In a mesh network like SmartThings, this will happen automatically provided
both devices are the same protocol (Zigbee talks only to Zigbee, zwave talks only to zwave)
both devices have been successfully paired to the same hub
the devices are within one hop of each other (typically about 40 feet in a house with wooden walls)
at least one of the two devices is mains-powered (not battery powered)
the network’s address tables are all up to date
if one of the devices is a zwave lock, the other must support beaming
That’s all there is to it.
You don’t have to do anything – – when a device wants to send the message, it will check its address table to find a nearby neighbor that can relay the message if needed.
Where most people mess up is in pairing devices close to the hub and then moving them someplace else but not doing anything to update the address tables. Or in thinking that a battery-powered device can repeat for another battery-powered device.
But if you just check the six points above, everything happens automatically.
After all the devices are in their final position, if you have done a Z wave repair utility for Z wave devices or forced a network heal for zigbee devices, then all the address table should be up to date.
See the following FAQ:
In both cases it may take a little while for the individual device address tables to update after the utility itself is completed. (A little while could be anywhere from 10 minutes to 24 hours.)
Duncan has also suggested you can get more certainty in a SmartThings installation if you pair all the Z wave repeaters before adding the battery powered devices. he said if you already had a sensor and then you added a new repeater it might be a good idea to remove the sensor and then re-add it. But you could try it first without doing that step and see if things are working OK.
Currently my hub is plugged directly out of my broadband router but it is located on an exterior wall not very well centralized. I could locate my SmartThings hub in the middle of my home but it won’t be directly off the router but feeding through an Ethernet switch. Is that a bad thing or should I keep it directly off the router?
If it works from the switch, should be fine. Just try to keep it at least 3 m from your Wi-Fi router, wherever it is. That will reduce the chance of any zigbee drop offs due to Wi-Fi interference.
Again, as far as device placement (including the hub) “all home automation is local.” If you find a set up that works well at your house, great. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same as anybody else’s set up. It’s just like WiFi Dead spots, every house is a little different. Best practices are mostly just a guideline for what to try if things are not working well in their current set up.
Somewhat, although it also depends on the type of devices. Battery powered devices sleep a lot, and consequently the request might come through while they were asleep and then things get complicated. The number of hops is also a factor.
If all you have are three plug-ins they should finish within 15 minutes.
