TV mounting, smart home and Wi-Fi in Suffolk County, NY

Suffolk County covers the eastern two-thirds of Long Island, and the homes vary as much as the landscape. Huntington and the North Shore have older colonials and estates on hilly, wooded lots. Babylon, Islip and the South Shore have capes, ranches and high ranches near canals and the Great South Bay. Further east, the North Fork's farm and vineyard country and the Hamptons on the South Fork are full of second homes, many on large properties. One approach does not fit all of them.

For year-round family homes in central Suffolk, the most common needs are practical: Wi-Fi that reaches every floor of a high ranch or expanded cape, a mounted TV with hidden wiring, a basement or den set up for movies, and cameras covering the driveway and backyard. Many of these homes have been enlarged over the years, so we look at how the additions connect before running cable, and we place access points on each level rather than relying on one router.

Waterfront homes on the bays, canals and Long Island Sound face salt air, wind and the risk of storm flooding. Keep network gear and recorders on a living floor, choose coastal-rated outdoor speakers and cameras, and use stainless hardware. A camera on the dock or bulkhead lets you check on a boat from your phone, and motorized shades on water-facing windows control glare and heat. On canal homes along the South Shore, raised houses and low ground-level storage mean equipment closets belong upstairs, with outdoor junction boxes mounted well above grade.

Second homes on the East End need systems that run unattended for weeks. A network with battery backup and remote management, cameras at entries and outbuildings, leak and temperature sensors, smart locks and a smart thermostat let you watch over the property from the city. Larger properties with pool houses and guest cottages benefit from a buried cable or wireless link so every building shares one system, and Control4 can make it simple for family, guests and caretakers to use.