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Blog

Realistic Expectations For Wi-Fi Speeds

July 9, 2020 By admin

Why doesn’t my phone have a Gigabit Wi-Fi connection?

WiFi LIfestyle

Recently Evolved Home has been fielding a lot of requests for upgraded wi-fi performance in homes.  This is no surprise, given the dramatic increase in demand that remote learning, working from home, and media streaming we are all experiencing over the past few months.

At the same time, we have been seeing a major push from the internet service providers in our area to upgrade folks to Gigabit speed service.  Unfortunately, a lot of people are underwhelmed with the upgrade, as they don’t experience full gigabit speeds on their phones, tablets, and other connected devices.  In this post, we will try to shed light on why that is the case.

The Problem Icon

The Problem

There is a common misconception that wireless devices such as most phones, tablets,
or laptops have the ability to achieve an actual Gigabit connection to a Wi-Fi access
point. We know through a combination of math, physics and properly engineered
Wi-Fi standards-based safeguards that the achievable connection for most mobile
devices in real-world situations is typically 30-40% of the negotiated connection rate.
So how do we explain this in easily understood terminology?

WiFi Definitions
Technology Icon

The Theory

Most mobile devices have a 2×2 antenna setup- 2 antennas send data and 2 receive data at any given time.  Devices negotiate what is called “connection rate” based on distance to the wi-fi access point, interference, and wi-fi standard being used.  This is merely the negotiated, theoretical-maximum connection rate, and doesn’t represent real world speed.  Basically, both the device and the wi-fi system have agreed to talk and have agreed what the fastest speed they could possibly talk will be.  For example, we know that the maximum connection rate of an iPhone 11 is 866mbps on Wi-Fi 5 (assuming some standard configuration settings).

WiFi Icon

How It Actually Works

When environmental interference and device proximity come into play, we know that the realistic speed is typically 30-50% of the negotiated connection rate.  This speed is dependent on the wi-fi standard being used (Wi-Fi 6 is better than Wi-Fi 5, etc), the distance to the wi-fi system antenna, and the sources of interference in the space (other wireless devices, building materials types, your neighbors wi-fi).  As you move around your home, your mobile devices are constantly renegotiating the connection rate depending on the wi-fi antenna they are connected to.  Devices also have near complete control of which wi-fi antenna they are connected to, and are generally slow to jump antennas unless absolutely necessary.

House WiFi Icon

How To Get The Best Performance

In larger homes, the best way to achieve the highest connection rate is by having multiple wi-fi antennas spread throughout the home to create a blanket of coverage.  Ideally those antennas are hard-wired, opposed to operating in a “mesh”.  Mesh networks can be great problem solvers, but they are nowhere near as capable of passing high speed data as a properly connected system.  Typically, you will want at least one antenna per 1,500 square feet of space- if you have a lot of stone or metal in your construction you will need more, and if you have a very open floor plan you may need less.

Using wireless antennas with higher levels of performance will also yield greater performance.  Evolved Home has been specifying Wi-Fi 5 antennas for all of it’s installations for at least 5-6 years.  The newest generation of Wi-Fi 6 antennas hit the market last year.  Wi-Fi 6 promises slightly higher speeds (roughly 30% higher maximum), but the real improvements are in how they handle multiple devices.  They are capable of delivering more data to more devices simultaneously, help extend battery life in mobile devices, and are better at mitigating interference from other nearby wi-fi networks.

In addition, not all wi-fi hardware is created equally, even if the right acronyms are on the spec sheet.  Evolved Home specifies and implements true commercial-grade hardware with features that improve things like wireless roaming (when your device needs to jump from one antenna to another, the wi-fi system helps “kick” it to a better one), airtime fairness (slow devices don’t get as much speed as fast devices), and higher performing interference mitigation.

If you would like to explore upgrading your wi-fi to get the best performance possible, please reach out to Evolved Home today.

