I’ve been exploring the best way to deploy a smart home solution for a nursing home with 160 rooms. The goal is to ensure each resident has an individual setup without any interference between rooms. I’ve been considering Zigbee and Thread/Matter protocols, but I’m a bit overwhelmed with the possibilities.
Zigbee seems like a solid choice because of its mesh network capabilities, but I’m worried about potential crosstalk or interference, especially with so many devices. On the other hand, Thread/Matter offers native IPv6 support, which could simplify networking, but I’m not entirely sure how it would perform in a large-scale deployment.
I’m also thinking about the infrastructure. The nursing home will have robust Wi-Fi in most rooms, but some areas might have weaker coverage. Ethernet drops are planned, which should help, but I’m not sure if running 160 WAPs is feasible. Maybe setting up a server at each nursing station with a backbone connection for failover would be a good approach.
Another consideration is cost. Zigbee devices are generally more affordable, but I’m concerned about scalability. I’ve heard that Zigbee can handle a large number of devices as long as the network is well-planned. I’m also looking into using Proxmox for virtualization, but I’m not sure how to structure the nodes and ensure each resident’s setup remains isolated.
Has anyone here tackled a similar project? Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! I’d love to hear about your experiences with large-scale deployments and the protocols you found most effective.