{"video_id":"p4vZb-prIto","title":"When Is Wi-Fi NOT The Answer? - Zigbee and Z-Wave","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2021-05-05T14:58:16Z","duration_s":321,"segments":[{"start_s":0.08,"end_s":5.6,"text":"so that smartphone in your pocket or the smartphone you're using to watch this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":3.52,"end_s":10.96,"text":"video right now almost certainly supports wi-fi bluetooth and some kind","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.16,"end_s":14.719,"text":"of cellular connection and seeing as how modern phones are designed to be","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":12.8,"end_s":19.84,"text":"do-it-all devices you might think that it has every important wireless protocol","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":17.359,"end_s":23.279,"text":"covered but wait there are a couple others with similar names that are","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":21.68,"end_s":28.48,"text":"actually quite widespread in the consumer space zigbee and z-wave but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":26.8,"end_s":32.079,"text":"what exactly are they and why do they exist is the tech industry just trying","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":30.56,"end_s":36.8,"text":"to fleece us because they think consumers perceive anything with the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":33.84,"end_s":41.68,"text":"letter z in it to be edgy and cool not quite it's like this zigbee and z-wave","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":39.28,"end_s":45.68,"text":"are primarily focused on smart home applications rather than other kinds of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":43.6,"end_s":49.84,"text":"data transmission but hold on a sec james i have smart wi-fi controlled","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":47.92,"end_s":54.32,"text":"lights and bluetooth speakers that work just fine why do we need totally","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":52.32,"end_s":58.399,"text":"different protocols just so i can unlock my front door from my phone it turns out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":56.64,"end_s":62.879,"text":"that zigbee and z-wave have real technical advantages that make","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":60.559,"end_s":68.479,"text":"them better performing and more reliable for home automation a big one is power","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":65.92,"end_s":73.119,"text":"consumption you see although wi-fi is incredibly versatile it hogs a lot of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":70.96,"end_s":77.04,"text":"power which makes sense considering wi-fi is used for bandwidth heavy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":75.04,"end_s":81.68,"text":"applications like streaming video and gaming but you simply don't need a whole","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":79.439,"end_s":86.72,"text":"lot of bandwidth to tell your front door to lock your garage to shut or your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":83.84,"end_s":91.2,"text":"smart light bulb to turn pink and even something like a smart home security","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":88.64,"end_s":95.2,"text":"sensor can trigger an alarm simply by telling the base station hey this door","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":93.2,"end_s":101.04,"text":"is open this means that you don't need very much speed which results in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":98.4,"end_s":105.28,"text":"huge power savings very important for smart home devices which are often small","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":103.36,"end_s":110.079,"text":"and designed to be placed anywhere without the need to be plugged in both","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":107.6,"end_s":115.119,"text":"zigbee and z-wave operate at speeds well below 300 kilobytes per second meaning","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":113.28,"end_s":118.56,"text":"that they aren't much faster than an old dial-up modem","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.64,"end_s":122.56,"text":"but the result in power savings mean that many smart home devices can last","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":120.24,"end_s":127.759,"text":"for over two years without needing a battery swap but hold on again james you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":125.28,"end_s":132.879,"text":"might be saying bluetooth is also quite low power so why don't we just use that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":130.56,"end_s":136.959,"text":"well as anyone who's ever gotten too far from the bluetooth speaker knows most","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":135.04,"end_s":140.64,"text":"bluetooth revisions are quite range limited which can be a huge problem if","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":138.8,"end_s":145.04,"text":"you're trying to deploy smart home tech in something other than a small","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.4,"end_s":149.84,"text":"apartment zigbee and z-wave however work as mesh networks where each device acts","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":147.28,"end_s":154.64,"text":"as a node to send the signal on to the target device so even if your smart home","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":152.16,"end_s":158.319,"text":"hub is downstairs and the thermostat you're trying to control is on the third","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":156.08,"end_s":162.08,"text":"floor