Internet of things is gaining ground at an explosive pace. Homes and businesses are joining the bandwagon. Tech companies are bringing new products to add convenience, comfort and savings to your dumb appliances. More and more people are realizing the benefits of smart products and the customer excitement is already rocketed.
Today the customer has the luxury of controlling all the connected appliances from anywhere. In the IoT (Internet of Things) world خانه هوشمند , locks do not need keys, lights have become independent of installed switches, heating and cooling controls does not need your presence, home or business premises are always visible; no matter where you are. The remote scheduling and artificial intelligence is taking the usability of smart products to the next level. All this was possible through fast growing internet coverage, rampant use of smart phones, competitive pricing of smart products and increased customer base who wants smartness in every appliance they deal with.
The established as well as new players are bringing novel products and solutions with every passing day. Customers are embracing these solutions and every day the connected things in your home and business are adding up and they are bringing more convenience and comfort in our daily life.
The threats of security breach include but not limited to insecure devices, insecure mobile apps and Wi-Fi network vulnerabilities. The smart home developer is always up and doing to secure their devices and apps through pre-engineered software and regular updates through FOTA (Firmware on the Air), once the device has been sold and being used by the Consumers. So, as an end-user, your primary concern is the network in which your device is connected.
As a smart home user, you should never use default factory set password for your network equipment and connected gadgets. You must manage passwords of your Wi-Fi network intelligently and always give them a vague name. Always create a tight control towards guest access to your network. Always create two different Wi-Fi networks if you have a dual band router. Do firewall the network, either with a stand-alone appliance or software that ships with the router, to restrict incoming connections. Do use the WPA2 protocol instead of WEP protocol.
There are appliances that will network directly with your home wireless network without the need for fancy technologies or “bridges” like the Z-Wave bridges, or special gateways for communication. Smart Tvs have been around for a while, using either a hardwired or Wi-Fi connection to communicate with Apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Hulu etc… Same thing for game consoles, the PS3 and PS4, Xbox and Wii all will connect to the internet and stream movies, music and Tv shows for you.
Samsung, Whirlpool and several competitors have recently released “Smart Appliances. ” These appliances monitor their own power usage, cycles and temperatures while sending your phone or tablet updates and information about what they are doing or the attention they need.
Fridges can now keep track of their temperatures, the items in them, their power and door alarms, and if necessary they can send you an email alert or “nudge” to remind you that they need attention. GE has an oven that will network and allow you to preheat it, change temperature and set cook times through an app should the need arise while Whirlpool has a washer and dryer set that can be monitored, started or stopped remotely. LG Even has a fridge that keeps track of expiration dates, helps write a grocery list and can network with it’s same brand oven to get it preheated or cooking temperatures right for that brand new recipe you always wanted to try.
The important thing to remember with these major brand appliances is that they work via your Wifi connection in the house and not through the z-wave technology your outlets, lights, sinks, doors and security might communicate via. This just makes networking them into one larger smart home a little bit more difficult, but in no way impossible to do.
Ultimately you may find that it’s better to have your appliances on one network communicating with each other and your small household systems on another, it’s easier to keep track of and you know what they are doing. Using one app like Revolv and another like the LG ThinQ will let you keep track of your whole home system pretty easily and monitor energy usage, system settings and home security without compromising cost or convenience. The last thing anyone wants to do is have an extreme number of apps, logins buttons to find to control their Smart Home. Home automation systems are designed to improve efficiency and help make life easier. Not become a headache of wasted time and energy keeping track of a large number of systems.