Like my thermostat. To hook it to the wifi it has two parts. One connected to the furnace board that is the wifi board. Then a second device near my router that bridges the part at the furnace to the router. Why? Why can’t the part at the furnace board just connect directly to the router? I have several other things like this, most I don’t hook up.
edit Some clarification. Thermostat talks to furnace board via wire. Next to the furnace board is an add on board that is the wifi board. Next to my router is a small box that plugs directly into the router and the power. The wifi board at the furnace talks to this small box to get to the router. Why is the small box needed.
Another example. I am looking at a hot tub. To connect it to the wifi you need two parts. One wired to the tub, and one wired to your router. It talks wirelessly between the two. But why the box near the router, why not go direct from the wifi add on part at the hot tub to the router. Should cost them less.
edit, update: Some have commented they could be using a different protocol and/or frequency that allows greater range and such since they don’t need as much bandwidth. This would also reduce frequency conflict with existing wifi devices.
Others pointed out that configuring the wifi connection would require a way to give the board a password. Which they can avoid if they add that wired device that sits next to the router. Customers can interface with that via phone or computer and enter like a serial number for the board that will sync them.
Also, it has been pointed out that newer thermostats often do have direct wifi to the router, so no extra board on the furnace even.
There is an extra board at the furnace that is the wifi component. But then there is a device at the router that it talks to instead of just going to the router directly.
are you sure the board at the furnace has wifi? It’s probably some simpler rf protocol that only the other device can understand. the control board usually does not have any buttons or screen, sometimes they can’t be placed to an easy to reach place.
Well, I assume it doesn’t us basic wifi, or it would just connect to my router. But why would they work our their own connection protocol and such? Seems pricey. And the main board does have buttons and a screen. limited of course. But maybe that is the reason. With their own communication tech, they could also manage authentication. Then they don’t have to come up with a way to allow you to enter a password or some other connection like bluetooth so you could configure the wifi from your phone.
they probably didn’t. if you get into home automation with Home Assistant and such you will find that lots of “brands” just repackage an already existing solution from china.
well they still have to for the wifi unit. I think it’s just that sometimes the controller can’t be placed so that it’s easily accessible, so they make it like this. the heating controller I last dealt with was even marketed so that you can control it from your living room with the unit on your shelf
I imagine it’s a rf interface, because the furnace typically is isolated in the house and also is metal, and surrounded by metal. Because it’s not sending/receiving volumes of data, wifi isn’t needed, and the complexity and the frequency may make it unreliable whereas a rf to dongle situation is more reliable.