*Information provided by Access Networks

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Filed Under: Blog

Evolved Home Collaborates With Interior Designer

May 26, 2020 By admin

Evolved Home has made it our mission to provide the best in technology solutions seamlessly integrated with the architectural design of the building. We design and integrate systems that enhance our clients spaces by bringing them increased comfort, safety, and entertainment. Recently we were asked by one of our vendors to participate in a video conference discussion about integration of technology and design. The other guest is a great friend of ours, Robin Fisher, of Robin Rigby Fisher Design.

Mark Hudzinski, who represented Evolved Home in the video, is a CEDIA Certfied Outreach Instructor. We offer lunch-and-learn events that provide continuing education credits for AIA, NKBA, IDCEC, NARI, and ASID. We provide lunch, bring the training to your place, and everyone leaves with a better understanding of the latest technologies. If you are an architect, designer, or builder, and would like to learn more about how Evolved Home can help you make the buildings you work in better, please reach out. As of May 26th, 2020, all of the above organizations are approving credits for classes taught virtually (via web conference). Please reach out to schedule an event today.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: architect, interior design, smart home

10 years, and counting!

January 10, 2020 By Kory Roth

Evolved Home celebrates its 10 year Anniversary in 2020!  It has been an amazing decade of launching our business, and growing with the industry and clientele who have welcomed us into their projects.  From our first system to our most recent, we have striven to be a leading partner in our industry and market, and continually explore improved processes and experiences for our clients.

Here are a few milestone professional recognition and accomplishments we’ve received from the last ten years!

 

2009

  • Evolved Home founded by Mark Amayao and Kory Roth in Q4 of 2009

2010

  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2010 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.  This is the FIRST Control4 Platinum dealer ever awarded in the NW Region of the US (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana)

2011

  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2011 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2012

  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2012 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2013

  • Control4 awards MVP Dealer of Excellence award to Evolved Home
  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2013 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2014

  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2014 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.
  • QMotion Advanced Shading Systems awards Gold Level Status to Evolved Home

2015

  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2015 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2016

  • Control4 awards Platinum Dealer 2016 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2017

  • Control4 award Top Performing Dealer award to Evolved Home in the Western Region of the US (NW Region and SW Region combined)
  • Control4 awards Diamond Dealer 2017 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.  This is the first year a Diamond Level Dealer status is created nationwide.

2018

  • Control4 awards Pinnacle Dealer Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region for lifetime achievement.
  • Control4 awards Diamond Dealer 2018 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2019

  • Control4 awards Dealer Circle of Excellence award to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.
  • Control4 awards Diamond Dealer 2019 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

2020 – so far!

  • Control4 awards Diamond Dealer 2020 Status to Evolved Home in the Northwest US Region.

We appreciate all industry professionals, clients, contractors, architects and designers in helping us reach these accolades!  Thank you!  The next decade looks bright as Evolved Home, evolves!  Stay tuned and join us for the journey!

Filed Under: Article, Blog Tagged With: Control4, Crestron, Home Automation, Nest, Portland, Ring, Savant, Sonos

Triad Factory Tour

September 11, 2017 By admin

I always enjoy taking tours of our vendors factories, because it helps you understand not only their product better, but who they are as a company.  After only 10 minutes or so of talking with their employees , the first thing you realize is these folks don’t make speakers because they think it is a good way to make a living, they make loudspeakers because they are passionate about sound. They make individually, hand crafted speakers that are not only great sounding, but beautiful to look at.  And they make them in such an efficient way, that they are competitively priced with mass produced “cookie cutter” speakers that are made overseas.  Triad has a 30 year history of making world class speakers right here in Portland, OR.

We started our tour by getting an overview of their product lines from Trainer Steve Colburn.  We then entered the factory floor, where we were able to see the entire process a speaker goes thru from being cut out on a precision CNC router machine, to custom paint or veneer finishes, to final assembly and packaging.  One of the components I was surprised to learn they make in house, was the crossovers for each speaker.  This important step gives them a great deal of control over the final voicing of the speakers, to bring out the optimal performance.

