Ea1 or not EA1

[pdapice]

I currently have an EA5 doing the most of my home's functionality. It works 95% of the time just fine, and i am mostly happy with it. The one room i feel has the most potential for improvement would be my theater room which has it's fair share of delays/occasional issues.

i was thinking of adding an EA1 just to service that room (which is 100% IP control for all of the devices, and currently an SR260 for control)

will this create more problems than it solves? My though is that the EA1 is best suited for a single room, but i don't want to introduce more issues or mess with the stability of the system overall. Looking for people who have done this and saw improvements, or a total waste of time / money.
used EA1 can be had for dirt cheap so it seemed like a good plan

[msgreenf]

EA1 won't change anything for what you are looking to do. The primary controller that is running director would still do all the work. 

[pdapice]

Just now, msgreenf said:

EA1 won't change anything for what you are looking to do. The primary controller that is running director would still do all the work. 

Interesting. so aside from being a zigbee repeater, the EA1 would basically be a doorstop in my case then?

[msgreenf]

It could also serve as an OSD but it doesn't add more processing power to your project 

[Cyknight]

Ahh hang on now.

 

So you're saying that the theatre room has delay issues - is that delayed response to the SR260 remote? Because in that case, it could well ZigBee - and if it is, then there could well be indeed a good case to put that EA1  in there.

[msgreenf]

Do you have delays when controlling via the mobile app? 

[pdapice]

4 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

It could also serve as an OSD but it doesn't add more processing power to your project 

I don't really use the OSD but yes that would be a good use as well.

[pdapice]

3 minutes ago, Cyknight said:

Ahh hang on now.

 

So you're saying that the theatre room has delay issues - is that delayed response to the SR260 remote? Because in that case, it could well ZigBee - and if it is, then there could well be indeed a good case to put that EA1  in there.

yes, that was my initial thought. Like if someone uses the Microwave in the kitchen, it's a problem for the remote. So that was my initial thought, BUT it's only a matter of time before the HALO remote becomes the more obvious choice and that is wifi i believe so that would make this EA1 a moot point.
there also seems to be an intermittent delay our outright failure with the PJlink commands sent to my projector but i haven't been able to verify if that is a C4 issues, chowmain pjlink driver issue, or projector issue. I am thinking it is the projector because typically if I go to edit the IP, (but don't actually edit it) and then apply the changes (which haven't actually changed) it seems to be fine after that

[pdapice]

4 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

Do you have delays when controlling via the mobile app? 

I haven't tried it but the delays are mostly SR260 related. The exception to that is an occasional delay with double tapping the light switch in the room. that action only fires a few basic events: turn on lights to 50%, turn on projector / Pre/pro and then after 2 minutes ramp the lights to off. pretty basic maneuver. but 1 time out of 50 it will pause for a second or two before doing all of that.

[msgreenf]

I would run a ZigBee health report before investing in more hardware 

[Cyknight]

13 minutes ago, pdapice said:

but 1 time out of 50 it will pause for a second or two before doing all of that.

Ah but that keypad uses zigbee as well

12 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

I would run a ZigBee health report before investing in more hardware 

But yea that would be the normal first step at this point. Mind you the health report isn't bullet proof either.

 

 

[pdapice]

26 minutes ago, Cyknight said:

Ah but that keypad uses zigbee as well

But yea that would be the normal first step at this point. Mind you the health report isn't bullet proof either.

 

 

well, i guess for the $100 or so that a EA1 would cost me, it might be worth trying it as an experiment then. 

[neil12011]

You could setup a seperate Zigbee server on the EA1 in the theater room, and run close proximity zigbee devices off that (SR260, Dimmers, etc.)  

