Z-Wave and Z-Wave Plus interoperability

I currently have mostly original z-wave devices running via an Aeotech z-wave usb stick,. If I swap the stick for a Plus version and get a few Plus repeaters/smart switches to start the network off, will the original devices then mesh into the Plus network (having re-added them all) and benefit from the better backbone or will everything drop down to the lowest common denominator?

[jay (support)]

If you aren't having any network issues, then you are unlikely to see much improvement TBH. If you are having failures, then the extended range and some other features may help. Older devices of course don't implement the Gen5 features, but the extended range of the stick may help some.

I'm not having any issues at the moment, but I want to replace the Mac Mini it's currently running on and was going to start again from scratch, so it would be the perfect time to swap the stick to a 500 version

[jay (support)]

I should point out that moving to a new Mac doesn't require redoing anything in Indigo other than moving your installation. If you aren't having any issues, I would highly recommend against starting from scratch with Indigo (unless there's some other reason).

You might re-think going to a z-wave 500 chip at this point. SiLabs 500-series chips came out in 2013. Since then at least two more generations of hardware have come out including 700 (2019) and 800-series (2021). It typically takes a bit of time between when SiLabs releases new chips and products actually hit the market. This delay was probably worsened recently by COVID and chip shortages... I do know, however that there are 700-series z-stick-type devices from at least a few major manufacturers including Aeotec and Zooz in the market now with decent availability.

I suppose the point of my original question was this: If I have a 700 series stick and a few 500 series devices and the rest of them as original, will everything just revert to the original protocol and ignore the higher speed and distance of the newer series. Or will the original devices mesh onto the faster network which will then carry the packets to and from the Mac?

@jay. I'm using an original Aeotech Z-Stick, so as far as I know there is no easy way of transferring all of the devices onto something newer and if I'm going to have to re-learn all the devices I may as well do it in managed stages as Indigo runs all the heating and most of the lighting.

Edited to include the word easy after reading the sticky thread on the subject

[jay (support)]

The changes to the Z-Wave versions are backwards compatible, so each device will communicate as best it can. Range changes may help older devices communicate better with newer ones (since signal strength has been improved), but AFAIK it's unclear how much of a benefit it is.

Bottom line: there isn't an "old" and a "new" network - they are all still on the same network. Newer devices can reach further and use the broader set of "channels" (this is a low-level implementation detail which doesn't effect the network as a whole). The USB interface that Indigo communicates with talks to the network as best it can, and each devices talks to the network as best it can.