{"id":589,"date":"2022-05-16T15:49:17","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T14:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/?p=589"},"modified":"2022-05-16T15:54:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T14:54:18","slug":"zigbee-vs-zwave-wifi-and-bluetooth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/zigbee-vs-zwave-wifi-and-bluetooth\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth (Is \u201cOne Best?\u201d)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Smart home devices tend to \u201cspeak to each other,\u201d using different ways\u2014Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-Wave. While most of us are familiar with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, ZigBee and Z-Wave remain fairly new inter-device communication technologies for many. In this article, we take a closer look at all the four technologies, comparing and contrasting them. Is one better than the other? It also talks about Matter, another related technology that used to be known as \u201cConnected Home over IP.\u201d After all, this technology supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While ZigBee and WiFi remain the most popular inter-device communication protocols today, the reality is that all the smart home communication protocols have their own benefits and drawbacks. That\u2019s probably why you\u2019ll find some more sophisticated smart homes using all of them at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Brief Overview Of Each Communication Protocol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wonder what WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-Wave, or Matter are? If that\u2019s right, below are the summaries of each technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. WiFi <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A BT HomeHub Wi Fi internet router<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

WiFi allows a whole host of devices in a smart home e.g smart TVs, smart bulbs<\/a>, CCTV cameras, and doorbells as well as alarm systems to integrate through the internet. It\u2019s what enables your smartphone and PC to access the internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This technology relies on a special piece of hardware known as a \u201cWi-Fi\u201d router, which broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal<\/a>. It\u2019s this signal that your Wi-Fi-enabled devices use to have access to the internet. Wi-Fi is wireless, which means it does not involve the use of cables, which not only can clutter your home by running everywhere but also pose a safety risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Reading:<\/strong> Can You Update All Device\u2019s Wi-Fi Details At The Same Time?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Bluetooth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

More commonly used on portable devices like smartphones, laptops, and headphones, Bluetooth enables one device to send or receive small amounts of data (no larger than audio data) to or from another as long as both devices are Bluetooth enabled<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since this technology is limited in terms of the amount of data that can be transmitted through it, it doesn\u2019t work so well when it comes to transmitting large files like video files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. ZigBee<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

ZigBee is designed to facilitate automation, which is an important feature of smart homes<\/strong>. This low-bandwidth networking protocol enables supporting <\/strong>devices such as Philips Hue<\/a>, Yale smart door locks<\/a>, Bosch security systems, Amazon Echo Plus and Echo Show, and Samsung SmartThings to link and work together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Z-Wave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The box and keypad for my Ring Alarm system<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Z-Wave allows a few smart home devices like the Ring Alarm system and sensors from various brands to link and work together just like ZigBee. A big advantage is that this low power, low bandwidth smart home protocol works on a different radio frequency<\/strong>. That means it won\u2019t interfere with your WiFi signal unlike ZigBee, which sometimes does. Unfortunately, it isn\u2019t as reliable as WiFi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Matter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Matter allows devices to work together<\/a> across all major smart home platforms including Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit<\/strong>. This emerging, unifying, interoperability networking protocol for smart homes works by leveraging existing IP technologies such as Wi-Fi to build a unified wireless connectivity ecosystem for these homes with devices that are controlled remotely using a smartphone or computer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s The Best Option Between Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, and Matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To answer this question, let’s look at the pros and cons of each technology, and then decide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Wi-Fi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n