Mostly gone are wall-mounted rotary volume controls, now replaced with smartphone app control. And “fixed” six-source/ six-zone audio systems of the past have largely been replaced with scalable streaming systems that let you add more zones as needed.
While these are both positive changes, one thing that has been lost along the way is operational simplicity for guests who visit your home. Many modern systems require guests to connect to your home’s wireless network, download an app, log into the system, and read instructions. The result is that guests can get left in the lurch when it comes to enjoying tunes during their stay.
Seeing that we run into this issue quite regularly on jobs, I put together some tips to help you make your home’s tech more guest-friendly!
GUEST Wi-Fi
Almost any wireless router worth its silicon will offer the ability to create a separate guest Wi-Fi network. This provides greater security for you by letting guests access the internet without also getting access to your home’s regular network. You simply create a really obvious SSID (mine is “Sciacca Guest”) along with an easy password (mine is “freewifi”) to give to visitors so they can stay connected.
VOLUME CONTROLS
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The Big Clean
Chances are you probably do not think about the state of your electronic devices too often. Oh, you might think about all the upgrades you would like to make; where you would put those new tower speakers, or how a second or third subwoofer would really tame those bass modes in your room, or how much more cinematic a larger screen would be. Sure, you think about that part of your system. But how often do you think about the well-being of your system?
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