Setting up a home automation system using the router supplied by your internet service provider (ISP) is pretty common. Setting up that same system on a separate, isolated router is considered a pro move for advanced users. I can save from experience that doing so requires a bit of technical skill. But it is a smart idea if you know how to pull it off.
Isolating a home automation system on a separate router and network is pretty straightforward if you are using a DIY system or building your own from the ground up. It might not be so easy if you’ve purchased your home automation through a nationwide provider like Vivint, especially if the provider handles the installation for you. You would have to check with them to see if they are willing to go the separate router route.
Regardless of any particular setup, here are the top four reasons for isolating home automation using a separate router and network:
1. Creating a Digital Quarantine
It has been my personal experience that the primary reason for using a separate router is to achieve network isolation. Think of it in terms of lateral movement across a network.
If a hacker were to break into your ISP network through a cheap smart plug with lax security protocols, they could potentially move across your entire network to attack computers, cell phones, etc. But if all of your home automation devices are isolated on a separate network, the hacker can only get into other security devices. Your computers and cell phones are not reachable.
Using a separate router creates a sandbox that prevents lateral movement. However, there is a technical cost. You have to know how to control the flow of information in and out of your house – via that separate router – if you still want your home automation system connected to the internet.
2. Avoiding Device Limits
Although modern routers can handle dozens of devices effortlessly, they are not unlimited in their capacity. Setting up a home automation system with an ISP-provided router could test the limits of the device. All your home automation devices, combined with family computers, cell phones, TVs, etc. could push your primary router to the limit.
Using a separate router prevents your home automation system from interfering with the rest of your network. You can reserve your main network for streaming, gaming, and whatever else you choose to do.
3. Better Frequency Management
The 2.4GHz band is the standard band for IoT devices due to its longer range and ability to pass through walls. But as the band becomes increasingly more crowded, home automation becomes sluggish. Using a separate router offers the opportunity to better manage your local network frequencies.
The typical setup reserves the lower band for home automation devices while letting computers, cell phones, etc. use the 5 or 6GHz bands.
4. Automation When the Internet Goes Down
Although keeping everything local is not necessary, most of us who use separate routers have designed our home automation systems to be local-first, making them usable even without the internet. When I lose internet service temporarily, I can still control all my home automation devices with either my cell phone or my voice. No internet needed.
I was hesitant to use a separate router when I initially started automating my home. But I learned how to do it, and now I would never go back. I have discovered just how smart an idea it is to use a separate router for isolating home automation and its dozens of devices.