I was about to buy four Tapo P110 plugs today (since I couldn't find the old ones on line). Thanks for saving me! I didn't realise they needed internet to work.
I’m just getting started and to say I feel overwhelmed is an understatement. That is until I watched your video….thank you so much for explaining this all. I now have a better understanding of the basics at least!
What an amazing video to explain the different technologies, I don't share UA-cam videos very often but will be with this one! Thanks for the great video
It might be worth noting that Zigbee is a radio mesh protocol that has nothing to do specifically with smart home or lights (even if it is synonymous with it today) just like thread thread uses ipv6 as its transport and zigbee has its own node and cluster design baked in. The standards that lights commonly use over Zigbee for control are called ZLL (Zigbee Light Link) and for sensors and other devices for home automation it uses ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) it is in these standards that different manufacturers don't always implement it the same way. Most devices today will adhere to the Zigbee 3.0 spec but all that means is that they can join the radio mesh. It would be cool if Unifi APs could have a Thread radio and act as a border router and be manages like any other network in their system.
This is a good video. I have sent this video off to some local companies who have used Bluetooth for example who have some really great household items (blinds/window openers). BT is great for mice, keyboards, smart speakers etc - but not for controlling blinds. You just cannot automate controlling blinds with bluetooth!
Very interesting vid. Looking forward to hearing your take on light switches. One thing that personally bothers me a great deal is consistency. The nice thing about dumb ugly plastic switches in a typical house is they at least all look the same, ignoring dimmer knobs. Another problem is choosing your perfect switch today and then not being able to find the same ones in a few years when you build that extension. So definitely make sure you buy a load of spares!
Every time these comparison video's pop up I always wonder why the (granted niche) protocol of 433mhz is missing. Very nice and clear video overall though.
Thank you for your videos. I have done my research for IoT protocols and while Z-WAVE and WIFI looks the best on paper, I choose WIFI over Z-WAVE because I do not like a mesh network that you cannot really control. Granularity is key for me, so a well done WIFI network is the best in my opinion. Having multiple WIFI access points, all uni-directional, well managed regarding band usage and power emission, makes such a WIFI network bulletproof. In February i'll celebrate 1 year of solid HA running Ethernet and WIFI devices, zero issues so far. In the future I will probably get some Z-WAVE devices for sensors that I cannot simply get in their WIFI form, not in a hurry anyway.
Great video, most of my devices are zigbee as well. Might be worth pointing out to people that zigbee battery operated devices don't act as zigbee repeaters as this would seriously degrade their batteries. I do also use z-wave devices for my wall switches, mainly as most wifi based ones require you to sign up for the manufacture's app and a lot of them then use the internet to turn them on and off as you described in your video. I really like the zooz zen32 z-wave scene controller, but 2 blueprints have made it very nice indeed now. The lights sync as they should now no matter how something is turned on. I have it installed at my front door showing status of alarm system and my smart locks.
im using mostly Zigbee and wont buy anything other if i dont have to... The only exception are D1 Minis which i use for WLED stuff. Got some Aqara motion and light sensors, which after 2 years are still on their first battery, which is crazy efficient. Anything connected to mains acts as a mesh repeater, and the signal just gets anywhere without even planning this out. The coordinator is just a USB Stick on the Pi which runs HomeAssistant. And with that, automations are only limited by your creativity ^^
Man I found this just a bit late. I just ordered a pack of EP10P4 last night after hearing that Kasa Smart stuff didn't need a connection to the internet to operate locally. I am still very happy with my WIZ bulbs that work as advertized and recommend them.
I started my home automation journey with Smart Things rather than Hue, and eventually had a mix of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices connected to it, some Smart Things branded and some not. When I started using Home Assistant, I bought a Z-Wave stick and have been moving devices over to it one by one. I now have all the Z-Wave devices off of the Smart Things hub. As the next step--I'm considering buying the Sky Connect stick and moving the Zigbee devices over to HA. I'm not sure, though, if the Smart Things-branded devices (which are Zigbee inside) will work with a non-Smart Things co-ordinator. It's difficult to find info on that online, as most "compatibility" threads are discussions about what non-Smart Things devices work with the Smart Things hub--not the other way around.
ZWave is my preference due to not using 2.4Ghz. 2.4 is just too congested there is a good chance of you have network issues it has nothing to do with your network, it could just be a leaky microwave. That is why in my new house I'll be using Lutron for switches and ZWave whenever possible. The only thing they have to compete with is baby monitors. The only downside of ZWave compared to ZigBee is the size of the network. ZWave only allows about 300 devices compared to ZigBee's thousands.
Yeh, that's fair. Lutron just isn't that popular in Europe so I don't have a lot of experience with it. I think Z-Wave is a very good protocol and I would totally use it if I didn't already have so much experience and so many devices that use Zigbee. I don't think there's any right or wrong answer here. Both are solid mesh networks, low power, have great device compatibility and most importantly run fully locally!
It really depends in the country, if the telco in your country uses 800-900mhz band for GSM/LTE wireless connection, avoid zwave, might as well stick with wifi or zigbee, I tried it, it sucks and I can only have reliable connection on it if its close to the router (2-3meters), in long distance it still works but a single cellular call can take those device offline and takes some time to recover.
Great, concise explanation! Keen to adopt Thread, but one year on, the wall switch market is still sparse and expensive! Looking for multi-gang smart switches that offer dimming functionality and support Thread seems impossible.
I want Matter to be able to use Apple home automation but I do like the IKEA Zigbee light bulbs and plug-switches. So I’ll buy those together with their hub. I might end up with both Zigbee and Matter networks on top of my home WiFi network. I don’t mind the extra effort (I might even enjoy that) so that’s ok for me. 🤓 Thanks for your explanations!
FYI, I just wanted to make a quick correction to your TP-Link claim, although I have considered that at the time of this video's posting, that may have been the case. However, I now have about 60 various TP-Link Tapo smart home devices, every sensor they make, 7 cameras (wired and wifi), bulbs, switches, plugs, etc and they ALL support local only support. I tested this specifically with just a few devices, prior to going 'all in'. If it loses connection to the internet, but still has wifi, you can control it locally via your phone, or any network connected device on the same local network. Most of the sensors use sub-Ghz wireless to communicate with a hub. You WONT, however, have remote control, obviously, but they very much can, and do work without access to the internet. What I HAVE found, is that TP-Link Tapo has been doing a great job with frequent firmware updates to many products, both fixing issues and adding features. Very informative video though, cheers!
