HOME GADGETS
Indoors or outdoors, here’s the latest clever tech you need to create your new smart home
Mesh technology can be pretty complicated, but Netgear’s done a good job of keeping it simple
Netgear Orbi £350
1 Wi-Fi technology took an important step forward recently with the arrival of the first routers to use the
new 802.11ad standard. While 802.11ad Wi-Fi is seriously fast – enough to stream multiple 4K videos without raising a sweat – it doesn’t have very long range. The biggest challenge for many people is still finding a conventional router based on existing 802.11ac technology that can beam a strong signal through walls and other obstacles in order to provide good Wi-Fi coverage throughout their entire home. The solution could be a technique called mesh networking. Netgear’s new Orbi arrives this month as the first system designed for ordinary home users to feature it.
The Orbi kit consists of two separate devices that are virtually identical. Each one requires its own mains power supply, and includes four Ethernet ports and a USB port. One of the devices acts as the primary router, using one of its Ethernet ports to connect to your existing modem or router in order to get internet access. The second Orbi is placed in a separate location in your home – ideally, Netgear says it should be as close to the physical centre of your home as possible, but you’ve got a little wiggle room here if that’s not convenient.
The second Orbi acts as a satellite that connects to the main Orbi router and then boosts its Wi-Fi signal so that it covers your entire home. The mesh technology is pretty complicated, but Netgear has done a good job of keeping things simple. The main router and satellite sync together automatically, and the glowing lights on their tops indicate the signal strength to help position the satellite.
Orbi costs a hefty £350, though Netgear says the two-piece kit can cover homes up to 4,000ft2 in size, so the investment could be worthwhile if it means you can finally get a decent Wi-Fi signal on the top floor of your home, or out in your garden-shed hidey-hole.
Netatmo Presence £250
2 Most security cameras are designed for indoor use, including Netatmo’s popular Welcome camera. However, Netatmo has now come up with this new model that’s very much designed for outdoor use. Presence combines a Full HD (1080p) camera with a floodlight that automatically activates when it detects movement. It’s also weatherproof, so you can use it outdoors to monitor your garage or garden, and you can store its video recordings on an SD card inside the camera, or connect it to a Dropbox account to store online.
TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug £25
3 Amazon’s Echo seems to be getting a lot of support at the moment, including from TP-Link’s new Wi-Fi Smart Plug. This device enables you to schedule on and off times for devices that are plugged into it, and its Wi-Fi connection enables you to control it over the internet when you’re away from home. Support for Amazon Echo means you can turn devices on or off using voice commands, and there’s a second version of the plug, priced at £35, that monitors and analyses your energy usage as well.
Elgato Eve Motion £45
4 Don’t forget about HomeKit though, as that’s also gaining support from devices such as Elgato’s new Eve Motion sensor. As well as providing security features by detecting motion within a 30ft range, Eve Motion can also use HomeKit to create scenes that control multiple devices. So, you could create a scene that turns on your Netatmo Thermostat and Philips Hue lights as soon as Eve Motion senses you’ve walked into your home.