Everything You Need to Know About Getting Your Outdoor Spaces Connected

It is finally spring in New England, and we're ready to enjoy the sunshine and warmer temperatures. The summer is not long in Rhode Island, so we need to make the most of it. One way to maximize our time outside is to bring our entertainment with us.

And it’s not all TVs and screen time- you might also want enjoy some relaxing music along with your summer read. Most of us stream music now for the sheer convenience of having millions of songs at your fingertips, and that requires internet access. Is your network installation up to the demands of servicing all the devices in your outside spaces?

The outdoor spaces are often neglected when setting up a home network. And there’s nothing worse than not having access to your apps and services outdoors. But C&T Systems can help!

 As experts in networking and smart home technology, we understand that a robust network is a critical element underpinning the modern home’s technology. Read on to learn more about what we can do to ensure your Westerly, RI home is always connected, no matter where you are, indoors and out.

Adjusting Your Circadian Rhythm Starts with Your Home

As people grow increasingly more concerned about the effect technology and social media have on mental health, it may seem counterintuitive to suggest technology can improve your well-being.

But tunable lighting (lights that allow you to adjust the color and hue) is proven to have several mental and physical health benefits. If you’re considering a new home lighting control upgrade in your Guilford, Connecticut-area home, continue reading to discover how tunable lighting is transforming personal wellness.

From Nautical to Neoclassical in Newport, You’ll be in Style

No one can say that we don’t have varied weather on the East Coast. From bone-chilling winters to humid summers and everything in between, we’ve got it all. Fortunately, the waterfront location on the Rhode Island coast tempers the weather just enough to make the snowstorms slightly less worse and bring the cool sea air in the summer.

In the winter, when the light is at a premium, we might want to let in as much of it as possible. In the summer with a hot sun, we may want to control it better and minimize the use of air conditioning.

What’s the solution? The easiest way is with motorized shades, where you can touch a button – or issue a voice command – and raise or lower window treatments in seconds. Shades can be lowered when the sun is fully streaming in but can be raised to enjoy the view later, especially if you happen to have one of Narragansett Bay or the Atlantic.

Many people think that to get this automated convenience you need to limit yourself on style. That may have been true in earlier days, but there are a plethora of options now with motorized shades. C&T Systems works with Lutron for motorized shading as well as their lighting control systems because both offer a wealth of possibilities. Read on to learn more about Lutron Sivoia QS and Serena shading to see if they're right for your Newport-area residence.

A Robust Home Network is More than Just a Good Wireless Signal

The number of smart devices that are being connected to home networks is exploding every year. We dare say that you won't likely remember how many devices are connected to your home's network. Smart lights, cameras, speakers, thermostats, appliances, streaming devices, and TVs all need reliable networking for proper operation. When the network is faltering, you’ll likely notice.

If you stream high definition and 4K video from services like Netflix, your show may annoyingly stutter, pause to buffer or fail to play at all. Your smart thermostat may not keep the temperature settings you wanted. Beyond annoyances, more severe issues can happen if a spotty network doesn't inform you of an alarm from a water sensor or suspicious activity captured by a security camera.

Networking is a very technical area of computing. Features that are familiar to networking professionals like port forwarding, VLANs, and WPA2 security are practically meaningless to the average homeowner. Consumers rely on the wireless router option supplied by their Internet Service Provider (ISP), and in many cases, they do not even know how to change the default password that lets one manage the router – which is a security hole left wide open for hacking.

If you have a smaller property or perhaps can tolerate the occasional network hiccup because you don't entirely depend on it, maybe you can get by without professionally installed and optimized networking equipment.

But if you want to run a smart home with many devices, you rely on your network for security features and essential automation that has dependencies on many things working in tandem, and you need high bandwidth for work and entertainment at home, you should consider professional home network installation services and equipment for your home in the Guilford, Connecticut area.