Nowadays, it is not unusual to find people installing smart locks, security systems, doorbells, and lighting around their homes. Smart home tech has transformed our security practices; gone are the days we worry about leaving home, not knowing what’s happening in our absence. However, it also means we have to be mindful of those practices, like being considerate of where we place our smart home tech and how we use it. These additions impact neighbor etiquette; our actions and setup can make or break trust with the people around us. Here are the ways that smart home tech is affecting those bonds.
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What do we mean by neighbor etiquette?
Etiquette refers to how we behave and act in polite society or among members of a particular group. Getting along with your neighbors is part of etiquette. However, maintaining a certain level of respect and rapport with them is another. Following good etiquette is much better than having disputes or awkward run-ins with your neighbors. In other words, respecting boundaries and communicating concerns before they escalate into a conflict goes a long way.
You and your neighbors must tolerate each other’s lifestyles and routines, which means keeping noise to a minimum and removing disruptions without a second thought. These are the keys to living more harmoniously together. As helpful as it is, smart home technology can positively and negatively influence our neighborly relationships. They can bring technical hiccups, along with questionable setups that don’t work well for our neighbors. On the other hand, they can establish trust and be the basis for building a strong communal relationship.
No one wants to be caught on camera. But unfortunately, circumstances might push you to place cameras in unfavorable locations. Imagine seeing footage of your neighbor’s backyard — you and your neighbor would probably need to chat about why your smart home security setup needs to be where it is. However, this situation probably won’t happen, but if it does, be mindful of the placement and discuss beforehand. Try to clarify why you feel it is necessary to position your camera in a way that overlaps with your neighbor’s home. Otherwise, it’s better to be considerate and private with your neighbors before you hear a barrage of complaints from an upset neighbor (and hopefully not illegal implications).
Setting up smart home speakers takes a lot of work, but it’s well worth it for your entertainment system. Unfortunately, you might lack awareness of how loud your smart speaker system is — how much noise you’re making and how many houses nearby hear it. Moreover, it’s healthy to be more self-conscious of what you share with your smart speaker. Alexa/Google doesn’t need to know everything about your personal life, nor do your neighbors.
If you are having trouble lowering the noise level, check the volume and place your smart speakers in rooms that can keep the noise down. Also, consider quiet hours; your neighbors will be thankful.
6 Not spying on someone when they leave the house
Stop snooping on each other
In truth, smart sensors can work against you. It can alert others to what you are doing. If you have them connected to your lights, they will turn on whenever someone leaves the house. Your neighbors can learn more about your leaving/entering home habits if you do it consistently. That’s awkward if you don’t want your neighbors to know everything, and those privacy concerns are valid. But most likely, your neighbors won’t take note or pay attention; if you suspect so (or are worried), we recommend checking your smart home light settings or automating them at certain times that don’t sync with your schedule.
On the contrary, you can work with your neighbor to set up a good security system. You can set it up so that you and your neighbors have more eyes in case of suspicious activity. For example, if one of you needs to leave home for extended periods (like going traveling), you can keep watch of the other’s home using the smart home security system you’ve installed between the two of you. It also establishes trust with your neighbor, and if anything inauspicious goes on in the area, both of you have access to essential footage that can help police investigations.
4 Smart home tech enforces boundaries
Video doorbells can see it all
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Video doorbells help prevent stolen packages. It also screens your visitors. Installing one lets you see, speak, and hear visitors who come to your door. The nice part is that you can do this while not at home.
Smart video doorbells combine a camera, microphone, and doorbell into a single device. Thanks to that, you are provided live footage from your phone (via an app) and alerts when someone approaches. So, if you have a nosey neighbor or anyone with an eye for thievery, you will know first-hand. Ideally, you hope to ward off their attempts at taking or rooting through your deliveries, but if not, then it might be time to have an unpleasant chat about setting up boundaries.
3 Neglecting to fix a malfunctioning smart home setup
Don’t be that noisy neighbor
Malfunctions can happen. Your lights may flash randomly, or worse, you may experience unusual beeps and alarms from a malfunctioning smart home security system. These all cause disruptions that your neighbors might not take lightly. We recommend being careful and routinely checking that your smart home system is working correctly, the firmware is up-to-date, and that any battery-operated devices are not experiencing any issues.
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7 most common Smart home problems and how to solve them
Glitches with your smart home products can result in inconvenience and frustration
Smart lights are excellent to have around, as they are energy-efficient and light up areas without much input. However, if you aren’t careful with smart light placement, you can cause a glaring light issue for your neighbors or contribute to light pollution. That can disrupt sleep schedules and bring minor annoyance.
There are multiple ways to fix and prevent this issue. You can move the smart light placement so it doesn’t trespass on someone else’s property, or you can maintain a careful schedule and dim lights at appropriate hours. Another method is to install shielded fixtures depending on your smart light type. We recommend checking the compatibility with your smart light to see if fixtures can be used.
1 Unauthorized access to your smart home network
Prevent others from piggy-backing on your Wi-Fi
Source: Lucas Gouveia/Android Police | tete_escape/Shutterstock-Pixelsquid/Shutterstock
If you leave your Wi-Fi access open, you leave it open to your neighbors. Giving unauthorized access to your smart home network is awkward; you can tell your neighbors to kindly stop leeching or stop it from happening yourself. The easiest way to do so is by adding security measures to your smart home network. Do this by ensuring the Wi-Fi network is not set to open and has a complex password (that’s difficult to crack). If you’ve allowed your neighbor to borrow your Wi-Fi in the past, the best approach is to change your Wi-Fi password.
We strongly recommend maintaining tight network security; malicious actors can see and access a vast amount of data and even hack into devices connected to the network. Consider setting up a guest network for peace of mind.
Put the effort in to be a good neighbor
If you lay the groundwork, respect your neighbor’s boundaries, and eliminate disruptions, you shouldn’t have problems. Otherwise, we recommend discussing the potential issues and seeing if you can devise a solution that makes both parties happy. In special cases, you and your neighbor can work together to establish security around the neighborhood, building a trusted communal connection with one another. A safe and happy neighborhood is one that most people strive for.
