Router Firmware Update Broke Your Smart Home? Read This
August 19, 2026
A firmware update fixes as often as it breaks smart home connectivity. Here's how to tell which happened, and why the answer depends on your router.
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Getting Wi-Fi to a Detached Garage for Smart Devices
August 16, 2026
A detached garage combines two problems: distance and a separate electrical circuit. Here's why the usual fixes don't apply cleanly, and what does.
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Powerline Adapter for a Smart Home Hub: The Honest Numbers
August 15, 2026
The Mbps number on the box is not what you'll get. Here's what a powerline adapter actually delivers, as reported by a manufacturer's own documentation.
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Mesh Wi-Fi Wired Backhaul for a Smart Home, Explained
August 14, 2026
Wired backhaul removes the wireless hop between mesh nodes. Here's what it actually fixes, and how to get it without running new cable through walls.
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Wi-Fi Extender for Smart Home Devices: The Real Tradeoff
August 13, 2026
An extender is a repeater, and repeaters have a throughput tradeoff. Here's when that tradeoff actually matters for smart home devices, and when it doesn't.
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2.4GHz Interference Sources at Home (And How to Find Yours)
August 12, 2026
Devices drop at the same time every evening? Here are the real active interference sources on 2.4GHz, including one almost nobody mentions.
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Band Steering Breaking Your Smart Home?
July 31, 2026
Band steering can strand a 2.4GHz-only smart device on a radio it can't use. Here is the symptom that confirms it, and how to fix or work around it.
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Device, Radio, Router or Cloud? The Test
July 29, 2026
Four possible causes, four one-question tests. A decision tree for isolating whether a misbehaving smart device is a device, radio, router, or cloud problem.
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Smart Home Device Keeps Going Offline
July 28, 2026
A device that worked for months and now drops offline needs a different fix than a new setup. Here is the order to check things in, and why.
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What Blocks 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Signal in a House
July 25, 2026
One room is a dead zone and the rest of the house is fine. Here's what building materials actually do to a 2.4GHz signal, and what doesn't matter.
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