That's great to hear! I couldn't seem to use them without internet when I tried them a couple of years ago, but maybe I was just daft or perhaps things have changed. I'm glad to hear they're working well for you!
Could you please test IKEA Diregera gateway. Its MATER compatible and im wondering if i could connect my old zigbee devices to it and if they will be visible in homekit
Excellent over view of all the different systems. I got the impression that assuming you have a robust internet, wifi, zigbee mesh and control system you can mix and match home automated products. My inherited system is Control4 which is great for my video and audio distribution, + Zigbee light switches but mods to the system can be expensive (£375/day for a programmer). My Zigbee mesh is via light switches which are £175 per switch, which is extortionate. My question can I piggy back on my control4 Zigbee mesh using cheaper zigbee light switches? My zigbee lights are rock solid and I can self programme using the customer/control4 for simple controls. But do the zigbee components have to be compatible with control4? I have experimented with Shelly products for garden lighting which is outside of my zigbee mesh range but I have an AP point in the garden and Shelly light switches can be added to my Lan. This helps putting on the lights at the bottom of the garden via the Shelly app on the iPad and reduces the component cost vs control4 , Control Integration within Control4 is possible providing in add a Shelly driver into my control4 project via the control4 professional. But again it’s expensive.(driver £70+370 for programmer) Is it possible to run two home automation and control4 system simultaneously without conflict . Control4 using fixed ip addresses, and zigbee for lighting and home automation using its own protocol and the cost benefit of cheaper zigbee components. Thanks in advance. Ed R
Very interesting video, good job. What happens if I use an On/Off classic physical switch to power/unpower a zigbee or bt mesh lamps? Will they instantly turn on and use their last settings like color and intensity? Thanks
Great video as usual :) if i understand well philips hue bridge will be compatible Matter sooner or later therefore what would be the need to have a HA skyconnect dongle as anyway there is already an add-on in HA for philips..? thx for your answer :)
It might be good to note that bandwidth is not the limiting factor for wifi, but the number of devices your network can handle simultaneously. ISP wifi can die with as little as 30 devices.
I assume you are referring to the cheap and nasty router supplied with the DSL/whatever, and not any other limitation. First time I’ve come across the phrase “ISP wifi” and it sounds very confusing.
The solution would be to replace the router itself, if possible (friends on the provider), or put a real router+ap after the isp's while putting it in bridge mode, or turning off isp router's access point and connecting a decent access point(s) like ubiquity. Of course, care has to be exercised to avoid wifi (or any other) "smart" devices that "phone home" to their own manufacturer's server, for bandwidth, reliability, and security reasons
I have a strange vertically built two stories home. At the moment I have a zigbee Philips hue hub. I plan to remove it once the ZHA dongle arrives. However I am concerned about reach? I wonder if I will have reach issues.
I've been in the computer networking industry since 1983. This video (and similar ones) remind me of the state of the industry before TCP/IP. Before widespread adoption of TCP/IP as the lingua franca of networking, IBM, DEC, HP had their own proprietary networks and each touted why it was better than the others and why you should standardize on them. But these vendors also started using TCP/IP and in the 90s, particularly as the Internet started to grow, proprietary protocols began to fade because of both vendor adoption and customer adoption. A vast network that supported a vast number of devices from many vendors was just superior to the alternative. You were somewhat dismissive of Thread and Matter, but it feels like the TCP/IP story again to me. Soon vendors will realize that it's better to support an industry-support networking protocol and operating stack and discussion of Zigbee will be as quaint as discussing IBM's SNA. My home network supports Wi-Fi, a little Zigbee, a lot of Lutron, and some Thread. My experience with Zigbee probably isn't great because as you say, it isn't super-standard. I have 4 mesh Wi-Fi radios in my house, so signal strength and capacity isn't an issue. I think a far more important decision today is what kind of automation framework to use. I use HomeKit because I've been an iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV user since the beginning and it's easy (for me) to implement and use. I don't care for Amazon or Google to be listening into my home automation. I've wanted to try Home Assistant, but honestly I don't want to spend all the time learning the ins and outs and reading discussion groups. Also, my automation needs are pretty simple. I think home automation is a really fun topic and there is so much that can be done with it. For the average person, discussions of protocols and megahertz and hubs go way over their heads. And why not? I think that's what will be the reason Thread and Matter will become the TCP/IP of home automation. It will eventually remove the need for wonky discussions and head scratching. You'll pick a device based on functionality, quality, and price and you won't care Z-this or Wi-Fi that.
If you are starting out with your home automation probably best to make sure that your devices will be thread/matter compliant and the vendor like aqara promises to enable your devices.
You explained Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Thread. How does MQTT fit in? Isn't that a protocol for IoT networks? Therefore I don't understand "Zigbee2MQTT".
Mqtt is more like an information exchange or post office for iOT devices. Your sensor broadcasts its information and mqtt sends it to whoever is subscribed to this sensor ( eg home assistant) this is all tcp ip based so in case of zigbee2mqtt it reeds zigbee and translates to a data stream that the mqtt broker understands
Great video! Wondering if you could make a video explaining your wifi APs ubications and how did you handle blind or dead spots when switching between APs. Thanks! Pd: when I started with HA, I struggle with the type of installation. I choose to follow your aproach with docker, but then you did proxmox hahah.. So I just go with it (ha os in proxmox). Hope you could migrate succesfully all your devices to this new infra. Glad if you could do a video with a follow up on it! Greetings from Chile
Really looking forward to your Smart Switch video. I’m running HomeSeer as my controller as I prefer it over HA, but have the same dilemma as you over what smart switches to use. Currently have a mixture of Z-Wave, WiFi, ZigBee and RFXTRX devices, but I would like to reduce the complexity whilst improving the mesh. I’m currently testing out Moes and Aqara light switches. The Aqara stuff is top quality. Moes is a bit plasticky. Really interested to see what you make of them all!
I agree - I wanted to create a great Zigbee mesh, and resuse some of the battery powered devices and smart bulbs/LED strips that I brought over from the other house. I'd like to get rid of the battery devices eventually, as they're annoying when they lose power, but I may as well use them for now until I find a suitable replacement! I have very similar thoughts on the Moes and Aqara!
