If you’re like most people, your home is a place where you relax and enjoy your time. But if you’re like many others, your home is also a source of frustration and annoyance. From not being able to turn on the lights when you want to, to devices not working properly, there are plenty of problems with your smart home that can be fixed with the right tools and knowledge. Here are five ways to fix common smart home woes:

  1. Make sure all devices are connected to the same network: One of the first things you should do when troubleshooting a smart home issue is make sure all devices are connected to the same network. This includes both physical devices like lights and switches, as well as virtual devices like smart TVs and appliances. If one device isn’t connecting or is connecting but not working correctly, it’s likely that other devices on the network are also affected.
  2. Check for firmware updates: Many smart home products come with firmware updates that can fix issues or add new features. Make sure you’re installing these updates if available, especially if there’s an issue with a device that’s been installed in your home.
  3. Reset or reboot devices: Sometimes resetting or rebooting a device will resolve an issue. For example, if your lights aren’t turning off after you press the switch, try resetting the switch by unplugging it for five seconds then plugging it back in. If that doesn’t work, try rebooting the device by pressing and holding down the power button for about 20 seconds until it shuts off automatically (or until you see a message telling you to restart).
  4. Troubleshoot through app settings: If an app isn’t working correctly or isn’t connecting to other devices properly, often fixing these issues can be done through app settings rather than through firmware updates or resetting individual devices. For example, if my Philips Hue light wasn’t turning off after I pressed the ..

Matter uses a combination of Ethernet, Thread (a low-power connectivity method for battery-powered devices), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth Low Energy to setup and manage smart home devices. The goal of Matter is to create one shared ecosystem that works with all smart home devices and hubs — with any luck, the pain of shopping for Apple HomeKit-compatible devices or double-checking that a certain light bulb works with Alexa should become a distant memory.

Now that Matter has officially arrived, we should see the first certified devices and hubs show up soon. Google’s new Nest Wi-Fi Pro router, for example, promises to be a Matter hub once it goes through the required certification.

Source: CSA