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Over the years, I've accumulated a variety of Zigbee sensors, including contact, air quality, motion, occupancy, leak, temperature sensors, and numerous energy-monitoring smart plugs, all connected to a standalone Zigbee2MQTT instance. However, I've noticed that this setup has begun affecting the response time of my Philips Hue system. I've tried changing channels on both the Zigbee network and the Hue system without success.
Another challenge I face with the Zigbee mesh network is how it responds when a device acting as a repeater, like when a smart plug is removed. Removing a repeater often disrupts nearby devices, such as wireless buttons, which can lead to missed actions. Just one instance of a button press failing is enough to make others in the household lose confidence in the automation, defeating the purpose of having it. Although the Zigbee mesh eventually heals itself, the delay in responsiveness undermines its reliability. I face a similar issue when I restart Home Assistant- it seems to "forget" the actions associated with wireless buttons until I perform each action at least once to "register" them again or I would need to restart Z2M.
Recently, I've started exploring Z-Wave devices (only the 800 series) as a potential alternative to avoid some of the limitations of a mesh network, and so far, I'm really enjoying the experience. I'm still experiencing some issues with my Hue system, which I suspect might be due to the occupancy sensors I purchased on AliExpress that's spamming the Zigbee network. This issue underscores why I'm appreciating Z-Wave devices more. Many Z-Wave devices, like my Zooz smart plugs, offer configurable options: I can set how frequently they report power metrics, enable auto on/off after a set period, and adjust the LED's brightness or turn it off entirely. Additionally, Z-Wave LR (Long Range) removes the need for repeaters and a mesh network, as it covers much greater distances than standard Zigbee (though still less than LoRa).
While Z-Wave isn't yet a complete solution (some devices I need aren't available in Z-Wave yet), it fills many gaps. For now, Zigbee will continue to supplement my setup until more Z-Wave options come to market.
Comment: free shipping threshold at $100 is hilarious.Response: senior citizen hobbyist outrage!
Well....how much 'free shipping ' cost is easy to check - looking for Amazon prices for the same items Looking around, free shipping is offered at $150 - $1,000 purchase , so not so bad here. In addition, while my wife company is in online business , I can add some more funny comment : USPS or other carriers add surcharges now due ...to high season ! So, while they have more work to do ( and make more money ) , they simply take advantage and charge extra . Imagine that one day Home Depot would rise the prices by 15% because of ' peak season' . Or other sellers, instead of good deals on Black Friday, 'adjust' the prices and go up . Just because of high demand. This is what carries do across the country.
And finally....USPS has performed price rising THIRD time this year, according to my knowledge.. I'd love to have the prices advertised and free shipping but I don't think it would be possible these days.
Comment: free shipping threshold at $100 is hilarious.
Response: senior citizen hobbyist outrage!
They had a free shipping sale back on October 8-9th. Every Z-wave item was free shipping with no minimum order price. And some of them were marked down from the suggested retail price. I can't remember for sure if they were marked down as much as they are now though.
I love seeing these deals pop up on SD. TheSmartestHouse has always had consistent pricing and their deals usually cover in-demand items.
Every time this sale pops up, I always buy a couple more of the outdoor smart plugs (single and double). It pays off during Halloween/Christmas as we keep getting more plug-in stuff outside.
This could be a good time to buy into Z-Wave if you have any interest (Z-Wave is more secure than Zigbee.) Personally I won't, and of course I see that what's on offer as far as Zigbee goes is underwhelming.
Over the years, I've accumulated a variety of Zigbee sensors, including contact, air quality, motion, occupancy, leak, temperature sensors, and numerous energy-monitoring smart plugs, all connected to a standalone Zigbee2MQTT instance. However, I've noticed that this setup has begun affecting the response time of my Philips Hue system. I've tried changing channels on both the Zigbee network and the Hue system without success.
Another challenge I face with the Zigbee mesh network is how it responds when a device acting as a repeater, like when a smart plug is removed. Removing a repeater often disrupts nearby devices, such as wireless buttons, which can lead to missed actions. Just one instance of a button press failing is enough to make others in the household lose confidence in the automation, defeating the purpose of having it. Although the Zigbee mesh eventually heals itself, the delay in responsiveness undermines its reliability. I face a similar issue when I restart Home Assistant- it seems to "forget" the actions associated with wireless buttons until I perform each action at least once to "register" them again or I would need to restart Z2M.
Recently, I've started exploring Z-Wave devices (only the 800 series) as a potential alternative to avoid some of the limitations of a mesh network, and so far, I'm really enjoying the experience. I'm still experiencing some issues with my Hue system, which I suspect might be due to the occupancy sensors I purchased on AliExpress that's spamming the Zigbee network. This issue underscores why I'm appreciating Z-Wave devices more. Many Z-Wave devices, like my Zooz smart plugs, offer configurable options: I can set how frequently they report power metrics, enable auto on/off after a set period, and adjust the LED's brightness or turn it off entirely. Additionally, Z-Wave LR (Long Range) removes the need for repeaters and a mesh network, as it covers much greater distances than standard Zigbee (though still less than LoRa).