I don't know if zigbee is truly good against wifi, but i have so many close neighbors, i can see 300 wifi networks. I didn't want interference and stayed away from zigbee - This means I went z-wave and if i must, wifi will cover the other necessary devices.
WiFi: even though everyone has WiFi already, to make it secure via a private vlan or something similar is not usually a capability of typical existing routers, and it's much harder to set up
>00:09 best dang smart home there ever was dont wanna be too mean, but when I see people use non-modular patchpanels, I think they are from the past or huge amateurs... but hey, me being mean is good for youtube alghorythm engagement and thnx for the informative video..
I am from the past. Back when I was a sysadmin and network guy in my first IT job that's all we had - so I went with what I knew! Check out my latest rack video though, I learned from my subscribers and upgraded my patch panels
Fantastic overview. I've installed both Z-wave and Zigbee dongles on my HA device so that I can opt for the best product for my use case regardless of which protocol it supports. Keeping the same protocol would result in a stronger network with enough devices installed but I really don't expect to install enough devices to make a huge difference. It sounds like Zigbeen/Matter are the future though, I'll certainly be prioritizing them from now on, thanks.
I am finding that as well. The device functionality I want only comes in just one of those protocols.
6 днів тому
I'ma gonna drop this super hot take here for others to hear: "Bandwidth" does not mean "speed". If you think of network connectivity as water flowing through a hose or pipe, bandwidth refers to the diameter of said hose or pipe. It is not directly correlated to how fast things happen. Same as in electricity, you can have higher voltage or lower resistance. All three give you higher POTENTIAL amount of pixies (amperage) transmited. A network packet (a drop of water), sent over radio, is NOT traveling slower or faster on higher- or lower-bandwidth networks. It arrives all the same, at the speed of light. However, if you intend to send a large amount of packets, which has to be split up into packets and sent over, it will arrive quicker over a bigger pipe. Notice: quicker, not "faster".
re: Bluetooth. I found a nice use case for it in my house...use the little Xiaomi Thermometer LYWSD03MMC flashed and places around the house. I have a small enough house this works well for me and love having a display were I can immediately tell temp and humidity.
@@HomeAutomationGuy build quality is fine..... battery life will probably end up being 6months max. Accuracy is fine...more interested in trends. Bought in bulk from AliExpress so less than $5 US each
Great summary video on the network options. I was not aware that thread allowed you to have a "back-up" controller. I've recently purchased the HA skyconnect as well for my zigbee network. However, this "hub" is tightly coupled with the HA server itself so I'm wondering if it is possible to have a back-up (i.e. two of them running together with one as master)?
Z wave and ZigBee use the same physical layer. ZigBee took too long to get Mesh networking correctly. Zigbee doesn't have a lot of range. Bluetooth BLE offers much more bandwidth and is stable and has 90 channels available. WiFi is overkill for most devices but is easily saturated when you have too many devices. I prefer BLE because your phone, tablet and laptops support Bluetooth. BLE supports mesh and so connectivity issues are not likely if you have a large number of devices. I have nodes which can communicate over 130m. Good enough for most homes.
so, good video, thanks. For z-wave, if the company discontinues their app then you get no hub access and therefore no access to the devices. D-link not long ago discontinued their support, and not nothing works until I make the effort to find a hub that they will connect to. Any ideas?
Zigbee is still confusing.. like how do you set it up? How do you pair zigbee devices with google home? Can you use your voice to control these devices with google home?
@Home Automation Guy. May I know what is your take on LoRa technology given that it has the longets range of all with half an kilometer and yolink seems to have good products with Lora. And it comes out of the box homes assistant enabled as well. Please do a video on LoRa there seems to be limited videos on it. I can personally vouch for yolink products after using for a year
I live in London, where my house is about 5m wide and 8m long... I don't really have much experience with LoRa as I don't really need any long range protocols - sorry!
I have a question, Can you use Bixby Or Google Assistant or Alexa or Siri, to control these devices connected to home assistant? Can you turn on/off these device to check if everything is off when outside of home? I remember you saying that these devices will be offline and not be able to talk to internet.
1:42 whoa, little red flag goin' up! why use wifi for stationary devices like computers and printers when wired ethernet is a superior option? 4:13 i wouldn't use wifi for security cameras. again, wired ethernet is a far better option. 4:31 thats why i build my own network from components, in my case from the unifi range. 5:16 that's what i want to know. needless to say that i would not even think about using a device like that.
Sometimes wiring takes a lot of either time or money (or both) to do. For example in my home the walls have solid foam insulation in them making it very difficult to install any kind of wiring inside of them. Of course i could install wiring tracks down the outside of the wall but it would require more money and my wife has already vetoed the idea anyway, (ugly was thrown around a time or three). Anyway wifi is more logical in my case then the time (and or money) it would take and the wife approval factor is a requirement as well.
I am a totally newbie to HA. I just ordered my first SONOFF motion sensors and USB Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle. Question I have which I am having problems understanding is can I install Home Assistant on an older laptop/desktop (i3 with 8g). Does HA come as an ISO I can then install on a dedicated computer for HA? Thats my biggest obstacle so far. Love this channel learning lots. ----Just had my question answered on your previous video. Love it thanks!
What zigbee light switch are you using ? And also, where do you tend to get them from ? I see some on Amazon, but the prices are quite expensive. Keep up the great work alway happy when you upload new videos
Planning for a ZigBee - HomeAssistant setup for my new home! Wanted to get a ZigBee dongle, would you recommend the SkyConnect? Wondering how it compares to ConBee or Sonoff!
I've used both the Sonoff and Sky Connect and they're great. I'm sticking with the Sky Connect so I can use thread in the future without changing my hardware, but otherwise I'd be sticking with my Sonoff!
Do you also have issues finding reviews on ZigBee bulbs that works on 240v? I've been using aqara tunable white but they aren't the brightest and has no power on behavior. Most of the reviews on UA-cam are American brands so idk if I can use those.
I’m at the point where I really need a reset, moving would be one way to make that happen lol. As I’ve learned from you and others my system has gotten more and more complicated, but I’m using Node-RED, as well as Home Assistant automations, but at this point I don’t see much of a reason to keep Node-RED, HA can pretty much do it all. If the raspberry pi’s weren’t so expensive, I’d build a parallel system then swap over.
Agree. I was deep into Node Red when HA was all YAML based but the automations and GUI configuration are so good now I think HA is probably better than Node Red for most things.
