Hey, Alexa, how do I get one of those “smart homes”? 🤔 With more smart devices popping up each year, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed, and it’s hard to know where to start.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular smart home devices on the market right now, and how the technology works:

Echo Show

A smart home assistant created by Amazon
Responds to “Alexa” + features a 10-inch HD screen
Great for the kitchen, letting users watch recipe videos, set timers + alarms, and add items to their shopping lists

Phillips Hue

Smart lighting for the home
Lightbulbs, light strips + lamps than can be controlled to change color
Works with Alexa, Google Assistant + more

Nest Thermostat

A smart thermostat that can be controlled from anywhere
Can provide energy savings over time
Part of a series of smart home products created by Nest

Ring Cameras

Indoor + outdoor cameras you can monitor from your phone when you’re away
Provides alerts when motion is detected
Lets user talk to the person at the front door using Alexa

Bose Wave

Popular home stereo system
Small in size, but able to fill a room with sound
Can be controlled via universal remote

iRobot Roomba 675

Robot vacuum that connects to WiFi
Uses sensors to navigate its way around your home
Responds to Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, so you can clean your home from anywhere

It’s important to know that the more smart devices you install, the more bandwidth you’re going to need. (DYK that EPB recently tripled its Internet starting speed to 300 Mbps? That’s fast. See their Internet options here, including The Gig with speeds of 1,000 Mbps.)

If you need help setting up any of these smart devices, EPB has Smart Network experts who can help make sure all your devices are connected and ready to rock with the optimized speeds they need. Ⓟ