When you have or want to buy smart home products, it is important that you decide in advance which products you want to use, how you want to use these and whether these products also with each other to communicate .
If you want products to communicate with each other, it is important to know which protocol is supported. This is because you may later want to expand your smart home with other products. Furthermore, for ease of use, it is good to know whether all these smart home products can be operated or automated in one app.
It is also possible to have different protocols communicate with each other, for example Zigbee and WiFi products. More on this later.
What is a smart home protocol?
A smart home protocol is a kind of 'language' that devices use to communicate with each other. This makes it possible, among other things, to use smart home products on one app. This means, for example, that if your doorbell is pressed, a lamp in the hallway will switch on or that your radio will start playing as soon as you enter the living room (after motion has been detected by a sensor).
These are the smart home protocols you will encounter the most:
- Z wave
- Zigbee
- Wi-Fi
- bluetooth
Marmitek uses both the Zigbee protocol and the WiFi protocol. We will discuss the differences further below.
Zigbee protocol
Zigbee is an affordable and energy-efficient smart home protocol. It enables a wireless connection between devices at a short distance. Zigbee is already widely used for smart lighting. Everyone is familiar with Philips Hue or Ikea Tradfri. These are both systems that work on the Zigbee protocol. You also often see it in homes. Zigbee sensors are used to trigger lighting and Zigbee switches offer the option to manually control lighting scenarios programmed in the app.
Zigbee products are known for the following features:
- Trustworthy
- Energy efficient
- Uses a "mesh network”
- Relatively cheap
Zigbee basically has a limited range of 15 to 20 meters. You can expand the range by using Zigbee repeaters.
A Zigbee network consists of a Zigbee gateway (Link ME), so-called "end devices" (Zigbee switches and sensors) and any repeaters (Link SE) to strengthen the network. Via an app you then operate the products or set timers or scenarios.
In the case of Marmitek, this picture looks like this:
The Zigbee gateway (Link ME) actually translates the Zigbee "language" to WiFi "language" so that the two can communicate with each other.
The sensors and switches can then switch lighting. Even if they are not Zigbee lamps. (e.g. our Smart me wifi lamps)
Wi-Fi protocol
The WiFi protocol is an accessible smart home protocol. Nowadays, almost everyone has access to WiFi at home. This means that you can get started right away with smart WiFi products no gateway, hub or bridge. You buy a Smart me WiFi product, register it in the app and you can operate the product immediately (or remotely) via the app.
Or you create scenarios in the app to switch lighting at a certain time or have it triggered when motion is detected by a camera or sensor. If you fully automate everything, you no longer need the app at all. Only to view the saved images from a camera or doorbell!
In your home you often also use products other than smart home products that work on the WiFi protocol. Therefore, use a powerful router and create a WiFi mesh network, so that your smart products work well throughout the home.
Zigbee & Wi-Fi products
We have Zigbee and WiFi products in our range. These products function perfectly within one smart home. The Zigbee products are an addition to the Smart me WiFi range. Only the sensors are available in both a Zigbee and a WiFi variant.
Zigbee products are mainly products that you can use to operate or trigger other smart home products. Think of a smart switch or sensor. Our LED lamps, plugs, doorbells and cameras all work via WiFi.
You do not need a gateway, hub or bridge for WiFi products, but Zigbee products always need a Zigbee gateway. So the initial purchase is slightly higher. But on one Zigbee gateway you close > 100 Zigbee products. One Link ME is therefore more than enough for home use. There are also many more products that support the Zigbee protocol, so you can expand your smart home to your heart's content. Zigbee products also transmit signals faster. This means that a lamp is triggered faster when using a Zigbee sensor than with a WiFi sensor.
Although we offer products with different communication protocols, they are easy to use with each other. The only thing you have to remember is that with a Zigbee product you ALWAYS have to use a Zigbee gateway.
The advantage of our Zigbee products is that you can get more out of your existing Smart me range. For example, with a Zigbee switch you can manually operate all our smart lamps or plugs. This is useful if you don't always want to depend on control via the app or timers that you have set in the app. And with a Zigbee switch you make the operation accessible to everyone (children, babysitter & visitors).
Use a Zigbee switch/button in every bedroom and switch pre-programmed lighting without having to use an app. You use a smart sensor, for example, if you don't want to look for the light switch at night and the light on the landing switches on automatically when you open the bedroom door. You'll never have to feel your way to the toilet again!
Why choose Marmitek?
All our products have been extensively tested and meet the high quality requirements that we and our customers set for our products.
We have been providing the best solutions for image and sound transmission & a smart home at an affordable price. We make products accessible to everyone; all our products are plug & play.
Moreover, we are always ready to help you find the right solution for your situation.
Marmitek. Stay connected.
Read more about using our smart products here
