What is a Z-Wave repeater?
A repeater is a Z-Wave device with the ability to relay commands from one Z-Wave node to another. While many devices can serve as a Z-Wave repeater, there are some characteristics that are required in order to allow a device to do so.
AC power
Due to the additional demand in response from a device being used as a Z-Wave repeater, the repeater must be AC-powered. Any AC-powered Z-Wave device can act as a repeater. Commonly used AC-powered devices include lighting/appliance automation devices, some thermostats, and dedicated Z-Wave repeaters.
Note: For devices, such as thermostats, that may be powered by AC or battery power, the ability to act as a repeater will be determined by the power source it used when it was enrolled. This does not apply to the ADC-T25 thermostat, which will never act as a Z-Wave repeater.
Enrollment
In order for repeaters to serve their purpose within the Z-Wave network, they must be enrolled to the same Z-Wave controller as the devices it will be repeating. This means any repeaters enrolled into the controller will be included in the maximum number of Z-Wave devices the controller is allowed.
Distance from other devices
Although distance is an important factor in Z-Wave networks, the most important factor is having enough paths of communication to handle the network traffic. Devices such as locks are very information-heavy, and repeaters can help provide enough avenues for information to get back to the Z-Wave controller.
A Z-Wave command is able to make four 'hops' before fizzling out. This means that communication issues may develop if a Z-Wave device has more than three repeating devices between it and the Z-Wave controller. The controller will always look for the most efficient route to Z-Wave devices, but large, spread-out networks may run into difficulty if a signal needs to run into more than four connections.
This is helpful to keep in mind when building a mesh network with customers. For more information about viewing the Z-Wave Network Map for the customer, see View the Z-Wave Network.