Need Help With Channel Selection

We’ve just purchased a new home and I have a ‘smart home’ mandate from the DW. I’ve decided on the SmartThings Hub to control it all, but I am concerned about interference with my supporting components. The home is conventionally constructed, wood frame, gypsum board, stucco exterior. I intend to install (3) UniFi AC LR AP’s for wifi coverage. We also would like to utilize the Arlo Pro camera system and Phillips Hue. My concern is channel selection on the 2.4 band. Assuming minimal interference from neighbors, we have a larger lot, what would be optimum channel selection? I understand Phillips Zigbee will be channel 1 or equivalent, plus the 3 channels I need for the AP’s and adding in the Arlo, I’m concerned that I’ll have communication issues. Any recommendations?

Thank you

Being someone that has multiple Ubiquity AP’s throughout multiple commercial buildings I have to ask why you think you need 3 LR’s? Two, possibly even one well mounted AC Pro, would more then cover a house and give you less overlap issues. Unless you are purposely trying to provide WiFi coverage extending outside your house which even in that case I would suggest one Pro inside and one outside.

-Allan

Zigbee, whether it’s Phillips or SmartThings, covers a much wider range then just Wi-Fi band one. However, each zigbee device controller picks one zigbee channel which is a thin slice. Some controllers, like the Phillips hue bridge, will let you change from one zigbee channel to another. Others, like the smartthings hub will not. So in order to avoid a conflict with Wi-Fi, you sometimes need to change the Wi-Fi channel.

The following FAQs explain more and have graphs that show the overlaps:

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In my lurking, I’ve read a few threads where the consensus AC-LR is superior to the HD in “listening” to low power clients, which most of my WiFi connections will be. So I was thinking 2-3 AP’s on their lowest settings. I’m looking for excellent WiFi coverage throughout my home extending to the rear patio. If this truly seems to be over kill please let me know.

So in the 2.4 range, ideally I would want no-more than three broadcasting devices, and utilize channels 1,6,11 to prevent any overlap. So if Hue takes channel 1 that leaves me with theoretically 2 clean channels… If I have 3 more broadcasting devices (Arlo, AP x 2) how can I spit up the sprectum to prevent congestion?

Yes, the LR is better at listening to devices while the Pro is overall faster. People have reported issues with that exact issue…their devices can “see” the LR but the LR doesn’t see the device as it can’t transmit far enough to be picked up. The Pro has a rated range of 400’, the LR 600’. The pro is better at handing off devices between units then the LR which might be important if you are routinely moving around with your devices. The Pro also is standard PoE while the LR is a passive PoE that needs a adapter so if you are putting in a standard PoE switch (would recommend) then you can just plug the Pro in. (Edit: some LRs are standard PoE, newer design, check the boxes for a blue triangle in top left corner).

But again it depends on how big of a area you are covering or want to cover. Whichever you choose I highly doubt you will need three as long as they are well placed. You can also mix and match them, put a AC-Pro upstairs near the front of the house then a AC-LR downstairs near the back of the house so you can cover your backyard.

Hue can be changed to zigbee Channel 11, 15, 20, 24, 25. For that reason, we would almost never put it overlapping WiFi channel 1. Did you read the links above? The FAQ on reducing Wi-Fi/zigbee interference gives a suggested assignment:

Short Answer
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The best configuration is usually to make sure the Wi-Fi router and the SmartThings hub are at least 10 feet apart, and use Wi-Fi on channel 11, SmartThings on zigbee channel 11, and the Phillips hue bridge on zigbee channel 25. (See the diagram in post one of this thread – – Zigbee channel 11 and Wi-Fi channel 11 are about as far apart as you can get.)

As far as “no more than three broadcasting devices” I’m not quite sure what you mean by this, as all of your end devices will transmit on the channel. That’s how they communicate with the network controller.

The main issue with Wi-Fi and zigbee is that Wi-Fi is a much stronger signal with typically much heavier traffic and will tend to drown out nearby zigbee. But normally there will be multiple devices on each of the networks. Such as three zigbee sensors all reporting at the same time. Or Wi-Fi network with a couple of mobile phones, a network streaming box, a couple of cameras, some Wi-Fi home automation devices, a laptop, etc.

What we want to separate are the networks – – we trust the controllers for each to manage their own device traffic.

So in general as long as you get the zigbee network and your Wi-Fi network so they aren’t overlapping, you’ll be fine. :sunglasses: