The holiday season is a very popular time for Dallas, Texas homeowners to invest in smart home automation. Whether you’ve been given an automation system as a Christmas gift or simply decided to treat yourself with a more comfortable home for 2017, it’s important to make sure that you’ve got everything you need in order to get full value from that investment.

One of the most often overlooked aspects of a smart home is the network. Below, we outline the role that networking plays in your smart home and why a professional network installation is a must-have component of your system.

The Internet of Things

Most people are vaguely familiar with “The Internet of Things,” but they don’t really have a solid understanding of what it is and how it relates to smart home automation. Here’s a crash course:

The Internet of Things is what makes smart homes possible. It’s a global system of devices that all have networking capabilities, allowing them to easily transfer data. With that networking connectivity, all of the “dumb” aspects of your home, like the light bulbs and window treatments, can communicate to each other and react to different commands.

Your Home Network Forms the Foundation

Without a solid home network, all of the smart devices can’t form one cohesive system. This is important because so many smart home automation benefits require different elements to work together. For example, your smart home can help improve energy efficiency by connecting your lights, motorized shades, and HVAC. If the hot Texas sun is causing solar heat gain in a room, your smart system can automatically lower the shades so that the air conditioning doesn’t have to kick in. It will even brighten the overhead lights to compensate for the lack of natural sunlight in the room. And without a reliable home network installation, none of that would be possible.

SEE ALSO: IS YOUR HOME NETWORK GETTING THE JOB DONE?

In the same way that you wouldn’t go to a hardware store and buy the cheapest materials to form a foundation for a home, you shouldn’t skimp when it comes to your network. Off-the-shelf routers might be acceptable for the average home, but the bandwidth demands of a smart home require something more tailored. A flakey, slow network simply can’t support the smart devices that you’ll be using every day.

That’s where a professional network installation comes in. By working with a smart home automation company, you can rest easy knowing that your system will always be reliable, secure, and fast. The networking professionals will assess the unique needs and layout of your home, then handle all of the wiring and equipment setup for you.

Getting ready to add a smart system to your home or upgrade an existing network? Make sure it’s done right with a professional installation. For more information about BRAVAS Dallas’ networking services, give us a call at (972) 488-5100 or fill out this quick form.