Will this work with Smart things?
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I bought two a few years back and had no luck. I even installed some custom device handler. That was on the V1 hub though. I’m on a V3 hub now. Maybe I’ll dig them up and try them again.
Yes, all of the Xiaomi/Aqara zigbee devices will pair and work with SmartThings, but there are a few caveats. They do not work well with most zigbee repeaters, and will constantly fall off your network if they connect through an incompatible repeater. Some of the Xiaomi devices can also be difficult to pair initially.
I have lots of Xiaomi and Aqara devices working with SmartThings and really like them. They’re well made, tiny, look nice, and can be found at really great prices.
Ikea Tradfri devices work great as repeaters for them.
If you search the forums here you’ll find lots more info, but the best place to start would likely be here:
https://community.smartthings.com/t/original-aqara-xiaomi-zigbee-sensors-contact-temp-motion-button-outlet-leak-etc/113253
As I have someone who has been here a while I thought I’d ask, I like more options that the if then that that smart things gets you,
I first bought the £20 xiaomi hub but quickly bought this as thought there be more compatibility, and although I have seen this already first hand, I find it hard to see where the capability is.
So for example I have 6 smartlife wifi plugs that can link with IFTTT and use as a virtual device so in theory I only need to use the Smart things app to use my lights and plugs…cooool.
two things,
Setting up the shedules and such are going to be slower doing through smarthings over just the other app?, and won’t see the monitoring wattage of them so I still need the other app.
Yes I can know use function like if motion sensor is activate then turn on plug, but I honestly can;t think of many situation right now where this would be useful, and I can’t far in the future aswell.
I know smart things is compatible with things like blinds and such, but again if I was to buy blinds I would have it on a simple schedule and don’t seem much function getting it to work with smart things.
Needless to say I think smart things is really cool but don’t understand the price tag for people who don’t want to tinker.
I think the only caveat with using ST over Xiaomi in my household is the sunset/sunrise not working as its china countries. at the moment I only see myself using Aqara/Xiaomi bulb and sensor because they are the cheapest, maybe I’ll regret that when they higher there prices and there is a killer set for ST but I don’t see it.
Please try tell me why I’m wrong xD
SmartThings is far from perfect, and it’s certainly not for everyone, but it does most of what I want it to.
For me, the compatibility with a vast number of devices is a big selling point. The other big selling point for me is the complex rules I can create using webCoRE. For someone who doesn’t want to tinker, doesn’t mind a more limited selection of compatible devices, and doesn’t need or want more complex rules, then there are plenty of other options that would likely be more suitable.
One thing I don’t like about SmartThings is the reliance on the cloud, which can add lag to automations, and has proven to be somewhat unreliable due to the cloud going down occasionally. I’ve actually considered moving to Hubitat for this reason.
I’m not sure what prices are for smart hubs in your area, but the difference between my SmartThings hub and a Xiaomi gateway at the time I bought was $10 USD, so I’m not sure what you’re getting at with your comment on the price tag for SmartThings. I got into SmartThings when trying to switch my home security system from paid monitoring to self monitored, and at the time SmartThings was one of the cheapest options, if not the cheapest.
Options are good, and only you can decide if SmartThings is the best option for you and your needs. I will say however that peoples needs change over time. A co-worker of mine started a home automation project with the need for only a few devices and very simple rules for automations, but the more he used his basic system the more he saw the benefit of more devices and more complex rules.
Thanks for the reply it’s intrested to here someone far in on there expierences.
My first issue is my smart hub has disconnect everyday at some point, its on wifi, but I have 3 google home wifi and this should be no problem (UK), not sure if this is a device wifi driver fault or the cloud?
So Smart things cost £80, then realisticly I would be buying Aqara/xioami sensors because of the price.
Just picked up a Xiaomi Hub, 2 door sensors (£20), 2 motion sensors (£20) 1 button (£8), colour lightbulb (15£) for £50 so really the hub was free, but if to buy on its own its about £20 in the UK.
So much cheaper and the fact I am using xiaomi/aqara sensors they actually going to work better due to the ported code to use them with ST being not perfect.
Can you give me some examples of some ‘‘complex’’ automations you have in use?
My welcome home piston is one of my more complex ones. It triggers when either my phone or my wife’s phone changes from away to present, or when the side door lock is unlocked using a valid code. It unlocks the side door and front door, turns on the front porch lights and side porch lights if it’s dark out, and disarms the alarm if it was armed. Because presence isn’t always 100% reliable, if neither the front door or back door are opened within 4 minutes of the piston triggering, it locks everything back up and re-arms the alarm (if it was armed). Once an exterior door does open, it has a wide variety of responses depending on which presence sensors arrived, what mode the home was in, what time of day it is, and whether or not the house was determined to be occupied or not prior to the piston triggering. Some actions include broadcasting customized welcome home messages though Alexa devices, playing various music playlists in certain rooms, starting Harmony routines that turn a TV on and set it to a specific streaming service or channel, turning on a series of dim night lighting if it’s late at night and dark in the house, changing the mode, turning on and adjusting thermostats, etc. If the porch lights were turned on by the piston, they wait until 15 min after the exterior door closes and then turn back off. If the night lighting was turned on, they wait until there’s been 10 min without motion in the rooms each light is in and then turn off. There’s a timer component that won’t allow the piston to trigger if the presence sensor that triggered it hasn’t been away for at least 10 min. This prevents minor glitches with presence from falsely triggering.
Has anyone had issues with adding Xiaomi Mijia Switches/Buttons (WXKG01LM) recently? I added one of these years ago and it has been solid the whole time. I bought one a couple months ago, and it is not able to stay connected. I can add/pair to the hub (v2 in my case), it will work for maybe an hour, and then stop working. In the app it still shows as available/connected, but pressing the button doesn’t register any activity in the device. Got a replacement and the same thing happens. Perhaps newly produced Xiaomi buttons have a change in polling behavior? Any ideas?
I don’t have luck with the recent Xiaomi/Aqara devices - they don’t stay connected. YMMV.
Thanks for the reply. When you say they don’t stay connected, does the Smartthings hub show them having an unavailable status, or are the buttons simply not working (my case)? Which devices have you tried? I added/paired an Aqara WSDCGQ11LM temperature sensor (the square one) a couple months ago. Initially, the temperature updates kept stopping shortly after pairing (like the Xiaomi Mijia switch), but after several re-pairings, it has actually stayed connected.
Contact & motion sensor work for a couple of hours.
Those added in the past can stay connected for years.
Skip Xiaomi/Aqara - it’s not worth the hassle.