The Gentlemen’s Corner with Colin Furcht

The Gentlemen’s Guide to a SMART Home

Growing up, there were no remotes or Wi-Fi or cell phone apps. My sisters and I were the channel changers, every phone conversation was in the kitchen in front of the entire family and my Dad knew if you touched the thermostat within seconds of making the change. My, how times have changed. Today we can literally be on the other side of the globe and keep up with most goings on at home. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon of the new SMART Home yet, here are some ideas to get you into the 21^st Century. I will tell you, I’ve jumped in with both feet and happy to share my knowledge with anyone willing to listen!

Where do I start?

Well, this is a combination of how far you want to go and how much you want to spend. While costs have certainly come down over the years, you literally could spend hundreds on getting your home on the web. Do your research. Keep in mind as well, every single device and app is at risk. Treat your logins as if they are your bank credentials. The last thing you want is someone watching your family or opening your doors when you are not home. Stay security conscious.

1. Thermostats. Let’s start with a simple one first. Having a wireless thermostat that you can control from anywhere can not only save you a ton but make your home the most comfortable when you are actually home. Scheduling temperatures throughout the day could save you a good bit on your electric or gas bill too!
2. Cameras. I was a slow adopter here, but now I love mine. Being able to see when service people or guests arrive is great. Not so much when the neighborhood cats run by at 3am though. Most apps give you the ability to control the alert area, only notify you at certain times and record for you to check on later. Internal cameras should be placed in areas where there is a low risk of catching moments you don’t want out there but still alert you if someone were to break in. I think you all know what I mean…

3. Garage Door Openers. This is another simple application to help you keep track of and make sure your door is closed. How many times have you left the house and asked yourself, ‘Did the garage door close?’ Having a SMART garage door opener has saved me from driving back to the house to check. Another plus was that time the battery in my garage door opener died. It would have been tough to get in without the app!
4. Televisions. Most cable companies have gone away from the cable box setup and made them all wireless. The Wi-Fi network in your house is now a fully engaged network of phones, computers, printers, gaming devices, cameras and televisions. You now have the ability to turn your TV’s on and off from anywhere as long as they are connected to your home network. What a great tool to make sure the kids are in bed while you are out at date night huh?
5. Mesh Networks/Extenders. Given all of the things we’ve just discussed, your home network does more now than ever before. The days of dial up over your phone lines are so yesterday. Speeds are now available in your home that most businesses did not have 15 years ago. As a former IT guy, I remember a T1 was 1.54MBPS. This was a big deal back in the early 2000’s. Now we have 1 Gigabit speeds that no one ever expected in the home. However, signal coverage is always a challenge and making sure it covers your entire house is key to making all of these devices work effectively. DIYers can buy a few Network Extenders to make sure every floor and every room have good Wi-Fi coverage. This is an area of focus I think most folks don’t think about. Most extenders are under $100 bucks online. It’s worth the investment.

So what do I do now?

Of course, I will be wrapping this around being a Gentlemen and the Brotherhood. If you have these skills, let your buddies know. Not every guy is IT savvy. Help them out! If you have older folks living alone, these tools can be very helpful in making sure they are always safe. Do your research and ask around. I assure you that more friends are probably already using all of this stuff. Sounds like a great opportunity to help a brother out and have a beer or two in the process. Don’t fight technology, embrace it!

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Take care of yourselves and your brotherhood!

Colin Furcht- BRO Beard Products CEO

Colin has been a long time Lake Norman resident and has been very active in the community. From Commissioner to founding the Lake Norman Lighted Christmas Boat Parade to now a featured Author and small business owner! His desire is to bring men together and encourage them to reach out. He has always said, ‘look out for yourselves and each other.’ All men need a Brotherhood. www.brobeardproducts.shop