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Smart Home Networking

Networks that drive the smart home cover more than just WiFi. A range of communication protocols and hardware devices that enable and secure the integration of your devices.

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The Best Wired Router for Home or Small Business
The Best Wired Router for Home or Small Business

You don’t always need WiFi in your router. Whether you want control, security, or performance, here are the top options for small wired routers.

eero vs Orbi: AX4200 Mesh WiFi Comparison
eero vs Orbi: AX4200 Mesh WiFi Comparison

When looking at top quality consumer mesh routers supporting Wifi 6, eero and Netgear have strong contenders. We look at what’s on offer, and how they compare.

HomeKit Routers: What are they?
HomeKit Routers: What are they?

Smart devices are well known potential attack vectors when they are connected to the internet, but Apple has a HomeKit feature that gives you easy control over those devices to stop them being used against you.

How strong does your WiFi password need to be?
How strong does your WiFi password need to be?

Ubiquitous WiFi access in our homes means less and less reliance on wired connectivity. It's imperative that we keep uninvited guests off our network while we're beaming it into the air. What is really needed to be secure, without being burdensome?

The Best Z-Wave Hub: 2022 Buyer’s Guide
The Best Z-Wave Hub: 2022 Buyer’s Guide

Adding Z-Wave to your smart home can provide greater flexibility and reliability, but which controller is right for you?

Is your ‘smart home’ really smart?
Is your ‘smart home’ really smart?

While smart homes have actually been around for quite some time, the advent of digital assistants and smart speakers has brought them much more into the mainstream, at least as a concept. But is turning something on with a voice command really smarter than using a finger?

Fix unresponsive Thread devices on HomeKit
Fix unresponsive Thread devices on HomeKit

Do you have Nanoleaf Essentials accessories in HomeKit? Do you have more than one HomePod Mini? Are things not going well? This procedure should fix things, at least for a while.

The Matter Smart Home Standard
The Matter Smart Home Standard

The new unified smart home integration standard known as Matter promises to revolutionize the world of connected devices. See what it’s all about, and why it’s important.

All WiFi devices likely impacted by FragAttacks
All WiFi devices likely impacted by FragAttacks

Some fixable design flaws in the WiFi standard, coupled with a bunch of implementation issues, means that virtually all WiFi devices are at risk.

Amazon Sidewalk: Should you opt out?
Amazon Sidewalk: Should you opt out?

Amazon is building an IoT network, and you’re invited. Should you be worried? Probably not. See why and decide for yourself.

Google WiFi Review: Real care-free WiFi
Google WiFi Review: Real care-free WiFi

Google proves that raw speed isn’t everything when it comes to home WiFi. Intelligent optimization gets the most out of your internet while guaranteeing a magically smooth WiFi experience.

An Enthusiasts Guide to WiFi
An Enthusiasts Guide to WiFi

WiFi is everywhere, and we all depend on it now, but are you up to speed on the current jargon? We’ve got you covered with this concise guide to all things WiFi.

Consumer Routers: Linksys vs Netgear
Consumer Routers: Linksys vs Netgear

When looking for a product, it’s common to look at overall brand quality as a way of filtering down your choices. It’s not always clear cut though. Here we look at router makers Linksys and Netgear and compare some of their newest offerings.

A Comprehensive Guide to Thread
A Comprehensive Guide to Thread

Security, Reliability, Ease of Use and no hub? Check out what the newest IoT protocol on the market brings to the table.

The best way to set up Homebridge
The best way to set up Homebridge

Getting Homebridge set up can be a great addition to HomeKit, but it can be a handful. HOOBS make it much easier to get started.

Why you really should use a password manager
Why you really should use a password manager

We all use lots of online services that need passwords. How can we manage them safely?

A Comprehensive Guide to Z-Wave
A Comprehensive Guide to Z-Wave

Z-Wave has been around a long time, see how it works and how it can benefit your smart home.

Eve Extend Stretches Bluetooth for HomeKit
Eve Extend Stretches Bluetooth for HomeKit

Bluetooth range for HomeKit devices can be a problem. Eve has an answer…for their devices.

Smart Home Enthusiast's Guide to ZigBee
Smart Home Enthusiast's Guide to ZigBee

All you need to know about ZigBee and how it helps in the smart home.

Set up Homebridge easily with an app
Set up Homebridge easily with an app

Homebridge is an open source project that was designed to fill the gap for HomeKit enthusiasts while device makers got up to speed. As it happens, this has not only taken longer than hoped, but continues to be a limitation even where manufacturers have provided HomeKit support.

IoT worms Mirai and Gafgyt get an upgrade
IoT worms Mirai and Gafgyt get an upgrade

The Mirai worm is arguably the most well known as the source of massive attacks in the past. Things have been quiet on that front in the recent past, but research from Palo Alto networks has uncovered a new variant of both the Mirai and Gafgyt worm families that expand their attack profile.

HomeScan helps find your Bluetooth weak spots
HomeScan helps find your Bluetooth weak spots

App Developer Sunya Limited addresses the question of Bluetooth troubleshooting by providing a handy Bluetooth scanner app called HomeScan. HomeScan is designed to quickly and easily identify your bluetooth devices, and provide a portable and data driven means of determining signal issues.

HomeKit issues linger under iOS 12
HomeKit issues linger under iOS 12

Assuming you have adequate WiFi and Bluetooth coverage for your devices, HomeKit users have had smooth sailing for a year. However, with the release of iOS 12, multiple users have reported a plethora of issues, most notably with Bluetooth devices.

People really don’t get home router security, who knew?
People really don’t get home router security, who knew?

A UK based survey of home router owners provides an eye-watering view of general user ignorance and lack of awareness of basic security requirements. 

Free tools to check your vulnerability exposure
Free tools to check your vulnerability exposure

Keeping track of device vulnerabilities that may impact you is a major headache. There is hope though, with a couple of free online tools that can give some peace of mind that your internet connection is not leaking like a seive.

Integrate your Z-Wave devices with Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant
Integrate your Z-Wave devices with Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant

Do you have an established Z-Wave smart home. Wish you could use those fancy digital assistants to tell your stuff what to do? Well, this may be what you've been looking for.

Managing Bluetooth signal with HomeKit
Managing Bluetooth signal with HomeKit

Bluetooth usage is on the rise for wireless smart home devices, particularly sensors. The limitations of Bluetooth range can be problematic for reliability though, particularly in HomeKit installations with a single home hub.

The KRACK attack: How does it affect your smarthome?
The KRACK attack: How does it affect your smarthome?

After reading up on the various tech coverage of the last couple of weeks, things have settled down somewhat. We've gone through the usual phases of "ZOMG everything is broken!", through "It's bad, but not as bad as we thought" and now we've landed on "OK, we can work with this".

FingBox network security appliance: Review
FingBox network security appliance: Review

The FingBox, a handy little network security gadget and troubleshooting toolkit for the home. If you've ever wondered how to keep an eye on your network, this new crowdsourced appliance may be of interest.

Lacklustre security on D-Link 850L and DWR-932B
Lacklustre security on D-Link 850L and DWR-932B

When device makers are unable, or unwilling, to put the effort into the security of consumer networking products, innocent people are left exposed to the very real threat of personal and financial damage. See how D-Link is doing things wrong.

 

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