# How many network devices in your house? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927 "2020-09-30T22:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/41 "2020-10-02T13:22:01Z")
1 laptop 2 tablets 2 phones 1 TV 1 Roku 4 Pcs 1 printer ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/42 "2020-10-02T14:14:50Z")
no[quote=“FinsToTheLeft, post:38, topic:921927, full:true”] > [@Mallard](#): > > 1 TV-VCR combo (the 4 year old granddaughter watches the Disney VHS tapes the 21 year old granddaughter used to watch) > 1 DVD-VCR combo > 1 HDD-DVD recorder (yes, after 14 years it still works!) > 1 VCR Are these connected to the internet? [/quote] No, those as are the TV’s are on cable. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/43 "2020-10-02T20:03:30Z")
Wow, I have relatively few compared to a lot of people: My personal laptop My work laptop 1 iPhone 1 smart TV 1 Nest thermostat 1 multifunction printer/scanner/copier The Wi-Fi router itself ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/44 "2020-10-02T20:08:53Z")
We have at least 21 devices that use the internet, that includes 2 garage door openers. Then there is also a router, 2 switches and an access point. So 25 total. I can’t believe it has climbed that high. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/45 "2020-10-03T11:01:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I can’t believe it has climbed that high. We have 13, but I didn’t count bluetooth devices, or things that are controlled by phone apps, albeit, not directly connected to the internet. I’d have to count a lot more devices. We have a front door cam connected to an app; a pillow radiator connected to an app (it works without it, but it’s “stupid” without it-- just goes on and off; the app lets it keep a steady temp all night, then slowly warm up to another selected temp 1/2 hr before the alarm goes off); radios in both cars are bluetooth and connected to our phones wirelessly; 3 sets of bluetooth earbuds. I also forgot to include the cable box in my first list. We can watch channels without the internet, but we need connectivity to watch the DVR, or use On Demand-- contrariwise, sometimes the cable service goes out to the extent that we can’t access channels in real time, but if the internet doesn’t go out, we can still use the DVR, On Demand, and all the Smart TV apps. Also, the laptop I am on has Alexa capability. It’s not turned on, but I have an Alexa device. The TV has it too, and that is actually turned on, but we use it only for TV commands (“Alexa, go to HDMI”). Alexa isn’t very well-informed. When I tried asking her to change the aspect ratio, I phrased it about 12 different ways, and she couldn’t figure it out. So when I need to change the aspect ratio, I have to scroll through 5 different screens. And no, setting it on “automatic aspect” does not work. Only about 1/2 of the broadcast shows in 4:3 show up correctly, and none of the On Demand shows do. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/46 "2020-10-03T12:08:28Z")
Not many Desktop computer Smartphone Smart TV Tablet Google Home Roku Router, obviously There are two laptops, but I haven’t tuned them on in years. Sometimes I bring home a laptop from work. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/47 "2020-10-03T13:50:56Z")
Not a lot. Router Laptop Chromebook Roku Nest thermostat Directv box Google dot Phone ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/48 "2020-10-04T09:15:19Z")
TV 2 personal laptops My work laptop My wife’s cell phone My cell phone (I turn it on very rarely, but it’s registered with the network.) So 5 - 6 devices (not counting the router itself). I refuse to hook up the printer to the LAN until I can find a way to prevent it from connecting to the internet (and thus sending everything I print to HP). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2020, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/49 "2020-10-04T12:40:46Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > … > I refuse to hook up the printer to the LAN until I can find a way to prevent it from connecting to the internet (and thus sending everything I print to HP). If you know enough to be worried about this you probably know enough to config the printer not to phone home and/or set up your router to prevent it from phoning home. See these for some hints: [https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04808536](https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04808536) > **[Prevent HP printer from accessing internet\_auto updating](https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1241620-prevent-hp-printer-from-accessing-internet_auto-updating/)** > > Anyone know if there's a way to keep HP printers from automatically connecting to their server & (possibly) updating firmware & other actions? This is an Office Jet Pro 8600 - set up on wireless home network in Vista. Most newer HP printers... [https://www.bestprice.ink/en/support/how-to-disable-hp-cartridge-protection-on-my-printer-24](https://www.bestprice.ink/en/support/how-to-disable-hp-cartridge-protection-on-my-printer-24) ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2020, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/50 "2020-10-06T10:44:21Z")
Cripes! The sheer numbers are are a mark of how technology has changed, but I’m blown away by the number and variety of IOT devices, which I hadn’t realized had made such an impact ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/51 "2020-10-13T13:04:55Z")
FYI - that Chamberlain garage door opener is on sale for $[17 for Prime Day](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B075H7Z5L8). And if for some reason you want Amazon delivery people to be able to open your garage door to drop off deliveries, if you plug in “KEY30” into the promo code, you get a $30 credit the first time you use Key Delivery. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/52 "2020-10-13T13:06:49Z")
That isn’t a garage door opener, just an add-on to control it remotely. I have a [pair of Chamberlains](https://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-C450-Smartphone-Controlled-Durable-Lifting/dp/B075BF39VG) I installed myself that have that feature built in. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/53 "2020-10-13T13:40:12Z")
Correct - it’s not the mechanical opener, it’s a network-attached remote opener. I described mine up-thread: > [@How many network devices in your house?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/31): > > [Here’s what I have](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/chamberlain-myq-smart-garage-hub-black/5900972.p?skuId=5900972) - you attach a sensor to your door (so it can sense if it’s vertical or horizontal), and then you attach the hub to the ceiling above the opener. The hub is plugged in, and is what communicates with your network. When you want to open/close the door, it fires an IR signal to the opener. You can set up a schedule to close the door, should it ever be open - but you cannot schedule it to open. You have to do that in the app. I believe it’s a safety “feature”. Or a “you need to … ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-network-devices-in-your-house/921927/54 "2020-10-13T15:40:28Z")
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