Samsung SmartHub integration with Amazon Alexa Echo, Google Assistant, IFTTT

(Walter Towbin) #1

I would like to set up home automation is such a way that my Samsung phone has only one app which in turn talks to only one central smart hub in my house. This hub (samsung Smarthub ? Wink ?) , in turn, controls various smart devices from diff vendors (plugs, sensors, … etc) at home. Challenge, as always, is lack of standards/compatibility.

Is it possible to integrate either Samsung Smarthub or Wink (other ?) central hub with Amazon Alexa Echo/Google Assistant/IFTTT end-devices ?

Apologies if this question was answered before (and I dont see an answer).

Walter

(Jimmy) #2

Technically your Echo/Google Home would be the end device with a SmartThings hub. All the sensors, devices and voice controllers would communicate to the SmartThings hub.

(Walter Towbin) #3

Thx Jimmy.

To be clear: will these devices (sensors, plugs … etc) communicate directly with SmarThings hub or would I need
a Echo/Google Home controller in the middle so end devices talk to Echo and echo talks to SmartThings hub ?

W

(Jimmy) #4

directly to smartthings hub (and their cloud). Echo/Google Home is just a way to voice control those devices.

(Dan) #5

In addition to the information you’ve already been given, I just want to make you aware that the SmartThings App on your phone, is only able to communicate with the SmartThings Cloud servers. The SmartThings cloud servers communicate with your SmartThings Hub in your home. This means, that even if your phone is at home on WiFi, your Internet connection must be up and running in order for your phone to communicate with the Hub. Also, if your internet connection is not reliable, you will lose some functionality. The SmartThings v2 Hub is capable of running some lighting automations locally on the hub, assuming the devices you buy are supported by SmartThings as ‘local devices’. Otherwise, all of the code for those devices and automations will run in the SmartThings cloud servers. If the internet is down, your home automations will be impacted.

This is pretty much true of most home automation hubs, like Iris and Wink. SmartThings is, IMHO, a better choice than both of those. I just want to make sure your understand the architecture upon which this all runs.

Here is a quick visualization that may help.

image
image.png961x542 46.4 KB

#6

Alexa Echo and Dots can control somethings directly like lights and Nest. To have Alexa interact with ST and control Routines, lights etc then you will need to use Echosistant or askAlexa. Both are community developer made apps that work as the link for Alexa to ST.

(Dan) #7

Just to make sure requirements are clear for the OP… :wink:

The SmartThings Alexa Skill allows direct control of SmartThings devices, lights, etc… without any community developed applications.

Echosistant and askAlexa are not required to use an Amazon Echo/Dot with SmartThings. Those additional apps add more capabilities, but are not a requirement.

(Dan P Parker) #8

No, he won’t.

(Walter Towbin) #9

Thank you !
I understand the requirement for TCP/IP. My problrm with your diagram (vs what I want to do) is that Alexa Echo and Google Home devices go directly to Internet. I want them to go to ST Hub first (this is the central point). Is this doable ? Jimmy says yes.

Thx, W

(Jimmy) #10

I misunderstood your question. Alexa and Google Home require an internet connection. They communicate via the cloud.

(Walter Towbin) #11

OK. understood. Does this also mean that (on my Android phone) I will need a separate app for ST and separate for Alexa and yest another one for Google ?

(Jimmy) #12

Yeah. I think both require their app for setup.

#13

What you are asking for isn’t available yet. One app to rule them all…one app to find them… Very middle-earth. But just like the Ring of Power…it’s just a fantasy at this point. You have to have the Alexa app to set up Echo and you have to have the Home app to set up your Home or Home mini. You don’t have to interact with them on a routine basis, however. Then again, i don’t even interact with the ST app unless there’s a problem. It’s just too slow to load all my devices. I use a web interface called action tiles (you can search for it here). That’s the only thing I have to interact with on a daily basis.

(Ron Talley) #14

All about the “Cloud”…

Alexa doesn’t work without it.
Google Home doesn’t work without it.
ST can run some things locally but it is a cloud base system.

#15

That’s why my next big project will be Hubitat. But I’m saving it for next winter when the weather is crappy and I don’t want to leave the house.