Question

Smart device question here.  All that I've been reading says that a hub is a good idea to reduce the traffic on the network.Smart device question here. All that I've been reading says that a hub is a good idea to reduce the traffic on the network. I have some devices already (just starting out, may have made a questionable decision) that don't work with a smart hub. My question is, would it help to setup a second router on a different subnet just for the smart devices, in place of a hub, hopefully keeping the network from bogging down. I know I would lose the ability to keep it running offline that I would get with a hub, though. Thoughts?  

Answer 1

Reducing WiFi latency is only one of the benefits of a hub. The biggest ones are reduced dependence on clouds and built-in automation engines. Don’t start putting good money after bad.  

Comments

@unclothe1851 SmartThings still runs stuff through the cloud.  

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@unclothe1851 I have a second router just sitting right now, so i would not be putting out any money, although that would be a factor otherwise, as many of the hubs cost less than many of the decent routers out there.  

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@shingles of course, but 1 cloud > lots of clouds when trying to automate and troubleshoot. Plus there are local alternatives, home assistant and Hubitat.  

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@unclothe1851 My home runs on homeassistant, 100% local with exception of voice control.  

Answer 2

So a good router plus adequate Access Point coverage for your home will provide you a great internet experience. Keep as much hardwired as possible as WiFi(802. 11ac) is limited to a realistic throughput of 400 Mbps. The more WiFi clients you have the slower your network will be. Next I keep WiFi based IIoT devices limited and on a VLAN with a separate SSID on the same AP, saving RF space. The majority of my IIoT devices are on z-wave, again more stable and saves on RF space for WiFi. Personally I like Ubiquity for home networking and Homeseer for home automation. When my ISP goes down my automation still works because it is not cloud dependent. I do however lose Alexa during these times but, my app still works as it is attached to my local network.  

Answer 3

If your going with an access point, why not upgrade to mesh routers.  

Comments

Hardwired access points would be an upgrade over mesh system with wireless backhauls, even if it has a dedicated radio just for the backhaul

Answer 4

I had the same thought. Upgraded to Orbi mesh network has it’s been awesome for all the wifi devices I already have. Going forward I’m going to grab a hub and go that route

Answer 5

So in all of the smart homes I administrate, i set up 3 different wifi networks on 3 different vlans, one for primary user devices, one for smart home tech and one for guests. this gives security and qos

Comments

@yoo I really need to look more into setting up VLANs, one for the smart stuff, one for the kids to use with their devices and consoles, and one wide open for the adults. The guest one wouldn’t be a big deal for us.  

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@aksoyn you should never let guests on to your primary home network. period. even if theyre youre friend, a lof of the smart home tech is open use like belkin or logitech harmony, if they have the app on their phone they can grab control of that tech on your home network and control it once they leave

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I recommend Ubiquiti

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@kym I agree! I am the IT Manager for a new home builder and with our model homes being more and more smart, ubiquiti has been the absolute way to go

Answer 6

It's about providing a reliable service. Using wifi for this is problematic as you're at the mercy of any number of outside factors. Too many devices, neighboring network overlap, too much bulk traffic. all of which may interfere with providing the kind of performance you want from automation devices. A separate technology through a hub avoids getting stuck among the WiFi clutter, assuming it's on different RF bands (which zigbee may not be). Z-wave, Lutron, etc, are all on completely different RF frequencies and thus less likely to be impacted by any WiFi network shenanigans.