CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — If you’re not very tech savvy, and you get something that seems high tech for Christmas, don’t worry!
It’s not as difficult to use as you might think – even when setting it up.
No need to leave installing video doorbells or security cameras to the professionals. Best Buy’s Nathan Roach says they are actually user friendly.
“If you follow the step-by-step process, I think they are fairly simple to set up,” Roach said. “If you’ve ever set up any other smart devices, or even have a pretty limited knowledge of your phone, you’ll probably be able to get these set up just fine.”
Roach says with Ring, Arlo, or Google Nest products, for example, you’ll need to download the corresponding app for the product.
“That app will actually help you monitor, and that’s where you’ll get your alerts also, so if somebody were to ring your doorbell, or come to your front door, that’s where you’d get that alert,” he said.
As helpful as these devices are for keeping an eye on your home, some people worry about them getting hacked.
Roach says don’t sweat it. He says these devices don’t get hacked often, and shouldn’t if you do the right thing ahead of time.
It all starts with your computer.
“Make sure you’re always smart with the sites you visit online,” Roach said. “Even when you’re dealing – when you have cameras or voice assistants, keep in mind a lot of times it is malicious software that you have gotten online that actually can create some of those issues. So making sure that you have a good virus or malware protection on your computer, making sure your wireless network is actually password protected, so not everybody has access to it.”
Also make sure the wireless network in your home is password protected.
“You want to eliminate any way for people to get into your network, because if they’re able to get into your network, obviously it opens up the possibility for them to get into your devices.”
Starting over is always an option if needed.
“I always recommend too, if anything ever happens, that you feel like just doesn’t seem right, or just seems like it’s out of place, there’s always options to do hard resets on these devices, to where it essentially sets it back to factory settings, and it essentially gives you a fresh start,” Roach said.
Giving you peace of mind, so your tech can help keep you and your family safe.
If you’re still having trouble installing some of your tech Christmas gifts, Roach says Best Buy can help.
Their Geek Squad can come out to your home to install your devices, but the service is not always free.