHz quad-core processor designed for AX. For faster Multi-Gig Internet speed or wired LAN devices, utilize the Multi-Gig 2.5G Ethernet interface. Additionally, the router's eight high-performance antennae boost Wi-Fi signals for maximum range and trustworthy coverage throughout a 5- to 6-bedroom house.
You may get multi-layered cybersecurity protection for an infinite number of devices with NETGEAR ArmorTM, which offers encrypted connections, protects your online activities, secures lost or stolen devices, and blocks suspicious devices on your network.
Orbi Wi-Fi 6 offers you the greatest Wi-Fi connectivity with coverage up to 7,500 square feet. You may now stream in 4K or 8K without pausing while using several devices over the fastest, most seamless Wi-Fi network. The tiny and attractive Orbi Wi-Fi 6 has two floating panels that cover an air-cooling system. Its contemporary design, aluminum finish, and merging of colors make it the strongest Wi-Fi system available. It is more streamlined and offers four times the capacity of its predecessor.
You only need a few clicks to control your network and devices using the Orbi App. For you to construct a secure, unmonitored experience across all of your devices without blind spots or buffering, Orbi also includes a VPN in its package. Additionally, it enables the quick and simple registration of distinct user accounts for guests.
2. Voice assistant hub
Then pick a voice assistant hub. Voice commands can frequently manage other smart home components. Voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant can bring new features, help you plan specific actions like dimming the lights or arming a security system or help you set up routines to control several devices at once. They can also call people, make lists, respond to questions, and perform other useful voice assistant tasks.
The simplest method to use voice control in your home is with a smart speaker, which, depending on the model you choose, gives you access to well-known voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant. Amazon has the most options thanks to its varied selection of Echo speakers, followed by Google's Nest speakers and Apple's HomePod small. Although Siri is only available on the HomePod, third-party speakers with Alexa and Google Assistant capabilities are also available.
Enjoy music in the best way with the clearest sound quality, crisp vocals, and powerful room-filling bass when listening to music. You may ask Google Assistant for your favorite tunes, podcasts, audiobooks, or simply general assistance by saying "Hey Google." Your other Nest Smart Speakers can link with this Nest Audio to form a complete smart home audio system. For stereo sound, you can buy two Nest Audio units and connect them. It only requires a Wi-Fi connection and a nearby outlet to function.
In terms of performance for the money, the 12-inch, 430-watt BIC America V1220 Down-Firing Powered Subwoofer for Home Theatre and Music is unmatched! It features a 12-inch heavy-duty long-throw woofer and heavy-duty magnet along with a high current 200-watt (430 watts peak) amplifier (created by BASH Technology). Port noise is eliminated by the innovative Venturi vent (often heard from other subwoofers when playing demanding music and videos). The V1220 also has high-level inputs, automated signal detecting, a programmable crossover, Dolby Pro Logic inputs, and Dolby Digital/DTS inputs.
3. Smart Lighting
Lighting is the starting point for most people who are interested in living in a smart home. With a smart lighting system, you may easily use a Wi-Fi connection to regulate the atmosphere of the house. The majority of them provide a mobile application that allows you to effectively control the full lighting setup. Many smart lighting systems function well without a central hub and are still able to communicate with other smart home components, such as smart speakers and displays like the Google Nest and Amazon Echo. Some smart lights—like the most recent Philips Hue bulbs—communicate via the Bluetooth radio in your smartphone, while others—like smart bulbs from Cree, LIFX, and TP-Link—communicate over Wi-Fi.
Give your home a splash of color and zesty lighting with the LIFX Light Strip. These LED light strips have millions of colors, 8 controllable color zones per light strip, and polychrome technology. They can bend and extend up to 33 feet, making them suitable for use in stairwells, bed frames, cabinets, and tables. This can be used to backlight furniture, kitchen islands, TVs, mirrors, artwork, and cabinets. Ability to emit numerous colors simultaneously and move those colors down the strip.
