(San Francisco – PCBC Show Booth #253) As the smart home landscape continues to evolve and more connected home accessories are developed every day, your home building projects and client offerings will have to keep up. To ensure devices remain both connected and secure, BRK Brands is introducing PCBC attendees to its Onelink Surround Wi-Fi mesh solution, soon available as an embedded feature within Onelink smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm products such as the Onelink Safe & Sound alarm. Already recognized as a finalist in the “Best Indoor Living Product” category of the NAHB International Builder’s Show, the Onelink Safe & Sound with Wi-Fi mesh eliminates the need for additional Wi-Fi boosters or devices, while also helping protect user data and privacy.
“Better home Wi-Fi coverage and faster speeds are top priorities for new and potential homeowners,” said Mark Devine, Senior Vice President of Marketing at BRK Brands. “As a company rooted in home safety, offering a secure Wi-Fi mesh solution within an essential home device is a natural step for the Onelink by First Alert brand, helping our builder customers provide a solution that protects what matters most, while also taking full advantage of what voice services, like Amazon Alexa, for example, can offer.”
True to BRK’s legacy of home safety and protection, the Onelink Surround Wi-Fi places a premium on security by creating a closed, private network to help detect and prevent cyber-threats and hacks. The technology scans every outbound connection from the network to analyze URLs and IP addresses to detect malicious traffic and infected machines. Users are notified of any potentially suspect activity and, if restricted settings are enabled, it can block any questionable content.
Less Is More
U.S. homes currently have an average of seven-to-10 connected devices, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. This number of connected
devices is expected to triple in the next few years, with the rise of virtual assistants, internet/streaming TV, smart home and wearables. Unlike competitor Wi-Fi products, the Onelink Wi-Fi mesh is a streamlined solution that eliminates the need for extraneous equipment, and frees power outlets for other uses.
“The initial launch of our Wi-Fi mesh solution is just the beginning of a year in which Onelink will profoundly transform the home networking market as we know it,” Devine added. “This technology leverages our strategic footprint in millions of existing homes and new builds with wired smoke alarms, offering greater functionality with no additional footprint.”
Building on Best Practices
Embedding Wi-Fi mesh into Onelink alarms offers more than just convenience. Because Onelink alarms are hardwired directly into the home’s power source, as opposed to plug-in routers, the connection does not run the risk of being accidentally unplugged or short-circuited due to overloaded outlets. Furthermore, its ceiling placement adds beam-forming and line-of-sight benefits, bringing best practice tactics found mostly in commercial buildings into the residential space. These allow Onelink to send the network signal in-between floors, eliminating “dark zones” of safety and connectivity.
Have It Your Way
The Onelink Surround Wi-Fi system is available in a variety of configurations to suit any project. For example, a starter system may include two ceiling-mount Safe & Sound alarm units that are hardwired and one base node, which should be connected to the home’s router. The units are in constant communication with one another via a wired backhaul, preventing congestion and directing maximum internet speeds to the locations where it’s needed most. The resulting network blankets the home with consistent Wi-Fi coverage, enabling users and devices to get online – and stay online – faster and easier.
“BRK Brands’ legacy in home safety and delivering high-quality life safety products elevates its mesh technology beyond any other Wi-Fi booster product available in the building industry,” Devine said. “From our premium smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to our new Wi-Fi solution, BRK is always working to provide solutions that keep your customers, their families and their data safe.”
The Onelink Surround Wi-Fi System is just one of the latest innovations in home safety on display at the BRK Brands Booth (#253) at the PCBC Show in San Francisco, May 30-31, 2019. For more information, visit http://onelink.firstalert.com and www.brkelectronics.com.
###