Smart Home Technology

Home automation has come a long way from the manual timer hooked up to the living room light. Today's smart home regulates heat, air, and light, distributes audio and video around the house, controls access to your home and can remind you to do your exercising. There are four types of networks you can install in your home to support this new technology.

Structured wiring involves running high performance cabling in your home. It distributes data signals for phones, computers, TVs and audio components.

Wireless networks provide flexibility and mobility and eliminate the wiring dilemmas. These networks are less reliable and sometime can be subject to interference from devices such as cordless phones or baby monitors.

Power line networks use a homes existing electrical lines to transmit data. They are easy to set up but carry the risk of power surges.

Phone line networks use a homes phone lines to carry multiple services.

While the possibilities for home automation are only limited by our imagination, the choices facing the average homeowner may seem daunting. You don't have to be an expert in order to enhance your homes capabilities. You can get an integrator to implement and tie together your homes various electronic system. These include:

Entertainment
You can impress friends with a home theatre set up. With the push of a button the lights would dim, blinds would close; popcorn maker would go into action. You could use motion sensors to play music when you enter a room, upbeat in the gym, classical for the study. These events can be achieved using a home network.

Security
Using smart home automation technology, you can program your lights to simulate normal home activity when you're away. You can set up web cams and set up alarm systems that use heat and motion sensors to alert you or a remote security company in case of an intruder. If there is a fire, your smoke detector can be wired to sound and alarm and shut down the air conditioner fans and alert you and the fire department. You could even have an illuminated evacuation route throughout the house.

Energy
Save on energy costs by automating thermostats, lights and other environmental systems such as garden sprinklers and fountains. Integrating all of these into one system can help ensure a minimum waste of energy. You can have your system regulate the temperature, radios, tvs, stoves and irons.

Appliances
The possibilities for networking computerized household appliances are limited only by your imagination and budget. The key to making your home more comfortable, enjoyable and safe through home automation is the follow three essential steps:

Plan: Discuss automation needs and wants with your family members so you can plan ahead.

Consult: Talk to as many people as possible to get ideas and lean about their experiences with home automation; what worked, what didn't, what do they wish they had done differently.

Decide: What do you definitely want to be able to do? What is optional? Will you install the network yourself or leave it to a professional? What kind of network and what types of technology best suits your needs? With some careful planning and a little help, you too can enjoy the benefits of a smart home.

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