Zigbee

Mesh Network Traps

• Battery devices don't route — only mains-powered devices extend mesh
• Mesh needs routers every 10-15m — one coordinator alone has limited range
• Adding routers requires rebuilding routes — devices don't automatically find new paths
• First devices paired become mesh backbone — pair routers before sensors

Coordinator Issues

• Only one coordinator per network — two coordinators create two separate networks
• Coordinator stick placement matters — USB extension away from computer reduces interference
• Coordinator migration loses all pairings — backup before switching hardware
• Some sticks need firmware flash — Sonoff, CC2531 don't work out of box

WiFi Interference

• Zigbee shares 2.4GHz spectrum — WiFi channels overlap with Zigbee channels
• Zigbee channel 11 = WiFi channel 1, Zigbee 25 = WiFi 11 — pick non-overlapping
• Default Zigbee channel 11 often worst — conflicts with common WiFi defaults
• Changing Zigbee channel requires re-pairing all devices — choose carefully initially