{"id":210,"date":"2021-12-21T14:36:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T14:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/?p=210"},"modified":"2022-05-01T16:15:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T15:15:14","slug":"echo-with-zigbee-is-awesome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/echo-with-zigbee-is-awesome\/","title":{"rendered":"Reasons Why You Should Now Buy an Echo with ZigBee Support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It might seem like almost everyone owns an Amazon Echo device at this point. This view isn\u2019t unfounded. Many smart homeowners do own an Echo. In fact, according to a report published by eMarketer, nearly 70%<\/a> of smart speaker users in the US own an Echo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason behind this upsurge in popularity is fairly simple. Through Alexa, users get a wide array of functions. It can answer your questions, tell you the weather, stream music<\/a>, and nearly anything else you ask of it..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Amazon didn\u2019t just stop there. A year or two ago, Amazon started releasing Amazon Echo smart speakers that contain a ZigBee chip inside. This means you can control ZigBee-based devices (like Philips Hue lights and Inner products) without buying a separate expensive ZigBee hub\/Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll dive deep into what ZigBee is and what its integration into Amazon Echo devices means. What\u2019s more, we\u2019ll look into the pros and cons of Amazon Echo devices with ZigBee support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is ZigBee?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever wondered how smart home devices like the Philips Hue and Yale smart lock can be connected to one another? The answer is ZigBee<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considered an alternative to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, ZigBee is a wireless network protocol that runs over the 2.4 GHz radio band<\/strong>. It connects smart devices like lights<\/a>, plugs<\/a>, and locks<\/a> to a single home network. This allows communication between different devices so you can control them centrally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means you can control your entire smart home from a single central device, which can be a remote, a hub<\/a>, or a bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply, Zigbee allows its devices\u2014even if they\u2019re from different companies\u2014to speak the same language. This is done through a mesh network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, ZigBee doesn\u2019t form a point to point connection<\/a>. It creates a mesh network via which different devices can connect to and communicate with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth mentioning that the latest version of ZigBee, ZigBee 3.0, has 128-bit encryption<\/a>. This ensures that the data going back and forth is secure from any interference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Mesh Network?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Imagine small transmitters that relay signals back and forth for devices to communicate with each other. This is what a mesh network is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, a mesh network is a network where multiple devices\u2014or nodes<\/a>\u2014act as routers. These devices don\u2019t just send signals back to the originator. They relay these signals to other devices within the network\u2019s range<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, there\u2019ll be a master node, such as Amazon Echo, that controls other nodes. Through self-healing, the entire network can\u2019t go offline if one node fails for whatever reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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