Going to ask an obvious question in case I’m just wrong. I have a blue series switch in the basement that will no longer join the zigbee network. Staring at it today I realized it is in a grounded, metal, surface mount box. The metal box is acting like a nice faraday cage, isn’t it?
All my boxes are metal and I have a solid Zwave network up and running. Now, I can’t compare it to non-metal, so maybe it doesn’t work as well, but it certainly works for me.
Interesting. Perhaps the antenna is under the paddle. I wonder of the zigbee is similar.
The antenna is definitely under the paddle in the front.
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Yes and no. The antenna is facing outward from the switch, so in front and around the signal is fine, but behind the switch the signal is impaired to varying degrees, depending on the gain of the antenna. With your hub in the center of the house any switches facing the hub will be better off than those switches not facing the hub. This is not too say you won’t have a problem, but something to be aware of.
I think you’ll be fine, if not add some repeaters.