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Kritin Curtis
Editor

Kritin Curtis

Kritin Curtis writes practical smart home guides for NXT Smart Home, with a focus on Australian homes, rental-friendly installs, home networking, security cameras, video doorbells, and everyday automation. Kritin has an extensive background in IT and has worked remotely as a freelancer for the past five years. His work explains what smart devices actually do in real homes, where they fail, and what Australian buyers should check before choosing hubs, sensors, cameras, locks, plugs or connected appliances.

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100 articles

Kritin Curtis writes and edits the guides on NXT Smart Home, across security and cameras, lighting, hubs and platforms, energy, climate, robot vacuums, entertainment and buying advice. They include Smart Home for Renters: What You Can Install Without Drilling or Rewiring; Keep Your Security Cameras Recording When the Power or NBN Goes Down; How Smart Plugs and Energy Monitors Can Cut Your Australian Power Bill; and What Smart Zoning Actually Costs on Ducted Air Conditioning in Australia. Like everything on NXT Smart Home, these guides are research-based rather than hands-on reviews: they are built from manufacturer documentation, published specifications, Australian standards, regulator guidance and retailer information, and legal or safety points link to the official source. A guide is revised when a check finds a claim that no longer holds. The full method is on the How we research page.

Which Smart Devices Draw Power Doing Nothing
Kritin Curtis
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Which Smart Devices Draw Power Doing Nothing

7 min read
Why Smart Home Devices Sold in One Country Don't Work in Another
Who Can See Your Smart Home Data and How It's Used
Kritin Curtis
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Who Can See Your Smart Home Data and How It's Used

8 min read
Do Smart Thermostats Save Money? What the Evidence Shows
Mesh Wi-Fi vs a Dedicated IoT Network for Smart Homes
Kritin Curtis
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Mesh Wi-Fi vs a Dedicated IoT Network for Smart Homes

9 min read
Account Security for Smart Homes: Why 2FA Matters More Than the Lock
Smart Plug Energy Monitoring: How Accurate Is the Data?
Smart Home Terminology: A Plain-English Glossary
Kritin Curtis
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Smart Home Terminology: A Plain-English Glossary

8 min read
Smart Home Technology and NDIS Funding: What Can Be Covered?
Best Smart Home Gift Ideas in Australia (2026 Gift Guide)
How to Factory Reset Common Smart Home Devices
Kritin Curtis
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How to Factory Reset Common Smart Home Devices

5 min read
Garage and Entryway Automation: Arrival and Departure Routines
Nursery Automation: What's Genuinely Useful and What's Just Noise
How to Set Up Vacation Mode on Your Smart Home
Kritin Curtis
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How to Set Up Vacation Mode on Your Smart Home

8 min read
Kitchen Automation: Which Smart Devices Actually Earn Their Place
Bedroom Automation: Sleep, Wake and Light Scheduling
Kritin Curtis
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Bedroom Automation: Sleep, Wake and Light Scheduling

8 min read
Smart Home Automation: How Scenes, Routines and Sensors Actually Work
Tuya and Smart Life Devices: Can You Control Them Locally?
How to Set Up Your Own Smart Home Hub with Home Assistant, Step by Step
How to Set Up Your First Smart Plug in Australia, Step by Step
How to Choose and Set Up Your First Smart Bulb in Australia
How to Automate Your Air Con With Geofencing
Kritin Curtis
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How to Automate Your Air Con With Geofencing

9 min read
Do Circadian Smart Lights Improve Sleep? Tunable White Explained
How to Switch Smart Home Platforms Without Starting Over
Smart Fans in Australia: Fan-Purifiers and AC Control for Summer
Smart TV Parental Controls: Setup Guide for Every Major Brand
Smarter Home Office: Power, Air, Voice Control and Security
Share House Smart Home: Gear That's Cheap to Split and Easy to Move
DIY vs Monitored Alarm Systems in Australia: Which to Choose?
Home Battery Rebate 2026: Choosing a Smart-Home-Ready Battery
Amber Electric and Your Smart Home: Automating Wholesale Prices
How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to Your Smart TV
Kritin Curtis
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How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to Your Smart TV

7 min read
How to Set Up a Separate Wi-Fi Network for Smart Devices
Echo Show vs Google Nest Hub: Which Smart Display Is Better?
Wired vs Battery Security Cameras: Which Is Best in Australia?
How to Connect Smart Devices to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi on a Dual-Band Router
Samsung SmartThings in Australia: Setup, Devices and Limits
Smart Door and Window Sensors: How to Set Up Entry Alerts
Budget Smart Home Gear in Australia: Plugs, Speakers and Zigbee
Aqara Hub M3 vs Philips Hue Bridge vs SmartThings Station
Best Smart Light Switches in Australia (Neutral vs No-Neutral)
Best Smart Energy Monitors in Australia (2026): Buying Guide
How to Stop Parcel Theft With Smart Doorbells and Lockers
What Is a Thread Border Router (and Do You Already Own One)?
Stick Vacuum vs Robot Vacuum: Which Do You Actually Need?
Reolink vs Eufy: Which Security Camera Brand Is Better?
Kritin Curtis
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Reolink vs Eufy: Which Security Camera Brand Is Better?

