upstatemike
Senior Member
I don't want to clutter up the Fibaro thread but it got me thinking about the reasons I have rejected using Z-Wave in the past and wondering if things have improved to where it might now be a viable option for me? Maybe a Z-Wave user can help me overcome some old misconceptions.
Capacity - As somebody who frequently maxes out the link capacity of my Insteon PLM and wishes Elk would expand their zone capacity beyond 208, I am concerned about a hard limit of 232 devices. It sounds like that would be OK for a lighting only protocol but if you are doing lighting, sensors, fire/security, locks, etc. it just doesn't seem like enough scalability to cover everything. I know Homeseer can manage up to 4 separate Z-Wave networks but is that typical of other controllers like Fibaro etc.?
RF Only - While 900 MHz does have good penetration I worry that RF just won't work in older buildings like my house. I need 4 APs just to ensure Wi-Fi coverage in all of the dead spots created by chimneys and stone walls so am skeptical about low power RF that is limited to 4 hops. My walls are plaster and lathe or stone. All electrical boxes are metal and fed by conduit or BX. The only way for RF to enter or leave a switch is through the front and depending on the size of the grounded switch frame that might be a very small window.
Routed vs. Broadcast - With broadcast technologies like Insteon all I have to worry about is ensuring that I have sufficient signal strength for the command to get through. With routing it seems like the potential exists for things to get screwed up any time you re-arrange the furniture and lamp modules move etc. It also seems like it would further complicate adding or replacing devices since that would potentially change the optimal routes of the whole system. Things change often in my house so how much of an issue would this be?
Status and Local Change Reporting - A large percentage of my switches are not just remotely controlled but are also used to trigger other actions. When I last looked at Z-Wave it was not good at reporting local operation... has that changed? Also I struggle with keeping my controller in sync with the actual state of devices so I query devices regularly to ensure the two are in agreement. Do Z-Wave controllers have an option to query devices to confirm their current state is reflected accurately in the controller table?
Are my concerns out of date or are these still valid issues for a house like mine?
Capacity - As somebody who frequently maxes out the link capacity of my Insteon PLM and wishes Elk would expand their zone capacity beyond 208, I am concerned about a hard limit of 232 devices. It sounds like that would be OK for a lighting only protocol but if you are doing lighting, sensors, fire/security, locks, etc. it just doesn't seem like enough scalability to cover everything. I know Homeseer can manage up to 4 separate Z-Wave networks but is that typical of other controllers like Fibaro etc.?
RF Only - While 900 MHz does have good penetration I worry that RF just won't work in older buildings like my house. I need 4 APs just to ensure Wi-Fi coverage in all of the dead spots created by chimneys and stone walls so am skeptical about low power RF that is limited to 4 hops. My walls are plaster and lathe or stone. All electrical boxes are metal and fed by conduit or BX. The only way for RF to enter or leave a switch is through the front and depending on the size of the grounded switch frame that might be a very small window.
Routed vs. Broadcast - With broadcast technologies like Insteon all I have to worry about is ensuring that I have sufficient signal strength for the command to get through. With routing it seems like the potential exists for things to get screwed up any time you re-arrange the furniture and lamp modules move etc. It also seems like it would further complicate adding or replacing devices since that would potentially change the optimal routes of the whole system. Things change often in my house so how much of an issue would this be?
Status and Local Change Reporting - A large percentage of my switches are not just remotely controlled but are also used to trigger other actions. When I last looked at Z-Wave it was not good at reporting local operation... has that changed? Also I struggle with keeping my controller in sync with the actual state of devices so I query devices regularly to ensure the two are in agreement. Do Z-Wave controllers have an option to query devices to confirm their current state is reflected accurately in the controller table?
Are my concerns out of date or are these still valid issues for a house like mine?
