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146 articles published
Local storage keeps footage on a card, base station, or recorder; cloud storage adds remote access and smart alerts. Learn which fits your home and how to avoid subscription fees.
Smart displays add a screen to your smart speaker for video calls, camera feeds, and visual controls. Learn how to choose one for your home.
A network switch adds wired ports for cameras and hubs. This guide covers PoE, PoE+, budgets, gigabit ports, VLANs, cables, and safe placement.
Reduce false alarms from motion-based automations. Learn about sensitivity, blind time, conditions, and combining sensors for reliable triggers.
Learn the difference between scenes and routines, how to set them up across Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home and SmartThings, and tips for cross-platform compatibility using Matter.
Understand how energy-monitoring smart plugs track watts and kWh, their accuracy limits, and why they should never be used with space heaters.
Use your utility’s Green Button data and energy-monitoring smart plugs in your smart home app to track usage, shift loads, and understand time-of-use rates.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Matter-over-Wi-Fi devices can work without a hub. Learn the trade-offs, including cloud reliance, battery life, router load, and when a hub is worth adding.
A practical pre-purchase guide to comparing Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems, from Wi-Fi standards and ports to security features, firmware support, and listing red flags.
Learn what to check before buying security cameras, video doorbells, and smart locks: storage, encryption, power, lock ratings, backup, and key override.