How to Ensure a Fast, Responsive Network

​Upgrade Your Home Networking for Better Results

​The hallmark of smart technology is a device that can connect to others via the internet. From your iPhone to your Lutron lighting system, each component is considered "smart" because of its connectivity. To facilitate those connections, you need to have a stable home network. But what happens if you add a device that strangles your bandwidth? Or if you want to automate a new room? You may be in the market for a home networking upgrade.
 
Want to find out more? Keep reading.

See Also: Incredible Upgrades to Make to Your Home Theater System
 
What Is the Network?
Before you can understand how to improve your network, you should understand what it does. If you think of your different devices like destinations on a map, your network is the highway that connects them.
When you send a signal from one device to the next, it causes traffic on the highway. Too many devices sending signals at once, and it can cause a traffic jam. The goal of a strong network is to facilitate all of the device signals, so there aren’t any backups that can cause slow connections and blackouts.
Networks can be hardwired, wireless, or a combination of the two. Depending on your home’s needs, you may enjoy a hardwired network downstairs and a wireless one upstairs. Your integrator can help determine the necessary approach for the best speeds.
 
How to Increase Network Speed
There are a few ways to increase your network speed, and they don’t involve upgrading your ISP.
First, ensuring you have the right type of network for your space. For hardwired networking, you may consider an HDBaseT or fiber-optic solution, as those will give you enough bandwidth to support 4K video, lossless audio, and more.
A mesh network may work as a wireless solution. Rather than a Wi-Fi router that broadcasts a signal into the air, a mesh network sends strong signals to nodes placed around the property. That way, the signal doesn’t weaken as you move farther away from the central source.
Once you've increased your bandwidth, your integrator can also use prioritization software to make sure the most critical signals reach their destination first. That means your systems won't compete, so everything remains orderly.
 
Ensure Reliability
The best way to ensure the reliability of your network is by keeping an eye on it. Obviously, you don’t have time for that. That’s why you should invest in a remote monitoring service.
An excellent remote monitor will offer around-the-clock support, automatic maintenance and updates, and priority onsite service.
If there’s a problem with your network, it can usually be fixed remotely. But if it can’t, or if you have other issues that need immediate attention, your technology partner should be there for you.
 
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