HOW TO DESIGN A NETWORK BEYOND COMPARE
A PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED HOME NETWORK SETUP INCREASES RELIABILITY AND PROVIDES ASSURED SECURITY
The data network has become the critical infrastructure for the modern home. Nearly every element of the house is connected to the network in some manner. Shades, lighting, security, and our entertainment all travel along with the category cables to a processor.
Keeping your essential network operating at peak performance requires detailed planning in design and installation. Whether it is streaming full 4K ultra-high-definition video, whole-home audio distribution, live gaming, or just scrolling through social media, your home network setup should be ready to handle it.
Looking to upgrade your home network setup in Stonington, CT, or the surrounding areas? Read on below for our top tips.
See Also: What To Expect From a Professional Home Network Installation
Bufferless Bandwidth
While numerous devices rely on your home network, streaming video and audio puts the most demand on the available bandwidth. Each system has a maximum amount of data it can move at any one moment. Once the incoming data exceeds that, the video starts to stutter, and the dreaded buffering message appears.
The majority of services like Netflix, Amazon, and consoles like Xbox and PlayStation require a minimum of 15-35 Mbps. When it is just one source connecting to the TV in the media room, the data concerns are minimal. A typical home will have family members watching in the den, in the kitchen, on at least two mobile devices, playing a live game, and someone on a Zoom call. The numbers begin to add up.
A well-designed network incorporates expected demand plus some extra headroom to accommodate surges and still deliver uninterrupted media. We utilize tools that prioritize video packets over other non-essential data and managing the network dynamically to meet your needs. We can perform regular checks on your network to ensure it operates nominally and to alert us to new high demand devices. Routine maintenance and monitoring assure you that download speeds are consistent both inside the home and from the internet.
Wi-Fi Without Worry
The safest and most reliable connection for smart devices is with a hard-wired port, but it is not always convenient. We live in a wireless world full of smartphones, tablets, and a universe of IoT devices.
Wi-Fi supplies us with the ability to be free of wires, but the frequencies it uses to communicate are limited. Wireless generally operates in the 2.4 and 5GHz range of frequencies that are divided up into channels. As Wi-Fi has grown and the number of devices capable of connection has multiplied, the allotted space has become congested. When a signal has to fight its way to your device through a haze of other RF traffic, bottlenecks and data slowdowns can occur.
The trouble is that your neighbors are likely to be using the same frequencies for their network. Our engineers use spectrum analysis to identify where conflicts may occur and configure routers and antenna placement to make your network rock solid.
Safe and Secure
We all know that the internet is full of nefarious actors and software looking to access your private data. We take a multipronged approach to protecting your information and the devices that live on it.
The hacking of home systems has become a significant concern. From the distress of a neighbor stealing bandwidth to fear that someone could take control of your security or cameras. As wireless signals broadcast over the air, it is a far easier thing to find and connect to them.
Implementing security schemes that we regularly review with you diminishes these threats. The goal is to balance the need to lock down the network and make it simple to access. With a C&T Systems network, you can be confident that no one is gaining access to your security cameras while it’s still easy to connect a new toy with ease.
Let C&T Systems show you how to maximize your home network setup. Get in touch by calling (860) 875-2876 or fill out a short form on the page linked below. We look forward to assisting you!
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