HOMEKIT ROUTERS
How to provide additional security for your smart devices
Routers are rarely mentioned when discussing the various types of devices that support HomeKit – and that’s probably because there are hardly any HomeKit routers available. In fact, Apple’s list of HomeKitcompatible devices lists just a single router – the Linksys Velop AX4200. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and you can either buy it on its own (£259.95 from the Apple Store) and use it like a conventional router, or as part of a wider mesh networking system for larger homes (from £419.95).
The advantage of using a HomeKit router is that it can provide additional security to keep your home network safe from outside intruders and hacking attacks. Every smart device that is connected to your home Wi-Fi network is a potential point of weakness that could allow a hacker to gain access to your home network. However, a HomeKit router can provide additional protection – but only for other HomeKit devices, such as lights and security cameras, that are set up within the Home app.
The router settings within the Home app enable you to apply ‘restricted’ status to any of your other HomeKit devices, ensuring that they only accept commands from the Home app on your Apple devices, and are also blocked from going beyond your home network and connecting to the wider internet. Some devices do sometimes need to connect to the internet for software or firmware updates, so there’s also an ‘auto’ security setting that allows limited connections to the internet, or you can simply opt for ‘no restriction’, which turns off all HomeKit security features. However, you can apply these settings to each of your devices individually.