Use Alexa, Siri, or Google voice control to set the ideal lighting for the atmosphere while remaining hands-free. For a richer experience, you can also sync your lights with your Razer Chroma equipment and have them react to game events. With Polychrome Technology, you can paint or manipulate many colors along a single strip, and then bring them to life with software effects. LIFX Lights trips have lovely color schemes, are simple to install, and operate as intended. They will brighten your day exactly when you need them to!
Light up your home with C-Life A19 Smart LED Light Bulbs. The Bluetooth connectivity of the bulbs enables you to modify light schedules, choose a light based on your mood, and decrease the lights. Amazon Alexa and Google Home are both compatible with C-Life A19 Light Bulbs. Because the lights don't need a hub, installation is incredibly simple.
4. Smart thermostat
After lighting comes temperature control of your home. Smart thermostats make sure your home is completely comfy even when the weather is harsh. With the aid of smart thermostats, you can take things a step further and save even more energy. These thermostats contain a predictive system, allowing them to easily and independently set the home's temperature. Smart thermostats automatically adjust the temperature based on the time of day, your location, and the status of other connected devices. You can control your air conditioning and/or heating from your phone. Some types offer even heating and cooling across your home by using remote room sensors.
The White Nest Temperature sensor works closely with Google Nest thermostats (3rd Generation and E) in order to provide the ideal temperature across the entire house. Install a Nest temperature sensor in a single room so that it can track and inform your smart thermostat of the room's temperature. Your Nest intelligent thermostat as a result cools or heats the space to maintain the desired temperature. With the Bluetooth low energy wireless capability of the Google Nest intelligent thermostat, up to 6 temperature sensors can be connected. Up to 50 feet away from the smart thermostat, they are still functional. The lifespan of the integrated lithium battery is two years.
5. Smart locks
Setting up your home security is as important as beautifying your house. Most smart locks allow you to control permanent or temporary time-specific access for friends, family, and employees, and they enable you to lock and open your door from your phone. Some even allow you to lock and unlock doors using voice commands. Others still provide fingerprint access. The majority of smart locks come in full sets that are quite straightforward to install, however, a few types just require you to change one inside part.
The breakthrough smart lock Ultraloq UL1 allows entry with a contactless key fob, a biometric fingerprint, or a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. With the Bridge upgrade, you can provide an e-Key to visitors while you're away from home and keep an eye on everything using the iOS or Android app. You can use 3 keyless methods to enter your home: fingerprint, quick tap entry, and smartphone.
The lever runs on a dual battery system and sends notifications to your phone when the battery is low to ensure that you're never locked out due to a dead battery. Due to Bluetooth 4.0's ultra-low power consumption technology, Ultraloq may run for more than a year on just four AA batteries when used often. The Ultraloq UL1 was carefully designed with both aesthetics and practicality in mind.
6. Smart doorbell
Before you open the door to potential danger, smart doorbells allow you to see and communicate with anyone on your front steps. Even smart screens and your phone can be used to access feeds. Many combine with cameras made by their parent firms, enabling you to build an entire network of gadgets with sensors that can see motion, notify you, and capture video. Some doorbells need you to work with low-voltage cabling, but battery-operated models don't and take only a few minutes to install.
The Arlo Wired Doorbell is the perfect front door security that easily connects to your existing doorbell wiring. Get immediate alerts when the doorbell is pressed, when motion or audio is detected, or both. Use the chime's built-in siren to frighten off undesirable visitors. The Wired Video Doorbell, designed specifically for your front entrance, can see a person from head to toe or a parcel on the ground. View live video and receive notifications when motion is detected on your phone.
7. Security cameras
Indoor and outdoor security cameras let you keep an eye on activities happening inside and outside your home. Sensors are used to identify and record video of motion and sound occurrences. Some interior cameras offer the option to store recordings locally or in the cloud and use motorized components to provide a 360-degree picture of a room. Be ready to deal with wiring even though outdoor cameras are made to resist the outdoors and some even include floodlights for lighting up driveways and backyards. Alternatively, a wireless outside camera is a lot easier option to set up.
Arlo, a pioneer in home security systems, provides you with a special camera set that guards your house, plays your messages, relays your reactions, displays what's happening in your immediate surroundings, and frightens away invaders. Install a 4K HDR 24-hour watch over your home and the area around it. It will send you prompt notifications if anyone, any cars, or any wayward movements are spotted.