One other disadvantage of Z-Wave depending on where you live. Not all countries accept the same frequencies so unlike the 2.4ghz of zigbee, Z-Wave have different frequency standards depending on where you live. If you’re in the USA, having a large population, you’ll have a reasonable device selection. If you live in a country with an accepted frequency of lower population bases, you’ve got a poor device selection.
I’m still gonna wait for Thread since it’ll be a option. That way I don’t have to learn ZHA to have a single Zigbee network. I have no issues with hue zigbee. Since I’m moving. I’ll buy more than 20 motion sensors, wall switches etc. I’ll wait thread. I’ll invest a lot every outlet and switches will be smart. I know the best devices it’s the one you can buy today. But I feel we’re a year or two away.
I have the HUE motion sensor. I used the included AAA batteries in fo 1 month. Then i switches them out to rechargeble AAA batteries. Mutch better for the wallet. But they wont last that long as a non rechargeble batteries. I will Try to use as many rechargeble batteries as possible.
I find some Zigbee products too Frustrating - The Mesh doesn't work for some products and works great for others - I have INNR Hub and sometimes i can add their bulbs / plugs and other times i can not - With my Aqara M2 Hub i have no issues adding their products but they do not sell Plugs / Bulbs in the UK so thought i would try INNR - Most of my plugs / Bulbs are TP Link Wi Fi which i was hoping to replace to local by going the ZigBee route - Perhaps i am just unlucky re my INNR hub and should have gone with a different company
That depends on what hub you're using. I use home assistant to control my Zigbee devices, and I can access Home Assistant from outside of my home. So using Home Assistant as a proxy, I can control my Zigbee lights from another country
@@HomeAutomationGuy Thanks. That's what I was asking... basically can you access and control all those devices when you're traveling. Thanks for responding.
Are these terms comparing apples and oranges? Bluetooth and WiFi (along with Ethernet) were standards defined by IEEE in 1980. MQTT was invented in 1999 for sensor sub/pub networks, now needed for home automation. Isn't it just a different layer? The sub/pub idea is used in UA-cam where we subscribe to a channel. Bluetooth is peer to peer, not MQTT. I imagine MQTT could operate on a cable network with no wireless technology. Aren't Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread versions of MQTT? Mosquitto is another version. What does “Zigbee2MQTT" mean, as if Zigbee is not MQTT? Need clarifications from the Home Automation Guy.
The problem with z-wave is that the around-900mhz part of the radio spectrum is already reserved around the world for various thing (such as some cell networks) and the few frequencies that are free to use for thing like z-wave are not the same in different countries: It's usually around 915mhz in the US and 868mhz in Europe. That means the z-wave devices made for the US market won't be able to talk to those sold in Europe and viceversa. And that's a big drawback for me, living in Europe: Most resources online are about the US versions of products, many devices aren't even available in EU versions, for some you won't even know which one you are getting untill you actually have them in your hands, etc. Way too inconvenient
So you explained why wifi devices having internet access is bad but then said you would switch to Thread in the future. I don't understand that. Why would you let devices from random companies connect to your home network when Zigbee already solved this issue? The only way Thread becomes viable is if they change it to also fully separate from your network. But then it's still pretty much just a Zigbee reskin.
Very, very nice job on this one. Exactly my thoughts on the “matter” 😂! If I may ask about your experience with the sky connect. I tried to replace my conbee2 with the sky connect. But there was one device: the Lutron aurora, that didn’t like the change. I could see the turn event but the press event didn’t work. I had to go back to the conbee. Any thoughts?
🤣 The "Matter" jokes keep coming! If a device relies on actions or events, I find that I need to press the buttons etc during the pairing process. I had the same problem with the Philips Hue dimmer switch on both my Sonoff USB Coordinator and the Sky Connect. Otherwise I've had absolutely no problems with it, it's been rock solid.
I was about to buy four Tapo P110 plugs today (since I couldn't find the old ones on line). Thanks for saving me! I didn't realise they needed internet to work.
I’m just getting started and to say I feel overwhelmed is an understatement. That is until I watched your video….thank you so much for explaining this all. I now have a better understanding of the basics at least!
Best video on IoT protocols I've ever seen. Thanks and greetings from Czechia.
two days since i discovered your channel and i've learned so much!!! Keep-up, awesome work and dedication!!!! cheers from Brazil
Thank you for a short, sweet and useful rundown on the Smarthome wireless systems. 🙏
Nice clear, concise explanation of the home automation protocols. Well done.
Thank you! Glad it was useful!
What an amazing video to explain the different technologies, I don't share UA-cam videos very often but will be with this one! Thanks for the great video
0:32 A light strip under the bed that turns in when your feet hit the floor? Awesome!
It's one of my favourite home automations!
It might be worth noting that Zigbee is a radio mesh protocol that has nothing to do specifically with smart home or lights (even if it is synonymous with it today) just like thread thread uses ipv6 as its transport and zigbee has its own node and cluster design baked in.
The standards that lights commonly use over Zigbee for control are called ZLL (Zigbee Light Link) and for sensors and other devices for home automation it uses ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) it is in these standards that different manufacturers don't always implement it the same way. Most devices today will adhere to the Zigbee 3.0 spec but all that means is that they can join the radio mesh.
It would be cool if Unifi APs could have a Thread radio and act as a border router and be manages like any other network in their system.
Good job on explaining the standards, especially zigbee and thread in relation to matter.
Thank you!
Great overview, thanks. I have been using Zwave at home for a few years but wanted an overview of how thread compares.
Great info. Totally agree with your take on Thread/Matter.
Thank you for a such great overview and explanation!
This is a good video. I have sent this video off to some local companies who have used Bluetooth for example who have some really great household items (blinds/window openers). BT is great for mice, keyboards, smart speakers etc - but not for controlling blinds. You just cannot automate controlling blinds with bluetooth!
Thanks for sharing! I hope it helps them see the light
Very interesting vid.
Looking forward to hearing your take on light switches. One thing that personally bothers me a great deal is consistency. The nice thing about dumb ugly plastic switches in a typical house is they at least all look the same, ignoring dimmer knobs. Another problem is choosing your perfect switch today and then not being able to find the same ones in a few years when you build that extension. So definitely make sure you buy a load of spares!
Every time these comparison video's pop up I always wonder why the (granted niche) protocol of 433mhz is missing. Very nice and clear video overall though.
