I just bought a new device from a local store. I got some devices from them already and they have been a bit tricky but in the end I’ve managed to get them all working in the Smartthings app.
These devices are all using Z-Wave, but this time, the product (the light bulb) is using 2.4ghz wifi connection.
Is there a way for me to make the SmartHubV3 detect the light bulb through wifi?
The other app that the developers want us to use is the “SmartLife” app, but I’d like to get everything intergrated into Smartthings.
I’ve been searching the forums for a while without any good solution, but my best guess is something to do with a Service Manager. I would like to avoid connecting it through the IFTTT solution because of the delay between the apps and potentially voice commands.
I have the following device information:
IP-Address
MAC Address
Virtual ID
Node IpAddress
Zwave and zigbee have predefined home automation commands that all certified devices, regardless of manufacturer, use in the same way. WiFi does not. So each manufacturer makes up their own. Consequently you can’t get automatic setup the way you can for the other protocols unless a specific integration has been written.
If the device isn’t on the list in the SmartThings app, see the FAQ:
I see, that’s what I was afraid of, I will have to contact the manufacturers directly and ask if they could update the firmware to support Smartthings then I guess?
At the present time SmartThings does not do direct device control of wifi bulbs. You have to set them up through thier cloud connection. Bulb connects to its cloud pro ider. Then cloud to cloud connection. ST announced a TuYa connection at SDC a few weeks ago for this purpose. These bulbs may connect that way.
Personally I despise wifi bulbs and switches. They add an unnecessary layer of cloud connectivity when as a SmartThings user you have a perfectly good hub already and ZWave and zigbee bulbs are a thing.
It’s more complicated than firmware, SmartThings doesn’t support wifi bulbs because there’s no standard. You’d need to create standard, ask hardware manufacturer to support it with firmware then ask SmartThings to support it in the hub. The chances of that are slim to none.
I didn’t know that both sides needed the integration, oh well, I just have to return it then and go for z-wave or zigbee. I was hopeful because these light bulbs was very cheap compared to many others.
@nathancu has added several good posts. I would just say that there is a place for some WiFi home automation devices in most homes, and it’s always good to have choices.
First, anything that streams either audio or video is usually a very good candidate for WiFi, as it can handle the necessary bandwidth. That obviously includes video doorbells and audio assistants like Echo and Google Home. But there have also been a couple of WiFi smart bulbs that had music streaming built in, and that’s a good use case for WiFi.
Second, WiFi has much longer range than either zigbee or zwave. If you needed to automate a light in a shed and it was too far for zwave, I could definitely see a WiFi bulb being a “Simple solution” candidate there.
Then there are a few individual manufacturers like LIFX who offer features or form factors that other bulbs don’t typically have. For example, they have a popular mini bulb which may fit some small table lamps other bulbs won’t. And an LED strip where you can control different sections of the strip independently. Neither of those required WiFi, but WiFi is what they chose to use, and those specific devices are popular for those features.
But those are edge cases. Most of the time he’s absolutely right: if you already have a hub, WiFi isn’t usually the first choice for a light bulb protocol.
