Why Smart Connect is Smarter

So, you’ve heard about TechReady, but what makes a Wilsons Smart Connect TechReady system so amazing? Let me explain!

The Two-Cabinet Design

Regardless of what anyone tells you, here’s a fact: You simply cannot use a single cabinet-designed system and maintain the neatness of the panel. By the time your Internet service provider finishes their part of the installation, the cabinet usually becomes a mess of wires – sometimes to the point where customers cannot get the door back on the cabinet! This is where Wilsons Smart Connect’s two-cabinet design comes in. Splitters and power bars are reserved to the lower cabinet, maintaining the neatness of the upper cabinet, giving the customer a much better user experience.

Hinged Door on the Upper Cabinet

All Wilsons Smart Connect systems have a hinged door on the upper cabinet, making it easier than ever to access your equipment. No more having to remove multiple screws and fumble with a heavy door to get access to your system.

Adaptable Outlets

For a true “plug and play” system, we design all of our outlets to be flexible. Many TechReady installers set up the cabinet in a way that leaves the home owner without freedom to make changes. A great example is a telephone outlet; you cannot use this outlet for anything other than the phone without calling a technician to make the changes for you. With our flexible outlets, if you want to turn a phone outlet into an Internet outlet, just unplug the outlet from the phone module and plug it into your Internet module, right inside your Smart Connect cabinet (another reason you’ll love the two-cabinet design). It’s that easy!

Colour Coding Wires

It only adds to the confusion of sorting through your home’s wiring when you discover that the same colour wire is used for everything. We help our customers keep it simple by colour-coding the wires we use, so the patch cords in your cabinet match their corresponding Cat5e cable in the wall.

Pre-wiring for a Wireless Access Point

For a superior WiFi experience at home, nothing provides better coverage than Wireless Access Points (WAP). They put the wireless Internet closer to where you use it, as opposed to the signal only coming from the modem. Unlike a WiFi extender or repeater, WAP is actually hardwired to your main Internet connection, in a similar way to how a desktop computer would be. Most TechReady companies don’t offer this as a standard item, but the pre-wiring for one of these units comes with the Wilsons Smart Connect system, so it’s already there if you ever wish to install a WAP.

Dual Data in the Family Room

Not using a Wireless Access Point? Wilsons Smart Connect hasn’t forgotten about you! The optimal location of your WiFi modem is near your Smart Connect cabinet, but we understand that this could very well be under a stairwell or in a utility room, potentially meaning a less-than-stellar WiFi signal. We provide an additional data outlet on the main floor so you can still get all the benefits of your Smart Connect system, while keep your modem in a central location.

You would be hard-pressed to find any other TechReady installing company that looks after you better than Wilsons Smart Connect does!

Wilsons Smart Connect Activation Program

The recent launch of the Wilsons Smart Connect Activation Program is the latest example of how Wilsons is defining itself in the marketplace with its forward-thinking philosophy. When we set up your system, we take a few extra steps for you, to make sure the activation process goes smoothly.

My experience has shown me there are three prevalent problems that have become a real “Achilles heel” to the TechReady industry in Nova Scotia. They are as follows:

  1. Improper connection of services to the TechReady system by an inexperienced Internet Service Provider’s technician.
  2. Lack of understanding on the part of the customer as to what a TechReady home is and how it benefits them.
  3. The absence of an Ethernet switch to distribute the Internet service to all the areas of the home that have data connections.

The Wilsons Smart Connect Activation Program deals with all these issues at one time. For us, our job is not complete until we go back to the customer’s home to make sure all these issues are taken care of.

  1. Our technicians make sure that the Internet Service Provider has correctly connected the modem to the Smart Connect system. If they have not, we correct it while the technician is there.
  2. The technician will also install an Ethernet switch for you so that your data outlets are active.
  3. Finally, the technician will go over the benefits you’re receiving from your TechReady home, and, if you like, offer assistance with getting your equipment up and running.

These extra services that all Smart Connect customers receive as part of the Activation Program help you take full advantage of your new system.

