If you're feeling a little lost and need a more basic video, check out our How to Build a Smart Home 101 video here: ua-cam.com/video/53PeEdJIPfM/v-deo.html
This should become an annual review with updates on which hubs got better over the year plus what is new or what actually went by the wayside since the last video.
I'll be honest I just bought a house and I've been looking for info on what everything is and how everything works, and by God you're so amazing. I absolutely love how you explain things and your tone and voice and explanations are amazing!
Whew! You outdid yourself again, Brian. You had some of the best explanations of hubs, protocols, and devices I've seen. You obviously put a lot of work into it and it shows. You'll get a few comments from fans of this system or that saying you didn't cover their favorites enough, but you managed the time well and somehow got about everything covered. Awhile back it was fashionable in the smart home community to be anti-hub, but they serve an essential function and are actually quite useful if chosen wisely. Thanks again, Brian. Great job!
Oh thank you so much Hugh! You see a lot of what I'm trying to do here and it feels great to be seen! Thanks as always, and I think hubs are here to stay!
It all began with Philips Hue, then IKEA Trådfri, a short session with RPi3+conbee. Then I had Homey Pro and now finally HA in a VM on a NUC. Your video made it all simple. If you only have a few bulbs and switches, then Philips Hue is perfect.
Very insightful video about Smart Home technology. I was able to watch all of it through, in one sitting. A superb guide for anyone who wants to get into Smart Home. I plan on using Home Assistant as my go-to hub for the flexibility alone. I love having the ability to code and fully customize everything to my liking.
Hi Brian ! I'm watching this now ! Wow, only about 1/2 way in and this is GOOD ! .... if YOU are a beginner like me, make sure to watch this video. ✅ Thank you Brian for suggesting it.
@@AutomateYourLife Hi again Brian, still getting through it. Dinner etc in between etc. Thank you for the help. I'm sure I'll be on your Facebook group with questions. I did order the Aeotec smart home hub on Amazon Canada yesterday, it arrived today. Still in the box. I have no clue how to configure it, but will get to that in the near future. Out of the box and plugged I guess you have to configure it somehow, via a web browser etc etc. I hope it came with instructions. Thanks again for your patience with me.
Wow! So much unfo stuffed into 1 video. I have a feeling I wasted lot of time searching for different videos on these topics. I just had to find this one! Thanks a lot for this :)
This is a great synopsis. Thank you. Personally, if it involves "cloud" then it is a no go for me. Using cloud means a few things. Two of them you are going to lose control of your house from time to time as the Internet Connection to the "cloud" based service is going to fail. Cloud services come and go. We have seen that happen many times, even in the "Smart Home" market. Also, having to use a cloud connection increases the chances of being hacked as well as a dependence on a service provider what may (and many have) force you to update when you really do not want to due to feature loss or connectivity loss. The Matter standard may help, or it may not, depending on what the device providers choose to do and how they choose to implement the standard (think USB confusion). Over the years, I have learned to be wary of industry standards implementations.
What a great Monday! I have discovered your channel! Can you offer the script? Many people need to read to maintain the thread of thought in spoken words, especially second language speakers/listeners that cannot process so much new content delivered so quickly. (I know that the glory of a video is that the user can stop, start wherever, replay, but the written word is still a useful tool. This video is over an hour long and could be broken into chapters. (The video is chapter-friendly!) The graphics are SO useful.
Using home assistant for the first time. I am an electric vehicle technician (so I understand networks and sensors etc mildly well) I have done some very minor coding in the past and used API’s. I am having a wonderful time with home assistant so far but I also feel like I’m swimming in the deep end and gotta be careful 😂
Primary Hubs: SmartThings & Hubitat Secondary Hubs: Ring, Alexa I have 2 of the SmartThings mesh hubs. These work great but I quickly ran in to their automation limit so I also had to incorporate Hubitat to allow me to have the level of complexity along with the number of automations I wanted for my smart home. It works well for the most part but I'm feeling some anxiety with the transition to Edge drivers.
