this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2024
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Building a good, reliable Zigbee network is dead simple. Just have a whole bunch of devices scattered around the area attached to your Zigbee network that can act as relays. The network will do the rest.
Here’s some products from my notes that should act as relays. This should give you an idea as to what you can use. In general, if it’s mains powered it will probably act as a relay, and if it is battery powered it probably won’t.
You might consider asking around for what products others use that can act as relays.
Light switch - https://inovelli.com/collections/inovelli-blue-series
Electrical Relay - https://a.co/d/eaIyhDA
Plugs - https://a.co/d/3BqdTAD
Light bulbs - https://a.co/d/9F4JfWG
Gateway/Zigbee Relay - https://a.co/d/eNHZfWc
It sounds simple in theory, but for the light switches and relays I'd need to get in an electrician, and I'm just not that invested yet. I don't have bulbs I can swap out, as my lights don't have bulbs. That leaves smart plugs and that last one you linked, the gateway.
Smart plugs are annoying. They are big and bulky, the plugs fall out of the wall easily when they get bumped by kids, and it's an annoying extra thing for anyone wanting to use that socket.
That last link you have looks interesting. It doesn't state what the range is, but the reviews have lots of comments about the great range. That might be an option. Any idea what kind of range it has? I need to make it about 10-15 metres and through 3 walls, so I suspect it's a bit of a stretch but it would still probably greatly reduce the number of devices I need in between.
Out of the box, the Sonoff adapter is setup to be used as a coordinator, like the SkyConnect. To run it as a relay you will need to reflash its firmware. Sonoff has firmware available for that and I’ve seen guides floating around on how to do so.
Hardware side, best I can give you is a solid maybe, and I couldn’t tell you how stable the connection would be. I do know that it has better signal stock than the Nabu’s SkyConnect.
If you stuck it in front of a broad wave guide you might be able to eak out a little more range without limiting its visibility to the sides too badly. Like how satellite dishes work. A tin can would be too focused for this application but a metal colander or a foil lined dinner plate might work. Both the coordinator and the devices you are wanting to connect would have to be within “sight” of the Sonoff’s signal though.
Alternatively, and I don’t know if the parts exist to do this, you could split the single antenna off to 2 antennas, like CB antennas on heavy trucks here in the States. I don’t remotely understand how it works, but if it’s setup correctly, it would increase range to the “front“ and “back” while significantly reducing range to the sides.
I probably won't go the tinfoil route, I'd prefer to keep it inconspicuous. Using it as a relay may do the trick, depending on range. I'll think about what my plans are for future devices, as I don't have many right now (hence not having a big zigbee network).