Reviews

Asus Lyra vs Eero Second Generation (Pro)

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The Asus Lyra and the Eero Second Generation are two of the latest WiFi systems to join the new generation of home networking devices, both of them taking advantage of the tri-band technology (so there’s an additional 5GHz radio band for a better handling of the connected devices and the backhaul traffic), but, while Eero … Read more

Xiaomi Mijia Aqara Gateway IP Camera Review

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The Xiaomi Mijia Aqara gateway camera is a small form factor device suitable for home monitoring (it will work great as a baby cam), being able to capture daylight, as well as night-time videos (at 1080p), it can easily be mounted on the wall or ceiling (by magnetic attachment or using the adhesive two-sided tape), … Read more

Asus Lyra Home Wi-Fi System Review

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Asus did not immediately jump on the bandwagon of WiFi mesh systems and it seemed to take its time to carve the perfect set of devices which, when released, would dominate the market. Well, the Asus Lyra is not really the mesh WiFi systems’ Messiah and the manufacturer did not find the perfect balance between … Read more

Apple Watch 3 vs Samsung Gear S3 Frontier

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The Apple Watch 3 and the Samsung Gear 3 Frontier are proof that the Samsung vs Apple rivalry has transcended the smartphone area and it continues on the realm of smartwatches as well, but, this relatively new market has proven to be a lot more difficult to enter and the competition a lot more fierce, … Read more

Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat Review

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The Nest Learning Thermostat has been a long time favourite since it managed to offer what the user expected from a smart thermostat (the best balance between a number of useful features and an intelligently designed device – something that the more complicated traditional thermostat lacked), but after some time, the shortcomings of the Nest … Read more

Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 3 Review

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While it did not build the initial smart thermostat, Nest is among the first manufacturers to have managed to find the perfect balance between a functional design and a proper amount of features. Unlike other devices (such as the water bottles, hairbrushes, trash-cans or toasters) that got smart just as a proof of concept, the … Read more

Samsung Connect Home Review

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The Samsung Connect Home is the first move from the Korean-based manufacturer to enter the WiFi mesh system family (which has been growing rapidly in the last couple of years) but, it is not the first time Samsung has tried its hands on the development of a smart home hub, since it also owns the … Read more

Asus RT-AC88U vs NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S R7800

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The Asus RT-AC88U and the Netgear X4S are two of the most popular routers released in the last couple of years, both suitable for more demanding home networks (such as larger houses where there are lots of wireless clients), while also featuring some advanced technologies that will cater to the gaming community. The Netgear Nighthawk … Read more

Cujo, pfSense or the Router Firewall: The Best Ways To Protect Your (IoT) Smart Devices From Outside Threats

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 WHAT IS CUJO?  CAN A REGULAR ROUTER PROTECT YOUR IOT NETWORK?  IS CUJO REALLY PLUG AND FORGET?  WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE OUT THERE? (PFSENSE) When the first smart devices came into existence and the concept of a smart home and the IoT has finally managed to materialize, a lot of people have pointed out that … Read more

Open Mesh S8 Switch Review

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Since its emergence in 2005, Open Mesh has evolved quite a bit and, while before it only manufactured access points (it is one of the first companies to port the mesh technology to the consumer market at an affordable price), it seems that now, it has expanded its reach, adding a series of Ethernet switches … Read more