When I started building my smart home, I was still figuring things out and making mistakes. But one thing I was glad I got early on was the decision to use a mesh network rather than relying on Wi-Fi for everything.
Although this option applies mainly to server-based solutions such as Home Assistant, even closed smart home platforms can benefit from it.
What is a smart home network?
A smart home network is a wireless network that connects devices such as outlets, switches, and sensors to a server or hub. As the name suggests, these networks create a network for superior coverage. Network-enabled devices act as repeaters that extend network coverage around your home.
Although similar in principle Wi-Fi networkSmart home networks that achieve coverage using multiple nodes are designed specifically with this use case in mind. There are three main network technologies you should know when choosing one for your smart home.
Zigbee is one of the oldest, introduced in 2005 before experiencing a surge in popularity in the 2010s. It uses the 2.4GHz band like older (slower) Wi-Fi networks and has gone through several iterations with Zigbee 4.0 (moving away from the 2.4GHz band) on the horizon.
Thread is the newest of the network options, first introduced in the mid-2010s with devices gradually entering the market starting in 2020. It also uses the 2.4GHz band and is mainly used with Matter devices. Matter is a cross-platform standard that theoretically allows smart home devices to work with all major smart home systems. In reality, Matter has not fully realized this vision yet.
Finally, there’s Z-Wave. Z-Wave and Z-Wave Long Range use the 900MHz band. As a result, Z-Wave uses a longer range than competing technologies, with the ability to communicate over distances of up to a mile under ideal conditions.
Despite slight differences in approach, these networks work in the same way in principle. They allow two-way communication between a server or hub and a smart home device. This means you can change the state of a device, such as turning on a light, and get a response that reflects that state change, so your hub knows the light is on.
This is superior technology such as 433MHz built on one-way communication.
Why mesh networks are better than Wi-Fi
Choosing a mesh network over Wi-Fi has several key advantages. The first is redundancy, meaning your smart home devices don’t depend on your Wi-Fi network to function. If your router crashes, you can still keep the lights on. You can even connect network equipment to a smart plug that communicates over a mesh network automatically restart the failed router or modem.
Consumer-grade network equipment can also be broken. While your router may advertise support for several hundred devices, with fewer devices on the network, things can start to fall apart. Placing multiple lamps, switches, and sensors on their own dedicated networks relieves the strain on your router.
Battery powered devices are particularly suitable for grid networks due to their low power consumption. Wi-Fi is a waterless technology, so contact, water leakage, temperature, and other sensors often rely on Zigbee, Thread, or Z-Wave.
Mesh networking is less of a problem as long as you have Wi-Fi dead zones powerful devices that can extend the network coverage. Inexpensive smart plugs can be used to power the network, and you can even add additional network coordinators (including power over Ethernet options) for inaccessible zones.
There will always be some devices that you can’t avoid connecting via Wi-Fi, and that’s not necessarily a problem. My HVAC controller and garage door opener are connected to Home Assistant via Wi-Fi, but My decision to rely on Wi-Fi as little as possible means I have 25 devices and counting in a separate Zigbee network.
Choice between Zigbee, Z-Wave and Thread
The mesh network you choose depends largely on what you already use, your budget, and your intended use case.
If you’re using a dedicated smart home system like Apple Home, Thread is probably your best bet. Apple’s HomePod smart speaker acts as a Thread Border Router, like many Amazon and Google hubs. You will also get access IKEA’s new inexpensive Matter over Thread appliances.
For Home Assistant and Homey users on a budget, you can’t beat Zigbee. Price and a large selection of available devices are just two of them still reasons to choose Zigbee over Matter. It’s a shame that IKEA has left the Zigbee ecosystem, but it’s still there. There are many inexpensive Zigbee devices out there.
Finally, there’s Z-Wave. It is the most expensive option, but it has range, reliability and device selection on its side. Z-Wave also prevents 2.4GHz interference problems that can accompany Zigbee or Thread networks. If you need to reach, nothing compares to Z-Wave Long Range!
If you use Home Assistant, you can run all three at once. All you need are adapters ZBT-2 for Zigbee or Thread or ZWA-2 for Z-Wave and its long-term variant. There’s nothing wrong with a mixed-tech approach here, because Home Assistant is the glue that makes these devices work with each other.
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- Dimensions (external)
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83x83x179 mm
- Weight
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157 g
The Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 supports both Zigbee and Thread, although it must be configured for use with one of the two protocols. It offers 4 times more sensitivity than the previous model and is designed for easy opening for modification with accessible pins and pads.
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- Compatibility
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House helper
- Connection
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Z wave
The Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 Z-Wave antenna connects to your Home Assistant setup via a simple USB cable. Offering a range of about a mile from the hub, you can even connect Z-Wave devices from outbuildings on your property to your Home Assistant setup with this hub.
For example, you can write an automation that reads from a Zigbee sensor, turns on a Z-Wave switch, and adjusts a Thread thermostat.
As your smart home grows and your Wi-Fi starts to falter, you’ll thank yourself even though you don’t have a mesh network to “fix” right now.
