![]() ![]() Turn on your HVAC, or set it to a specific temperature.Set Z-Wave dimmers and dimmable Z-Wave LED lighting to your choice of output.Question: What Can I Do with Alexa and Z-Wave Devices? Answer: Z-Wave can only handle tiny bits of information, and video does not work with Z-Wave. We still need WiFi to communicate with our IP Cameras. While not a top concern of Alexa users, battery life is better with Z-Wave devices due to their ability to sleep and only wake when needed. Security is only getting better with future revisions of Z-Wave. There are specific security protocols set up for Z-Wave devices that prevent tampering, and each Z-Wave hub has a unique Home ID that does not allow other devices or controllers to penetrate the system. Each non-battery powered device talks to another, helping to spread the communication from gateway to end device over several possible routes for better reliability. Z-Wave devices work together in a mesh network. WiFi is a point to point connection, so over longer distances you may get intermittent communication drop outs. Z-Wave has its own space on the radio map, so you’re not cutting into your WiFi streaming bandwidth by expanding your home automation network. ![]() ![]() WiFi is a very crowded place, and interference with other WiFi devices causes unreliability. Z-Wave has better network and communication reliabilityĮven though adding a Z-Wave hub adds expense and another link to your home automation device list, we feel it’s well worth it.Question: Why Z-Wave devices instead of WiFi? Answer: How many times do you want to have to say supercalifragilisticexpialidociouskitchenlights? Pro Tip: Simple names go a long way with voice recognition. Beta test is hereįor each of these hubs, there is a skill in Alexa that must be turned on, and Z-Wave devices must be discovered. I dug deeper into the WINK 2 features and its relationship with Amazon Echo in this blog: (please click here).Īnother choice is the popular Smart Things by Samsung, and a pending new release of software will allow Vera gateways to have Amazon Echo integration a long awaited feature for the popular gateway brand. Our pick for a good mesh between Alexa and your home automation is the WINK 2. Not any Z-Wave hub will work with Alexa, so look into your Z-Wave hub’s features before you buy. In order to sync your Alexa with any Z-Wave devices, you will need a Z-Wave hub to act as a bridge between the two. Why do I need another hub if I already have an Amazon Dot?Īnswer: Amazon Echo (and its variants) is a great device for voice control with its personal assistance software, Alexa, but it does not have a Z-Wave chip inside (at least not at the time this blog was written).Will my Amazon Echo work as a Z-Wave hub for my light switches?.Do I need a Z-Wave hub or controller to use Z-Wave devices with Alexa?.Question: Do I need a Z-Wave Hub? Similar questions: ![]()
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