Another great video Brian! My main hub is Smartthings V2, with Home Assistant as secondary. I thought eventually I'd move completely to HA but wow, after 18 months, I just haven't gotten as comfortable with HA as I have come to be with Smartthings. Maybe someday I'll make the full switch but it, as you said, it seems like Smartthings is headed in the right direction to remain viable/relevant/modern/etc. It's amazing that this box I bought in 2016, and haven't put any $ into since (monthly or HW upgrade), is still working well. This next month will be a big test for Smartthings to see how many people they keep happy or disturb enough that they'll move to HA or Hubitat. I also have to ask, "What is Samsung's goal with this?" Without charging a subscription (currently), and not making $$ off of the sale of hardware (other than TVs/Fridges/etc.) why do they want to continue to develop? This is probably a small drop in the bucket for a company as big as Samsung I guess. Oh well, I guess I'll stay tuned and see how it all plays out. Thanks for keeping us informed!
That is an amazing story, isn't it. 6+ years! Samsung's goal is to sell you more products. Appliances, screens, phones, and more, so at some point there will be big reasons to have their software, and their hardware that goes with it. They'll differentiate to bring in more people. And I AM TOTALLY sure we'll see subscription services come into play Justin. They did a bit with cameras there for a while. :)
Yo link is amazing. Hope they keep ability to integrate. The temp sensor is the only one I found that will work in my garage freezer due to materials and distance. And we use an outdoor sensor at a distance from the front door. Another unique ability.
Even if Home Assistant someday gets sold, you can just indefinitely stay on the last stable release. Some cloud-based integrations would then probably break over time, but you would never lose your local control abilities.
@@AutomateYourLife No risk, because Home Assistant is under the Apache License: "Grant of Copyright License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare Derivative Works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute the Work and such Derivative Works in Source or Object form." So someone in the community can pick up the latest "free" version and develop it. Which is how MySQL got forked to MariaDB and how OpenOffice got forked to LibreOffice.
@@jonathanInLondonUK Disc crash and backup failure.. And given what's happening at the moment the Apache License has the life expectancy of a lemming with a full bladder in a field of Bouncing Bettys...
When I first started in Home Automation, one of the important things was to make "modes". Home mode, Away mode, Movie mode, Night mode. They were the 4 of the key modes I use to have, even before I moved to Home Assistant. Several numbers of years later, those stay, just with slightly more sophisticated automations. With that said, my main aim is for things to do what is expected now, rather than experimenting. I want an automation to make sense, but I also want that button/switch on the wall to work as expected every time, even if the hub is controlling everything, even the switch on the wall. Things need to be transparent and not in your face. :) On the Home Assistant being sold off thing. This is not likely. Nabu Casa is a company of paid employees that develop Home Assistant and have done for some time. Also, if you want to dig just a little bit, you can get full remote access to Home Assistant without Nabu Casa subscription. It's not basic sure, but it is also not totally rocket science. Sort of in between :). I guess Home Assistant is more in the realms of the integrator systems, but with more openness. Think C-bus or Control 4 but keeping control of the system and being able to write your own automations without calling a service guy in.
Thanks for the breadth of research and wealth of knowledge you shared here. While much of what was said is way above my expertise I am getting a better concept of the technology. I want to find a smart lock that I can also manage with an app. Can you either do a video on these or recommend a few? I do not have a security system but need to be able to unlock my door for others while I am away from home. Thanks.
Hi Brian, great video! I have been using a SmartThings hub (along with a Lutron secondary) for a few years now. I am moving into my new house and leaving both hubs behind. Which means I am starting fresh. I was quite happy with my setup. Question I have is, should I go with the Aeotec Hub or wait for the new SmartThings Station (that, I believe, is not out yet…) Thanks for all your help!
Hey there, it sounds like you've had a lot of good experiences with what you had and I would stick with that. The smart thing station has been released but only in a couple of countries. I actually released my first video on our second channel today on that hub. The SmartThings station is missing a Z-Wave radio so if you want to use that technology at all then it's not the hub for you. My recommendation in general today is that people still buy the Aeotec!
Good video on the basics of the hubs being gateway's to devices in addition to providing the rules for home automation events. What I found lacking is that you really need to address is the fragmentation of hubs to services. This is well known in the Alexa, Apple, and Google ecosystems. Many of the hardware vendors never venture away from these three leaving products like Hubitat, SmartThings, and HA to fend for themselves with user developed integrations. I did find many of the drivers that platforms such as Hubitat and HA offer better integration that what is available on the big 3 and are more flexible in their rules engines and other automation apps.
WOW! Great video. Just got 4 Tuya 4 gang switches and a hub. After watching this video I'm starting to worry about integration with my Phillips hue lights attached to my Echo 4 hub.
