If you’re adding a voice assistant to your home this holiday season, you’re not alone. In fact, the number of smart speakers owned by Americans surpassed 50 million this year, and is expected to reach 175 million by 2022. Unfortunately, that’s bad news for homes with older routers.
“Older routers lack the features and technology to deliver consistent Wi-Fi performance in a house full of devices,” said Oscar Reyes, VP of Marketing at D-Link Systems, Inc. “The good news is, as you add voice assistants and more connected devices to your home this year, now’s the perfect time to upgrade your Wi-Fi.”
Newer routers can connect more devices without slowing down because they have features such as MU-MIMO, QoS, and 4×4 streaming, like the AC2600 EXO Wi-Fi Router (DIR-882). For homes with multiple smart devices, including voice assistants, the key is whole-home coverage. For that, a system such as the Covr Dual-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System (Covr-1203) is needed.
Better Wi-Fi is especially important for devices that work with voice assistants, like D-Link Wi-Fi cameras, which feature voice casting. With voice casting, you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant to cast feeds from compatible D-Link cameras onto your TV. So, if you’re comfortable on the couch and you want to check on your baby without getting up, you can.
Availability and Pricing
Dual-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System (Covr-1203)—$249.99
AC2600 EXO Wi-Fi Router (DIR-882)—$149.99
Full HD Pan & Tilt Wi-Fi Camera (DCS-8525LH)—$99.99
Full HD Wi-Fi Camera (DCS-8300LH)—$89.99
Mini HD Wi-Fi Camera (DCS-8000LH) Single Pack—$59.99