ZWave v Wifi - which is better?

2,466 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by flakrat
gigemhilo
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AG
I've been looking into smart home items - namely thermostats - and this is where The decision point seems to be. For those who use smart home stuff - what is the better option and what do you use?

I can't find many reviews online (especially thermostats). Also i have a friend who really likes ZWave, but the only difference he stated was power consumption. All of the higher rated stuff online seems to be Wifi, as well as a larger selection.

I should state that I will eventually add home security items to the smart network as well...
tlepoC
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AG
Zwave. Easy
gigemhilo
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AG
Can you please tell my why? Thanks in advance...
mickeyrig06sq3
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AG
gigemhilo said:

Can you please tell my why? Thanks in advance...
It operates on a separate frequency. So you'll not only be keeping these devices off of your WiFi, but the wireless frequency ZWave uses won't interfere with your WiFi.
VAXMaster
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AG
- ZWave operates and 908Mhz so it will not interfere with or be interfered by Wi-Fi.
- Battery powered ZWave options are available this is important if you don't have a common wire or an easy way to pull one.
- A ZWave tstat is generally considered to be more secure since it doesn't sit directly on your LAN with an IP address but in reality it totally depends on the gateway you use.
- there are a lot more Wi-Fi options to choose from. All the major manufacturers have Wi-Fi units and among the big names pretty much only Trane and Honeywell have ZWave.
- ZWave units are easy to integrate into just about any smart home platform since they have a standards based local API whereas the WI-Fi systems are all proprietary.
- ZWave thermostats can be controlled directly and locally. Just about every Wi-Fi thermostat is locked into the manufacturers cloud service and can only be accessed through them under whatever terms and conditions they decide to impose on you.
Pman17
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AG
Wifi takes up IP addresses, Z-Wave does not
VonDownByTheRiver
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Z-Wave
gigemhilo
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AG
Thanks for the input guys. I think i know what i need to do now.
JDCAG (NOT Colin)
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AG
Pman17 said:

Wifi takes up IP addresses, Z-Wave does not


Should just be a local one, right?
RoyIII_Ag08
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AG
If security is one of your top concerns, try to find z-wave devices that use encryption as you expand your home automation. I personally feel z-wave is more secure than wifi, but z-wave devices that don't use encryption can be hijacked in close proximity. Most z-wave door locks already use encryption, but it's not easy to find some other devices with encryption yet. This is far from being a wide-spread risk, but it exists.

One other thought: if you'd like to have a voice-controlled home, there are three options I"m aware of; google home, amazon echo, and castle os with kinect. Echo is already compatible with several popular z-wave controllers.
aezmvp
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Z-Wave
flakrat
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AG
Z-Wave, but you'll probably want to get a smart hub like Samsung Smart Things (or is it SmartThings?), Wink 2, Google Home etc...

Once you get one Z-Wave (or Zigbee or other smart protocol) you'll discover more uses, like smart LED light bulbs that communicate with the hub, door sensors, motion sensors, smoke / CO2 detectors ...

You can go nuts with SmartHome devices, and it's just about awesome
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