Am i going to have a large collection of hubs?

Could not find the answer to this question, so here it goes:

I already two hubs, Philips hue and Harmony. The smartthings hub is ordered and will be number three.

Now i wish to order some temperature sensors from Xiaomi. In the description is written you need the xiaomi hub in order for the sensors to work. Do i really need to add a 4th hub or could i pair the sensor with smartthings? And can i do the same with the hue hub?

Xiaomi sensors don’t need their own hub to connect to ST. They can connect in an unoffical manner via a DH written for them. Check the forum dedicated to these sensors for detailed instructions.

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No, you should be fine. If you search in there on Xiaomi you will find lots of information on custom handlers and pairing.

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As far as Hue goes, the only officially supported method requires the bridge.

https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/200848024-How-to-connect-Philips-Hue-devices

While it is technically possible to connect Hue bulbs directly to SmartThings without using the bridge, you do open up the possibility of some potential problems and you lose a lot of potential integration such as through the Hue IFTTT channel or with HomeKit. Even just changing colors on hue bulbs with Amazon echo is way easier if you have the bridge then if you go directly through SmartThings. The hue bridge itself is very low maintenance and the additional cost isn’t very much when divided over a dozen or more hue devices.

So that one is a personal choice, but I myself would recommend using the hue bridge. If you want to talk to people who are connecting hue bulbs directly, see the following thread:

Just so you know, it’s often fastest to find things in the forum by using the quick browse lists in the community – created wiki.

In the case of Xiaomi, look in the device type handlers section of the quick browse lists and then look on the list for “sensors” and you should find the threads that other people just recommended. :sunglasses:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section#Quick_Browse_Links_for_Device_Type_Handlers

This forum has a lot of great information, but the search leaves something to be desired.

Thanks a lot of the answers guys.

I will order some of the Xioami sensors. I am glad to learn that i won’t need to install another hub for this.

As for the hue hub i will keep this one connected. I’ve read the forums you linked and as i see it you could skip the hue hub if you want a very basic setup with 1 or 2 lamps and dont own a hub yet. Myself i have a lot of hue devices and i already have the hub so i will keep using it to get the best out of the hue products.

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Read the Xiaomi thread before you order anything. Those devices are cheap for a reason, and one of the reasons is that most of them are not certified to the “zigbee home automation” standard that SmartThings uses. So pairing can be quite tricky and on two different occasions they just stopped working with SmartThings altogether after a firmware update. There are still a lot of people who use them and like them because they are so inexpensive, but they are definitely going to be trickier to use then the more expensive certified brands. But you’ll see discussion of all that in the DTH thread. :sunglasses:

i did not read that topic yet… But i did read several other topics which were pretty positive about pairing it with ST And about the reaction speed. So far all my sensors and other devices are from A brands and i would like to try out something cheap.
These Xiaomi sensors are not just cheap… they are VERY cheap. Less than 10 euros with free shipping. If i can’t pair the sensor with Smartthings i will toss it, lose 10 euros and buy philips or samsung. But if it does work i could save hundreds of euros on the other sensors i still need to buy.
Aslong as the sensor reacts fast and doesn’t have a habit of disconnecting i figure it must be just as good as any other brand.

Actually, it does have a habit of disconnecting for many people. That’s why you need to read that thread. There are probably a lot of local variables including which if any repeaters it might be using, but it is not the same quality of service as a certified device. That doesn’t mean it might not be worth it to you to use it, but particularly in Home automation there generally is a difference between something which is certified to a third-party standard and something which isn’t. :sunglasses:

As an example, here’s a recent comment on the Xiaomi sensors:

Just went through pairing 18 of these and they were all working beautifully using AArsten device handler… But like clockwork after each sensor is online for about 2 hours they stop communicating and go unavailable.