HARDWARE: ZIGBEE HUB
Another protocol (or basically the standard) that I use in my Smart Home is zigbee. It is widely used, for example, in the Philips Hue ecosystem. I offer, like z-wave, a mesh network (i.e. each device is also a network extender) and quite a good range at 868MHz, 915MHZ and 2.4GHz.
The first idea with this protocol was to plug and integrate all zigbee devices into the Philips Hue gateway that I use. Unfortunately, it was not a good idea - not all devices could be added (e.g. gas sensor) and some, despite adding to the network and proper communication, were not visible (e.g. IKEA remotes).
To solve this problem, I decided to separate the Hue system from the rest of the zigbee network. I left the lights and remotes and the Philips motion sensor on the Hue bridge (more on this in the post) and the rest: IKEA remotes, Heiman sensors and the rest I connected to a separate zigbee gate.
I found a lot of possibilities on the Internet, but I focused on compatibility with the Home Assistant. After a short research, I decided to use the Dresden Electronics Conbee2 hub.
The choice was based on compatibility with Home Assistant and previous experiences with Dresden Electronik equipment. Additionally - it can work locally and does not need a cloud to operate. The price is quite decent - now you can buy less than 50€.
The device landed in the USB hub I wrote about in the previous post.
The configuration and integration will be described once we have the system up and running.
