# Newbie, Question about Switches and Bulbs **URL:** \ **Category:** Projects & Stories\ **Created:** [August 11, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338 "2017-08-11T00:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/1 "2017-08-11T00:57:32Z")
Hi all- very new to the home automation game. I’ve been eyeing it for a while, but haven’t done much yet. I recently got a TP-Link bulb just to dip my toe in, and then picked up an Amazon Echo when it was on sale for $90. Of course that gave me the itch! 🙂 I think i’ve settled on smartthings for my hub- that’s why i’m here! That was further cemented by the rumors of Wink’s uncertain future. So, one of the things I’d been thinking about doing was replacing the porch lights on the house with something smart. My idea was having the bulbs controlled by app/echo, of course, but i thought it’d also be neat to get multi-color ones and be able to change the colors- orange for halloween, green and red for christmas, you know, that sort of thing. My question is- how would i do this? let me complicate this by saying those porch lights are on a 3-way switch- one by the front door and one by the garage entry to the house. So i figured i’d get the GE z-wave switch and add-on for those. But do I need that? Could i just buy some bulbs (like Phillips Hue or the Sylvania/Osram ones) and have them work together? If I go the bulb only route, I’m assuming one of the switches would need to be “on” all the time, of course. That may be an issue with kids and habit- we’ve lived here 9 years now. Any suggestions or ideas for this new guy would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![jkp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/jkp/32/117130_2.png) [@jkp](https://community.smartthings.com/u/jkp)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/2 "2017-08-11T01:04:44Z")
Here are three posts to get you started on your journey. > [@Should I get Smart Bulbs or Smart (in wall) Switches?](https://community.smartthings.com/t/should-i-get-smart-bulbs-or-smart-in-wall-switches/11267): > > It depends on what (where) you want them for. The biggest advantage of smart in-wall switches over smart bulbs is the way that the switch works with both the light and the ST hub. If you turn on or off the physical smart switch, you can turn it back on or off with ST. (And if you turn it on/off from ST, you can still turn it on/off from the physical switch.) As well, the smart switch still functions like a normal switch even when ST isn’t working. With smart bulbs, if you turn off the bulb from a fixture or switch, the bulb is disconnected from the ST “network.” That means that ST can’t turn it back on. In fact, ST can’t even find the state of the bulb, so it’s almost as if you just completely unscrewed the bulb. In other words, for things to “work” properly, you can ONLY use ST to… > [@FAQ: Best smart light bulbs to use \[2015\]](https://community.smartthings.com/t/faq-best-smart-light-bulbs-to-use/21371): > > So whats everyones opinion on the best light bulbs to use with ST? This will be my first time to use any kind of Zwave or Zigbee lights. Any info given is greatly appreciated along with pros / cons. Last, are the lights normally brighter than the standard florescent lights? > [@FAQ: Philips Hue and Other Smart Bulbs - What sort of light switches to use with them? (Long FAQ)](https://community.smartthings.com/t/faq-philips-hue-and-other-smart-bulbs-what-sort-of-light-switches-to-use-with-them/28984): > > Thinking on a big move to Hue lights, the real question is - what switches to use with them? If they’re all automatable via ST and other devices, do I really want to put them all on controllable switches too? There’s the advantage that I can arrange to ensure those switches are on so that the the Hue bulbs would be too…but it also leaves open the ability for folks to just turn them off and leave them off. Hmm. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/3 "2017-08-11T01:12:25Z")
oh, thanks! i did a quick search but got sidetracked on so many other cool ideas i kinda lost my place. I’ll go check those out. ---
**Author:** ![Automated\_House](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/automated_house/32/99641_2.png) [@Automated\_House](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Automated_House)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 5:56am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/4 "2017-08-11T05:56:06Z")
If you want RGB color, your only option is bulbs. There are ways to group them together. ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/5 "2017-08-11T13:57:23Z")
Right, i knew a switch wouldn’t be able to handle color changes. I was more wondering about the interaction between switches and bulbs for power, which the FAQ links provided has answered for me. ---
**Author:** ![Core\_Phx](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/core_phx/32/60720_2.png) [@Core\_Phx](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Core_Phx)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/6 "2017-08-11T14:02:37Z")
Be sure to check out some of the projects that people have done at [http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How\_to\_Quick\_Browse\_the\_Community-Created\_SmartApps\_Forum\_Section](http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section) There are some REALLY smart people here that have done some amazing things. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/7 "2017-08-11T14:17:57Z")
Oh, very nice. Added bookmark to my growing list! ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/8 "2017-08-14T17:07:21Z")
