The Internet of Things (IoT) involves all those daily devices in your home that are interconnected via your home network. This year there is an estimated 26.66 billion Internet of Things devices online and that number will increase exponentially over the next decade. Today the Internet is not just about computers.
Let’s Talk Mobile Devices
Pretty much everyone these days is walking around with a phone that can go online, and most allow you to do that in two ways. You can use your service provider or you can connect via your WiFi network. Often the phone’s technology will choose for you. If you are at home or work, then it jumps on with your Internet connection automatically.
Phones also make calls through the Internet automatically. If you choose online calling, the phone uses your Internet connection whenever it can instead of going through the nearest cell tower.
Of course, mobile doesn’t just mean smartphones. You need the Internet to use a tablet or a laptop. Some monitors and printers are wirelessly connected to your computer using — you guessed it — your home or business Internet.
Gaming Consoles
PS4, Xbox and other gaming consoles, both large ones that work through a monitor or the television and handheld devices, take you online to play. It’s the reason you can chat with someone in Hong Kong while playing Halo. Even if you are not playing online, the console still connects wirelessly to the monitor or TV, and that requires an Internet connection.
TVs Get Smarter
Today’s modern television does more than the one your parents owned. Firestick, Apple TV, Roku — these are all services that allow you to stream to your television via the Internet. While being able to get Netflix and Hulu on your TV expands your viewing options, it also adds to your Internet connection’s burden. The more smart TVs you have, the more you load up your connection.
Smart Homes
Many appliances are now smart as well. The stove that you preheat while still at your desk is taking its orders from your home network. So is the refrigerator that shows you who is at the front door or lets you video chat with your mom while you make supper.
Smart devices extend beyond the kitchen, too. You can regulate your air conditioner from the couch or office with a smart thermostat or lock your front door with a smart security system. Some homes are set up with monitoring devices that allow you to see who is at the front door from work or check on the cat while you’re at the grocery store.
Many homes have devices that do a little bit of everything, too, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home. They use your Internet connection to do what you ask them to, whether it’s ordering cat food or playing your favorite music.
Fitness and Healthcare Devices
From your watch that syncs with your smartphone to your mom’s heart monitor that sends readings to the cardiologist even hour, the IoT exists in your wellness strategy, too. Your treadmill may have a built-in on-demand class display or entertainment console, for example. Maybe you stream your yoga class live via your TV or laptop computer.
Why Does It Matter?
Why does it matter how many devices you have connected to your Internet? Each one uses bandwidth, so you need to know to determine how much speed is necessary to keep them working seamlessly.
For example, most offices (and homes) have smart TVs, smartphones and computers that all need a speed of least 75 to 100 Mbps. Now, tack on smart appliances, gaming consoles and control devices, and you increase the speed even more.
Once upon a time, having the Internet meant you could hook your computer up to a modem and surf the world wide web. Things have changed. Today, an Internet connection must support so much more.
Let PS LIGHTWAVE help you make a great connection for your home in the Greater Houston area.
PS LIGHTWAVE provides high-speed, fiber internet for public and private commercial entities in the Greater Houston and surrounding areas.
Through our high-quality infrastructure, innovative technology and expert, locally based support, we deliver not only the best in connectivity and reliability but in scalability and redundancy. To learn more about your current internet and test the speed check out our SpeedQuest test.
