Smart Homes are the in-thing today. Transitioning from a Smart Home to a Dumb Home in one easy step is simple.

Echo-less

The first thing you notice is no internet access. Next, after multiple unsuccessful reboots of the various internet, cable and wifi boxes you grit your teeth and call the internet/cable provider.

In this case, I’m not ratting out the provider because by-and-large service has been good. However, I will complain loudly about the lack of communication from the company covering the exact nature of the problem (left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing…in fact, I’m not sure the left hand was aware of the right hand!)

Bottom line we went from a faux Smart Home to a Dumb Home and it wasn’t pretty or pleasant.

So many devices inside and outside our homes are connected to wifi systems which in turn rely on internet access to the program and manage. No functioning internet/cable really means no access to tv, music, lamps, thermostats and security cameras.   

The glittering blue-green ring on the Echo turned red and responded to commands by telling us she wasn’t working.

Unlike sump pumps with battery or water backup systems, internet access providers don’t usually provide a backup system. Using the hotspot feature on phones works for awhile if you are patient and pay for high data usage packages.  In short, it doesn’t take much to transform a Smart Home to a Dumb Home.

The homes hardest hit by the of service were those relying on not only internet and cable but also for phone services. Home offices went down without notice and left owners scrambling to make other arrangements for contacts that day.

Technically speaking internet access doesn’t define a Smart Home. However, living in a quiet and Echo-less world is as close to a Dumb Home as I ever want to be.  

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