When I first started building my smart home network, I felt like a networking rockstar. I was trying out every new feature, shortcut, and pro-tip I found online. After all, we all want a fast, secure, and reliable home network. But between all the tutorials and recommendations, it’s easy to set up your gear in a way that actually hurts performance or, worse, compromises your security.

I have spent years tinkering with my own setup, and along the way, I made some truly regrettable decisions. Here are the five things I wish I had never done on my home network, and why avoiding them is the best upgrade you can make today.

Using the ISP-provided router

A common mistake

When I first got my high-speed internet installed, I made the most obvious rookie mistake. I used the free router unit that the ISP guy handed me. It was included in the monthly fee, looked fine, and promised to handle my connection.

However, I soon ran into several issues. The coverage was patchy, and it dropped signals in rooms barely twenty feet away. Media streaming and my XDA team calls would buffer constantly. The built-in antennas simply weren’t powerful enough for a modern home.

Even when I upgraded my internet speed, the router itself couldn’t handle the traffic. Also, the customization options were basic at best.

Overall, the ISP gear is designed to be cheap and functional enough to get you connected. It is rarely ideal for performance and security. Ditching that box and investing in a high-quality router was the single best upgrade I ever made.

Keeping default passwords and SSIDs

A risky endeavor

This one is because of my pure laziness. When I first set up my network devices — whether it was the router, a network camera, or a new smart switch — I frequently left the factory default login credentials intact. I thought, who would bother hacking my tiny home network?

One day, while browsing a security forum, I saw a massive list of default device logins that are publicly known and commonly exploited. My equipment was all over that list.

I realized that if a malicious script had targeted my public IP address and tried that common login combination, they would have had instant, full control over those devices.

They could have watched my camera feeds or even bricked my devices. It only took me like five minutes to change those default settings.

Skipping a UPS

A must-have

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I always considered a UPS a ‘nice to have,’ not a necessity. It was expensive, bulky, and I thought the occasional power flicker wasn’t a big deal.

However, we had a bad electrical storm roll through one evening. The power went out completely for two seconds, came back on for half a second, and then went out again. That rapid on/off cycling was devastating.

When the power finally stabilized, my network was a mess. Every piece of hardware was rebooted, and it even interrupted a critical file transfer. If I had a UPS, the network would have simply coasted through those flickers. It’s a non-negotiable insurance for your network brain.

Buying the wrong Ethernet cable

Throw out those old cables

When I first started wiring up my home, I assumed a cable was just a cable. I grabbed a pile of older thin Ethernet lines I had lying around and ran them to my desktop, smart TV, and gaming console.

I was paying for 500 Mbps internet service, but my speed tests were topping out at around 90 Mbps. I spent weeks blaming my ISP, router, and even my computer’s network card. I rebooted everything countless times, and nothing fixed it.

The painful truth finally hit me when I researched Ethernet standards. My ancient Cat5 cables were incapable of handling speeds faster than 100 Mbps.

The moment I swapped out those for Cat6 cables, my speed test instantly jumped to the full 500 Mbps I was paying for.

Also, unlike me, you shouldn’t avoid router and network device firmware updates. It’s like updating the operating system for your network’s brain.

Over-complicating network segmentation

Keep it simple

The idea of VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is brilliant: segment your network so if one device (like a smart bulb) gets hacked, the attacker can’t jump over to your PC or server.

However, when you create several VLANs, your devices stop talking to each other. My phone, on the ‘Home’ VLAN, suddenly couldn’t see my Wi-Fi printer, which was on the ‘IoT’ VLAN. It affected AirPlay and casting services as well.

For a home network, a basic isolated guest Wi-Fi network is often enough.

The home network fails

After all the frustration, the hours of troubleshooting, and occasional feeling that I was making things worse, the biggest lesson I learned is this: a great home network is often a simple one. The urge to over-engineer, segment everything, or chase the latest hardware often leads to instability.

By walking you through the mistakes I made, I hope to have provided you with a clearer roadmap for your own home network setup. Now that you are aware of the pitfalls, review your network, decommission unnecessary services, and build a robust system.