Gain Peace of Mind with a Smart Home Security System

It’s that time of year for festive parties, holiday lights, and memory making. This season is very special, but it can also put us into a frenzy of stress with the long to-do lists, family visits, and traveling.

For your peace of mind, we’ve put together a list of handy tips that will help you with one item we know is on your to-do list: keeping a safe home. From automated lighting and a smart home security system to a staged home, these tips will help you feel safer whether you’re staying in Honolulu, Hawaii or traveling.



SEE ALSO: Why Invest in a Smart Home Security System?

1. Sync Smart Lighting with Your Surveillance System

If you’re traveling this holiday and leaving an empty home, you’ll feel comforted knowing your house is working to fend off intruders with a smart surveillance system synced with lighting control.

Install motion sensors around your house that automatically turn on lights when movement is detected on your property. The lights will create the sense that someone is home and typically drive unwanted guests away. When movement is detected, your security system sends alerts to your phone to notify you of potential intruders and even sets off an alarm for you. 

2. Monitor Packages with a Smart Intercom

An increase in delivered packages is a guarantee this time of year, and keeping up with each delivery can be a lot to remember. Make the process easier and safer with a web-configurable outdoor intercom that works in tandem with a monitor.

Use two-way audio and video to both hear and see your visitor coming to drop off a delivery. As soon as the delivery is dropped off and you’re not home to receive it, we suggest you contact a neighbor or friend to pick it up for you until you can get home. 

3. Replace Your Doors with Smart Locks

You won’t ever have to worry if you left a door unlocked when you leave for vacation with smart locks. Remote door locks controlled from your smartphone not only keep your home safer but allow you to unlock your home for a guest if you’re not there to let them in. Integrate your smart locks with smart video surveillance to remotely see who you’re letting into your home for even more peace of mind.

4. Keep a Clear Path to Your Entryways

Even with a smart home security system where you can monitor every inch of your property in real time from a remote location, intruders may sneak behind large bushes or bulky holiday decorations to stay out of view from your cameras.

Keep a clear path to possible entryways of your home, including windows and doors, avoiding large objects that could be used to hide intruders. We also suggest you test your surveillance cameras to make sure you can zoom, pan, and tilt in order to see every nook and cranny of your property.

5. Stage an Occupied Home

To keep your home looking occupied even if your entire family is away, schedule light scenes to turn on at desired times and mimic your family’s daily routines. With a smart security system coupled with your scheduled lighting, you can remotely monitor your home to make sure your outdoor holiday lights and indoor lamps are on when they’re supposed to be.

Feel more at peace this holiday season knowing your Honolulu home is safe and secure! We can help you get started with a smart home security system today. Just contact us here or send a chat below to start talking with a professional security system installer today.

 

Get faster, more reliable performance for your devices

 As more devices in your home come equipped with the ability to connect to the Internet, the strain on your home network is ever-increasing. You may have already noticed some issues already; slow browser speeds, spotty wireless coverage, and issues with streaming content are all signs of an overworked home network. If you’ve noticed any of these problems, it’s time for a home networking upgrade. Here’s a list of ways a stronger home network can improve the lives of homeowners in Maui.



 SEE ALSO: Solutions to 3 of the Most Common Home Networking Problems
 

THE NEED FOR SPEED

When you fire up your internet browser, you want an instantaneous response. But if you’re relying on a single wireless router to cover every area of your home and you don’t have a reliable connection, you’re going to be frustrated by long load times and even the occasional crash.

This is even more true of streaming content. To get the most from your home theater, you want to be able to stream your favorite movie or show in 4K UHD. Without a sufficiently powerful network, you’ll be dealing with pixelated images, buffering issues and lengthy load times.

The solution? Beef up your home network. A professional network installation will ensure you get the maximum bandwidth possible in every area of your house, allowing you to browse and stream without fear of any hiccups or glitches.

 

DO MORE WITH YOUR DEVICES

Getting the most from smart home automation involves more than simply installing the individual systems. To really unlock the value of these devices, you need them to work together, and that can’t happen if your network isn’t up to the task.

For example, smart security systems and lighting control both do a lot by themselves, but they can do more together. If your lighting control talks to your security system, you can lock all the doors in your house and turn off all the lights from your phone, all with one push of a button. If you’re going on vacation, program your lights to turn on and off at different points throughout the day to make it look like someone’s home, all the while knowing you’ll receive an alert on your phone if anything should happen.

The greater number of interconnected systems in your home, the more valuable they are to you. But without a sufficiently powerful network as the backbone, your options are much more limited.

 

KEEP YOUR DATA AND DEVICES SECURE

A strong network is important not only for the physical security of your home, but also your digital security. Hackers, malware and other forms of cyber attack have only been increasing in recent years, making network security more vital than ever.

To best protect the data on your devices, you’ll want to make sure your network is properly protected and encrypted. Your software or other components may be out of date if you haven’t taken a look at your network’s security in a while, leaving you at greater risk of attack and intrusion.

 

BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER

If you’re interested in learning more about Pacific Audio and Communications’ networking services for your Maui home, give us a call at 808-870-1619 or visit us online.