Brilliant video, clear, well delivered has helped me understand what is a bit of a minefield to the novice, thanks
Glad it was useful! 🙏
Thank you for your videos. I have done my research for IoT protocols and while Z-WAVE and WIFI looks the best on paper, I choose WIFI over Z-WAVE because I do not like a mesh network that you cannot really control. Granularity is key for me, so a well done WIFI network is the best in my opinion. Having multiple WIFI access points, all uni-directional, well managed regarding band usage and power emission, makes such a WIFI network bulletproof. In February i'll celebrate 1 year of solid HA running Ethernet and WIFI devices, zero issues so far. In the future I will probably get some Z-WAVE devices for sensors that I cannot simply get in their WIFI form, not in a hurry anyway.
Great video, most of my devices are zigbee as well. Might be worth pointing out to people that zigbee battery operated devices don't act as zigbee repeaters as this would seriously degrade their batteries. I do also use z-wave devices for my wall switches, mainly as most wifi based ones require you to sign up for the manufacture's app and a lot of them then use the internet to turn them on and off as you described in your video. I really like the zooz zen32 z-wave scene controller, but 2 blueprints have made it very nice indeed now. The lights sync as they should now no matter how something is turned on. I have it installed at my front door showing status of alarm system and my smart locks.
im using mostly Zigbee and wont buy anything other if i dont have to... The only exception are D1 Minis which i use for WLED stuff. Got some Aqara motion and light sensors, which after 2 years are still on their first battery, which is crazy efficient. Anything connected to mains acts as a mesh repeater, and the signal just gets anywhere without even planning this out. The coordinator is just a USB Stick on the Pi which runs HomeAssistant. And with that, automations are only limited by your creativity ^^
Man I found this just a bit late. I just ordered a pack of EP10P4 last night after hearing that Kasa Smart stuff didn't need a connection to the internet to operate locally. I am still very happy with my WIZ bulbs that work as advertized and recommend them.
I started my home automation journey with Smart Things rather than Hue, and eventually had a mix of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices connected to it, some Smart Things branded and some not. When I started using Home Assistant, I bought a Z-Wave stick and have been moving devices over to it one by one. I now have all the Z-Wave devices off of the Smart Things hub.
As the next step--I'm considering buying the Sky Connect stick and moving the Zigbee devices over to HA. I'm not sure, though, if the Smart Things-branded devices (which are Zigbee inside) will work with a non-Smart Things co-ordinator. It's difficult to find info on that online, as most "compatibility" threads are discussions about what non-Smart Things devices work with the Smart Things hub--not the other way around.
Awesome video - so much explained to clearly! I'm just learning to crawl and this really helped!
Glad it's helpful! We're all learning, all the time - enjoy the journey
@ 3:39 , voice drop caught me off guard! LOL
ZWave is my preference due to not using 2.4Ghz. 2.4 is just too congested there is a good chance of you have network issues it has nothing to do with your network, it could just be a leaky microwave. That is why in my new house I'll be using Lutron for switches and ZWave whenever possible. The only thing they have to compete with is baby monitors. The only downside of ZWave compared to ZigBee is the size of the network. ZWave only allows about 300 devices compared to ZigBee's thousands.
Yeh, that's fair. Lutron just isn't that popular in Europe so I don't have a lot of experience with it. I think Z-Wave is a very good protocol and I would totally use it if I didn't already have so much experience and so many devices that use Zigbee.
I don't think there's any right or wrong answer here. Both are solid mesh networks, low power, have great device compatibility and most importantly run fully locally!
It really depends in the country, if the telco in your country uses 800-900mhz band for GSM/LTE wireless connection, avoid zwave, might as well stick with wifi or zigbee, I tried it, it sucks and I can only have reliable connection on it if its close to the router (2-3meters), in long distance it still works but a single cellular call can take those device offline and takes some time to recover.
Zwave devices are often more expensive than their zigbee counterparts, but I don't know why
Great overview and explanation. Thank you!
Great, concise explanation! Keen to adopt Thread, but one year on, the wall switch market is still sparse and expensive! Looking for multi-gang smart switches that offer dimming functionality and support Thread seems impossible.
I'm sure they'll arrive on the market soon. But until then I'm sticking with my Zigbee switches
Thanks for clarifying this. It can be a pain hooking these all up seamlessly into one hub.
Great video! My question 1 year later is what's up with the lack of Thread devices? There are still very few light bulbs that use Thread.
Once again, very clear explanations. Thansss.
great video as always! can't wait to watch more then
I want Matter to be able to use Apple home automation but I do like the IKEA Zigbee light bulbs and plug-switches. So I’ll buy those together with their hub.
I might end up with both Zigbee and Matter networks on top of my home WiFi network.
I don’t mind the extra effort (I might even enjoy that) so that’s ok for me. 🤓
Thanks for your explanations!
FYI, I just wanted to make a quick correction to your TP-Link claim, although I have considered that at the time of this video's posting, that may have been the case. However, I now have about 60 various TP-Link Tapo smart home devices, every sensor they make, 7 cameras (wired and wifi), bulbs, switches, plugs, etc and they ALL support local only support. I tested this specifically with just a few devices, prior to going 'all in'. If it loses connection to the internet, but still has wifi, you can control it locally via your phone, or any network connected device on the same local network. Most of the sensors use sub-Ghz wireless to communicate with a hub. You WONT, however, have remote control, obviously, but they very much can, and do work without access to the internet. What I HAVE found, is that TP-Link Tapo has been doing a great job with frequent firmware updates to many products, both fixing issues and adding features. Very informative video though, cheers!
That's great to hear! I couldn't seem to use them without internet when I tried them a couple of years ago, but maybe I was just daft or perhaps things have changed.
I'm glad to hear they're working well for you!
Could you please test IKEA Diregera gateway. Its MATER compatible and im wondering if i could connect my old zigbee devices to it and if they will be visible in homekit
Excellent over view of all the different systems.
I got the impression that assuming you have a robust internet, wifi, zigbee mesh and control system you can mix and match home automated products.
My inherited system is Control4 which is great for my video and audio distribution, + Zigbee light switches but mods to the system can be expensive (£375/day for a programmer). My Zigbee mesh is via light switches which are £175 per switch, which is extortionate. My question can I piggy back on my control4 Zigbee mesh using cheaper zigbee light switches? My zigbee lights are rock solid and I can self programme using the customer/control4 for simple controls. But do the zigbee components have to be compatible with control4?
