Just get an Ethernet based Zigbee coordinator. Less hassle even in virtualisation environments that support USB pass through and you can also positition for best coverage.
Home Assistant beginners
- Thread starter katie279
- Start date
Just get an Ethernet based Zigbee coordinator. Less hassle even in virtualisation environments that support USB pass through and you can also positition for best coverage.
Wow those are a step up in price though.
I think I'd prefer to avoid the faff of ZigBee controllers to be honest.
I don't know if the p110M (newer model) has improved internals. The issues I'm facing seem extremely common with the p110s. Sending them back is a joke as I have to pay postage for RMA which is almost as much as a new multi pack box.
Soldato
Anyone know of a 2-way 2-gang smart switch apart from LightwaveRF (£££)?
Soldato
Could use a 2 channel switching unit e.g. from the Sonoff ZBMini range?
So you'd wire this unit into the existing switch(es) you have and stash it, either behind the switch in the back box, or in the ceiling. I suppose it depends if your two lights are in the same location, if not you can use two single channel modules and stash each one behind the light fixture.
Soldato
I'd much prefer a switch with it all built in if such a thing exists
Soldato
£20 is 'top end' for a socket for sure, but they offer a bit more than the regular sockets, I bought mine in their last sale, so £12.99 per socket.
- Can be controlled fully locally (or via the cloud) natively, i.e. no Home Assistant required (I started this way, a Shelly i3/i4 directly controlling their RGBW2 LED driver module).
- Supports simple "actions" which effectively allow WEB API's to be called, or they support scripting directly on them for home automation (mainly between shelly products which all have WEB APIs as well)
- Home assistant integration is fully featured, and supports everything you'd expect (including firmware updates)
- exposes diagnostics information like overcurrent, overheating, overpowering, overvoltage (useful if you have problematic loads or electrics).
- Can act as a BT Hub/WLAN extender for other shelly products, so their motion sensor for example is BLE, that can connect to the socket, as can it also extend your WLAN for other shelly products..
- Supports MQTT out of the box.
- Has its own web interface
Shelly started off fairly niche, but have always allowed free cloud control (paid version allows more scenes and automations) as well as local control, or both, you can completely disable their cloud connection if you want to be 100% local, and have a lot of flexibility..
But, I recognise not everyone wants a super flexible local/cloud option with all the extras, when in reality most people just want a 'socket' and don't care if its cloud based or not..
I'd just avoid TAPO now, I have many TPLink products in the house, their sockets have all been retired since 2 failed..
But pragmatically if a £10 socket lasts 2 years, isn't that still fairly good VFM?
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Associate
My Tapo energy plugs have been fine. I did have a Kasa energy plug fail on me. It stopped working and was constantly clicking.
Soldato
Whats the use case?
I use Shelly i4's behind normal light switches for sensing the switch inputs which are used (locally and also some by Home Assistant) to switch various things on/off.. some are regular lights which I use the Shelly 1 Mini's to automate on/off (they are 8A relays).. Some are Wiz lights, some are Hue.. Some are LED strips using the Shelly RGBW2's..
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Soldato
Same here, no issues with my Tapo P110 plugs
Soldato
I want to have another room's light switch mirror the status of a different room's 2 way switch. The switches all have neutrals in and no space for anything extra in the backboxes.
I originally planned to get some ZBMINI's and put them in the ceiling, then realised the neutrals weren't there, and also read they don't expose their relay status so you can't create automations from it in HA.
Soldato
Actually sounds a bit tricky!
You can get the shelly wall switches:
Shelly Wall Switch 2 and Wall Frame Bundle (White) | NetXL
The Shelly Wall Switch 2 and Wall Frame Bundle (White) is a bundle with a 2-trigger smart switch that can control a Shelly smart home or smart business network
Shelly Smart Home Wall Switch Bundle | NetXL
The Shelly Wall Switch 1 Bundle is a bundle of Shelly smart home devices, including a smart wall switch and wall frame to activate smart appliances or trigger scenes
These are just switches that have a holder for a shelly module behind them, and use the Shelly Plus 2PM's (cheaper as a twin pack), each can switch 2 electrical circuits.
Shelly Plus 2PM Gen3 Smart Home Switch 2-Pack | NetXL
Buy the Shelly Plus 2PM Gen3 2-Pack at NetXL, a compact WiFi smart switch for smart homes that can make any regular appliance smart, with accurate power metering
Or for cheapness you may be able to fit the ZBMINI's behind them as it's only a plastic frame, so can be modified to let you put anything behind the switch..
They still need a 35mm backbox, and also being momentary switches, they are perfect to keep each room 'synchronised'.
Slightly more messing, but the Sonoff switches:
Can have ESPHome firmware applied and then used via Home Assistant or locally, a good thread on HA Forums here:
Sonoff SwitchMan M5 3C 3 Gang switch with ESPHome
Based on Jasper123 great script the events of the long_press, double etc can be placed in a automation. For me it was not clear how to trap these events but I finally understood his comments. Here is screenshot of how it listen to these events. Hope that helps somebody else.
community.home-assistant.io
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Soldato
Both options look good thanks!Actually sounds a bit tricky!
