Zigbee buyer's guide

[Stiltjack]

@Cabletwister

1. Do the USB-Connected Zigbee sticks benefit from USB 3.0 or is it ok to use USB 2.0 especially when it comes to cable length around 5m and the decision between normal extension cables and those with a repeater Chip at the female end of the cable?

You should only connect to USB 2.0 sockets - USB 3.0 creates a lot of interference. USB 3.0 extension cables are OK, though - in fact they may be better because they have more shielding. If you only have a USB 3.0 socket you can connect it to a USB 2.0 powered hub and connect the Zigbee dongle to that.

All this is covered by:

Zigbee networks: how to guide for avoiding interference and optimize for getting better range + coverage

Who is this guide for? I have tried to make this guide to be a comprehensive collection of the most basic yet essential tips with a set of actions and best practice steps that should be applicable to all types of Zigbee setups, regardless of what type of Zigbee adapter/gateway/hub/bridge/devices that you are using, however, it has been written with a point-of-view in mind of Zigbee solutions that use a Zigbee Coordinator adapter locally via USB dongle/stick or remotely using a serial server ove…