As home technology becomes more and more important to day to day living, have you given any thought to how tech-ready your house is? Many people assume that all they need is a wireless internet connection, maybe a cable and phone connection, and they’re set. This is far from the case, however.
Today’s tech-ready home opens the door to dozens of different possibilities, including giving your TVs and gaming systems internet access without the restrictions and lag time that wireless can bring. Best of all, making your home tech-ready is much easier – and less expensive – than you may think when you work with our Richmond home remodelers.
What Does It Mean to Make a Home Tech-Ready?
Despite the massive changes in home technology that have occurred over the past 30 years, most homes are still being wired to regulations and standards set in the mid 1980s. This means that you have electrical outlets in every room, probably a minimum of five phone jacks, and maybe a few cable outlets as well. One of these cable outlets may be dedicated for your internet usage, allowing you to plug a modem into the wall that you can then use to either get wireless internet from, or to plug your computer into.
A tech-ready home is different. These homes have hard-wire internet capabilities in every room of the house, letting you plug your computer, TV, or gaming system straight into the wall. No more lag time when you’re playing a game, and no more buffering when you’re streaming on Netflix; hard-wired internet connections have far fewer delays when processing large amounts of information.
In addition, tech-ready homes are also optimized for other home technologies, including:
- Audio systems that lets you play music through speakers in any room of the house and send new music to any of your collections seamlessly
- Integrated security systems that help protect your home
- Automation of your security cameras, lights, and heating cooling systems with access from your Smartphone
- Home networking that lets you connect all the devices and printers in your home on one network so you can get things done faster
What’s Included in a Tech-Ready Home?
To ensure that your home is tech-ready there is a basic set of components that you should have installed. This ensures that no matter where you go in the home, you can access the technologies you need. At a minimum, a tech-ready home will have:
- A cabinet or HUB, with many homes having two
- Five telephone wires or five phone jacks
- Five television wires or cable ports
- Six internet or data wires or internet jacks
- One prewire for a security system
Getting Your Home Tech-Ready
If you’re ready to get the latest in home-technology, the whole process is much easier than you may think. The national average cost to get your home tech-ready runs around $5 a square foot, with fluctuations occurring depending on where you live and what additional services you may require.
Most electricians and home technology contractors can wire your home in less than a day. That means that you could wake up one morning and have trouble streaming the news, and go to bed that night listening to music from your hardwired bedrooms speakers while you effortlessly stream Apple TV.
Get Tech Ready
Having a tech-ready home means that your home is wired to the specifications made by companies like Panasonic, Sony, and Apple so that you can make better use of their devices. Don’t settle for home wiring systems that are stuck in the 20 century; make better, smarter use of your home technology by having your home tech-ready, and be prepared for the future.