Access points and/or dedicated routers specifically for HA? I’m wondering if anyone has set up a dedicated router that ONLY handles the home automation stuff, and if there are any advantages of doing so.
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Thanks! ! !
My question is more about whether there are any advantages of using a separate router to handle only home automation. Router #1 = computers, laptops, streaming, etc. Router #2 = SmartThings, home automation, LIFX, ESP8266, etc.
I use a completely separate network for my home automation stuff, but it’s just for reliability and to separate any denial of service attacks if one should occur. I don’t trust my home automation stuff to be secured by the manufacturer to the level where I would want to share that network with, say, banking. On the other hand, I don’t trust my unreliable roommate not to download something to his Xbox that has a virus on it. So I just keep everything separated.
In terms of technical stuff, although there are some interesting features on some of the more “consumer friendly” routers, including the Samsung connect, speaking just for myself for home automation I like a router that offers full admin capabilities. For example, the ability to assign static IP addresses is useful for home automation. 
@michaelahess has looked into some of these issues, I think. Otherwise I’m sure there will be other community members who can say more.
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It really depends on your use case… In my case no, even though I now have hundreds of devices, my devices are all Z-Wave and Zigbee so they’re not communicating on WiFi between the devices and the hub. Yes the hub communicates with the ST cloud, but unless I am ready to shell out for a completely different second ISP connection (which I’m not), it wouldn’t make any sense splitting that traffic down its own router. My Arlo cams do communicate in thier own WiFi network and the Arlo hub is hard wired into my router…
If you’re using a lot of WiFi connected stuff that generates a lot of traffic, it might make sense… But man… It would take a LOT of devices… WiFi cameras running full time with HD signals, multiple DLNA speakers with thier own tracks, hundreds of TP-Link switches, etc.
IMHO, You’re most likely better optimizing the Wi-Fi channels and router placement to avoid interference between your local WiFi signal and your Zigbee mesh. (WiFi doesn’t carry the Zigbee traffic, but they live in the same frequency space).
That said, I’m sure someone has another opinion on the subject. One network to manage and attempt to properly secure is just fine for me.
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Thanks, yeah reliability and organization seem like a good idea. I have nearly 30 devices connected, which seems to be over the max - sometimes they don’t all pop up in the address table voluntarily, making it hard to manage.
Any suggestions on optimization tricks for keeping zigbee and 2.4 out of each other’s hair?
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If you have Auto set for your 2.4ghz on the router, that does a great job at providing you with an optimum channel for that band, but has no way of knowing the Zigbee channel that SmartThings selected. The only way I see that you can avoid this is by hard coding a 2.4ghz wifi channel as far away from the current Zigbee Channel, but using a channel that won’t cause networking interference with too many people in the neighborhood on that same channel.
Think of it this way. If Zigbee is closer to channel 11, then you are better off having your 2.4ghz closer to channel 11. If the Zigbee channel is 26, you are better off having your 2.4ghz channel closer to 1.
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There’s a FAQ for that.
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