You can get the shelly wall switches:
Shelly Wall Switch 2 and Wall Frame Bundle (White) | NetXL
The Shelly Wall Switch 2 and Wall Frame Bundle (White) is a bundle with a 2-trigger smart switch that can control a Shelly smart home or smart business networkwww.netxl.com
Shelly Smart Home Wall Switch Bundle | NetXL
The Shelly Wall Switch 1 Bundle is a bundle of Shelly smart home devices, including a smart wall switch and wall frame to activate smart appliances or trigger scenes
These are just switches that have a holder for a shelly module behind them, and use the Shelly Plus 2PM's (cheaper as a twin pack), each can switch 2 electrical circuits.
Shelly Plus 2PM Gen3 Smart Home Switch 2-Pack | NetXL
Buy the Shelly Plus 2PM Gen3 2-Pack at NetXL, a compact WiFi smart switch for smart homes that can make any regular appliance smart, with accurate power metering
Or for cheapness you may be able to fit the ZBMINI's behind them as it's only a plastic frame, so can be modified to let you put anything behind the switch..
They still need a 35mm backbox, and also being momentary switches, they are perfect to keep each room 'synchronised'.
Slightly more messing, but the Sonoff switches:
Can have ESPHome firmware applied and then used via Home Assistant or locally, a good thread on HA Forums here:
Sonoff SwitchMan M5 3C 3 Gang switch with ESPHome
Based on Jasper123 great script the events of the long_press, double etc can be placed in a automation. For me it was not clear how to trap these events but I finally understood his comments. Here is screenshot of how it listen to these events. Hope that helps somebody else.
Associate
I've installed Aqara D1 switches in my house
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005908735064.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.7.a250YyEEYyEE2g&algo_pvid=7a7db3f1-e00b-4a37-b4d4-b81ca9382e48&aem_p4p_detail=202411150701523154037459279490001473582&algo_exp_id=7a7db3f1-e00b-4a37-b4d4-b81ca9382e48-3&pdp_npi=4@dis!GBP!39.49!39.49!!!48.57!48.57!@2103834817316829122797432ecb4d!12000035135146406!sea!UK!1943005733!X&curPageLogUid=n1FoIFxJ5nyY&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:&search_p4p_id=202411150701523154037459279490001473582_1
You'll need to get a Zigbee co-ordinator and use Z2M or ZHA to work with HA
You might stuggle in a 35mm back box but the Aqara E1 range will probably fit in a 35mm.
I bought an a D1 and E1 and preferred the feel of the D1.
If you can't change the back boxes you can use a socket spacer to give you some extra room.
https://amzn.eu/d/3SDbygN
I use double switches at the top and bottom of the stairs, one of the gangs directly controls the light on the floor it's on, when the other gang is pressed it kicks off a HA automation that toggles the switch on the other floor.
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005005908735064.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.7.a250YyEEYyEE2g&algo_pvid=7a7db3f1-e00b-4a37-b4d4-b81ca9382e48&aem_p4p_detail=202411150701523154037459279490001473582&algo_exp_id=7a7db3f1-e00b-4a37-b4d4-b81ca9382e48-3&pdp_npi=4@dis!GBP!39.49!39.49!!!48.57!48.57!@2103834817316829122797432ecb4d!12000035135146406!sea!UK!1943005733!X&curPageLogUid=n1FoIFxJ5nyY&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:&search_p4p_id=202411150701523154037459279490001473582_1
You'll need to get a Zigbee co-ordinator and use Z2M or ZHA to work with HA
You might stuggle in a 35mm back box but the Aqara E1 range will probably fit in a 35mm.
I bought an a D1 and E1 and preferred the feel of the D1.
If you can't change the back boxes you can use a socket spacer to give you some extra room.
https://amzn.eu/d/3SDbygN
I use double switches at the top and bottom of the stairs, one of the gangs directly controls the light on the floor it's on, when the other gang is pressed it kicks off a HA automation that toggles the switch on the other floor.
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Soldato
I've got some captive bulb spots in my boot room that I'd like to stick a motion sensor on as the switch is in an inconvenient location. Whats the simplest way to do this?
If I grab, for example, a Sonoff motion sensor, I will also need a corresponding unit to go into the switch or into the ceiling with the spots right?
If I grab, for example, a Sonoff motion sensor, I will also need a corresponding unit to go into the switch or into the ceiling with the spots right?
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Soldato
Captive bulbs, I can remove the spots from the ceiling. I point this out because the simplest thing would be to just put a Hue/Innr bulb in the spot.
I'll take a look at the Shelly stuff, but to confirm I would both the motion sensor, and the box that mounts behind the switch? Could that be controlled through Home Assistant or IFTTT etc?
I'll take a look at the Shelly stuff, but to confirm I would both the motion sensor, and the box that mounts behind the switch? Could that be controlled through Home Assistant or IFTTT etc?
HA definitely, IFFTT no idea. You need the motion sensor to detect motion (obviously!) which will send the detection to HA which will run an automation to turn on the lights by sending a signal to the Shelly switch
Soldato
You could use smart bulbs instead of a smart switch. Then just need to leave them switched on at the wall all the time.
Associate
Just to let everyone know screwfix have aqara stuff on sale at the moment for the black friday sale