We Connected Every Smart Device in the House – Here’s What Happened

Home & Lifestyle Blog | MATE | 16 December 2025

What started as a simple weekend project turned into a masterclass in home networking. Here’s the real story of what it takes to build a truly connected smart home in 2024.

I’ll be honest. When I decided to finally connect every smart device scattered around our house, I thought it would take a Saturday afternoon. Maybe Sunday morning if things went sideways.

I was spectacularly wrong.

What followed was a two-week journey through dropped connections, firmware updates that refused to install, and more router resets than I care to admit. But by the end, I’d learned exactly what it takes to build a smart home that actually works. And more importantly, I learned what doesn’t.

Day One: The Inventory

First, I needed to see what I was working with. I walked through every room with a notepad, cataloging every smart device we’d accumulated over the past few years.

The list was longer than expected:

• 3 smart speakers
• 2 video doorbells
• 8 smart light bulbs
• 4 security cameras (2 indoor, 2 outdoor)
• 1 smart thermostat
• 1 smart garage door opener
• 2 smart plugs
• 1 robot vacuum
• 3 smart TVs
• 2 streaming devices
• Multiple phones, tablets, and laptops

That’s 27 devices, not counting the computers and phones we use daily. And every single one needed a stable internet connection.

Day Two: The First Reality Check

I started with what seemed easiest. The smart lights in the living room. Download the app, connect to wifi, done. Right?

Wrong.

The first bulb connected fine. The second one wouldn’t pair. The third connected but kept dropping offline. By bulb number four, I was questioning my life choices.

The problem? My router was in the front corner of the house, and these bulbs were at the opposite end. The wifi signal was there, barely, but not strong enough for consistent connectivity. One bar of wifi might let you check email, but smart home devices need rock-solid connections to work reliably.

Lesson learned: Wifi coverage matters more than you think.

The Speed Test That Changed Everything

Before going further, I ran a speed test. We were on a basic NBN 25 plan, getting about 24 Mbps download. For general browsing, that had been fine. But now I was asking our network to handle:

• Streaming 4K video
• Video doorbell footage uploading to the cloud
• Security cameras doing the same
• Voice assistants listening and responding
• Smart home hubs coordinating everything
• Regular household internet use

The math wasn’t adding up.

I needed to upgrade our plan. After comparing options, I switched to MATE’s No Worries NBN 100 plan with unlimited data and no contract. The flexibility of no contract was important because I wasn’t sure yet what speed tier would be right for our setup.

Within a day of the switch, the difference was noticeable. Video calls were clearer. The doorbell stopped lagging. But I still had connectivity issues in the back rooms.

The Great Mesh Network Experiment

Here’s something they don’t tell you in smart home setup guides: your router’s location matters enormously.

Our router sat in the study at the front of the house because that’s where the NBN connection box was installed. It’s a typical three-bedroom house, maybe 150 square meters. Not huge. But with brick walls, a metal roof, and the router tucked away in a corner, the wifi signal was patchy at best.

I had two options:

1. Run ethernet cables through the walls (expensive, messy)
2. Set up a mesh wifi system (easier, more flexible)

I went with mesh.

A mesh system uses multiple units placed throughout your home, creating a blanket of wifi coverage instead of a single point broadcasting from one location. Devices automatically connect to the nearest mesh point, maintaining a strong signal as you move around.

I set up three mesh nodes: one connected to the router in the study, one in the hallway, and one in the main bedroom. The difference was immediate and dramatic.

Those stubborn smart lights? Connected on the first try. The back bedroom camera that kept dropping? Solid connection. The robot vacuum that would lose connection mid-clean and stop in the middle of the kitchen? Finally completing its routes.

Lesson learned: Mesh networks aren’t a luxury for smart homes, they’re essential.

The Wired vs Wireless Revelation

As I worked through connecting devices, I noticed something interesting. The smart TV in the living room worked perfectly. The one in the bedroom was constantly buffering, even with the mesh system.

Then I remembered: the living room TV was plugged into an ethernet cable I’d run years ago for a gaming console. It had a wired connection.

This led me down a rabbit hole of testing. I started running ethernet cables to key devices where I could:

• The main smart TV
• The home office computer
• The security camera base station
• One of the mesh nodes

Every device I could wire directly to the network freed up wifi bandwidth for devices that couldn’t be wired. The outdoor cameras, the doorbell, the smart speakers scattered around the house, they all had more bandwidth to work with.

Lesson learned: Wired connections aren’t old-fashioned, they’re the foundation of a solid network.

For major devices that need consistent, high-bandwidth connections (TVs, desktop computers, gaming consoles, security system hubs), a wired connection is worth the effort. Save your wifi bandwidth for devices that truly need to be wireless.

The Firmware Update Marathon

Week two brought a new challenge. Devices were connected, but some were acting strange. The thermostat would randomly reset. One camera kept rebooting. A smart plug would turn on and off by itself.

The culprit? Outdated firmware.

I hadn’t thought about it, but smart devices need regular updates just like your phone or computer. These updates patch security vulnerabilities, fix bugs, and improve performance. But many devices don’t update automatically, or require manual approval.

