Stumbled on a forum post about wireless alarm sensors losing signal in metal buildings

Was reading a thread last night where a guy said his glass break sensors kept going offline in a steel warehouse. I always thought wireless was fine for any indoor spot, but he mentioned the metal framing basically kills the range. Made me wonder if I should stick with hardwired for commercial garages and metal sheds even if it takes longer. Anyone run into range problems with wireless in metal framed homes or buildings?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_bell11d ago

My buddy runs a small auto repair shop out of a metal pole barn. He spent a weekend installing z-wave sensors on every door and window, figured it would be clean and simple. After about three days, half of them were dropping off the network. He had to add a second hub right in the middle of the building just to keep the back bay door talking to the system. Tore it all out a month later and ran hardwire instead. Said he lost about two hundred bucks on the sensors but saved his sanity.

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susan_wright3411d ago

Lost about two hundred bucks but saved his sanity" - I'd probably lose both and somehow electrocute myself, @robert_bell.

hannah_perry11d ago

I hear you, but I actually think your buddy gave up too quick on the z-wave idea. Metal buildings are tough for wireless, sure, but a second hub sounds like the fix, not the failure. If he'd stuck with it and maybe added a couple of cheap z-wave repeaters or just moved the first hub to a better spot, it probably would've worked fine. Hardwire is rock solid but way more work to install and way harder to change later if you rearrange the shop. I've seen guys make z-wave work in all-metal garages by just keeping the hub close to the center and using battery powered range extenders for the back corners. Not saying hardwire is wrong, but $200 lost feels like an expensive lesson that didn't have to be learned.