I have expanded my Zigbee network as much as it can handle.
Athom wrote an article about how many devices you could have before problems starts to appear.
The way I see it, I am on the edge now.
So would it be smart to find other devices using the protocols I’ve never used?
I have 23 Zigbee devices (powered and battery)
4 Z-wave devices (powered)
0 433Mhz
0 Infrared
1 Bluetooth LE
Some WiFi devices through apps, but these doesn’t show up under the developer tools.
If I need to expand with more motion sensors, dimmers or temperature, what shall I look for?
Athom recommends using no more than 30-40 Zigbee devices (source). However, there are users who have no problems even with 60 ZigBee devices. I myself have 36 ZigBee devices and no problems.
The most important points with ZigBee are:
– check if ZigBee and WiFi channel do not interfere with each other (link)
– first connect the powered devices, ideally 15 of them
– use enough powered devices, because they work as repeaters and forward signals (mesh)
With Z-Wave is it near the same. Enough repeaters are needed to create a stable network/mesh. However, it is not absolutely necessary to pair the powered devices first, but it is definitely recommended. The maximum number of devices is 231 (source).
Until now, it works fine. But I expect it to be slower when adding new devices.
I had hoped that there wasn’t any need for extra routers as the powered devices create their own network?
I have specified my statement a little more precisely. I hope at least.
But what I actually meant was that if you use enough wall plugs, light switches, lamps, there is actually no need to use repeaters/range extender without function, such as this one from Aeotec:
It was about that article (30-40 devices) I thought the end was near.
But maybe there is still a lot of room to add more devices without anything slowing down or not working.
It’s not possible to give a general answer to this question. I myself have 4 battery-powered devices of the maximum 15 direct connection points to Homey, and I have no problems.
How many battery-powered devices have you connected within the first 15 IDs?
The problem is that a maximum of approx. only 15 devices can be connected directly to Homey. Other devices are then connected to Homey via routers. And if you now already have many battery-powered devices among the first 15 devices, then only a few repeaters can be connected to Homey. The number of devices that can be connected via a repeater with Homey is also limited.
Maybe @Dijker knows the maximum number? I don’t.
In my opinion the only thing what you can do is to test it, if Zigbee will be stable enough, if you add more devices. And if it’s possible to add more devices at all.
