Samsung Connect Home Mesh Network Hubs to Hit Best Buy Stores July 2

Samsung’s Connect Home mesh network Wi-Fi system, built on the company’s SmartThings platform, will launch Sunday in an exclusive preorder offer through Best Buy. The product goes on sale July 2, ahead of a nationwide retail release July 16, Samsung said in a Thursday announcement. The Connect Home hubs offer connectivity via ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth 4.1, and 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, it said, and up to five hubs can be combined in the mesh network to deliver coverage up to 7,500 square feet, Samsung said. Connect Home comes in two versions: a three-pack ($379), designed for homes up to 4,500 square feet and a single hub ($169) for homes up to 1,500 square feet. The Connect Home Pro ($249) is targeted to homes with high-bandwidth needs for gaming, streaming and home offices, Samsung said. Connect Home redefines the home network, said Bill Lee, Samsung vice president-smart home product marketing, calling it a “simple solution” that expands Wi-Fi coverage in a home and offers the ability, via smartphone, to “monitor, automate and control smart devices using Samsung SmartThings.” Out of the gate, the hub will be compatible with hundreds of Works With SmartThings devices, Samsung said. Hubs will be protected by hardware-based security technologies that will be kept current with automatic firmware updates, it said. The system’s app guides users on placement of hubs in the home to ensure optimal performance and is said to simplify connectivity, device integration and setup. Users can see and manage connected devices, set parental controls and allow guest access via the app, Samsung said. In a blog post Thursday, Best Buy said Connect Home will help consumers avoid two home network issues: “that spot -- or two -- in the house where the Wi-Fi doesn’t reach, and where the movie you’re watching endlessly buffers.” Samsung didn’t respond to questions.