I have experimented with Shelly products for garden lighting which is outside of my zigbee mesh range but I have an AP point in the garden and Shelly light switches can be added to my Lan. This helps putting on the lights at the bottom of the garden via the Shelly app on the iPad and reduces the component cost vs control4 , Control Integration within Control4 is possible providing in add a Shelly driver into my control4 project via the control4 professional. But again it’s expensive.(driver £70+370 for programmer)
Is it possible to run two home automation and control4 system simultaneously without conflict . Control4 using fixed ip addresses, and zigbee for lighting and home automation using its own protocol and the cost benefit of cheaper zigbee components. Thanks in advance. Ed R
Very informative video.
Very interesting video, good job. What happens if I use an On/Off classic physical switch to power/unpower a zigbee or bt mesh lamps? Will they instantly turn on and use their last settings like color and intensity? Thanks
Thanks. I own a new smart home automation company. This helped
All the best with it!
Great video as usual :) if i understand well philips hue bridge will be compatible Matter sooner or later therefore what would be the need to have a HA skyconnect dongle as anyway there is already an add-on in HA for philips..? thx for your answer :)
Wow thanks for the explanation… you sure is a champ
It might be good to note that bandwidth is not the limiting factor for wifi, but the number of devices your network can handle simultaneously. ISP wifi can die with as little as 30 devices.
I assume you are referring to the cheap and nasty router supplied with the DSL/whatever, and not any other limitation. First time I’ve come across the phrase “ISP wifi” and it sounds very confusing.
@@lawrencemanning internet service provider's wifi
The solution would be to replace the router itself, if possible (friends on the provider), or put a real router+ap after the isp's while putting it in bridge mode, or turning off isp router's access point and connecting a decent access point(s) like ubiquity.
Of course, care has to be exercised to avoid wifi (or any other) "smart" devices that "phone home" to their own manufacturer's server, for bandwidth, reliability, and security reasons
Very good. I have Wifi Tuya down lights they don't work well with Home Assistant themes so wish I bought Zigbee.
I have a strange vertically built two stories home. At the moment I have a zigbee Philips hue hub. I plan to remove it once the ZHA dongle arrives. However I am concerned about reach? I wonder if I will have reach issues.
Hi, any info/video about multiple hue bridges with one amazon account ?
I've been in the computer networking industry since 1983. This video (and similar ones) remind me of the state of the industry before TCP/IP. Before widespread adoption of TCP/IP as the lingua franca of networking, IBM, DEC, HP had their own proprietary networks and each touted why it was better than the others and why you should standardize on them. But these vendors also started using TCP/IP and in the 90s, particularly as the Internet started to grow, proprietary protocols began to fade because of both vendor adoption and customer adoption. A vast network that supported a vast number of devices from many vendors was just superior to the alternative.
You were somewhat dismissive of Thread and Matter, but it feels like the TCP/IP story again to me. Soon vendors will realize that it's better to support an industry-support networking protocol and operating stack and discussion of Zigbee will be as quaint as discussing IBM's SNA. My home network supports Wi-Fi, a little Zigbee, a lot of Lutron, and some Thread. My experience with Zigbee probably isn't great because as you say, it isn't super-standard. I have 4 mesh Wi-Fi radios in my house, so signal strength and capacity isn't an issue.
I think a far more important decision today is what kind of automation framework to use. I use HomeKit because I've been an iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV user since the beginning and it's easy (for me) to implement and use. I don't care for Amazon or Google to be listening into my home automation. I've wanted to try Home Assistant, but honestly I don't want to spend all the time learning the ins and outs and reading discussion groups. Also, my automation needs are pretty simple.
I think home automation is a really fun topic and there is so much that can be done with it. For the average person, discussions of protocols and megahertz and hubs go way over their heads. And why not? I think that's what will be the reason Thread and Matter will become the TCP/IP of home automation. It will eventually remove the need for wonky discussions and head scratching. You'll pick a device based on functionality, quality, and price and you won't care Z-this or Wi-Fi that.
If you are starting out with your home automation probably best to make sure that your devices will be thread/matter compliant and the vendor like aqara promises to enable your devices.
But it's also important to know that your Zigbee network will keep working fine even if Matter or Thread become more popular and dominant
You explained Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, and Thread. How does MQTT fit in? Isn't that a protocol for IoT networks? Therefore I don't understand "Zigbee2MQTT".
Mqtt is more like an information exchange or post office for iOT devices. Your sensor broadcasts its information and mqtt sends it to whoever is subscribed to this sensor ( eg home assistant) this is all tcp ip based so in case of zigbee2mqtt it reeds zigbee and translates to a data stream that the mqtt broker understands
What about matter and tasmota?
Great video!
Wondering if you could make a video explaining your wifi APs ubications and how did you handle blind or dead spots when switching between APs. Thanks!
Pd: when I started with HA, I struggle with the type of installation. I choose to follow your aproach with docker, but then you did proxmox hahah.. So I just go with it (ha os in proxmox). Hope you could migrate succesfully all your devices to this new infra. Glad if you could do a video with a follow up on it!
Greetings from Chile
Great videos, very clear! Any advice for a good zigbee hub, considering hubitat is useless for power strips?
I'm going to do a total reno of the house, would you cable it to use KNX with HA for what I can use it ?
Really looking forward to your Smart Switch video. I’m running HomeSeer as my controller as I prefer it over HA, but have the same dilemma as you over what smart switches to use. Currently have a mixture of Z-Wave, WiFi, ZigBee and RFXTRX devices, but I would like to reduce the complexity whilst improving the mesh. I’m currently testing out Moes and Aqara light switches. The Aqara stuff is top quality. Moes is a bit plasticky. Really interested to see what you make of them all!
I agree - I wanted to create a great Zigbee mesh, and resuse some of the battery powered devices and smart bulbs/LED strips that I brought over from the other house. I'd like to get rid of the battery devices eventually, as they're annoying when they lose power, but I may as well use them for now until I find a suitable replacement!
I have very similar thoughts on the Moes and Aqara!
I don't know if zigbee is truly good against wifi, but i have so many close neighbors, i can see 300 wifi networks. I didn't want interference and stayed away from zigbee - This means I went z-wave and if i must, wifi will cover the other necessary devices.