[pdapice]

Just now, neil12011 said:

You could setup a seperate Zigbee server on the EA1 in the theater room, and run close proximity zigbee devices off that (SR260, Dimmers, etc.)  

assuming the EA1 is hardwired via ethernet, would i need to have a separate server? wouldn't it act as an extension of the existing network? I am not sure my zigbee is rusty

[Amr]

17 minutes ago, pdapice said:

assuming the EA1 is hardwired via ethernet, would i need to have a separate server? wouldn't it act as an extension of the existing network? I am not sure my zigbee is rusty

No it won’t run as an extension, from OS3.3.x u need to have separate ZB servers no more ZAP’s, also it’s not $100 investment it’s more thanzat, unless u go used route …

[pdapice]

4 minutes ago, Amr said:

No it won’t run as an extension, from OS3.3.x u need to have separate ZB servers no more ZAP’s, also it’s not $100 investment it’s more thanzat, unless u go used route …

yeah my plan was always used for this experiment

[mindedc1]

Keep in mind that if you're adding another zap or zb server etc.. you're burning another frequency band out of the 2.4 ghz space.... You can strategically move your access points around to avoid using one of the channels and park your zigbee there. 

This link has a chart that doesn't really do the situation justice but it's a good representation of the issue in the 2.4ghz band. The wifi side lobes extend well over the zigbee channels that are considered "non-interfering" and cheaper APs will stomp all over those channels. Some enterprise APs (Aruba) have RF filters that suppress these side band transmissions (primarily for cell repeater compatibility) but most products don't.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Spectra-of-multiple-wireless-technologies-in-the-24-GHz-ISM-band-The-colors-indicate_fig4_326598630

 

Thanks to my neighbors blasting 2.4 I've had to play a game of what channels I use on what AP and bascially avoid one 2.4 ghz channel that I have my two zigbee channels on by disabling 2.4 on two of my four APs... I have enough lighting loads that I am over the limit for one zigbee network. Before I did that I had laggy connectivity to more remote parts of the house.  I would ditch 2.4 wifi entirely but I have some thermostats and some ESP32 based items that are 2.4 exclusively....

[pdapice]

7 hours ago, mindedc1 said:

Keep in mind that if you're adding another zap or zb server etc.. you're burning another frequency band out of the 2.4 ghz space.... You can strategically move your access points around to avoid using one of the channels and park your zigbee there. 

This link has a chart that doesn't really do the situation justice but it's a good representation of the issue in the 2.4ghz band. The wifi side lobes extend well over the zigbee channels that are considered "non-interfering" and cheaper APs will stomp all over those channels. Some enterprise APs (Aruba) have RF filters that suppress these side band transmissions (primarily for cell repeater compatibility) but most products don't.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Spectra-of-multiple-wireless-technologies-in-the-24-GHz-ISM-band-The-colors-indicate_fig4_326598630

 

Thanks to my neighbors blasting 2.4 I've had to play a game of what channels I use on what AP and bascially avoid one 2.4 ghz channel that I have my two zigbee channels on by disabling 2.4 on two of my four APs... I have enough lighting loads that I am over the limit for one zigbee network. Before I did that I had laggy connectivity to more remote parts of the house.  I would ditch 2.4 wifi entirely but I have some thermostats and some ESP32 based items that are 2.4 exclusively....

I have full strength showing on everything in that room, and probably only 15 linear feet (one floor below) from the actual AP.

I am not really that sure that it's a signal issue and there are no wifi APs between the ZB antenna and that room, they are all on the opposite side of the home

[mindedc1]

2 hours ago, pdapice said:

I have full strength showing on everything in that room, and probably only 15 linear feet (one floor below) from the actual AP.

I am not really that sure that it's a signal issue and there are no wifi APs between the ZB antenna and that room, they are all on the opposite side of the home

Just make sure your channels are not overlapping and also not overlapping with gear from your neighbors. There are also non-wifi 2.4ghz sources like baby monitors, wireless audio products like sonos and the sony HTIB wireless etc... I spent a bunch of time chasing performance issues with my setup until I discovered that both my neighbors had strong transmitters sitting on the same channel which overlapped one of my APs... signal strength was great, signal to noise was terrible.....