I am still building my z-wave network and trying to identify what sensors to buy.
now an asking myself what happens when I also take some older and cheaper z-wave devices, in what way it will harm the network?
Are the old devices also beaming or is this reserved for the z-wave plus? Is there any disadvantage when using a z-wave remote besides the possible distance?
While zwave plus is better in general and there’s always a generic risk of a device to become a “troublemaker”, you should be able to mix zwave plus and non-plus devices. They all support routing, that is, any sender (such as your remote) just needs to be in range with the closest mains powered network device to work.
Just beaming has not been invented yet, I suggest you stop watching Star Trek.
Oh shit, I really would like to have beaming included = super smart home:rofl:
While what @mstormi said is generally true, there are certainly limitations. A mixed network will fall back to the standard zwave features for links that contain older devices. So, things that will be impacted -:
- Some route discovery features will not be available (ie explorer frames)
- The links will use the slower speeds (ie ZWave plus defines a higher data rate, so if there are older devices, the lower rate will be used)
- Links may not have as good a distance due to performance with older devices (ie newer devices have better RF performance).
Old devices can support beaming, but beaming in itself is only there to support FLiRS (Frequently Listening) devices, so it’s dependant on the end device being controlled.
OK my conclusion - don´t mix and spend some more money for Z-wave plus only.
I would say it’s best if you can - it’s not always possible, and in general I wouldn’t be toooo scared about using non ZWave+ devices.