While Z-Wave isn't yet a complete solution (some devices I need aren't available in Z-Wave yet), it fills many gaps. For now, Zigbee will continue to supplement my setup until more Z-Wave options come to market.
Last edited by maxandcheese October 31, 2024 at 09:35 AM.
I assume home assistant compatible? I have some Shelly switches but need more, been eyeing z-wave just haven't found a good enough reason to get a hub and switch.
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Just installed the ZEN16 to replace MyQ for my garage. Took maybe 5 minutes and was super easy. I'm using their tilt/shock sensor for now but will move to a hardwired sensor since the ZEN16 has 2 dry contact inputs.
It is literally the perfect DIY device for garage door automation.
This could be a good time to buy into Z-Wave if you have any interest (Z-Wave is more secure than Zigbee.) Personally I won't, and of course I see that what's on offer as far as Zigbee goes is underwhelming.
I've moved more to Zigbee cause it seems to integrate better into HA. But these sales are so fun
I assume home assistant compatible? I have some Shelly switches but need more, been eyeing z-wave just haven't found a good enough reason to get a hub and switch.
Correct. You'll need a Z-Wave adapter, preferably one that supports Z-Wave LR and you can set zwavejs-ui on HA or as standalone. There is also a Z-Wave hub from Fibaro but I don't know if there is a HA integration for it or if it support MQTT.
This company is my favorite source for Z-wave stuff but man that Z-box hub was terrible when I tried it last year and virtually had no community support. The visualization "coding" had promise but that was the extent of my like.
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Another challenge I face with the Zigbee mesh network is how it responds when a device acting as a repeater, like when a smart plug is removed. Removing a repeater often disrupts nearby devices, such as wireless buttons, which can lead to missed actions. Just one instance of a button press failing is enough to make others in the household lose confidence in the automation, defeating the purpose of having it. Although the Zigbee mesh eventually heals itself, the delay in responsiveness undermines its reliability. I face a similar issue when I restart Home Assistant- it seems to "forget" the actions associated with wireless buttons until I perform each action at least once to "register" them again or I would need to restart Z2M.
Recently, I've started exploring Z-Wave devices (only the 800 series) as a potential alternative to avoid some of the limitations of a mesh network, and so far, I'm really enjoying the experience. I'm still experiencing some issues with my Hue system, which I suspect might be due to the occupancy sensors I purchased on AliExpress that's spamming the Zigbee network. This issue underscores why I'm appreciating Z-Wave devices more. Many Z-Wave devices, like my Zooz smart plugs, offer configurable options: I can set how frequently they report power metrics, enable auto on/off after a set period, and adjust the LED's brightness or turn it off entirely. Additionally, Z-Wave LR (Long Range) removes the need for repeaters and a mesh network, as it covers much greater distances than standard Zigbee (though still less than LoRa).
While Z-Wave isn't yet a complete solution (some devices I need aren't available in Z-Wave yet), it fills many gaps. For now, Zigbee will continue to supplement my setup until more Z-Wave options come to market.
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Response: senior citizen hobbyist outrage!
And finally....USPS has performed price rising THIRD time this year, according to my knowledge.. I'd love to have the prices advertised and free shipping but I don't think it would be possible these days.
Response: senior citizen hobbyist outrage!
Every time this sale pops up, I always buy a couple more of the outdoor smart plugs (single and double). It pays off during Halloween/Christmas as we keep getting more plug-in stuff outside.
Another challenge I face with the Zigbee mesh network is how it responds when a device acting as a repeater, like when a smart plug is removed. Removing a repeater often disrupts nearby devices, such as wireless buttons, which can lead to missed actions. Just one instance of a button press failing is enough to make others in the household lose confidence in the automation, defeating the purpose of having it. Although the Zigbee mesh eventually heals itself, the delay in responsiveness undermines its reliability. I face a similar issue when I restart Home Assistant- it seems to "forget" the actions associated with wireless buttons until I perform each action at least once to "register" them again or I would need to restart Z2M.
Recently, I've started exploring Z-Wave devices (only the 800 series) as a potential alternative to avoid some of the limitations of a mesh network, and so far, I'm really enjoying the experience. I'm still experiencing some issues with my Hue system, which I suspect might be due to the occupancy sensors I purchased on AliExpress that's spamming the Zigbee network. This issue underscores why I'm appreciating Z-Wave devices more. Many Z-Wave devices, like my Zooz smart plugs, offer configurable options: I can set how frequently they report power metrics, enable auto on/off after a set period, and adjust the LED's brightness or turn it off entirely. Additionally, Z-Wave LR (Long Range) removes the need for repeaters and a mesh network, as it covers much greater distances than standard Zigbee (though still less than LoRa).
While Z-Wave isn't yet a complete solution (some devices I need aren't available in Z-Wave yet), it fills many gaps. For now, Zigbee will continue to supplement my setup until more Z-Wave options come to market.
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It is literally the perfect DIY device for garage door automation.
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