Remember to ask questions of your builder and TechReady installer to make sure you know what you’re getting.

Your Vacation Checklist

If you have a security system, these steps can help you make the most of its features while you’re away

We’ve talked about how technology can help you keep an eye on your home while you’re on vacation, so now let’s take it a step further! There are the traditional things you should do before taking off, like asking a neighbour to get your mail, or leaving an emergency phone number, but here are four things you can do at home that will help you have a stress-free trip.

Let your monitoring company know you will be away.

Telling your alarm company when you’ll be on vacation can greatly assist them in protecting your home. Suppose the alarm goes off and the monitoring station calls your house. Maybe someone answers claiming to be you, and that they’ve forgotten the ‘All OK’ word. Now, it is possible that you could have forgotten your ‘All OK’ word, but if the station knows you are away from home, they will be far more suspicious of whom they’re talking to.

Assign a separate code to the person looking after your house.

This not only prevents you from having to give out your personal access code, but also allows the alarm system to track who is coming and going back at home. Most alarm systems are equipped with an ‘Event Buffer’, which records each time someone disarms and rearms the alarm system. By giving each person a different code, the system can track each time an individual has been at your home while you’re away. When you return home you can simply delete these temporary codes. If you are using a service such as Alarm.com or Honeywell’s TotalConnect, you can also receive an e-mail notification when people come and go from your home.

Update your contact list.

If your alarm goes off for any reason while you’re out of the country, your monitoring station is going to need to get in touch with the right people. Provide your alarm company with a new list each time one of your emergency contacts’ numbers changes.

List service companies you deal with.

Break-and-enters aren’t the only thing that can happen while you’re not at home; your furnace could run out of oil, or your basement could flood. If you’re receiving notifications through a service like Alarm.com or Honeywell’s TotalConnect, you’ll know what’s going on in real time. However, if you happen to be out of range of WiFi during the time an event is occurring, you’ll want to provide the people on your emergency contacts list with a list of the companies you use for services such as your heating company, your electrician, your plumber, and your locksmith.

Going on Vacation?

You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what to pack, but have you given any thought to how to prepare your home for your absence?

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Okay, so you’ve just made it through a long, cold winter and now you’re going to treat yourself to a trip down south. We’ll focus on how some recent advances in technology can help you stay in touch with your home when you are a thousand miles away.

Security Alarms

Monitored security systems help deter vandals; if you have one, insurance companies even offer discounts on home insurance. However, modern security alarms can now do a lot more than just notify of a break-and-enter. With your system hooked up to the Internet, you can use an app to not only control your system from wherever you are, but you can also receive other types of notifications right to your smartphone. Would you like to know when your neighbour arrives to feed your cat? Receive an e-mail notification when they arrive in real time. Are you unsure if you armed your system before your plane took off? Maybe your caretaker is having trouble shutting off the alarm. No worries! You can do those things right from a convenient app on your phone.

Cameras

Look in on your home while you’re away, and keep recordings of any alarm-triggering events. Just like the alarm, you can use a simple app on your smartphone to access the cameras in your house and observe what’s going on, from anywhere in the world. I recommend pointing your cameras toward areas of concern, like the front and back doors, as well as areas that are prone to flooding, like the sump pump.

Automation Control

No longer just for the rich and famous, “home automation” is now affordable for any homeowner with the help of apps such as Alarm.com or Honeywell’s TotalConnect service. Imagine being able to check in on your thermostats when you hear that there’s a cold snap back home while you’re relaxing in the sunny south. Now you can turn up the heat to prevent frozen pipes, right from your smartphone. Or maybe you want to control certain lights on a schedule to deter burglars. Give your home a lived-in look while you’re away, simply by using the app.

Environmental Sensors

Sensors can be added to your alarm system that monitor all kinds of conditions. Smoke Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Propane Leakage Detectors, Low Temperature Sensors, and Flood Detectors can keep you informed as if you hadn’t even left. If any of these devices goes off, your central monitoring station will know exactly what the problem is before extensive damage occurs.