5 typical mistakes in smart homes

Smart homes are everywhere – and with the widespread adoption of clever technologies, the number of good tips is also growing. Today, we'll take a look at the typical pitfalls you might encounter when planning your smart home.

1. Buy without research

You've probably seen it yourself: Many supermarket chains offer smart lighting or other products for a limited time. After a few weeks, they entice you with increasingly lower prices. If you're tech-savvy and willing to take risks, this is a great opportunity for a bargain. However, it's not very sustainable: All too often, problems arise later because impulse purchases aren't compatible with other smart home gadgets. Or you lose interest and lose track when you need too many different apps to control everything.

It's therefore important to do your research before making any purchase. Reviews, guides, and product information are your first port of call. Take the time to get a reliable picture of what you need and what you expect from the product.

First, get an overview of the smart technology you want, such as smart lightbulbs, cameras, alarm systems, or sensors. Then dig deeper: What standards do your desired gadgets require? What happens in the event of a power outage? Is it compatible with Alexa, Siri, and other devices? These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself to get started. This way, you can ensure that your devices will still be compatible and communicate well with each other even after some time.

Be sure to also find out which Wi-Fi frequency your devices use to communicate: Most new routers now run on 5 GHz, while the vast majority of smart home devices still use the 2.4 GHz standard. Our Chuango products also communicate with each other at 2.4 GHz, so make sure the two standards are compatible! A tip: Most routers can be switched; if in doubt, ask your internet provider for advice.

2. Traveling without a plan

More and more smart gadgets are being thrown onto the market – and sometimes at quite high prices. If you don't have a plan for which products you really need, you'll quickly end up spending far more than necessary. Therefore, it's important to find out which automations really help you in your everyday life! Once you've got an overview, you can shop specifically and save money, time, and stress. It's frustrating if you end up not using your gadgets at all because they don't really serve your purpose in your everyday life.

To begin your planning, walk through your home with your eyes open and a notepad in hand, and consider which automations would be useful in each room. Window sensors for security, lightbulbs for coziness, and a camera to keep an eye on the dog – these are the standard options. There are many other ways to adapt your smart home to your plans.

Above all, make sure the devices you choose are a good fit for each other—ideally, they should be able to communicate via the same app or voice assistant. You'll find more valuable tips for the planning phase in our article " Smart Home Planning in 5 Easy Steps. "

3. Security!

This should go without saying, but it's often overlooked: Safety first. This starts with thoroughly reading the installation instructions for your devices. Technical safety means checking batteries and accumulators and replacing them promptly, using only original power cables, and maintaining safe distances from sources of moisture, for example.

Data security is equally important. Always choose a truly secure password for your accounts, and when purchasing devices, make sure the manufacturer complies with data protection regulations. GDPR-compliant handling of your data should be a given! The same applies here: Check your user credentials regularly to ensure they're still correct and change your password occasionally.

And one more thing: Updates are important! While it's often annoying to wait for an update instead of launching the app directly, regular software updates protect against security vulnerabilities. And that's a huge security plus for you!

4. Be impatient

It sounds so obvious, but it needs to be said: Take the time to get to know your new smart home devices. Take your time to experiment with timers and other automations, run trial runs, and test everything. Because if you start everything right away, you'll quickly lose track or be bombarded with push notifications and features you don't need.

So, get familiar with your new devices gradually. Once you know exactly how to set the wake-up light on your bulbs, you can focus on programming the robot vacuum—and after a few test runs, connect the two!

This way, you avoid overlapping or canceling out processes. And your smart home can simply do what it's supposed to.

5. Think only of yourself

Of course, if you live alone, you only have to take care of your own needs. But if you live with others, you should involve everyone in the planning.

Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of ​​having a smart camera in their home. And since most smart home products are controlled via a smartphone app, every household member really needs to have access. Make sure everyone has the same permissions to dim the lights in the evening if necessary—in the DreamCatcher app, this is called an "administrator account." This way, you can enjoy the pleasant aspects of your smart home together.