Already have issues with some of the tech not working with the Echo hub (Lutron and hue switches) that need their own special hub (hue) and now the Tuya switches that I am using to replace the hue/Lutron switches need their own special hub. So much for stream lining everything together under the Echo 4 hub. Wife is getting frustrated with my smart tech getting more complex with the integrations, but the rabbit hole is deep and needs to be explored 😁
Thanks sir! Yeah, I'm trying to use more general concepts for folks in this series. Modes is mostly what we used within the big facilities, so I decided that would work. I dunno!🤣
Hey Brian! Big fan! I've been watching videos on smart home hubs ad nauseam and still can't get a direct answer... Perhaps you could direct me to the right video? Here's the question: I hate the lag between voice command/routine and operation (especially with lights). Will a hub help this? Is it speeding things up because it's bringing everything local? I certainly don't have to many items placing a load on my router or GH. I have a simple setup: Everything wifi! Several Google Home speakers and displays Google DNS (configured) Lights - yeelight, xiaomi, wiz Several ac outlets (switcher) Water heater switch (switcher) Xiaomi fan Everything is connected to the Google home app and generally triggered by routines (often voice commands).
Sadly, the lag is generated by Google Assistant. The command often goes out to Google servers to be deciphered and then to come back with the proper command for your home. There are a few ways to mitigate it, but it's not likely anything to do with network speed. Some hubs help to keep the communication local between devices, but it's unlikely to help with a lot of different commands. There are some commands that will be recognized by newer speakers from Google and then processed locally. So if you say the same thing regularly, it'll help
Thank you for a great and very informative video! I have two units of Homey Pro in my house. The first one arrived in 2016. I got addicted to it, creating flows and discovering new ideas via the Homey Community. It also has an NFC scanner. In 2019 I got myself another Homey Pro and since 2 months this one has Advanced flows capability. See 1:00:45 in the video for a preview of Advanced flows.
@@AutomateYourLife Hi Brian! Since the first Homey didn't have enough memory and CPU power to accomodate all the apps, devices and (poorly thought out) flows, I decided to get reinforcement by ordering a second Homey. They work together in great harmony 🙂
Thank you so much for this video! I’m really passionate about automations and I’ve been building mine for years. I have a question. I use Philips hue bulbs and sensors and other devices on Smartlife App without a hub. I integrate them all using Alexa. Since hue does not offer door sensors, I bought a couple to use with Smartlife app to trigger some routines, but it takes a while to trigger. The communication is slow. The question is: what door sensors can I use with the hue hub to trigger the routines on Alexa? Thank you very much!
I'd actually just use the Echo 4th Gen as a zigbee hub and find a couple Zigbee Contact sensors there. That'll make it quick and and easy and you can use Alexa Routines. You may even be able to pair an existing Tuya Zigbee Contact sensor directly with the Echo 4th Gen (or Studio, or Echo Show 10...those have Zigbee hubs too)
Do check each Zigbee contact sensor for a review that shows it works with the hub in Echo speakers though k? I have been testing a few but can't give you one that works 100% right now. I've been giving too many away.
Hi great video,I'm wanting too start a smart home. But I'm really only interested in using it for security,which road would you advise to go down. I'm not massively tech savvy but can get my head round different things eventually,like I said I'm only wanting too go down the security items,what would you advise, thanks in advance. 🤔👍
I think that depends if you want monitored or self-monitored. I like the DIY approach and personally use SmartThings to monitor my home when I leave. Hubitat is good for that but has no camera integration, so that's a thought there. If you want monitored smart home and you're in the US, you can look at Abode or even use something like Guard Plus with Amazon Echo speakers. So there are a few options there. :)
Great video! Thanks for the info! Did you happen to see the video on Athom Homey with their new Homey Pro? It will support Matter and Thread! By the way: Athom does offer a subscription service for their non pro variant, but they are always promising the purchase of a Homey Pro will always be sufficient....without subscription
Hey There, I am currently in the process of starting a smart home, and ill be truthful, for the most part I did start off with just adding new gadgets to the wi-fi network, but now realize that things are starting to slow down, so now that I know that I need a hub besides my Echo, what would you recommend?
I think it depends on your level, but I can tell you that I use an Echo 4th Generation, a SmartThings Hub, a Hubitat Hub, and an Aqara Hub all very successfully in my home.
