Installing smart LED lighting outdoors can provide many benefits, from improved home security to a relaxing atmosphere for evening drinks on your porch. As long as you can install it safely and protect it from bad weather, your normal smart led lighting can be used outdoors. To take full advantage of the light bulb's smart capabilities, your home's WiFi connection must be able to connect to it. Otherwise, smart led lighting can be used as a standard light bulb, controlled simply by a light switch. If your home connection is not strong enough, you may need to use a WiFi extender. You can make sure that the bulb won't get wet or damaged by dust or other small solid particles.
It's not smart unless you can control smart led lighting remotely. Otherwise, it's just a light bulb that you can turn on and off with a switch. To control your smart led lighting remotely, it must be wirelessly connected to the hub or device that controls it. Most smart led lighting works by connecting to a hub or bridge. Every smart led lighting in your home will be connected to the same hub, and it is that hub that routes and sends the commands you provide using your phone.
When you increase the brightness with the slider or change the color with a tap on your phone's screen, your commands are sent through the hub to the bulb you're trying to adjust. If the smart led lighting cannot connect to the hub, it will not respond to the commands being sent. Some smart led lighting do not require a hub, but still need to be on your WiFi network. Smart LED lighting placed outdoors may have poor connectivity. WiFi connections can be weak, especially if blocked by walls and other objects.
Obstacles can weaken your WiFi connection and reduce the distance it can reach. You may find that even if you can safely install smart led lighting outdoors, you can't control it from your phone. If the connection is not strong enough, your bulb will lose its "smart" function. You may be able to use a WiFi extender to further extend your connection. As an added bonus, that means you can sunbathe and watch your favorite channels on your smartphone. If you can't extend your WiFi, you'll need bulbs that connect via Bluetooth, but you can only control them when you're home and within range.