8 min read
Wireless Home Theatre Setup Guide for Australian Living Rooms
Smart Lighting for Kids' Rooms: Night Lights and Wake-Up Routines
Smart Lighting Scene Ideas for Every Room in the House
Kritin Curtis
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Smart Lighting Scene Ideas for Every Room in the House

7 min read
Why Does My Robot Vacuum Keep Getting Stuck? 9 Fixes
Kritin Curtis
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Why Does My Robot Vacuum Keep Getting Stuck? 9 Fixes

6 min read
Roborock vs Ecovacs vs Dreame in Australia (2026)
Kritin Curtis
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Roborock vs Ecovacs vs Dreame in Australia (2026)

6 min read
Are Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums Worth It? Bags, Noise and Cost
How to Name Smart Devices So Voice Commands Actually Work
Smart Home Automation for Beginners: Your First 5 Routines
Indoor Air Quality Monitors: What CO2 and PM2.5 Readings Mean
Standby Power: Which Appliances Cost the Most to Leave On?
Smart Lock Compatibility: Will It Fit Your Australian Door?
How Smart Plugs and Energy Monitors Can Cut Your Australian Power Bill
How to Build a Home Assistant Energy Dashboard That Tracks Solar Export and Time-of-Use Tariffs
Where to Put a Robot Vacuum Dock in a Rental or Apartment Without New Wiring
What a Robot Vacuum Actually Costs to Keep Running in Australia After the Purchase Price
How to Set Up a Zigbee Mesh That Reaches the Garage and Granny Flat in a Double Brick Home
Running a Robot Vacuum Locally in Home Assistant (No Cloud)
Smart Thermostat Options for Gas Ducted and Hydronic Heating in Older Australian Homes
Humidity Sensors and Exhaust Fan Automation for Australian Bathrooms
Running Your Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner Off Rooftop Solar Instead of the Grid
What Smart Zoning Actually Costs on Ducted Air Conditioning in Australia
Outdoor TVs, Projectors and Speakers That Survive an Australian Summer
Movie Night Lighting Scenes You Can Build Without Touching the Switchboard
Choosing a Streaming Box in Australia When You Still Watch Free-to-Air and Catch-Up TV
Getting Smart Lighting Into a Rental Without Touching the Wiring or Losing Your Bond
Keep Your Security Cameras Recording When the Power or NBN Goes Down
Smart Downlights in Australian Ceilings: Insulation Clearance Rules, Explained
Local Recording vs Cloud Subscriptions for Home Security Cameras in Australia
Wiring a Video Doorbell to an Australian Chime and Transformer Without Breaking the Rules
Smart Light Switches Without a Neutral Wire: Options for Older Australian Homes
Smart Home Hubs in Australia: Do You Need One, and Which Hub Suits You?
Smart Plug Buying Guide: What to Check Before You Buy in Australia
What You Should Never Plug Into a Smart Plug
Kritin Curtis
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What You Should Never Plug Into a Smart Plug

6 min read
Buying Smart Home Devices That Will Still Work in Five Years
Do Overseas Smart Home Devices Work in Australia?
Kritin Curtis
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Do Overseas Smart Home Devices Work in Australia?

4 min read
Buying Second-Hand Smart Home Devices in Australia
Kritin Curtis
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Buying Second-Hand Smart Home Devices in Australia

7 min read
Smart Home Devices for Older Australians
Kritin Curtis
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Smart Home Devices for Older Australians

5 min read
Smart Home Gear for a Holiday House or Short-Stay Rental
Where to Buy Smart Home Gear in Australia: Bunnings vs JB Hi-Fi
Do Smart Home Devices Still Work When the Internet Drops?
Thread vs Matter: What Is the Difference, Simply Explained
Smart Speakers and Multi-Room Audio: How to Choose in Australia
Smart Home for Renters: What You Can Install Without Drilling or Rewiring
Smart Home for Beginners: How to Start Without Wasting Money
Robot Vacuum Buying Guide: What Actually Matters (and What Does Not)
How to Make Your Split System Air Conditioner Smart (Without Replacing It)
Smart Home Cameras and Australian Privacy Law: What You Need to Know
Video Doorbell Buying Guide: What Matters in an Australian Home
How to Fix Smart Home Devices That Keep Dropping Off Wi-Fi
What Smart Home Electrical Work Can You Legally Do Yourself in Australia?
Smart Bulbs vs Smart Switches: What Australian Homes Should Actually Buy
Zigbee vs Z-Wave vs Thread vs Wi-Fi: Which Smart Home Protocol Wins?
Which Smart Home Platform Should You Choose in Australia?
What Is Matter? The Smart Home Standard Explained for Australians