Whether smart bulbs connect to the internet is a question that has right-of-place in the mind of anyone intending to build a smart home. With changing innovation and the developing prominence of technology in regular day to day existence, even homes and workplaces have a redesign. The lifestyle has gotten progressively productive and in this endeavor, smart bulbs and lighting have gotten amazingly well known.
Yes. Smart bulbs can be connected to the internet. There are a lot of smart bulb brands in the market that are suitable for Internet connectivity. A few of these brands include Philips Hue, Lifx, Hive Active, Xiaomi, and IKEA.
We’ll be looking at these smart bulbs, how they work, and all the details surrounding connecting them to the internet. Let’s delve in.
What Are Smart Bulbs?
Smart bulbs, essentially, are lighting installations that can be controlled remotely. These are unique in relation to standard bulbs as you can take out the need to control them physically. With a smart bulb, you can control it utilizing a remote or through a cell phone. In the event that the bulb is dimmable, you can likewise control the brilliance easily and without lifting anything over a finger.
Smart bulbs do not necessarily need internet connections; rather, all you need to have is your smart bulb connected to a local network i.e Wi-Fi, and afterward, connect your phone to the same network. It doesn’t require internet connection unless you want to control your lights outside the network; then you’d have to use built-in Wi-Fi radios to connect directly with your router, which lets you control them remotely wherever you have an internet connection.
In other words, to control bulbs like that from further away, you’ll need a Wi-Fi hub to relay their signals to your router and on to you via the cloud, hence the need for an internet connection.
This could be helpful for individuals who neglect to turn off the light, while leaving for work in the day, running a fast task and shutting for the day at your workplace; accepting that you’re that sort of individual who doesn’t like the light being ‘on’ in your absence.
How Do Smart Bulbs Work?
Be that as it may, for it to work you need a smartphone, a tablet or a cell phone or the like. Much of the time, you will require a home automation hub that will enable you to work the smart bulb wirelessly. Most home automation hub for smart bulbs make use of communication standards like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave or ZigBee.
This gives you more reliable performance and provides a backup in case one mode of connection fails; also note that these connections are made through an application on your phone, tablet or PC.
The vast majority who are crawling towards building a smart home will, in general, go with a home mechanization system like SmartThings or Nest to make their smart bulbs and other smart gadgets increasingly effective. You can likewise decide to utilize voice-enacted frameworks like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Reverberation, and Apple’s Homepod and so forth to control the smart bulb.
Some smart light bulbs must be controlled through an application that can be downloaded to your cell phone and most of the smart light bulbs can be controlled both by voice and application.
Also, be deliberate in reading the instructions that accompany your smart light bulbs in full. There you’ll be able to discover brand-specific information about which application to download and how to set up your preferred bulbs with the smart speaker
How Long Do Smart Light Bulbs Last When Connected to the Internet?
Smart bulbs can likewise keep going for quite a while when compared with standard bulbs. At the point when utilized proficiently, they can keep going for anyplace between 15,000 hours to 25,000 hours even while connected; shocking right? And it’s not usually connected at all times, depending on its owner, so it’s expected to last longer than estimated.
Since all smart light bulbs are LED (light-emitting diode), you can anticipate that these light bulbs should last any longer than your old traditional bulbs. What’s more, since LED bulbs are 90 percent more efficient than incandescent light bulbs, you may even observe a decrease in your energy bill with enough smart bulbs on the premises.
Numerous bulbs can be controlled using an application, like the Philips Hue lights. Fortunately, you can utilize your smart light bulbs as it was done in the good ‘ol days using a conventional switch. This is great to know for when the WiFi is out or you flip the switch without really thinking. However, remember that if the physical light switch is off, the bulb is shut down and can’t turn on by voice or application. The switch should be in the “on” position for the smart bulb’s smarts to work.
Are “Smart” Light Bulbs A Security Risk?
