I'm curious what others experiences are with the range of the RaZberry. Right now I'm getting less than 25 or 30 feet for a reliable connection (beyond that it gets spotty, causing all sorts of issues). That includes one wall.
Is that typical? Or is it a sign that maybe I have too small a wall wart for the pi? The one I'm using is rated at 1500 ma. I've got a Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse combo hanging off one USB port and a mini wifi dongle on the other.
This is driving a B version pi.
RaZberry Range vs Pi Power
Re: RaZberry Range vs Pi Power
Actually RaZberry consumes very little power (up to 40 mA when transmitting), so it actually shouldn't be the reason.
ZM3102 chip installed in RaZberry claims indoor range about 30 meters (line-sight), and it might be significantly reduced when there are walls between devices (it depends on thickness and material of walls). You might solder an external antenna instead of on-board one, which may (or may not) help a little.
Please note that there are two devices involved in communication, so it might be not RaZberry, but the other device the faulty one. Do you experience range problems with other devices at home?
The 5th generation chips are getting a more powerful transmitter, so they'll give a better range. But if the other device is the lousy end, it still won't help a lot: device will receive a better signal from RaZberry, but still unable to be heared back.
The typical solution is to place a range extender (or any other Z-Wave device with routing capabilities) in-between to solve your issue. Don't forget to update routes afterwards.
ZM3102 chip installed in RaZberry claims indoor range about 30 meters (line-sight), and it might be significantly reduced when there are walls between devices (it depends on thickness and material of walls). You might solder an external antenna instead of on-board one, which may (or may not) help a little.
Please note that there are two devices involved in communication, so it might be not RaZberry, but the other device the faulty one. Do you experience range problems with other devices at home?
The 5th generation chips are getting a more powerful transmitter, so they'll give a better range. But if the other device is the lousy end, it still won't help a lot: device will receive a better signal from RaZberry, but still unable to be heared back.
The typical solution is to place a range extender (or any other Z-Wave device with routing capabilities) in-between to solve your issue. Don't forget to update routes afterwards.
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markolbert
- Posts: 64
- Joined: 16 Oct 2014 06:09
Re: RaZberry Range vs Pi Power
Thanx, pofs. You're right, it could well be the switches. But I don't think so, as two switches from two different manufacturers (Linear and GE) appear to have about the same range limit in talking the RaZberry. Beyond about 25 feet (including going through two walls) the connection gets spotty.
I do have an old wireless phone that operates in the 900MHz band. Don't know if it's making the Z Wave environment noisy, but it could be.
In fairness, for both switches I'm going through both an interior and an exterior wall. The interior wall is a shear wall (i.e., lined with plywood under the drywall) and the exterior wall is thick, heavily insulated, and lined on the outside with a cement-like shingle. So it may just be a losing battle
I appreciate your clarification about the RaZberry's power consumption.
I do have an old wireless phone that operates in the 900MHz band. Don't know if it's making the Z Wave environment noisy, but it could be.
In fairness, for both switches I'm going through both an interior and an exterior wall. The interior wall is a shear wall (i.e., lined with plywood under the drywall) and the exterior wall is thick, heavily insulated, and lined on the outside with a cement-like shingle. So it may just be a losing battle
I appreciate your clarification about the RaZberry's power consumption.
Re: RaZberry Range vs Pi Power
...perhaps a extra antenna could help for increasing Z-wave distance
http://blog.ecufix.com/2013/11/increasi ... berry.html
Uwe
http://blog.ecufix.com/2013/11/increasi ... berry.html
Uwe
Z-Way v2.0.1-rc18 on Raspberry Pi
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markolbert
- Posts: 64
- Joined: 16 Oct 2014 06:09
Re: RaZberry Range vs Pi Power
Cool, Uwe! Thanx for the tip.