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The Ultimate Smart Home Guide

The 2022 Ultimate Smart Home Guide

A comprehensive guide to the latest Smart Home technology that can make your home life more comfortable, efficient and secure.

No matter where you live or what you do for a living, we’re all looking for user-friendly solutions that can make our lives easier, while also saving us money and time. The best Smart Home devices on the market today do just that, and are designed to improve the efficiency, safety and comfort of your home. Think:

But with a wide array of options to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which products would best suit your home, budget and lifestyle. That’s where this guide comes in—featuring an in-depth overview of the most popular Smart Home products, plus tips on setting up your connected home and considerations for purchasing or renting your new Smart equipment. You’ll come away with a better understanding of the latest Smart Home systems and services that will allow you to take advantage of the potential savings, efficiencies and comfort delivered by connected technology.

Whether you’re searching for a way to access media across multiple devices, to safeguard your home from potential intruders, or to get a handle on your energy consumption, remember: you can always Call on Reliance™ to find the right solutions for your home.

10 Questions this Guide will Answer

About Smart Home

Google Nest Hub showing mailman at the front door from the kitchen

Smart Homes use WiFi-enabled products—also called Smart Home devices—to support the remote monitoring and management of home appliances and systems, including the thermostat, HVAC, indoor and outdoor lighting, security cameras, media players and more. In addition to Internet connectivity, most Smart Home devices use cutting-edge technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to monitor user behaviour patterns, which allows the devices to automatically update settings based on the preferences of people in the home.

Because Smart Home products and systems monitor and learn user patterns and preferences over time, they often become key tools in making homes more energy efficient. As the ultimate in “set and forget” technology, At the same time, devices like Smart Home door locks (some including cameras) and alarm systems offer peace of mind whether you’re home or away, and can boost the overall protection of your home and contents from intruders—or even just untimely visitors!

Smart Tip #1

Small changes can make a big difference to your power consumption and resulting energy bills. Try these tips
  1. Install a Smart thermostat to take control of your heating and cooling.
  2. Turn lights off when not in use or install Smart Switches that automate on-off functionality, so you don’t even have to think about flicking a switch.
  3. Use a Smart Power Strip to reduce energy waste when your TV, game console, computer and other devices are switched off.
  4. Choose energy-efficient, Smart Lightbulbs—especially LEDs, which last up to 15 times longer than incandescent varieties.

3 Key Benefits of Building a Connected Home

Energy Efficiency

Dial in your energy consumption with a Smart Thermostat that learns from you, programs itself automatically and can help save energy during peak usage.

Home Security

Use Smart Doorbells to see who’s at your front door, even if you’re not at home, tamper-proof, keyless deadbolt locks that lock automatically when you’re away, wireless indoor and outdoor cameras that offer a real-time view of your property, and more.

Day-to-Day Automation

Enlist a Smart Home Hub to keep track of your schedule, receive reminders automatically, make shopping lists, control compatible devices (including lights, thermostat, and switches), and more.

Watch to learn more about the Benefits of Smart Home

Smart Home Devices

Smart Home Bundle Products

Hover to learn more about popular Smart Home devices

Smart Home Hub

This “virtual personal assistant” allows you to control your Smart Home devices from a single dashboard.
Learn More Below

Outdoor Smart Camera

Detect suspicious movement and sounds and sends an alert with an image directly to your phone or email.
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Wide-Coverage Wireless Router

Extend and improve the coverage of your home Wi-Fi system
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Smart Speaker

Control your connected home using your voice.
Learn More Below

Smart Thermostat

Less expensive than the Nest Learning Thermostat with most of the same features.
Learn More Below

Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

It’s the centre of your helpful home
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Indoor Smart Camera

See and hear what’s going on at home, even when you’re not there.
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Temperature Sensors

Flexible, temperature-controlled comfort throughout your home.
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Smart Audio

Fill your home with music, audiobooks, podcasts and more.
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Smart Thermostat E

Get a stylish connected thermostat on a budget.
Learn More Below

Smart Smoke and CO Detector

Outsmart danger with a device that’s powerful enough to tell the difference between burnt toast and full-fledged house fire.
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Smart Door Lock

A keyless deadbolt lock that’s smart enough to secure your door automatically when you’re away.
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Smart Doorbell (Wired)

Safely and conveniently see who’s coming and going, even when you’re not at home.
Learn More Below

Nest Cam with Floodlight

A floodlight and camera all in one.
Learn More Below

Smart Learning Thermostat

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Smart Thermostat

Nest Thermostat E

Nest Thermostat E

Smart Home Hub

Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

Smart Smoke and CO Detector

Google Nest Protect

Smart Speaker

Outdoor Smart Camera

Indoor Smart Camera

Smart Door Lock

Google Nest Yale Lock

Wide-Coverage Wireless Router

Smart Doorbell (Wired)

Google Nest Doorbell

Temperature Sensors

Smart Audio

Nest Cam with Floodlight

Smart Tip #2

Waiting for an important package to arrive and worried that it’ll get swiped from your front step?  There’s a solution for that! Outdoor Smart Cameras can detect movement and sounds and sends an alert with an image directly to your phone or email. Plus: They’re smart enough to automatically zoom in for close-up tracking, while facial-recognition technology can pinpoint the features of anyone who comes in contact with your package—deliveryperson or otherwise. And the built-in recording capabilities offered in some models allow you to capture high-resolution video up to 15 metres (50 feet) away—for increased safety, security and protection of your property and possessions. Learn more about Outdoor Smart Cameras here.

