September 11, 2023 9 Comments
Some of us are excited about Matter, some of us are dismissive, some of us are anxious. What does it mean for my Z-Wave gear? Will my smart home system become obsolete or incompatible with devices from my favorite brands? There’s a lot of uncertainty behind Matter’s promises and not many details about how Z-Wave will play into the new landscape. In this blog post, we take a closer look at how Z-Wave and Matter can coexist and interact in the future.
July 15, 2016 18 Comments
For those of us interested in home automation, this might be a familiar scenario: You’ve bought that new 4-in-1 sensor you’ve wanted for a while, and rush to unwrap the package like a kid on Christmas Day. Then you insert the batteries and make your way to your SmartThings hub to include it into your network. And then the disappoint descends: it’s a sensor that’s new on the market, and it’s more complicated than a simple on/off device. It will probably take a while before SmartThings provides official support for it. So how do you include a Z-Wave device to your hub if it's not on the list?
This is where custom device handlers come in: community members will often develop their own code to be able to use new devices with SmartThings. They usually publish them on development platforms like GitHub and then post a link to the code on the SmartThings forum. But they don’t always include instructions on how to install the custom device handler and assign it to the device. The average user may think it’s a complicated process, when in fact it’s quite simple! Read more
June 24, 2016 2 Comments
Zooz is a relatively new name in the home automation industry, but their competitive prices and good-quality products have given them a fast following. Along with their Indoor Siren and 4-in-1 Sensor, the ZSE02 Motion Sensor is just one of their answers to smart home security.
As far as specs go, the ZSE02 has a detection radius of up to 23 feet in all directions. I think this a suitable range for most homes, especially considering the motion sensor in Aeotec’s MultiSensor 6 can only claim 16 feet (the trade off is that the 6-in-1 is smaller and senses more things — this is a good lesson in custom home automation: go with the products that best suit your goals, priorities, and lifestyle). It also has a wireless range of 100 feet, line of sight, so it should have no problem communicating with your other Z-Wave devices — a super important aspect of home security. Read more
March 15, 2016 2 Comments
So you’re looking to create or update your smart home system. With so many brands, outlets, and types of devices to choose from, the process might seem daunting and expensive. Not to worry, you’re in the right place. I put together a list of ways to save even more on your smart home project. Here’s how to build a great Z-Wave system and stay on budget.
I learned all of what I know today about the technology from the Z-Wave community. That’s why I always read through product reviews – they’re full of troubleshooting suggestions and just really cool ideas on how to use and install smart home devices. So we want to encourage everyone to share their home automation experience by leaving product reviews and getting an instant coupon code for more Z-Wave!
There are no minimum or maximum limits, the more you review, the more discounts you get. Simply visit the page of the product you’ve purchased and scroll down to the Customer Reviews section. Click on “Write a review,” tell us what you think, and submit.
Find out more here.