Before moving on to building our use case for creating a smart home, let’s first understand the different communication methods, protocols, and standards that make up a smart home.
In this chapter, we will explore Wi-Fi devices, Zigbee devices, and Matter devices. We will also explain the concept of the Matter Bridge, which is featured in several SONOFF products.
Having a clear, overall understanding of these concepts will help us make better decisions when designing a smart home.
A Smart Home is a set of devices that work together, allowing you to control them through an app, voice commands, or automated actions you set up beforehand.
These devices communicate with each other through protocols, and most smart homes use more than one protocol, communication method or standard. In this chapter, we’ll focus on the communication protocols SONOFF uses in its products.
Wi-Fi is one of the most common communication method in smart homes. It connects devices to your home’s wireless network, letting them communicate with each other and with cloud services through the internet—or, for some SONOFF devices, through a local connection.
SONOFF offers a wide range of products that use Wi-Fi, and these are the easiest to install since they don’t require a gateway. You simply power on the device and connect it to your home Wi-Fi network.
NOTE: Smart home devices operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency, so it’s important to ensure that this network is active in order to add the device successfully.
Wide Availability: Most homes already have a Wi-Fi network, making it easy to add smart devices without needing extra hardware.
High Bandwidth: Perfect for devices that need fast, reliable data transfer, like cameras and video doorbells.
Direct Internet Access: Wi-Fi allows devices to connect to cloud services for remote control and advanced features.
Power Consumption: Wi-Fi uses more energy, which can drain batteries quickly in devices like sensors.
Network Overload: When many devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the performance can slow down, causing delays or disconnections.
Limited Range: Wi-Fi signals can weaken over long distances or through walls, which may require Wi-Fi extenders in larger homes.
While Wi-Fi is perfect for devices that need constant high-speed connections, for larger networks or energy efficiency, protocols like Zigbee or Matter may be a better fit.
Zigbee is a wireless communication protocol designed for smart home automation and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It was developed to address two major issues in smart devices: power consumption and efficient communication for short-range networks.
Zigbee uses low-power radio technology, allowing devices to operate for long periods on small batteries while maintaining stable and reliable communication.
Let’s understand the Zigbee network and how it is created.
For a Zigbee network to exist, a Zigbee gateway is required. The gateway is the device responsible for creating the Zigbee network, coordinating all devices, adding them to the network, and managing their connections. The gateway is often also referred to as the coordinator. In fact, exists three types of devices in a zigbee network.
In a Zigbee network, there are three types of agents, each serving different roles:
Coordinator (Gateway)
Creates and manages the Zigbee network.
Acts as the central point controlling all connected devices.
Router
Devices that can extend and repeat the signal.
Crucial for making the mesh network stronger and more reliable.
End-devices
Usually sensors or terminal devices.
Their main role is to report their status to the coordinator.
Let's explore some examples of these types with SONOFF products.
To create a Zigbee network, SONOFF offers several Zigbee gateways with different features. Let’s take a closer look at them.
| Product designation | Supports devices | Matter-Bridge | Avanced User | |
|
Up to 128 Sub-Devices | No | No | |
|
Zigbee Bridge Ultra | Up to 256 Sub-Devices | Yes | No |
|
SONOFF iHost Smart Home Hub | Up to 128 Sub-Devices | Yes | Yes |
|
NS Panel Pro | No | No | |
|
SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus | 50 Sub-devices in Coordinator Mode Or 200 Sub-devices in router mode | No | Yes |
|
SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus V2 | 30 Sub-devices in Coordinator Mode + 30 Sub-devices in router mode | No | Yes |
The choice of a gateway depends on the user’s needs. SONOFF offers a range of options, from simple gateways that only create and manage a Zigbee network, to advanced devices that also function as a Zigbee gateway and Matter Bridge or Matter controller.
1. Beginner User
If the user just wants to connect Zigbee devices and control them via the cloud in apps like eWeLink, the SONOFF Bridge Pro is a suitable choice.
2. Intermediate User
If the user wants to create a Zigbee network but later expose these devices to other platforms via the new Matter standard, the SONOFF Bridge Ultra is ideal. This gateway features a Matter Bridge, allowing connected devices to be integrated with platforms like Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, and Alexa.
3. Advanced User
For users who want local control of their devices without relying on the cloud, options like iHost or ZBDongle are excellent. These gateways allow integration with external platforms such as Home Assistant, offering greater flexibility and control.
SONOFF Zigbee devices with a router or signal repeater function are generally those that are permanently powered — either directly via live and neutral wiring or through USB.
Signal repeaters are especially useful when a sensor is located far from the gateway and experiencing signal loss. By placing the repeater between the gateway and the sensor, the network is extended, ensuring that a stronger and more stable signal reaches the distant device.
