I mean, I’m using Z-wave too, but you’re describing the same level of complexity. Either you set up a dedicated WiFi network and check that to see the status of IoT devices, or set up a dedicated Z-wave network and check that for the status of devices.
For a z-wave device to pair to my hub, I need to put the hub itself in pairing mode.
Unlike wifi devices, a zwave device can't just join my hub by knowing an SSID and password.
Yes, I could do something similar with a wifi network and whitelisting mac addresses etc, but that's not nearly as simple as the way z-wave works.
[addendum] When I talk about checking my network, I'm also not talking about status. With wifi, I'm checking to look for unexpected clients. I occasionally have a temporary freakout when I see an unknown device on my wifi that ended up being something that I bought, added and forgot about (like a media player), etc. That's not a concern I ever have with a z-wave network.
