Connect Hub to WiFi Extender?

[JDRoberts]

@BT1979

I am thinking of getting Smart Things for a condo. The WiFi router is at one end of the condo, and I worry that some of the Things I want to hook up will be too far from the Hub if that is close to the WiFi router.

I realize I could get a Zwave repeater, but I’m wondering if I could install a WiFi repeater to improve WiFi strength in the distant part of the condo and attach the Hub to that?

Will that work?

Thanks for any thoughts!
BT

It will work, but you shouldn’t have to do it. The whole point of the two third-party protocols with SmartThings uses, Z wave and zigbee, is that they form a mesh ( One for Z wave and one for zigbee) and pass messages along, one to the next. So that allows you to cover a much wider range then just a single device can. See the following thread. Start with post 11, then go back to the top and read the whole thing.

A Guide to Wireless Range & Repeaters

One more thought. While I understand the marketing reasons for the decision, the fact that SmartThings gives customers zero guidance on how to set up a network backbone does lead to a lot of frustration that shouldn’t have to exist. if people knew that .1) The hub should be located centrally in the home, both vertically and horizontally. Don’t put it in a garage or basement as those have concrete and pipes and metal objects which will reduce signal. If your Internet router is off in some inaccessible corner, you can use a Wi-Fi access point that has a ethernet port on the side and plug into that. Also, the hub should not be put in a cabinet. You just want to make it as easy as possible for signal to spread around your house. .2) you need one device that can repeat about every 40 feet…

If you lived in a four-story mansion, you might have to start worrying about where to place the hub, but in a condo I don’t think you’re likely to run into a problem as long as you have established a good mesh. (Again, see the FAQ above)