Are you considering making your Florida home ‘smart’? Imagine window shades that automatically rise with the sun—and lighting that adjusts its color and brightness according to your schedule. And with smart security features, you’re always in-the-know about your home’s safety.

But if you want the ultimate smart home experience, you’ll run into challenges if you’re using plug-and-play devices over Wi-Fi. These DIY gadgets aren’t meant to connect to equipment from other manufacturers, and unless your home network is up to par, you’ll experience lagging and unresponsive devices.

Home networking is an essential component to building a smart home. Without a strong network, you lose the foundation necessary for sophisticated automation experiences. If you’re unsure where to start with your home network, read on to learn what you’ll need in your Palm Beach-area home.