 

Make Your Devices Work Flawlessly Throughout Your Home

With the number of devices and entertainment options available to homeowners increasing rapidly in recent years, the need for a quality audio-video system to manage everything has only grown. If your devices aren’t linked and don’t let you enjoy the content of your choice in any room, you’re not getting everything you could out of your home audio-video system. Luckily, Pacific Audio and Communications is ready to meet the needs of the Honolulu area, and we’d be happy to help you with your audio and video solutions. Here’s what you need to know to get the most out of your home A/V setup:



 
SEE ALSO: What Kind of Speakers Work for Your Outdoor Sound System?
 

DISTRIBUTION                         

It’s fairly common for most homes to have multiple TVs these days, which means finding a way to get audio and video to each screen. In the past that might mean having individual cable or satellite boxes for each TV, but distributed audio and video makes that issue nonexistent. Distributed A/V systems transmit the feed from a central source to wherever you want it, meaning one central cable or satellite connection can be viewed in multiple locations throughout your home. This approach not only centralizes and simplifies your system, it can save you money by reducing the number of cable or satellite boxes you need for your home. Of course, not all components are created equal, and Pacific Audio and Communications will make sure you have the right parts for your installation.

 

CENTRALIZATION

Now you have audio and video in every room, but how easy is it to manage? Are you still fumbling with multiple devices to change the channel or music? No need; use home automation to bring all your equipment together under one interface. This can be a universal remote, an app for your smartphone or tablet, or a panel on a wall.

Automation lets you expand the capabilities of your A/V system in exciting ways, such as having your music or whatever you’re watching follow you from room to room seamlessly. You can tie your A/V system to the lights, air conditioning, and other elements in your home to give you greater control and make life simpler and more comfortable. Gain even more convenience by incorporating a smart speaker such as Amazon’s Echo or the Google Home to allow for voice control over your devices.

 
SEE ALSO: Is Your Audio Video System Prepared for the Analog Sunset?
 

STRONG NETWORK

You can have the best equipment in the world and the most intuitive control system available, but it won’t make a difference if the network connecting all your devices isn’t up to the task. As the number of linked devices in your home grows, so does the strain on your home network. You need the right gear and the right network setup to ensure everything in your A/V system operates smoothly. Luckily, Pacific Audio and Communications specializes in home network solutions, so we can make sure your devices keep humming along no matter the network strain.

 

NEED AN UPGRADE?

Feeling like your home audio-video system isn’t meeting your needs? There’s no need to delay; contact Pacific Audio and Communications today. We have offices in Maui, Kauai, Oahu and on the Big Island, or you can fill out our online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

The Features You Should Look for with Smart Security Technology

High-end homes in the Honolulu area are often the target of break-ins, making a smart home security system an excellent investment. But deciding on which features you would like in your security system can be difficult. With so many factors to consider, you may find yourself getting overwhelmed.

Below, we cover the top features that will take your security system to the next level, giving you the confidence that you’ve chosen a robust and user-friendly system that will protect your home and family.



SEE ALSO: Make Your Home Energy Efficient With These 3 Smart Upgrades
 

Features

A traditional security system might include little more than an alarm that trips when a window or door is broken, but smart technology enables security to go far beyond that. Within a smart home, all of the following features can be combined into one easy-to-use system you can control at the touch of a button.

1. Door Sensors: Beyond the front door (but certainly including that too), door sensors can keep track of whether any door on your property is open or closed. These sensors can be installed on medicine cabinets, wine cellar doors, and more.
2. Motion Sensors: Install motion sensors that identify if any unauthorized movement happens in key areas of your property, such as a person moving around in your backyard in the middle of the night.
3. Smoke/Heat Sensors: Get notified immediately if there is a health or fire hazard on your property. With a home monitoring service, the smoke and heat sensors can automatically contact emergency services to get assistance to your property as soon as possible.
4. Garage Door Sensors: Ever wondered if you left the garage door open? Simply pull out your smartphone and check the status of the sensor!
5. Water/Flood Sensors: Protect your property from flooding with water sensors that notify you as soon as water is detected somewhere it shouldn’t be.
6. Surveillance Cameras: Real-time, high-resolution cameras are installed around your property, giving you instant access to the camera views via a smartphone or tablet.
7. Smart Door Locks: Remotely lock or unlock doors throughout your property via your smartphone, allowing you to let someone into your home without you having to greet them at the front door.
8. Gate Interface Systems: The same cameras and door locks that protect your home can be extended to a gatehouse. Using a video intercom, you can converse with whoever is at the gate and remotely give them access, if you so choose.
9. Alarm System: Last but not least, your smart home security system can use a state-of-the-art alarm system to notify you of any issues however you see fit – audible alarm, flashing lights, notifications on the television screens, text message notifications, phone calls, and more.
10. Integration with Other Smart Technologies: Imagine having a security system that automatically lights up the pathway from the driveway to the front door whenever your front gate authorizes entry. Or how about a system that automatically locks all of the entryways on your property whenever you select a “Goodnight” smart scene that also turns out the lights, adjusts the thermostat, and powers down electronics? There’s no need to settle for just security or just lighting control or multi-room music. With smart home automation, you can have one system that does it all.

 
Don’t be afraid to go beyond the basics with smart home security. Today’s technologies are not only assisting in keeping Hawaii properties secure – they’re also assisting in making daily life more comfortable, convenient, and luxurious.

If you would like to learn more about which smart home security system features would make sense for your property, please contact us by calling 808-386-5963 or filling out this quick inquiry form.