What Integrators Need to Consider When Building a Home Network
In order for a smart home system to perform at its best, integrators need to have a strong and reliable network as the foundation of every connected home installation. When integrators create such a network, customer satisfaction increases, leading to higher revenues and business opportunities.
So, how do integrators create that strong network? Since March 2020, clients have been spending more time at home than ever before, both for work and entertainment. The increase in internet usage and streaming likely won’t return to pre-pandemic levels, and that change puts a new strain on home networks. As a result of these trends, a reliable home network has moved from important to absolutely critical for every installation. From now on, the home network must work perfectly. Nonstop.
In addition to reliability, integrators must consider a home network’s performance. Currently, networks often host several applications that assume no limits for bandwidth and delay. Home networks have to be able to withstand the traffic and volume generated by the high number of internet-connected devices. Nowadays, clients expect flexible, enterprise-grade solutions with the capability to deliver amazing service while adhering to the latest and greatest technologies.
Integrators should consider serviceability as the final element of a strong home network. While the ultimate goal is to have a perfect home network, products, like all other technology, sometimes need to be repaired or rebooted to ensure they’re working properly. Integrators know how important it is to resolve issues as quickly as possible to limit disruption and downtime. Therefore, fast and accurate service and maintenance is a must-have.
As home networks expand and become increasingly more complicated, some features are becoming more important than ever. These include interface features like custom grouping with multiple sites, device-specific identification and alerts, improvements in determining the urgency of an issue and ensuring there are fewer false alarms and more actionable information. Along with online portals that offer use-anywhere accessibility, integrators should have the option of providing around-the-clock network management.
Additionally, since each home network access point requires individual on-site configuration and updates, integrators will want to remotely configure and manage entire networks through an advanced remote network management solution. With just a few clicks, integrators can set network names, SSIDs, encryption methods, broadcast frequencies, establish passwords, priority and public networks and more. This simplified and streamlined setup process offers more control and greater access for even the most complex residential projects.
Greater insight and system control are not only excellent problem-solvers. They also improve relationships between integrators and clients, reduce costs, and generate more revenue in both the short and long terms. Additionally, smaller issues can often be resolved before clients even know that they occurred. Seamless integration with an RMM platform is critical to the function of a high-performance, reliable home network.
Finally, network training and education, including guided, hands-on learning, is needed to support this networking ecosystem. Integrators need to have the foundational knowledge of how networks function, how they should be designed and configured to make them more efficient and capable.
As smart home networking grows into more powerful and sophisticated systems, the home network must be able to support them. Therefore, integrators must emphasize reliability, performance and serviceability when it comes to creating and installing home networks.