Hi,
Working on my new HA setup. I have a SMLight Zigbee coordinator on the way and was going to forego Z-Wave as I thought I only had one device with it (and it can connect via WiFi, too). But I found tonight that my Aeotec Multisensor 6 units use Z-Wave. I also have some old Centralite smart outlets that are both Zigbee for the primary connection but also have Z-Wave to create a repeater mesh. I don’t plan on using Z-Wave much going forward, with a slight possibility of adding some sensor(s) in a parking garage which I doubt Zigbee would reach.
I have a Hubitat C7 and an old SmartThings Hub V2 both of which have Z-Wave. I will not be using these for my Zigbee interface.
Would you go ahead and invest in a standalone Z-Wave controller for direct interface with HA or would you use one of the two hubs w/their integration(s)?
If you’d go with a standalone Z-Wave controller, which is your favorite? I’ve seen Zooz 800, HomeSeer G8, and Aeotec all mentioned but I’ve also seen some posts from just a few months ago saying that the firmware issues are still present in the Zooz with no signs of firmware updates on the way. Any advice/info would be hugely appreciated. I’ve read all I can from searching recent posts.
Bonus question: I read in a recent post that Z-Wave LR is not able to use/create a mesh & should only be used if absolutely needed. Can a regular Z-Wave mesh exist on the same controller as a device which needs Z-Wave LR? Can those two coexist happily?