“Smart” light bulbs promise energy efficiency and customizable features for homeowners, like remote-controlled mood lighting
. But are they also a security risk? In other words, Can a Smart Light Bulb Leak Your Personal Data?
On its own, it’s quite impossible. But according to a recent study that explored how cybercriminals can use popular smart bulb brands to target people’s personal information, its very possible.
This report — which looked at smart bulb brands including Eufy, Geeni, LIFX, MagicLight, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue and Teckin — found that the devices come with their own risks when not properly safeguarded from cyberattacks.
Think of the smart bulb as another computer, that can be programmed or communicated to; it’s our belief that smart bulbs may be poised to become an even more attractive target for data privacy exploitation, even though they are embedded with very simple chips.
Like the internet, some smart bulbs that are infrared-enabled can be controlled by hackers who use the infrared wavelength to directly access data on a person’s home digital network. That includes text messages, photos, and videos on any computer or mobile device. Owners may not even be aware of the hack since it came from within their home’s own network.
Researchers have tested smart bulbs for their vulnerability to being hacked from distances of 50 meters, meaning hackers would have to operate from within that distance to target users. But the report didn’t rule out attacks from even longer distances.
In the short term, researchers have advised shoppers to search for smart bulbs that require a smart home hub, a centralized software device where internet-connected devices can communicate directly with each other instead of the WiFi network.
That can make it more difficult for hackers to access a home. The report also states that it is even more important for manufacturers to build in authentication protocols to verify owners, such as when a mobile application asks a smartphone user for permission before accessing a camera or microphone. This could be very key to the safety of your personal information.
The Best Smart Bulb Brands Best Suited For Internet Connectivity.
There are a lot of smart bulb brands in the market that are actually suitable for Internet connectivity, but a few of these brands stand out from the rest as these few have been tested to have a longer range of connectivity and good security measures amongst other things.
These brands also have other good qualities such as dimmable lighting and changeable colors but we’ll focus on the best brand for Internet connections.
The absolute best brands include Philips Hue, Lifx, Hive Active, Xiaomi, and IKEA.
These brands are sure to give you the best connection you could possibly want.
While most smart bulb brands are good with Alexa, however, they may require a hub that additionally bolsters Alexa. Having said that, ZigBee Products normally connects with Alexa directly and doesn’t require a hub mediate.
However, there are three kinds of smart bulbs:
- The ones that use ZigBee or Z-Wave: Brands like Philips Hue, Hive Active Lighting, IKEA Trådfri, and so on.
- The ones that use Wi-Fi: Brands like Wiz, Cree, Eufy, and so forth.
- The ones that use Bluetooth: C by GE is a famous brand that rings a bell
Things To Know Before Buying Smart Bulbs
Smart light bulbs can be used in lamps, installed in pre-existing light fixtures in the home, and, really, anywhere you would install a traditional bulb.
Additionally, remember that:
There are several ways in which you can connect to your smart bulb. But it is important to remember that you can access or control the smart bulb even when you are away from home only if you are connected to it through a home automation system.
If you choose to control the bulb through Bluetooth, you can only control it within the Bluetooth range. The further you move, the weaker the connection gets. Similarly, if you are controlling the device through your Wi-Fi connection, its performance may also get affected by how many other devices are connected to the network. If there are too many devices stretching the Wi-Fi’s bandwidth, the performance of the smart bulb will be affected. If the internet stops working for some reason, the smart bulbs also will lose connection.
It is only with a Z-wave or Zigbee hub that you do not have to rely on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Find out more about the Zigbee hub here. You can also control the smart bulbs when you are away from home using the certified hubs and any mobile device that has the app.
Final Thoughts
With a smart bulb and the right home automation system, you can make a really smart and brilliant home that doesn’t require you to spend more energy than is required. You can get an entire intelligent system that guarantees your house is energy-efficient and that you get the most comfortable and smart setting to live or work in. A single smart bulb Is enough to light up your home or room; imagine owning a host of them. The wonders it would do to your home.