WiFi: even though everyone has WiFi already, to make it secure via a private vlan or something similar is not usually a capability of typical existing routers, and it's much harder to set up
I have a Mesh network with 5 Wifi AP's. So, using this network is a perfect 2-in-1 solution.
it is pretty simple on Unifi devices
>00:09 best dang smart home there ever was
dont wanna be too mean, but when I see people use non-modular patchpanels, I think they are from the past or huge amateurs... but hey, me being mean is good for youtube alghorythm engagement and thnx for the informative video..
I am from the past. Back when I was a sysadmin and network guy in my first IT job that's all we had - so I went with what I knew!
Check out my latest rack video though, I learned from my subscribers and upgraded my patch panels
Fantastic overview. I've installed both Z-wave and Zigbee dongles on my HA device so that I can opt for the best product for my use case regardless of which protocol it supports. Keeping the same protocol would result in a stronger network with enough devices installed but I really don't expect to install enough devices to make a huge difference. It sounds like Zigbeen/Matter are the future though, I'll certainly be prioritizing them from now on, thanks.
I am finding that as well. The device functionality I want only comes in just one of those protocols.
I'ma gonna drop this super hot take here for others to hear:
"Bandwidth" does not mean "speed". If you think of network connectivity as water flowing through a hose or pipe, bandwidth refers to the diameter of said hose or pipe. It is not directly correlated to how fast things happen.
Same as in electricity, you can have higher voltage or lower resistance. All three give you higher POTENTIAL amount of pixies (amperage) transmited.
A network packet (a drop of water), sent over radio, is NOT traveling slower or faster on higher- or lower-bandwidth networks. It arrives all the same, at the speed of light.
However, if you intend to send a large amount of packets, which has to be split up into packets and sent over, it will arrive quicker over a bigger pipe. Notice: quicker, not "faster".
re: Bluetooth. I found a nice use case for it in my house...use the little Xiaomi Thermometer LYWSD03MMC flashed and places around the house. I have a small enough house this works well for me and love having a display were I can immediately tell temp and humidity.
Sensible use case! How do you find the thermometer accuracy and overall build quality? I've not used one myself!
@@HomeAutomationGuy build quality is fine..... battery life will probably end up being 6months max.
Accuracy is fine...more interested in trends.
Bought in bulk from AliExpress so less than $5 US each
Wow, this was interesting. I never knew about the Chinese sparrow.
Do you have a video covering your home network including router that you use?
I have one on my home network, but I don't go into too much detail about the router
I've very good learned that, but I do need a practices experiences. How could you present us One ?
Great summary video on the network options. I was not aware that thread allowed you to have a "back-up" controller. I've recently purchased the HA skyconnect as well for my zigbee network. However, this "hub" is tightly coupled with the HA server itself so I'm wondering if it is possible to have a back-up (i.e. two of them running together with one as master)?
I hope Thread will succeed like USB did: Initial growing pains, but eventually worked as designed
I agree - we're just not quite there yet!
Z wave and ZigBee use the same physical layer. ZigBee took too long to get Mesh networking correctly. Zigbee doesn't have a lot of range. Bluetooth BLE offers much more bandwidth and is stable and has 90 channels available. WiFi is overkill for most devices but is easily saturated when you have too many devices.
I prefer BLE because your phone, tablet and laptops support Bluetooth. BLE supports mesh and so connectivity issues are not likely if you have a large number of devices. I have nodes which can communicate over 130m. Good enough for most homes.
Z-Wave has several relay devices, which means you can make anything z-wave capable with a little ingenuity.
if my accessory don't build in home but my my hub connect to HomeKit, can i use those accessory in apple HomeKit app and Siri?
so, good video, thanks.
For z-wave, if the company discontinues their app then you get no hub access and therefore no access to the devices. D-link not long ago discontinued their support, and not nothing works until I make the effort to find a hub that they will connect to. Any ideas?
You can use Z-Wave devices natively with Home Assistant using a USB Dongle. I think it works the same with Hubitat.
Great video. Thanks!
Zigbee is still confusing.. like how do you set it up? How do you pair zigbee devices with google home? Can you use your voice to control these devices with google home?
@Home Automation Guy. May I know what is your take on LoRa technology given that it has the longets range of all with half an kilometer and yolink seems to have good products with Lora. And it comes out of the box homes assistant enabled as well. Please do a video on LoRa there seems to be limited videos on it. I can personally vouch for yolink products after using for a year
I live in London, where my house is about 5m wide and 8m long... I don't really have much experience with LoRa as I don't really need any long range protocols - sorry!
I have a question, Can you use Bixby Or Google Assistant or Alexa or Siri, to control these devices connected to home assistant?
Can you turn on/off these device to check if everything is off when outside of home? I remember you saying that these devices will be offline and not be able to talk to internet.
Yep, you sure can. I can control my Zigbee lights that are connected directly to Home Assistant from my Google and Alexa
1:42 whoa, little red flag goin' up! why use wifi for stationary devices like computers and printers when wired ethernet is a superior option?
4:13 i wouldn't use wifi for security cameras. again, wired ethernet is a far better option.
4:31 thats why i build my own network from components, in my case from the unifi range.
5:16 that's what i want to know. needless to say that i would not even think about using a device like that.
Sometimes wiring takes a lot of either time or money (or both) to do. For example in my home the walls have solid foam insulation in them making it very difficult to install any kind of wiring inside of them. Of course i could install wiring tracks down the outside of the wall but it would require more money and my wife has already vetoed the idea anyway, (ugly was thrown around a time or three). Anyway wifi is more logical in my case then the time (and or money) it would take and the wife approval factor is a requirement as well.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
I know this vid is a year old, but the new Aqara hub has router failover and i think its zigbee
my zigbee the device connect in one zigbee gateway so, i cant adding by device one by one to HA my local tuya. please help
Are lutron caseta’s propriety connectivity based on z-wave/zigbee?
I don't think so, I think it has its own protocol.
I am a totally newbie to HA. I just ordered my first SONOFF motion sensors and USB Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle. Question I have which I am having problems understanding is can I install Home Assistant on an older laptop/desktop (i3 with 8g). Does HA come as an ISO I can then install on a dedicated computer for HA? Thats my biggest obstacle so far. Love this channel learning lots.
----Just had my question answered on your previous video. Love it thanks!
Glad I could help 😏
Any recommendations for Zigbee motor controller similar to Shelly 2.5?
Great video!
