4 advantages of Zigbee over Wi-Fi in smart homes
For smart home devices to communicate with each other, they need a network. While many providers rely on Wi-Fi, Hilo uses the Zigbee communication protocol instead. Here’s why.
1. Wider range
Because it uses a mesh network, the Zigbee protocol offers greater range and more stable coverage than Wi-Fi. In a mesh network, each device connects to the others without a hierarchy. This lack of hierarchy extends the reach of your connected devices, so you don’t need to add repeaters like you would with Wi-Fi. And for residential use, you can connect as many devices as you want.
2. Energy savings
Zigbee uses far less energy than Wi-Fi. That means when you connect battery-powered devices to the Hilo ecosystem, their batteries last much longer in Zigbee mode than in Wi-Fi mode. The result: with smaller batteries that run longer, Zigbee helps you save both energy and money — while also helping protect the environment.
That makes Zigbee the logical choice for a smart home designed to reduce energy use!
3. Enhanced security
Zigbee offers stronger data security — both when devices are paired with the app and during everyday use. On top of that, the Hilo hub is connected to the modem by cable to maximize security.
4. Simplified setup
Zigbee makes network setup and device pairing faster and easier. And because Hilo uses the Zigbee communication protocol, it can connect seamlessly to Hydro-Québec’s Zigbee smart meter, giving you real-time access to your consumption data.
