Iris Discontinued - but as mentioned maybe still on Ebay.. I own a bunch and they seem to work fine. There are potential issues with the Z-Wave repeater part of plugs. Hit or miss if firmware is outdated and no way to update.
Peanuts - not recommended due to the devices changing routes frequently which can slow/cause erratic behavior in devices routing through them - like you mentioned not everyone experiences issues but you can see the behavior on the "getChildAndRouteInfo" page. Note: even the updated firmware does not correct this.
Smart Things V3 outlet - I like their stuff but don't own this device.
XBEE - hear it works great! Have the stuff to make a repeater / sniffer but havent yet. Seems like a fun project.
Second Hub? - I have 3 in production but maybe will reduce to 2. I've got them split out by location: upstairs, main and control. "Control" being my internet/cloud services only hub. Some people have them split out by type i.e. Zigbee & Z-Wave. Some benefits of splitting your hubs are a reduction in resource usage for individual hubs, potential speed increases and better resiliency.
Ikea Tradfri Repeater - have owned a couple, seem decent. Work really well with Xiaomi stuff I am told.
Sengled plugs or bulbs - dunno about plugs but bulbs do not repeat and are therefore great to use in your system if you like bulbs (I prefer smart switches mostly). Other zigbee bulbs do repeat and can cause mesh issues when turned off/on..
You can't use a second HE hub as a repeater (they can only be coordinators--you could certainly start two networks if you want, but it's probably not the best option unless you have a good reason to) and neither Sengled bulbs nor plugs repeat. Aside from that, I think you've mentioned most of the popular options. Part of "best" is a matter of subjectivity: do you prefer a small form factor or versatile power options? If so, the Ikea Trådfri USB repeater may be good for you. If you want something DIY that many devices find attractive and can also use versatile power, an Xbee is a good choice (but you do have to follow lots of directions). If you want something that many devices seem to like according to lots of posters here (me included) and don't mind a smart plug form factor (you don't have to use the plug), then the 2018 SmartThings outlet (Hubitat calls it v5, but it's a bit confusing how to really count these generations) is a good choice, just not usually cheap.
I'm not inclined to recommend Peanuts due to the problem some have noticed with them. I think the Zigbee side of Iris is fine, but some people have had problems with the Z-Wave side (it sounds nice because it's a combination Z-Wave and Zigbee repeater) and I don't think there's any way to update the firmware on them anymore even if that's what would fix the problem. But for Zigbee, either that or the identical-looking SmartThings Outlet (2016 and v2, which their support document confusingly lists separately but says are identical) would work--or the Centralite that both of these really are (maybe the 2016 just added some ST branding? I used to have the "v2" that made no attempt and was just Centralite).
Maybe more than you wanted to know, but I guess there's no easy answer or "best" for everyone.
The Plugs do not repeat either. I have not had issues with the bulbs or the plugs.both work reliability for me. The Plugs are great for seasonal purposes. Then you don't have to worry about them messing with your mesh when you move them around.
I have Smart Things motion and magnetic/tilt sensors, battery powered, not repeaters.
I have Sengled plugs that lock up and freeze too often anyhow... They arent repeaters anyway. Neither are the bulbs.
I got Peanut outlets because my motion sensor in the garage and tilt sensors on both doors, were losing battery and contact because they were panicking, since my Sengled outlets were not in fact repeating, the whole time I thought they were.
Then I find out that Peanut outlets are bad for a few reasons. For me they resolved my Smart Things Motion and Door tilt sensor problems, but would not resolve the issues I had getting new Zigbee switches, RGB Genies, to get added to the Hubitat, nor why my Sengled bulbs (non repeating) were losing contact in groups when changing colors in pairs..
So now, I seek, the current, best option for me, and my mom's house (who has worse problems with any radio technology in her 50's built Faraday cage of a house), to get my Zigbee goodies to speak with each other reliably.
Any chance the Centralite Smart Plug Minis or Lamp Modules work well?
In my experience, the Samsung outlets are worth the price because you will need fewer of them and even my picky Hue and Lightify button controllers work perfectly with them as repeaters. I have 76 zigbee Devices on my second hub; 66 of which don’t repeat. Four Samsung plugs do the majority of the repeating, with 2 Sylvania plugs and 4 GE Zigbee in-wall dimmers repeating for a small number of devices. It’s rare that a device drops off or misses a communication.
