Me again I’m now taking my plan ([url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,14343.msg108283.html#msg108283]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,14343.msg108283.html#msg108283[/url]) to the next level and laying out where things will be placed in the house. What are the key considerations with respect to range? To start with how important is the actual location of the VeraLite unit itself? My initial thought was to have my mechanical room in the basement be me “control room” and the Vera would go in there and that since the z-wave devices repeat that should cover the entire house without much issue (at least that’s my thought).
This should be OK. However, Z-Wave coverage or, more specifically, radio propagation is impossible to judge before hand. There are too many factors such as distances, wall thicknesses, building materials, multipath reflections… for anyone to be able to say definitely X.
In most cases, having a Z-Wave node within 10-15 feet of another Z-Wave node will almost guarantee signal coverage and usually the distance is closer to 20 feet and far beyond if there is clear line of sight.
If you can draw a line from Vera to any specific node with 4 hops or less between them and each node being 15 feet or less from each other, you will have good coverage. Beyond that 60 foot aggregate reach, it depends. You won’t know before it’s done and you can test it.
If you have door locks, the basement may be out of the question. I had all kinds of trouble with my door locks until I moved the Vera pretty close to them. I hung it on the wall as inconspicuously as possible where the doors are maybe 20 feet away at most.
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I’m now taking my plan ([url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,14343.msg108283.html#msg108283]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,14343.msg108283.html#msg108283[/url]) to the next level and laying out where things will be placed in the house. What are the key considerations with respect to range? To start with how important is the actual location of the VeraLite unit itself? My initial thought was to have my mechanical room in the basement be me “control room” and the Vera would go in there and that since the z-wave devices repeat that should cover the entire house without much issue (at least that’s my thought).