Fundamentals

This is where everything starts making sense.

A lot of smart home frustration comes from simple problems like poor Wi Fi placement, an overloaded router or a dozen bargain devices fighting for attention. Many people think their automations are broken when the real issue is that the network is held together with hope and whatever router the ISP left in the box.

This section is about fixing that.

Not in a heavy technical way. More in a practical, clear and down to earth way that helps you sort the basics so things stop being flaky. Once the foundation is solid, the rest of your smart home becomes easier to build, grow and trust.

What you will learn

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• Why a solid network matters more than adding another smart device
• How Wi Fi behaves in a normal NZ house
• Switching and PoE basics
• VLANs explained in plain language
• What DNS and DHCP do behind the scenes
• How Zigbee, Thread and Wi Fi devices behave on your network
• Simple layouts that work well without needing enterprise gear

If the Start Here section got you interested, this is the section that keeps you out of trouble. Get these fundamentals right and your smart home becomes stable, predictable and genuinely helpful. No babysitting, no endless tinkering, just a solid base you can build on with confidence.

More fundamentals articles will appear below as I get the chance to write them and test new ideas. If there is something you want explained, I am always happy to hear it.