your signal can be routed through your smart light fixture and your smoke","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":160.08,"end_s":166.879,"text":"detector to get there and if we're talking about z-wave specifically it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":164.239,"end_s":171.76,"text":"operates on a lower frequency than wi-fi meaning longer ranges between nodes","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":169.36,"end_s":175.92,"text":"zigbee operates on the more congested 2.4 gigahertz bandwidth which is often","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":174.08,"end_s":180.0,"text":"used by wi-fi though it makes up for this limitation somewhat by being able","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":177.84,"end_s":184.72,"text":"to hop through as many devices as it needs whereas z-wave is limited to just","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":182.4,"end_s":188.879,"text":"four hops and remember that whichever protocol you use many battery-only smart","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":187.519,"end_s":194.239,"text":"home devices aren't designed to be used as hops since","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":191.68,"end_s":198.319,"text":"this would drain the battery faster on the subject of limitations the biggest","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":196.159,"end_s":203.2,"text":"drawback for most people with either zigbee or z-wave is the need for a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":200.56,"end_s":207.36,"text":"central hub to control your gadgets since neither typical routers nor","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.959,"end_s":212.0,"text":"smartphones or tablets come with zigbee or z-wave support built-in you'll need a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":210.08,"end_s":217.04,"text":"hub of some sort which connects to your router so your phone tablet or computer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":214.239,"end_s":221.599,"text":"can talk to it via wi-fi it'll then send a zigbee or z-wave signal to the devices","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":219.28,"end_s":225.76,"text":"you're trying to control so in this way they're not as straightforward as wi-fi","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":223.44,"end_s":230.239,"text":"but seeing as so many iot devices have adopted zigbee and z-wave it appears","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.76,"end_s":234.4,"text":"that the market has decided the benefits outweigh the costs and although there","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":232.4,"end_s":239.84,"text":"are competing standards out there like insteon and bluetooth mesh zigbee and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":236.959,"end_s":244.08,"text":"z-wave remain the most common so is one protocol better than the other well","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":242.4,"end_s":247.68,"text":"z-wave's longer range and better interoperability as a proprietary","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":245.92,"end_s":252.0,"text":"standard with more rigorous testing requirements have led many smart home","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":249.519,"end_s":255.519,"text":"enthusiasts to deem it the superior choice but that doesn't mean zigbee is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":254.48,"end_s":259.919,"text":"bad just do your research for the specific","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":257.6,"end_s":262.72,"text":"product ecosystem you're buying into and make sure any gadget that you're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":261.199,"end_s":267.6,"text":"thinking about getting doesn't have a ton of reports of buggy software you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":265.6,"end_s":272.479,"text":"don't want your smart solid shooter to start acting up at three in the morning","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":270.96,"end_s":276.32,"text":"i've been there thanks to private internet access for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":274.08,"end_s":280.4,"text":"sponsoring this video pia is the vpn that masks your ip address and encrypts","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":278.08,"end_s":285.44,"text":"your internet traffic pia has reliable service with over 3","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":282.08,"end_s":287.52,"text":"300 servers and 48 countries and no","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.44,"end_s":290.8,"text":"bandwidth caps it has configurable encryption and an internet kill switch","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":289.36,"end_s":294.24,"text":"to keep you in control of your connection and privacy and when you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":292.56,"end_s":297.12,"text":"combine it with private browsing you can make websites think you're in a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":295.6,"end_s":301.199,"text":"different country connect up to 10 devices at once with their clients for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":298.88,"end_s":305.84,"text":"Windows mac Android iOS and Linux and stay protected with mace the built-in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":303.36,"end_s":310.88,"text":"malware and tracking blocker you can try pia risk free for 30 days just by","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":308.479,"end_s":314.56,"text":"heading to LMG.gigi pia Techquickie so thanks for watching","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":313.36,"end_s":319.28,"text":"guys