Fritzbox, a popular smart home center, has introduced a new extension called Fritzsmart Gateway, which aims to expand its capabilities in the Zigbee market. This extension provides users with a wider range of smart home devices compared to the previous DECT-based system. AVM, the company behind Fritzbox, has listed 56 Zigbee lamps and 10 Zigbee sockets that are compatible with Fritzsmart. However, in our test, we found that even other sockets and socket strips not listed by AVM also worked well with Fritzsmart.
Before Fritzsmart, it was possible to operate Zigbee devices on Fritzbox using gateways from other manufacturers such as Philips, Lidl, and Ikea. Fritzsmart aims to counter this by offering features like an additional DECT gateway (which doubles the maximum number of DECT clients), a WLAN or LAN connection to the Fritzbox, a USB socket for charging smartphones, and extensive integration with the web interface of the Fritzbox.
To determine the strengths and weaknesses of Fritzsmart, we conducted a practical test over several weeks using various Zigbee lamps and sockets. In this article, we will summarize the experiences and knowledge gained during the network construction and operation. We will discuss topics such as optimal installation, expanding DECT coverage, combining DECT and Zigbee devices, and experiences with Zigbee Bluetooth gateways.
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