New Mesh Wifi Router Hijacks Your Devices

First Alert mesh router that hijacks every connected device with smoke alarm warnings.

Ordinarily, finding out a new product can take over your household devices and alter their screens would send people running in the opposite direction, but this new mesh wifi router from First Alert may actually lure users in with that very capability. Its new Onelink Connect router, unveiled at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, relies on input from its other IoT safety devices to hijack your smart TV and other gadgets.

Why would anyone purposely sign up for this? Onelink Connect can disrupt a wide variety of connected devices in order to alert you to a safety problem, like a fire. By taking input from its carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, the mesh router then sends an emergency display or signal to all of your other devices.

Onelink router hijacks your IoT devices, but in a good way.

Peace of mind

This might be stepping into the realm of helicopter parenting and mommy-paranoia, but if you’re investing in a full-coverage Wi-Fi setup, then why not? Other news outlets have pointed out this might be ideal for parents whose older kids can stay home alone while blaring music in their rooms, or for aging parents who might not hear the beep of a smoke detector. Again, scrapping your existing expensive setup on the off-chance your home might catch fire is probably overkill, but if you’re in the market for this kind of Wi-Fi solution and if your family dynamic is such that this gives you peace of mind, then it might be ideal.

Much improved

First Alert’s bells-and-whistles home detectors hit the market a few years ago, and at the time, they were cumbersome to use and not all that smart. The best feature seemed to be the ability to shut off an alarm via the app if you’d simply burned some popcorn in the microwave. Now, with this type of broad connection, it’s hopeful some of the early bugs were worked out.

Got connected devices? Try BullGuard IoT Scanner to help keep them protected.