Key Takeaways
- Connecting too many devices to Wi-Fi can cause congestion, leading to slow speeds and disconnections.
- Unused smart home devices may accumulate and contribute to higher electricity and internet bills.
- An abundance of smart devices increases security risks and can make troubleshooting and managing the system difficult.
The smart home lifestyle is appealing due to its convenience and ease of use. However, certain unique issues can pop up when too many smart devices control your home.
Some of them are obvious while others aren’t as much. Let’s look into the drawbacks of having a surplus of smart home gadgets.
1 Connecting Several Devices to a Single Wi-Fi Network Can Cause Congestion
Network congestion is the first problem you’ll likely face in a house with too many smart home devices. Having several smart home devices and personal devices connected to the same router may lead to sudden disconnections, slow internet speeds, and system failures.
Technically, wireless routers can support up to 250 connected devices, but most free ISP routers have a device limit of less than 50. If you’re using the router given to you for free by your ISP, you can expect connections to fail and drop off as you get near that number.
There are different ways to fix wireless network congestion, but it may be easier and more effective to reduce the number of smart home devices running in your house.
2 Some Smart Home Devices Will Go Unused for Months
Too many smart home devices can create a situation where some go unutilized for long periods, mostly because they are not much more convenient to use than the manual method. This often occurs with automations that were implemented for the cool factor, not for a specific purpose.
When setting up a smart home, it is important to ensure that each automation directly addresses a specific, regularly occurring problem or situation. If you have smart home devices that are currently unused, you can offer them up for sale or donate them to charity.
3 Too Many Smart Home Devices Can Add to Your Electricity and Internet Bill
It is important to consider the ongoing cost of running a smart home, especially when you have several smart devices running. With the exception of smart thermostats and sprinklers, a lot of these devices increase energy consumption since they are always on, always connected, and power-hungry by design.
Fortunately, you can mitigate smart home energy consumption by purchasing energy-efficient smart devices (look for Energy Star labels), choosing Zigbee and Z-Wave devices over Wi-Fi, and using renewable energy sources when possible.
4 Internet-Enabled Smart Home Devices Are a Security Risk
It is a myth that smart homes are safer. An overabundance of smart home devices in your house means more potential points of entry for bad actors. These devices are primarily designed for ease of use, with security sometimes taking a back seat.
While there are several ways to ensure that your home network is secure from hackers and cybercriminals, you should avoid loading up on devices from unknown brands. Just one infected smart device is all that is needed to expose your entire home network and put you at risk.
5 A Smart Home With Too Many Devices Can Be Frustrating to Troubleshoot and Manage
Smart home devices need to be controlled from somewhere. They usually have different apps and platforms to manage them, and making all these technologies work together can be arduous. But, what if something breaks later? Then, you have to fix it without disturbing anything else.
Smart home devices are incredibly convenient to use, and it can be fun to set up a smart home from scratch. With proper planning and investment, you can set up a robust and scalable home automation system that works as it should and requires little maintenance. However, a bevy of smart home devices can be a pain to manage and introduce complexity into a system meant to reduce it.
