Our smart home ZigBee devices come in three types: end devices, routers, and coordinators.
Each has unique features that cater to different network requirements.
An end device cannot route traffic, making it suitable for mobile and battery-operated devices. When an end device sleeps, all traffic is routed to its parent, and it is responsible for requesting any pending messages from its parent. If an end device has moved, it must inform the network that it has rejoined with a new parent.
You will find this on battery-operated devices, such as a Zigbee Motion Sensor or hardwired devices that do not require the neutral wire, such as our Zigbee Switches. This is due to the power consumption. They cannot be routers.
Routers, on the other hand, are responsible for routing traffic between different nodes. They cannot sleep and are not suitable for battery-operated devices. Routers receive, and store messages intended for their children and act as gatekeepers to the network, allowing new nodes to join.
Examples of these products are our Zigbee Downlights or our Zigbee Power Point. Hardwired devices are usually set to routers.
A coordinator is a particular type of router responsible for forming the network. It selects the appropriate channel, PAN ID, and extended network address, as well as the security mode of the network. In Zigbee2007 standard security networks, the coordinator serves as the trust centre, authenticating new nodes and distributing network keys to them as they join.
Also known as a Zigbee Hub, we have many options, such as the Zemismart Homekit Hub or the Conbee 2 Zigbee Gateway.