if you like this video give us a thumbs up hit subscribe and be sure to hit us up in the comment section with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":317.6,"end_s":322.72,"text":"your suggestions for topics we should cover in the future","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"so that smartphone in your pocket or the smartphone you're using to watch this video right now almost certainly supports wi-fi bluetooth and some kind of cellular connection and seeing as how modern phones are designed to be do-it-all devices you might think that it has every important wireless protocol covered but wait there are a couple others with similar names that are actually quite widespread in the consumer space zigbee and z-wave but what exactly are they and why do they exist is the tech industry just trying to fleece us because they think consumers perceive anything with the letter z in it to be edgy and cool not quite it's like this zigbee and z-wave are primarily focused on smart home applications rather than other kinds of data transmission but hold on a sec james i have smart wi-fi controlled lights and bluetooth speakers that work just fine why do we need totally different protocols just so i can unlock my front door from my phone it turns out that zigbee and z-wave have real technical advantages that make them better performing and more reliable for home automation a big one is power consumption you see although wi-fi is incredibly versatile it hogs a lot of power which makes sense considering wi-fi is used for bandwidth heavy applications like streaming video and gaming but you simply don't need a whole lot of bandwidth to tell your front door to lock your garage to shut or your smart light bulb to turn pink and even something like a smart home security sensor can trigger an alarm simply by telling the base station hey this door is open this means that you don't need very much speed which results in huge power savings very important for smart home devices which are often small and designed to be placed anywhere without the need to be plugged in both zigbee and z-wave operate at speeds well below 300 kilobytes per second meaning that they aren't much faster than an old dial-up modem but the result in power savings mean that many smart home devices can last for over two years without needing a battery swap but hold on again james you might be saying bluetooth is also quite low power so why don't we just use that well as anyone who's ever gotten too far from the bluetooth speaker knows most bluetooth revisions are quite range limited which can be a huge problem if you're trying to deploy smart home tech in something other than a small apartment zigbee and z-wave however work as mesh networks where each device acts as a node to send the signal on to the target device so even if your smart home hub is downstairs and the thermostat you're trying to control is on the third floor your signal can be routed through your smart light fixture and your smoke detector to get there and if we're talking about z-wave specifically it operates on a lower frequency than wi-fi meaning longer ranges between nodes zigbee operates on the more congested 2.4 gigahertz bandwidth which is often used by wi-fi though it makes up for this limitation somewhat by being able to hop through as many devices as it needs whereas z-wave is limited to just four hops and remember that whichever protocol you use many battery-only smart home devices aren't designed to be used as hops since this would drain the battery faster on the subject of limitations the biggest drawback for most people with either zigbee or z-wave is the need for a central hub to control your gadgets since neither typical routers nor smartphones or tablets come with zigbee or z-wave support built-in you'll need a hub of some sort which connects to your router so your phone tablet or computer can talk to it via wi-fi it'll then send a zigbee or z-wave signal to the devices you're trying to control so in this way they're not as straightforward as wi-fi but seeing as so many iot devices have adopted zigbee and z-wave it appears that the market has decided the benefits outweigh the costs and although there are competing standards out there like insteon and bluetooth mesh zigbee and z-wave remain the most common so is one protocol better than the other well z-wave's longer range and better interoperability as a proprietary standard with more rigorous testing requirements have led many smart home enthusiasts to deem it the superior choice but that doesn't mean zigbee is bad just do your research for the specific product ecosystem you're buying into and make sure any gadget that you're thinking about getting doesn't have a ton of reports of buggy software you don't want your smart solid shooter to start acting up at three in the morning i've been there thanks to private internet access for sponsoring this video pia is the vpn that masks your ip address and encrypts your internet traffic pia has reliable service with over 3 300 servers and 48 countries and no bandwidth caps it has configurable encryption and an internet kill switch to keep you in control of your connection and privacy and when you combine it with private browsing you can make websites think you're in a different country connect up to 10 devices at once with their clients for Windows mac Android iOS and Linux and stay protected with mace the built-in malware and tracking blocker you can try pia risk free for 30 days just by heading to LMG.gigi pia Techquickie so thanks for watching guys if you like this video give us a thumbs up hit subscribe and be sure to hit us up in the comment section with your suggestions for topics we should cover in the future"}