The 180-degree wider angle lens precisely covers every crevice of your property. With its built-in auto-correction, fisheye distortion is eliminated, giving you a clear image even at night. You can deter intruders by using the siren or built-in flashlight. The VMS5240-200NAS combo ups your home protection with a 3-month complimentary Arlo Secure Trial.
This app is useful in unanticipated events because it enables you to call a buddy or alert emergency personnel for backup action from wherever. The Arlo Ultra 2 kit comes with a Smart Hub, a foundational piece required to link your camera to your existing home router for real-time updates.
8. Smart TV
Smart home devices relating to music and television are common places to start. By using voice commands or your phone, you may choose music, start, pause, stop, or skip tracks. While some TVs come with built-in smart home functions, more often than not, media players like an Apple TV or Google Chromecast are a better choice. These TV plug-ins enable you to cast media from other devices to it, manage streaming services like Netflix with your phone, or use voice control if your smart assistant is compatible.
The most popular OLED in LG's premium line of TVs, made for movie buffs, gamers, and sports fans, has improved with deeper colors, a new, more advanced chipset, and a smaller bezel. The LG Brightness Booster employs the a9 processor and cutting-edge picture algorithms to deliver brighter images.
By automatically altering your settings to improve picture and sound quality according to what you're watching, the newest 9 Gen5 AI Processor 4K, created specifically for LG OLED, might make the impossible attainable. Since there is no backlight to soften the effect of minute details, over 8 million self-lit pixels generate deep blacks with great contrast so you can see tiny details.
9. Smart cleaning gadgets
All home appliances like ovens, refrigerators, washing machines, and even microwaves have joined the bandwagon of smart machines, with a variety of uses like pinging your phone when cooking or washing is done.
Well, your smart home is almost set up now. But don’t you want the cleaning to be hassle-free and automated too? Here are steps in our robot vacuums and smart pool cleaners that help you breeze through the mundane job of cleaning.
iRobot Roomba j7+ Self-emptying Robot Vacuum
The iRobot Roomba j7+ of the Roomba series was introduced in September 2021. An unmatched and truly state-of-the-art robot vacuum that will give you so much free time you won't know what to do with it!
This robot vacuum can identify obstacles and hazards with its precision vision navigation, clean base automatic dirt disposal that allows j7+ to empty itself for up to 60 days, cleans hair, crumbs, and dirt, connects with voice assistants, and learns and maps your home. Forget about cleaning the carpets and floors because the Roomba j7+ will take care of it for you. Additionally, the iRobot Genius App makes it simple to keep your home clean while you are gone simply setting the robot to vacuum while you are outside!
Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus w/Wi-Fi Pool Cleaner
You may save time and have peace of mind by using the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus with Wi-Fi to deliver a better sparkle in less than two hours. This practical pool robot, designed especially for maintaining in-ground pools, will take care of the tough cleaning for you. The MyDolphin Plus software on this enhanced model enables remote control of the robot from any location at any time.
With power banks, portable generators, cleaning robots, kitchen appliances from pressure cookers to coffee makers, pet groomers, and quirky gadgets like smart toothbrushes, side tables, and photo frames, the choice is endless. It depends on how far the rabbit hole you’d like to go. Some systems demand that you link your modem or router to a hub. However, the majority of smart devices function on their own and use this as the proprietary signal to connect to your home network. In theory, all you need to do is connect the smart device to your home network and download the necessary apps to your smartphone; the technology takes care of the rest. Check our "smart home" category to find any device you need!
Smart home gadgets are not only for the interiors of your house, but it extends beyond the back door. Smart sprinklers to keep your garden fresh and green always, robotic lawn mowers, smart grills to prepare perfect barbecued dishes, pool cleaners, self-maintaining indoor garden kits, the options are endless.
Build your ‘smart home’ smartly, choosing the right accessories and gadgets, considering value for money, affordability, usage, and need. The sky is the limit when it comes to smart home gadgets. These gadgets not only simplify your work but also light a spark in your life. Smart homes are all about customization. Once a far-flung pipe dream, a smart home is now a reality!
