Almond+ Wireless Router (Zigbee, Zwave & 802.11ac support)

Just came across this: http://www.securifi.com/almondplus

Looks very cool considering it will have built in zwave, zigbee and 802.11ac I’m wondering how it can be used with Smartthings…

I’d think that be more of a competing  product. It is a hub and a wifi router combined into a single product.

Someone asked a similar question on their Facebook page, and their response was:

“The Almond+ looks awesome, but with regard to home control it is simply a Zigbee and Z-wave controller. It does not provide the open apps platform and open device maker platform that SmartThings provides, and thus is limited in terms if the vision we have for the open physical graph. It would be cool, however, if we helped them connect it to the SmartThings platform such that it could act as a home hub with some awesome extra capabilities. That would be a cool combo, and we are looking into it.”

If you don’t already have a wifi router, it might be something to look into as an combo-wifi and (possible) SmartThings interface.

However, that would be only a very niche group of people.  Honestly, I think you’d be better off getting a standard wifi router and then get a cheap-o Android tablet for your interface device.  It would probably be around the same price and you don’t have an interface device that is A.) Tied to one location or B.) With a really small touch screen.

That’s a pretty good idea…now you have me thinking of ways I could cleanly mount my old tablets on the wall without the power cord making it look messy…

Perhaps the easiest way, Cory, would be to put some wood molding around the tablet with a hollowed out area where the power adapter is.

Another option would be to hack a Micro-usb cable and cut it down as much as possible so nothing is sticking out the bottom/top.

I’m more thinking how to route the cables without tearing up the walls. I think I have a plan though… I have a wall int he main room which is my media server closet on the other side of the wall. I can mount the tablet there and run the power behind the molding through the wall and plug it in inside.

I’m thinking that I could use an Almond+ as a repeater for wifi and (hopefully) zigbee/z-wave, as well as (hopefully) something of a controller or status screen for SmartThings.

Especially since SmartThings does not support wifi or cellular connectivity, I don’t currently have a way to hook up a SmartThings hub anywhere but downstairs, by my cable modem/router.  I worry that zigbee/z-wave connectivity might be an issue in the attic.  But if I add the Almond+ upstairs, I could add another SmartThings hub upstairs to solve that problem.  If the Almond+ could also act as a sort of repeater for SmartThings connectivity, I wouldn’t need another hub.  And if it allowed me to access SmartThings controls and show status messages from SmartThings, I could get that additional functionality on its touchscreen too!

Has anyone tried Almond’s “Powerful & Fun Rule Builder”? It seems like they have been polishing this product a lot since 2013 when it first came out…