A technician assisting with the installation of smart devices should be familiar with which two technologies?

The correct choice highlights Zigbee and Z-Wave as essential technologies for a technician working with smart devices. Both of these technologies are designed specifically for home automation and the Internet of Things (IoT), which makes them highly relevant in this context.

Zigbee is a wireless communication standard used for creating personal area networks with low-power digital radios. It is known for its mesh networking capability, which allows devices to communicate over longer distances by passing messages through other nearby devices. This is particularly useful in smart home applications where devices need to connect reliably over a larger area.

Z-Wave, also a wireless communication protocol, is similar to Zigbee and is specifically focused on home automation. It operates on a different frequency and is designed to allow devices to communicate with each other in a secure and efficient manner. Z-Wave is widely used in smart home products and offers interoperability among devices from different manufacturers.

Familiarity with both Zigbee and Z-Wave enables a technician to understand how various smart devices communicate within a home, the strengths and limitations of these protocols, and how to troubleshoot or set up smart home networks effectively. This background is crucial for ensuring that smart devices work seamlessly together in a typical IoT environment.