Long time reader first time poster. I have been using the Staples Connect system since it came out and have been generally happy with the stability. It has a long list of bugs and hasnt been updated since April of this year. I am fully aware that every system has its issues but wondering if there is anyone else out there that has made the move from Staples to ST and feels it was a good decision.
I have the V2 hub in hand but am reluctant to unpair all of my devices and start over.
Any advice from a former or current Staples connect user would be greatly appreciated.
I have used SC for a while and I appreciated that it works unplugged from the Internet and has buil-in web interface in addition to mobile app. With ST you’ll lose both those features. Much hyped “local execution” in V2 is virtually nonexistent, at least for now. Also, ST does not have Lutron radio, so you won’t be able to use Lutron remotes, for example. Other than that, ST comes on top, or as folks like to say around here, “has potential”.
How do you find the stability of ST vs SC? I find that SC works 90% of the time without issue. Do you get that kind of stability with ST or do you sacrifice stability for more function?
Do you find there is a long delay between pressing the button and actual response time?
Typically, SmartThings response time is very good for a cloud-based system, almost instantaneous. It’s head and shoulders above Wink, for example, which is also cloud-based. There are however periods when the servers have a bad hair day and response time can be up to several seconds. Occasionally, there are system outages when nothing works, but these are rare and are typically fixed within an hour or so. There have been recurring issues with event scheduling, such as sunrise/sunset. Overall, reliability is lower than SC (my perception), but not too bad.
My question would be what are are you looking to gain that you don’t have now? Is there features or brand compatibility you’re looking to solve?
It sounds like you’ve already made the purchase so all that’s left is to give it a whirl for your own take on the platform.
I’m not sure what kind of customer service SC has but I do know that right now ST customer service is swamped. Many of us have had tickets in for weeks / months. It’s a wait your turn in line sort of thing.
For me the customer service is most important. i know they are doing all they can.
Sun state has been broken for me for a long time. Because that is tied closely w/routines and modes much of my automation is broken and has to be triggered manually. Until they get that fixed (works for some not others) I wouldn’t jump ship.
EDIT: I would like to clarify that my sun state issues were after platform updates to ready for V2
I am looking for customization. I love a lot of the features that ST has to offer but it sounds like a lot of them only work “sometimes”.
Thank you for the replies. I think I am going to stick with SC for now but follow the progress of ST v2 very closely.
SC is very stable. It has zero customer service so even if it takes 2 months to hear back from ST, at least you eventually hear back. Staples doesn’t follow the forums anymore and their customer service email responses are very lacking.
So after that last post I decided to take @Drewbert34 suggestion and give the interface a chance. I started by just hooking up the hue hub and then adding sensors and switches slowly to see if I would like it.
I find the interface to be a little confusing at first but it slowly makes sense. What I can tell you with confidence is the amount of programming options is significantly better then SC. I have a few animals that require the lights to be turned on and off at sunset so will test those features out and see how it goes. If those features arent reliable I will just run two hubs in the house.
Long story short, I am really digging the features of ST so far. Hopefully they continue to add new features and work out bugs to stay on top.
Thanks to everyone who chimed in to help me with this decision.