The table below lists the SONOFF devices that repeat the Zigbee signal, helping to extend coverage and make the network more stable.
| Product Designation | Notes | |
|
SONOFF ZBMINIR2 | |
|
SONOFF ZBMicro | |
|
SONOFF SNZB-06P | |
|
SONOFF ZBM5 Series | Only with neutral-wire installation has the repeator function |
|
SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus | Need a firmware change to operate as zigbee repeator. You can use the Dongle Flasher tool to change the firmware version. |
|
SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus V2 | Need a firmware change to operate as zigbee repeator. You can use the Dongle Flasher tool to change the firmware version. |
|
NS Panel Pro | In the NS Panel Pro settings you can change the operation mode: Coordinator or repeater. |
End devices are devices that perform specific functions, such as sensors or switches. They typically have low power consumption, as they spend most of their time in a low-power state and only transmit data when necessary.
Important: these devices do not relay signals to other network elements, meaning they must be within direct range of a Zigbee router or the gateway.
Here's a few examples of SONOFF end-devices
| Product Designation | |
|
SONOFF SNZB-01P |
|
SONOFF SNZB-02LD |
|
SONOFF SNZB-05P |
You can check other examples here.
Matter is an open-source, unified standard for smart home devices developed to enable interoperability across various ecosystems and manufacturers.
Matter was created to simplify the smart home experience by ensuring that devices from different brands and ecosystems can seamlessly work together, regardless of the platform (like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit).
The protocol supports Wi-Fi and Thread (a low-power mesh networking protocol) as communication methods, allowing for flexible connectivity options.
The goal of Matter is to address the fragmentation in the smart home industry. Before Matter, many smart home devices required different apps and ecosystems to work together, making it difficult for users to have a seamless experience. Matter was created to:
Improve compatibility: Allow smart devices from different brands and ecosystems to work together.
Enhance security: By using modern encryption and security protocols, Matter aims to ensure privacy and data protection.
Promote simplicity: Matter aims to make it easier for consumers to set up, manage, and control their smart homes by providing a universal standard.
Future-proof: By using an open-source model, Matter ensures it remains adaptable to future technologies and updates.
Universal Compatibility
Matter allows smart home devices from different manufacturers to work together, making integration much easier for users.
Enhanced Security
Uses industry-leading security standards like end-to-end encryption to ensure privacy and data protection.
Simplified Setup
The setup process is simplified, with support for automated device pairing across different platforms.
Cross-Platform Functionality
Devices that support Matter can work with popular smart home assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, ensuring flexibility.
Future-Proof
Being open-source and regularly updated, Matter is adaptable and designed to stay current with future advancements in technology.
Limited Device Support Initially
While Matter is gaining traction, it still requires time for manufacturers to adopt and update their products to support the protocol.
Wi-Fi and Thread Dependence
Devices must support Wi-Fi or Thread to communicate via Matter, which may not be ideal for all users or device types.
A Matter Controller is the device responsible for managing and controlling all Matter devices in a network. It acts as the “brain” of the installation, allowing you to add new devices, configure settings, and maintain communication between them.
It also stores and synchronizes the information needed so that other compatible controllers (for example, on a smartphone or an additional hub) can manage the network.
| Product Designation | |
|
NS Panel Pro |
| Product Designation | Tecnology | |
|
SONOFF MINI-RBS | Matter Over WI-FI |
|
SONOFF MINIR4M | Matter Over WI-FI |
|
SONOFF M5 Matter Series | Matter Over WI-FI |
|
Fusion Series - Orb-RBS | Matter Over WI-FI |
|
Fusion Series - Orb-MW1 | Matter Over WI-FI |
A Matter Bridge serves as the intermediary between Matter-compatible devices and your smart home network. It enables devices that use different communication protocols (like Wi-Fi or Zigbee) to communicate with each other seamlessly. In a smart home setup, a Matter bridge can link devices like lights, thermostats, and sensors, allowing them to work with different ecosystems (such as Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit).
These hubs facilitate communication between Matter devices and other devices on your home network.
Here's the SONOFF Matter-bridge devices:
| Product Designation | |
|
SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra |
|
SONOFF iHost |
Understanding the different communication methods and standards—Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Matter—is essential for designing a smart home that is reliable, efficient, and future-proof.
Wi-Fi offers simplicity and direct cloud connectivity, Zigbee provides low-power mesh networking ideal for sensors and large device networks, and Matter brings a new era of universal compatibility across brands and ecosystems.
By knowing how gateways, routers, end devices, controllers, and bridges work together, you can choose the right SONOFF products for each scenario, ensuring a smooth integration and the best possible performance for your smart home.