So i pulled the trigger and picked up the $50 smartthings v2 hub when it was on sale at amazon the other day. Should be arriving tomorrow. For my color-changing porch-light plan, I was going to leave the “dumb” switches in for now, and perhaps just get some sort of “child-proof” cover so we know to leave them on. Then I was going to pick up some Osram/Lightify bulbs- our local big box is clearancing them out, presumably because they’re the old package and as i understand it Sylvania bought them. As it stands, i can get each A19 RGBW bulb for ~$21. Does this sound like a reasonable approach? Are the Osrams a good bulb? ---
**Author:** ![Automated\_House](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/automated_house/32/99641_2.png) [@Automated\_House](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Automated_House)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/9 "2017-08-14T17:41:59Z")
This is exactly what I do for our 3 garage carriage lights. Only problem i have is the farthest one sometimes drops off. Cycling power to them bring it back. I have them white normally, but orange/blue during Broncos games, yellow during GA Tech football games, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/10 "2017-08-16T14:29:37Z")
My hub arrived yesterday. After figuring out why it wouldn’t connect to my internet (bad hub behind the tv), it took its sweet time updating the firmware. Then I installed three Osram RGBW bulbs on the front porch. System found two of them right away, and I verified it was all working. I shut off the switch to the front porch lights, turned it back on, and the third light popped up right away. I’m guessing it was setting up the “mesh” off the two bulbs, because the one that wasn’t working was on the far end of the porch, furthest away from the hub. Added two more bulbs to the exterior lamps on the outside of the garage doors, made a group called “outside lights”. Added this to alexa, and it worked! After the 45 mins of getting the hub started/updated, the rest took about 30 mins. It’s so cool, and the wife loves it. The kids had a blast telling alexa to turn the lights to their favorite colors. This is a very dangerous path- now i want to automate ALL THE THINGS! ---
**Author:** ![Navat604](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/898d66/32.png) [@Navat604](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Navat604)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/11 "2017-08-16T14:38:57Z")
> [@Ringworm](#): > > Then I installed three Osram RGBW bulbs on the front porch. System found two of them right away, and I verified it was all working. I shut off the switch to the front porch lights, turned it back on, and the third light popped up right away. I’m guessing it was setting up the “mesh” off the two bulbs, because the one that wasn’t working was on the far end of the porch, furthest away from the hub. I highly recommend getting a zigbee outlet plug or switch to extend your mesh instead of using the Osram bulbs. They are known around here for causing more issues with mesh when they drop off the network or when you turn the switch off. ---
**Author:** ![Automated\_House](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/automated_house/32/99641_2.png) [@Automated\_House](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Automated_House)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/12 "2017-08-16T14:48:00Z")
I haven’t had a problem with them since they added OTA firmware updates for the Lightify family. ---
**Author:** ![Navat604](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/898d66/32.png) [@Navat604](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Navat604)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/13 "2017-08-16T15:15:58Z")
> [@Automated\_House](#): > > I haven’t had a problem with them since they added OTA firmware updates for the Lightify family. I only have 4 Lightify gardenspots with the new OTA firmware and once in a while they drop-off line. Zigbee mesh is definitely not an issue with me but possible too many hops since they are out quite far in the garden. ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/14 "2017-08-16T16:18:22Z")
> [@Automated\_House](#): > > I haven’t had a problem with them since they added OTA firmware updates for the Lightify family. How does one do an OTA firmware for the Osram bulbs? Things I’ve found seem to indicate i need their hub to do it, but the main reason i bought them was because they worked with ST directly and didn’t need their hub. Would installing their app help? ---
**Author:** ![Ringworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@Ringworm](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Ringworm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/15 "2017-08-16T16:32:18Z")
i think in just found out how: > **[ZigBee OTA firmware updates](https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/215394303-ZigBee-OTA-firmware-updates)** > > What are ZigBee OTA firmware updates? > They are updates for select ZigBee devices wherein manufacturers can improve their firmware and add features to products that are already in your home. These u... so now the question becomes “Should i update the firmware if i’m not experiencing any issues?” ---
**Author:** ![Automated\_House](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/automated_house/32/99641_2.png) [@Automated\_House](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Automated_House)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/newbie-question-about-switches-and-bulbs/95338/16 "2017-08-16T17:10:13Z")
That would be it! IMO, always update firmware. never know when they might be security fixes.