Where do I start? The more I read the more lost I get. Help, please!

[JDRoberts]

@Maniake

However, from what I understand , everything that is not webCore is now obsolete. Correct?

If you mean custom smartapps, that’s not completely true, but pretty close in the sense that webcore can do everything the other apps can do and probably more.

It’s definitely not true in terms of the features that are built into the official app, the automations Are fine and may be all you need.

Also, there are a couple of different third-party developers have created some really sophisticated and advanced smart apps which are very popular because they have features that would be hard to build for yourself even in Webcore. That includes @rboy ‘s library, SharpTools, ActionTiles, etc

UNDERSTANDING MESH NETWORKS

As far as getting your IKEA bulbs connected up, try reading post 11 in the following thread (I’ll link directly to that one). After you read that post go up to the top of the thread and read the whole thing and you’ll understand a lot more about how your devices will communicate with each other.

A Guide to Wireless Range & Repeaters

One more thought. While I understand the marketing reasons for the decision, the fact that SmartThings gives customers zero guidance on how to set up a network backbone does lead to a lot of frustration that shouldn’t have to exist. if people knew that .1) The hub should be located centrally in the home, both vertically and horizontally. Don’t put it in a garage or basement as those have concrete and pipes and metal objects which will reduce signal. If your Internet router is off in some inaccessible corner, you can use a Wi-Fi access point that has a ethernet port on the side and plug into that. Also, the hub should not be put in a cabinet. You just want to make it as easy as possible for signal to spread around your house. .2) you need one device that can repeat about every 40 feet…

THE BASIC QUESTION: HOME AUTOMATION CHOICES

With regards to Home Automation, you can do it two different ways.

If you want to make it easy, put aside your expectations of what you might eventually make it do, just start with the app, use the rules engine which is built into it, and choose your devices from the ones which have official integrations, that is, the ones you can add without needing any custom code just by selecting them in the app. To be honest, that’s all that most people ever need, and it’s all that the vast majority, probably over 95%, of smartthings customers do. There’s a lot of power in the built-in features, and a lot of devices to choose from.

Or, you can set out to become a “power user,” which is what most of the people in this forum are, and start diving into Webcore and Connecting up devices that don’t have obvious integrations and using other custom smartapps and DTHs.

It’s your choice. Both ways work for different people. The second one is a lot more complicated, but it’s not a path you have to take unless you want to and you find it enjoyable, or at least interesting. The smartthings app on its own is more power than most home automation systems in the same price range have. So if you want to just stick with that, everything will be a lot easier and you won’t have to go searching all over the Internet to figure out how to do something.