Although it's not the least expensive option, Xbees do offer some additional advantages.
Not only will they give you the best repeating ability, they'll also enable you to diagnose your Zigbee mesh.
Check out this thread for a great assembly guide (works out to under $40/ea).
Just putting my hand up to vote for the Trådfri Repeater. I find them to have very decent range, they really do bring stability to my Xiaomi Aqara D1 kit and they've worked without issue with every Zigbee device I've ever tried, including all my AlertMe / Iris V1 kit.
They're £8 in the UK (shock, price has gone up by £1!) and you get the 5V 1A charger included, plus they pass the power through for charging stuff. They only use 3 mA themselves. You can't go wrong.
In common with other lamps, sadly I have had issues with the Trådfri lamps as repeaters, so I can't recommend those even if they're permanently powered on.
GE/Jasco has a new line of zigbee in wall switches and receptacles. Have you considered those since they also repeat. I changed many of my older non-plus zwave switches with these and have a great zigbee mesh.
Of course, the ultimate would be to have a dual hubitat's configuration that can complete a zwave and/or zigbee network (in standby mode) and provide fail over redundancy (auto healing and re-establishing both wireless networks) and configuration syncing....
The next best thing would be the in-wall switches/outlets that also live and repeat on both zigbee and zwave.
Lastly for the poor people like me, single z-wave and zigbee units that have no other purpose other than to be the best. I would pay $99 for one of those in a hard place to cover. I know z-wave's lower frequency means it meshes better with tough radio conditions... Still, one of Hubitat's main draw to me is the development and co-existence of both technologies.
Of course with WIFI5/6 in full mega swing due to indoor home office growth, there are a ton of consumer dual band WIFI repeaters out there.
We just need to fight for the smarthome segment as we are consumers too. LOL.
I'm going to try to use some of these in my house (US) to hopefully clear up some problems. I'd prefer ones with a plug built in. Any newer recommendations from the group before going with teh Tradfri?
USED-IRIS Smart Plug 3210-LZigBee, Works with SmartThings Z-wave Plus | eBay are good repeaters and technically can repeat both Zigbee and Z-Wave but YMMV on the Z-Wave portion. That link is not necessarily a good deal, but just an example. I got them for as cheap as $6 a piece but since they are discontinued, IRIS no longer being a company an all, they are particularly hard to find now. So, depending on how pressing your need is, you might want to troll around the usual sites to see if you find any good deals.
I will say, the nice thing about the Trådfri Repeater's is the USB connection, you can literally plug them into any odd USB socket, i.e. TV, radio, router, etc and it is pretty much hidden compared to plugs which hang on the wall.
That can be a good thing, considering the C-7 issues with devices that report power. I have two of these and yes, they work flawlessly and also repeat.
Do these Enbrighten Zigbee Smart Light Outlet Receptacles work with Hubitat? I do not see them listed on the compatible devices, and the one customer question on Amazon says they are having trouble pairing and no Hubitat functionality (link below).
Just paired a Jasco Enbrighten ZB1001 Smart Outlet. It came up as type "device." When scrolling through device types, I saw some "Jascos," but no Zigbee. In your experience, what is the best device type to choose? "Generic Zigbee Outlet"? Do you run a non-built-in driver?
I have 6 Sonoff motion detectors, SNZB-03 around the exterior (protected from the weather). 2 of them just kept dropping out of contact. Others worked well. I suspect it is an RF issue. A signal issue.
Plug in a Sylvania plug, 72922-A in the room. Pull a misbehaving motion detector in the room, easily "re-pair" the detector. Great. Put it back in its position, outside. It stops connecting again.
Add a CMARS US-101 plug on the interior wall near the Sonoff on the exterior. It loses contact again.
I'm suspecting that the CMARS is not as strong a signal propagation device and the Sylvania is stronger. Tough to know for sure. Don't know how to objectively measure signal strength. Can only guess, based on results.
RF is a black art. Not for the timid. Thinking of sacrificing a goat next.
Anyone have a better suggestions on how to validate these perceptions (guesses)?