What zigbee light switch are you using ? And also, where do you tend to get them from ? I see some on Amazon, but the prices are quite expensive. Keep up the great work alway happy when you upload new videos
Which make/model contact sensors can interact with IKEA DIRIGERA?
How do you find zigbee looking back 1 year from making this , is it reliable
Planning for a ZigBee - HomeAssistant setup for my new home! Wanted to get a ZigBee dongle, would you recommend the SkyConnect? Wondering how it compares to ConBee or Sonoff!
I've used both the Sonoff and Sky Connect and they're great. I'm sticking with the Sky Connect so I can use thread in the future without changing my hardware, but otherwise I'd be sticking with my Sonoff!
I've never used a ConBee, but many others swear by them
@@HomeAutomationGuy thanks! Will see if I can get my hands on the sky connect 😊
Do you also have issues finding reviews on ZigBee bulbs that works on 240v? I've been using aqara tunable white but they aren't the brightest and has no power on behavior. Most of the reviews on UA-cam are American brands so idk if I can use those.
I’m at the point where I really need a reset, moving would be one way to make that happen lol. As I’ve learned from you and others my system has gotten more and more complicated, but I’m using Node-RED, as well as Home Assistant automations, but at this point I don’t see much of a reason to keep Node-RED, HA can pretty much do it all. If the raspberry pi’s weren’t so expensive, I’d build a parallel system then swap over.
Agree. I was deep into Node Red when HA was all YAML based but the automations and GUI configuration are so good now I think HA is probably better than Node Red for most things.
can I configure a z wave button to power a zigby bulb?
Yes - if you're using Home Assistant, or another platform that connects multiple ecosystems.
hello
I have an two assistant in two places how to open them without entering the password and User?
which zigbee plugs with power monitoring do U recommend ?
One other disadvantage of Z-Wave depending on where you live. Not all countries accept the same frequencies so unlike the 2.4ghz of zigbee, Z-Wave have different frequency standards depending on where you live. If you’re in the USA, having a large population, you’ll have a reasonable device selection. If you live in a country with an accepted frequency of lower population bases, you’ve got a poor device selection.
Do you mean that certified z-wave devices aren't required to support all those frequencies?
I’m still gonna wait for Thread since it’ll be a option. That way I don’t have to learn ZHA to have a single Zigbee network.
I have no issues with hue zigbee. Since I’m moving. I’ll buy more than 20 motion sensors, wall switches etc. I’ll wait thread. I’ll invest a lot every outlet and switches will be smart. I know the best devices it’s the one you can buy today. But I feel we’re a year or two away.
Yeh, I think a year or two is a good estimate. But I want a smart home now! 🤣
I have the HUE motion sensor. I used the included AAA batteries in fo 1 month. Then i switches them out to rechargeble AAA batteries. Mutch better for the wallet. But they wont last that long as a non rechargeble batteries. I will Try to use as many rechargeble batteries as possible.
I find some Zigbee products too Frustrating - The Mesh doesn't work for some products and works great for others - I have INNR Hub and sometimes i can add their bulbs / plugs and other times i can not - With my Aqara M2 Hub i have no issues adding their products but they do not sell Plugs / Bulbs in the UK so thought i would try INNR - Most of my plugs / Bulbs are TP Link Wi Fi which i was hoping to replace to local by going the ZigBee route - Perhaps i am just unlucky re my INNR hub and should have gone with a different company
Are you completely on ZHA or Z2M with the SkyConnect?
Zigbee2MQTT
Can you control Zigbee devices remotely? Say from another city/state or even country?
That depends on what hub you're using. I use home assistant to control my Zigbee devices, and I can access Home Assistant from outside of my home. So using Home Assistant as a proxy, I can control my Zigbee lights from another country
@@HomeAutomationGuy Thanks. That's what I was asking... basically can you access and control all those devices when you're traveling. Thanks for responding.
ZigBee's crypto is a bit basic and doesn't account for active attacks that much...
Looking forward to matter over thread!
Are these terms comparing apples and oranges? Bluetooth and WiFi (along with Ethernet) were standards defined by IEEE in 1980. MQTT was invented in 1999 for sensor sub/pub networks, now needed for home automation. Isn't it just a different layer? The sub/pub idea is used in UA-cam where we subscribe to a channel. Bluetooth is peer to peer, not MQTT. I imagine MQTT could operate on a cable network with no wireless technology. Aren't Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread versions of MQTT? Mosquitto is another version. What does “Zigbee2MQTT" mean, as if Zigbee is not MQTT? Need clarifications from the Home Automation Guy.
Use 5GHz WiFi, shouldn't be interfering with ZigBee, right?
Correct. Only the 2.4GHz messes with Zigbee. Sadly a lot of smart devices still only work on 2.4 and not 5
What is your take on wired vs wireless automation?
Always go for wired when you can
@@HomeAutomationGuy i have an option to go for knx platform with a device called control4 or should i go for individual apple home kit devices?
The problem with z-wave is that the around-900mhz part of the radio spectrum is already reserved around the world for various thing (such as some cell networks) and the few frequencies that are free to use for thing like z-wave are not the same in different countries: It's usually around 915mhz in the US and 868mhz in Europe.
That means the z-wave devices made for the US market won't be able to talk to those sold in Europe and viceversa.
And that's a big drawback for me, living in Europe:
Most resources online are about the US versions of products, many devices aren't even available in EU versions, for some you won't even know which one you are getting untill you actually have them in your hands, etc. Way too inconvenient
So you explained why wifi devices having internet access is bad but then said you would switch to Thread in the future. I don't understand that. Why would you let devices from random companies connect to your home network when Zigbee already solved this issue? The only way Thread becomes viable is if they change it to also fully separate from your network. But then it's still pretty much just a Zigbee reskin.
I would run them on my IoT network, which is firewalled off from the internet
Very, very nice job on this one. Exactly my thoughts on the “matter” 😂! If I may ask about your experience with the sky connect. I tried to replace my conbee2 with the sky connect. But there was one device: the Lutron aurora, that didn’t like the change. I could see the turn event but the press event didn’t work. I had to go back to the conbee. Any thoughts?
🤣 The "Matter" jokes keep coming!
If a device relies on actions or events, I find that I need to press the buttons etc during the pairing process. I had the same problem with the Philips Hue dimmer switch on both my Sonoff USB Coordinator and the Sky Connect.
Otherwise I've had absolutely no problems with it, it's been rock solid.