If you have spent any time studying loudspeaker design, one of the first things you come to understand, is that making a great sounding speaker is a combination of Science and Art.  Many companies focus exclusively on the Science part, and are satisfied if the speaker measures a flat frequency response in an audio test.  Triad takes things a step further.  They not only test and refine the performance of their speakers in their own custom built anechoic chamber, they also evaluate the speakers with two very sophisticated pieces of test equipment. Their ears!  This helps bring out the intangible qualities like imaging and transient response that separate good speakers from great speakers.

We ended our tour… how else…listening to music and movie clips in their dedicated listening theater. The recent development of Dolby Atmos has breathed new excitement into the home theater realm, after a relatively quiet period.  Triad has been deeply involved with this advancement in cinema sound, working as a Dolby Labs Atmos  Development Partner.  As we started to watch the first movie clip,  I quickly became lost in the intense action sequences and drama of the movie Unbroken.  We sampled some music tracks and other movie clips as well, on a full Silver System.  It was nothing short of fantastic.  With a custom solution for almost any room or application, Triad is a great choice for any listening environment.

Filed Under: Blog

Your Home – Evolved

August 26, 2017 By admin

Penthouse Luxury

Having a truly Smart Home is more than simply having a house full of smart devices. It means having an integrated system that allows all of the devices in your home to talk to each other to improve your comfort, convenience, and security.  It means having access to your music and movies in any room. Our solution provides a unique platform that brings all of your technology together in a single app that is easy to use. You get the same great user experience in every room on every device.

As we all know, technology changes at a rapid pace. That is why at Evolved Home, we focus on providing best in class customer service, by monitoring your system for problems and keeping things up to date.

Design-Build Process

We have worked very hard over the years to develop an efficient, detailed and repeatable process that produces superior results with less disruption to your household.  And, it all starts with you!

Discovery

We start by having a design meeting to determine the job scope and requirements. We spend a lot of time listening, so we can understand what is most important to you. We gather information, learn about your lifestyle, and advise you about the possibilities. We use this information to design a system that is custom made for your needs.

System Design and Engineering

Our System Designers go to work creating a comprehensive plan for your project.  This plan includes a detailed proposal and may include, floor plan wiring diagrams, room elevation drawings, exterior plans and rack configurations. We engineer the system and create a wiring schematic to verify signal flows and specify the exact wiring needed to connect the system.  We consider aesthetics, acoustics, ease of use, power requirements and calculate thermal loads to insure optimal performance.  Our thorough design process makes sure nothing is left out.

Pre Build

We pre-build your equipment rack at our office and pre-program the core functionality before delivering it to your residence.  This allows us to verify that everything is functioning properly, which means less time on site, and less interuption for you.

Installation

Your project manager will work closely with you to schedule your installation.  Our experienced team of installers work efficiently, carefully and respect your home. We coordinate with other subcontractors on the project such as electricians and cabinet makers to make sure everything comes together as it should.

Programming and Testing

Once all of the electronics are installed our talented team of programmers customize the final programming to personalize the system for your specific requirements.  We thoroughly test the functionality and spend time with family members teaching them how to use the system.

Service and Support

We are in the relationship business, and we strive to make every client, a client for life. We remotely monitor your system for issues, and notify you when there are important updates required. You can depend on us to be there for you when the need arises. We keep you aprised of the latest trends in automation and help you expand your system over time as your needs change.


Begin Your Smart Home Journey With Us Today!

Please fill out the form below to request a design meeting.  There is no cost and no obligation to get started.  So, go ahead, kick the tires!

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Filed Under: Article, Blog

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10659 SE 21st Ave. Milwaukie, OR 97222 – USA. Customer Service Phone 888-908-6649.

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