I spent an entire evening going through every device, checking for updates:

• The video doorbell needed an update (released three months ago)
• All eight smart bulbs needed updates
• The thermostat was two versions behind
• Three of the four cameras needed updates
• Even the mesh system had a firmware update waiting

Some updates installed in minutes. Others took 15-20 minutes per device. The doorbell required a full restart after updating. One camera needed to be reset and reconnected from scratch.

But after everything was updated? The random issues stopped. Devices responded faster. The whole system felt more stable.

Lesson learned: Firmware updates aren’t optional, they’re maintenance.

Now I have reminders set to check for updates monthly. It takes 30 minutes every few weeks, but it’s prevented countless headaches.

The Bandwidth Bottleneck

With everything connected and updated, I ran into one more issue. Between 6pm and 9pm each evening, devices would slow down or drop offline briefly.

This was our peak usage time. Someone streaming Netflix in the bedroom. Kids on YouTube in the living room. Smart speakers playing music. Phones uploading photos. The doorbell recording motion. Security cameras streaming.

All at once, we were hitting the limits of even the NBN 100 plan.

I had two choices: manage our usage better or upgrade again. I decided to take advantage of the nbn fibre upgrade program with MATE which would bump up my speed to 500mbps download which would be plenty!. Still unlimited data, still no contract, but with speeds that could handle everything we threw at it simultaneously.

The upgrade solved the problem completely. Even during peak times, with multiple streams running and smart devices doing their thing, everything worked smoothly.

Lesson learned: Be honest about your household’s internet needs.

A single person in a small apartment might do fine on NBN 50. A family of four with a full smart home setup? You’ll want NBN 100 at minimum, possibly higher if you can.

The Final Setup That Actually Works

After two weeks of troubleshooting, here’s the setup that finally delivered a stable, responsive smart home:

Network Infrastructure:

• Mesh wifi system with three nodes providing whole-home coverage
• Ethernet cables running to stationary high-bandwidth devices
• MATE’s No Worres NBN 500/50 plan with unlimited data and no contract

Device Management:

• Monthly firmware update checks
• Devices organized by room in their respective apps
• Separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks (some older devices only work on 2.4GHz)
• Regular speed tests to monitor performance

Key Placement Decisions:

• Mesh nodes positioned to eliminate dead zones
• Router elevated and placed in a central location where possible
• Security cameras on 5GHz network for better bandwidth
• Smart speakers and bulbs on 2.4GHz (better range, lower bandwidth needs)

What I Wish I’d Known From the Start

Looking back, here’s what would have saved me days of frustration:

1. Test your wifi coverage before buying smart devices. Walk around your house with your phone, checking signal strength in every room. If you have dead zones or weak signals, fix that first with a mesh system.

2. Your internet plan matters more than you think. Budget smart home setups can work on slower plans, but once you add cameras, video doorbells, and streaming devices, you need serious bandwidth. The flexibility of MATE’s no-contract plans meant I could upgrade twice without penalty as I figured out what we really needed.

3. Wired connections are your friend. Every device you can wire is one less device competing for wifi bandwidth. It’s not always possible or practical, but where you can run ethernet, do it.

4. Update everything before you start. As soon as you unbox a new smart device, check for firmware updates. Don’t wait until you’re troubleshooting connection issues weeks later.

5. Not all devices play nicely together. Some smart home ecosystems work better than others. Where possible, stick to devices that integrate well (like all Google Home products, or all Alexa-compatible devices).

6. Security matters. With dozens of devices connected to your network, each one is a potential security risk. Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication where available, and keep everything updated.

The Ongoing Reality

It’s been three months since I finished connecting everything. The smart home isn’t zero maintenance, but it’s close. I check for updates once a month. Occasionally I need to reset a device. The mesh system has been rock solid.

The real test came last month when we had friends stay for a week. Six extra people, all with phones and tablets. Streaming, video calling, social media. Our network handled it without breaking a sweat.

That’s when I knew the setup was right. Not just for today, but with headroom for tomorrow.

The Bottom Line

Building a truly connected smart home isn’t as simple as buying devices and connecting them to wifi. You need:

The Right Foundation:

• A capable internet plan (we landed on NBN 500/50, but your needs may vary)
• Whole-home wifi coverage (mesh systems are the best solution for most houses)
• Ethernet connections for high-bandwidth devices where possible

The Right Approach:

• Start with infrastructure (network) before adding devices
• Test coverage and speed before you’re troubleshooting problems
• Keep firmware updated on all devices
• Don’t be afraid to upgrade your plan as needs grow

The Right Provider:

• Flexibility matters (no-contract plans let you adjust as you learn)
• Unlimited data is essential (smart homes generate constant traffic)
• Reliable speeds during peak times (not just theoretical maximum speeds)

Was it worth the two-week headache? Absolutely. Walking into a well-lit house, having the garage door open as we pull in, seeing who’s at the door from anywhere, adjusting the temperature from bed… these small conveniences add up.

But the real win is knowing the network underneath it all is solid. I’m not troubleshooting connection issues anymore. I’m not wondering if adding one more device will break everything. The foundation is built right, and it just works.

If you’re planning to build out a smart home, learn from my mistakes. Start with the network. Get the infrastructure right. Then add the devices. Your future self will thank you.

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