Compatible Smart Product

Up the efficiency factor of your Smart Home setup with these 3 compatible products:

Smart Switches

Control your connected home from afar with these Smart replacements for traditional electrical switches.
Learn More Below

Smart Bulbs

Choose from a variety of models, including ones that are dimmable out of the box (i.e., without a dimmer switch), change colour and even play music.
Learn More Below

Smart Plugs

Smart Switches

Wemo light switch

Smart Bulbs

Wyze light bulb

Installing your Smart Home

Smart Home Technician instaling Google Nest Outdoor Cam

5 Simple Steps to Set-up your Connected Home

Building a Smart Home can be a difficult task, especially with the wide variety of brands and products available in the Canadian market today. This five-step approach can help:

Think about your daily habits and patterns—what would make your life easier, more comfortable and more efficient?

Next, consider your current Smart situation: Are you just starting to dip your toe into the Smart Home pool and want to begin integrating time- and cost-saving devices here and there in your home? Or, are you looking to expand on the gadgets you’re already using with even smarter technology? Or, further still, are you considering kitting out a completely connected home—from doorbell to lighting, speakers to security cameras indoors and out, smoke and CO detector to water valve control?

You’ll need to investigate the suitability of each product against your goals and current situation. Ask yourself:

  1. How well do the features and benefits match up with my wants and needs?
  2. What needs to be in place in my home in order for me to start using this product (e.g., high-speed Internet, specific wiring or outlets, etc.)?
  3. Are my current systems (e.g., HVAC, Internet, home monitoring, audiovisual components, etc.) compatible with the new solution?
  4. Do I need to buy any add-on items to make a chosen product work in my specific home layout?
  5. What’s involved in the setup? Do I need to download an app to my phone or tablet?
  6. Am I tech-savvy enough to complete the installation myself or should I hire a professional?

We recommend that you aim to integrate products with the widest compatibility as possible—especially if you’re new to the Smart Home category. This way, you can build up your connected home without having to worry too much about potential conflicts as you introduce new devices in the future.

Based on what you learned in Step 2, now is the time to get your home ready for the new products or solutions that you’ve selected.

This process can be as easy as downloading a Smart Home monitoring app to your phone or installing a Smart Home desktop app to your computer. On the other hand, you might need to investigate the best place to put a wireless Smart Home camera on the outside of your house or upgrade your Internet package to take advantage of the new functionality you’re planning to introduce to your home.

Note: If you have any doubts about whether a product is right for your home, what steps you need to take to prepare your home, or if you’re unsure of your tech-installation capabilities—it’s important to consult with a professional service provider. When you work with a technician who’s trained in connected technology and knows the ins and outs of product compatibility, installation and troubleshooting, you’ll be setting both yourself and your new Smart product up for greater success over time.

Many Smart Home devices are what’s called “plug and play,” meaning they’re often functional straight out of the box and likely only need to be charged up and connected to your Wi-Fi network to get to work. This includes many Smart Speakers, Hubs and Smoke Detectors, as well as most Smart Plugs, Switches and Lightbulbs.

However, other devices, including Smart Doorbells and Locks, Cameras and Thermostats, require some in-home setup. Most often, this involves personalization—setting unique passcodes (Smart Locks); checking record settings (indoor and outdoor Smart Cameras and Smart Doorbells with audiovisual capabilities); specifying preferences and schedules (Smart Thermostats); or other quick steps to help your new Smart Home devices learn your patterns and behaviour.

Setup and installation instructions are often available inside the package of the new device, but an even safer bet is to enlist a trained Smart Home Technicians, like those on-staff at Reliance Home Comfort, who’ll save you the time and hassle of setting up your new equipment, and will even guide you through the use of your new Smart Home products. And if you ever have a problem that requires in-home service, those expert technicians are then only a phone call away.

One of the easiest steps overall—essentially, you’ll need to keep your Smart Home apps updated (i.e., downloading new versions when they become available), add or update schedules and preferences, and so on, to keep your devices functioning optimally.

The good news is that, because they’re “smart,” most devices will “tell you” when they need maintenance: They’ll alert you when their batteries are low or a new version of their app is available. They may even notify you when they detect new or different behaviour patterns from what they’ve learned.

Learn More about the Benefits of Smart Home Installation

Rent vs. Buy

Smart Home Consultant in customer's home showing them options on a tablet

To rent or to buy? We compare the options.

Renting your Smart Home Equipment:

Purchasing your Smart Home Equipment:

Why Reliance?

Smart Home Technician standing in from of Reliance car

Why Choose Reliance for your Connected Home Needs?

Reliance Smart Home service packages are an easy, worry-free and affordable way to build your connected home. And when you choose Reliance for your Smart Home technology, you can rest assured that each of our technicians has been specially trained in the installation and setup of Smart Home products. Take advantage of these benefits when you Call on Reliance™ for your Smart Home needs:

Watch to learn more about getting Smart Home with Reliance

When you choose Reliance for your connected home needs, your Smart Home products are covered from start to finish—and if anything goes wrong, we’re only a phone call away!

Google, Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Thermostat, Nest Thermostat E, Nest Temperature Sensor, Nest Audio, Nest Mini, Nest Hub Max, Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Wifi, Nest Protect, Nest x Yale Lock, Nest Cam (outdoor or indoor, battery), Nest Cam with floodlight, Nest Cam (indoor, wired), Nest Doorbell (battery), and Nest Doorbell (wired) are trademarks of Google LLC.




*The Nest Hub Max requires a Wi-Fi network, a nearby electrical socket, and a compatible (Android, iOS) mobile device. A Google Account is required for full access to features.


[1] Google Duo account required to make video calls and leave video messages.

[2] Night Vision not supported.

[3] Personalized results, for up to six users, require additional enrollment and setup.

[4] YouTube TV and music services require a subscription. TV and music services require a subscription.