I review smart home devices in my line of work, especially DIY home security hardware. I've written about smart tech for nearly six years, so you'd think my apartment would be packed with smart lights, cameras, and other IoT gadgets. However, I operate a basic smart home. I like to keep things simple and intuitive, and I minimize the network-connected gear in my home. Why? Because it makes me happy knowing that my core devices get the best Wi-Fi coverage possible.

This article isn't a "Don't buy consumer tech" PSA. Instead, I want to shine a light on my fully DIY smart home setup to prove you don't need a hundred components and custom automations to run your life.

I've used Amazon Alexa for a long time. It's the only ecosystem command center I use for my home. I'm also my grandmother's tech guy, so her home is entirely Alexa. While Alexa isn't perfect, it's a mainstream and reliable smart home controller that works more often than it doesn't. Amazon makes decent smart speakers and displays, and Alexa is compatible with thousands of third-party devices.

I don't have the biggest footprint to work with, and my dual-band router (I use the one provided by Optimum) is centrally located. My two Alexa speakers are placed at each end of the home, and my 2nd Gen Echo Show 5 is in the middle. This gives each peripheral a fair shot at the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and it allows me to yell out a voice command from any part of my apartment.

At one point, I bought a replacement router. After spending hours setting it up, I realized I didn't need it. Even though I still pay to rent that ugly-looking network giver that every basic ISP hookup comes with, it's served me well for some time.

The Alexa app allows me to control all my smart home devices, including my robot vacuum and TV backlighting, under one roof. I deleted most of the apps my smart tech required during setup because I never used them. If I need them, I can download the apps again.

I dislike talking to Alexa. It's a problem, especially when the assistant doesn't pick up on what I'm saying. So, I programmed my smart tech to respond to simple one or two-word command prompts. I have several Alexa Routines in place, and most of the wake phrases are simply "Alexa, bed" or "Alexa, headlines."

Now and then, I need to say something more complex, such as when I change the color of a smart light or pull a live feed from my video doorbell. However, I don't recall the last time I gave Alexa more than one command or one long command. I'm also a fan of caveman-sounding prompts that Alexa somehow knows how to execute. "Alexa, light full" sets my bedroom lights to full brightness and is more fun to say than it should be.

You can't put a price on good home security. What if I told you I don't pay a dime for mine? That's because my main security camera, which is mounted on my porch and faces the parking lot, has a local storage option. Instead of paying for a monthly cloud-based subscription to store event recordings on faraway servers, my motion-triggered clips are recorded to a 256GB microSD card.

I also mounted a video doorbell on my apartment door, but it's more of a visual deterrent. There are no local storage options, and I refuse to sign up for cloud storage. But both smart security devices are tied into my Alexa ecosystem. This makes it easy to pull a live feed from either camera on my Echo Show 5 or in the Alexa app. I used to have notifications set up, but I was tired of getting pinged every time a neighbor walked past the doorbell.

Smart locks and smart plugs are some of my favorite smart home devices. From an engineering standpoint, there's only so much these gadgets can do, and I appreciate the simple A-to-B simplicity. The lock locks and unlocks, and the plug turns on or off. I installed a Yale smart lock over my existing deadbolt assembly and hooked up Gosund smart plugs to several lamps. Yale and Gosund support both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This is a huge pro in my book.

You'll need a Wi-Fi connection to control these types of devices when you're not at home. However, when your network goes down, these remote functions won't be available. Thanks to the Bluetooth handshake shared between my lock and phone, I can access my lock when I'm in proximity to it (unless my phone or the lock is dead). The same goes for the smart plugs I set up around the apartment.

This is how I like things. As far as controls go, Wi-Fi is often the better wireless option than Bluetooth. Still, when the grid is down, Bluetooth is like that reliable uncle you can call when your plumbing is on the fritz.

Nothing is perfect. Not the most expensive item on the shelf, and not the budget-friendly model with zero frills. At times, I've considered ditching Alexa and choosing a third-party hub controller. Then I think of all the re-networking I would have to do. Then I remember that my Alexa ecosystem is perfectly fine, and I should probably spend whatever cash is burning a hole in my pocket on a pizza. Or a bunch of pizzas.

For more ideas, check out our guide to the best smart home devices and learn how to set up Alexa to be used by your whole family.