Z-Wave
Smart Home & Mesh · 7 specs
Direct Answer
Z-Wave is a proprietary wireless mesh communications standard standardized by ITU-T G.9959 and governed by the Z-Wave Alliance. Operating in unlicensed sub-gigahertz frequency bands (868.4 MHz in Europe, 908.4 MHz in the US), it eliminates interference from 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, supporting up to 232 mesh nodes (and up to 4,000 nodes in Z-Wave Long Range).
Source: Z-Wave Alliance / ITU-T Recommendation G.9959 / Silicon Labs · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Standardization | ITU-T G.9959 / Z-Wave Alliance Specification |
| Frequency Bands | 868.4 MHz (EU), 908.42 MHz (US), 916.0 MHz (US high speed) |
| Raw Data Rates | 9.6 kbps, 40 kbps, 100 kbps (FSK / GFSK) |
| Network Topology | Source-routed Mesh (up to 4 repeaters) / Star (Z-Wave LR) |
| Max Mesh Node Limit | 232 nodes (classic mesh) / 4,000 nodes (Z-Wave Long Range) |
| Security Framework | Security 2 (S2) with ECDH key exchange and AES-128 |
| Hardware Ecosystem | Silicon Labs (500, 700, 800 Series SoCs) |
Sub-GHz RF Propagation Advantages
By operating in sub-gigahertz spectrum rather than 2.4 GHz, Z-Wave signals experience significantly lower attenuation through drywall, concrete, and furniture, while completely avoiding packet collisions with home Wi-Fi and microwave ovens. However, because sub-GHz ISM frequency bands are nationally regulated, Z-Wave devices manufactured for the US (908.4 MHz) cannot communicate with EU hardware (868.4 MHz).
Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR)
Introduced in the 700 and 800 series silicon, Z-Wave Long Range operates in a direct star topology directly from the gateway at up to +30 dBm power, achieving direct point-to-point transmission distances over 1 mile (1.6 km) without intermediate repeaters, ideal for smart irrigation and gate sensors.