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A modern home can only be as smart as the internet connection that supports it allows it. Luckily, there is one solution that can bring a strong and reliable connection to any home. Gigabit internet installations, also known as high-speed internet or gig-speed internet, transmit data up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). This means that you are downloading 1,000,000,000 bits per second or 1,000 Mbps. That rate of speed is 100 times faster than the average internet connection in the country!
Gigabit internet runs on fiber-optic cable, which transports data using light signals instead of electrical currents. Because light is faster than electrical pulses, fiber can transmit more megabits per second than copper cable and offers higher bandwidth. Plus, while signals over copper lines worsen as you travel farther from the source, distance knows no bounds with fiber.
Popular broadband internet providers like Xfinity and AT&T have made gigabit internet available for homeowners from coast to coast as a reliable connection in the home is becoming more of a necessity than ever before. So, what can you expect if you decide to make the switch to gigabit internet? Keep reading our blog to find out!
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Ring, bought by Amazon in 2018, manufactures several standalone video doorbells that offer the same purpose: to allow you to see, hear, and speak to visitors from anywhere via an integrated mobile app. As of now, homeowners can choose from six doorbells that increase in reliability and performance.
Most of Ring’s video doorbells are powered by a rechargeable battery but can also be hardwired into an existing doorbell system. These doorbells, which range from $99 to $249.99, feature single-band or dual-band wi-fi for connectivity, adjustable motion detection zones, HD video, two-way audio, up to 160-degree field of view, and cloud storage with a Ring subscription plan.
Ring also has a professional-grade video doorbell system at $349.99 that offers more reliability than their popular DIY-style solutions. The Video Doorbell Elite is hardwired via PoE (the doorbell draws power from the ethernet connection) rather than wi-fi enabled and features customizable motion detection zones, HD video, two-way audio, up to 160-degree field of view, and cloud storage with a Ring subscription plan.
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Many homeowners may think that bigger is better when choosing a room for their home theater. And while size does matter if you want a fully immersive movie experience, the most important aspect of the room you choose is its dimensions. Square and oval rooms will distort your audio. The ideal room for balanced surround sound should be rectangular, with walls longer than they are wide, and high ceilings.
Comfort and perception significantly enhance your viewing experience, which means your display must be placed in such a way that prevents eye or neck strain. The image on the screen should appear naturally as your eyes would see it in real life. While a general rule of thumb is to place your screen 24” to 36” inches above the floor and 1.5 to 3 times the screen height distance from your seating, the ideal measurement will be unique to your room dimensions, screen size preference, and seating options.
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Wireless mesh networks are over-advertised as the Holy Grail for improving internet connections in the home. While they can be a passing solution for entry-level applications where wi-fi connection isn’t critical, homeowners who rely on an internet connection for their business need a solution they can trust around the clock.
In a mesh network, every hop between access points around the home decreases the bandwidth by half. The more hops, the worse the bandwidth becomes. Several hops also increase network latency, which results in buffering and dropouts in certain applications, such as streaming audio and video.
Plugging in mesh repeaters around the home simply won’t offer the same guarantee for reliability as professional solutions, and that matters when a few minutes of downtime while working from home means thousands of dollars lost.