Absolutely! Some smart plugs will work with that Air Conditioner, but it's easiest to use an IR Blaster. A SwitchBot Hub Mini could blast that IR on/off, and you could use their contact sensor to indicate you're leaving the room by pressing it and opening the door. They have an "exit" feature that way. Or you could just do an IR Blaster and a motion sensor that when it stops seeing motion during the day would turn off the AC after 10 minutes. :)
Okay. I've used a smart plug but,cz there is a but...this plug only cuts the power...like you unplug the AC unit straight from the power supply and I don't know if is "alright" for the Aircon.My question is ,by using your method, it's like I'm using the remote control,right?By using THIS IR BLASTER+MOTION SENSOR can I set a timer..for egg...after XXX mins.to switch off the Aircon?by the way,I do apologize for my bad English!cheers mate!
@@ovidiu0505, as a SwitchBot Hub 2 user - I originally used the Hub Mini before the upgrade - the IR function is basically the hub saying ‘hey, I’m your remote.’ as it just emulates the IR signals after learning them for the first time. I don’t personally use an Air Con due to living in the UK, which is normally cold and wet, but providing the device is reasonably modern I would assume that just cutting the mains power with a smart plug wouldn’t be an issue. Hope that helps
@@ABC589 hi there ! I thought using a switchbot motion sensor +hub 2 ,could automate my Aircon and making an automation.When it doesn't sees movement ,to trigger the Aircon... By the way, thanks for help mate! Cheers!
That’s correct@@ovidiu0505 . However, depending on how you want use it I would recommend including extra conditions. For example, turn on the AC when motion is detected **between** 𝑥 and 𝑥 time **providing** the temperature is higher than 𝑥° on the Hub 2. Obviously, adapt as needed for your situation. Hope that extra information helps
I have the Homey Pro. There is an optional 2 dollar a month backup subscription. Other then that, there is nothing. The subscription plan only affects the cheaper Homey Bridge (cloud based)
How would you configure a "mode" in a household that uses both Philips Hue hubs and also a Home Assistant server? What "configuration item" would you use to create a "Mode" in?
I currently have a Home Assistant based smart home in the US in which I primarily use Zigbee with a few Wifi, Bluetooth, and Z-Wave devices sprinkled in. I'm applying to doctoral programs throughout the EU and am trying to determine what I can actually bring with me. Obviously anything that plugs into a wall outlet is only possible to bring if I use an adapter or converter. I know this sort of thing isn't a common circumstance, but would you consider making a video specifically on international compatibility of smart home tech?
That's a pretty niche topic for me to tackle on the channel with a whole video! But...if you saw the frequency chart in this video then as long as they're the same frequency from N.A. to EU., then you'll be okay! If they don't, you're taking a bit of a risk and the hubs you buy in the EU will use those frequencies. So it just comes down to that for the most part! Some products won't work cause of drivers too on an EU hub
Hello, I think it would be useful to have a tutorial explaining how we could write an nfc to execute a command (to turn on a light bulb) and what programs we need for that, I think there are enough people who would be interested in this topic! Thanks !
Question: I currently have no “official” hub, but have about 50 Smart devices connected to WiFi. If I buy a hub, like a Homey Pro…. Will all of those devices still connect to my WiFi, and also connect via WiFi to the hub? I feel like that’s how it would work
I have a philips hue system with 2 bridges and multiple lights how can I connect both hue bridges to my smartthings? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
@@AutomateYourLife I am lazy and use Nabu Casa, would like to say because I am supporting the HA community but that would be BS, I just like easy😂 I did go the "free way" when I first started lots of how to's mostlychris and everything smarthome come to mind if you want watch UA-cam or you could just go onto Reddit, lots of info there also. Just a warning ⚠️ like anything DIY it is more involved than just paying Nabu Casa who does the heavy lifting but it is totally doable if you choose that route.
I was going to comment that.. you just need to do a port forwarding from your router to your local HA IP... there are several tutorials online on how to setup this.. but yes, Nabu Casa is the easiest way, but you have to pay the price ;)
@@AutomateYourLife You should be able to just use a VPN, I imagine. VPN into your home network remotely and connect to the server like you normally do.
I consider Homey Pro, but it cost a lot more than e.g. Samsung smartthings (which you mention A LOT -are you sponsored by Samsung??!) also they are oos atm. In your video you say that you will probably end up with a subscription with Homey...but I guess that does not apply for the Homey pro...right? Or will they push on subscriptions for pro in future?
I'm doing research to design a smart home for my new house. I'm interested in Aqara products due to the quality and features. One limitation is that some products are only available on the China server. Will it work if I have 2 different accounts on 2 servers connected to China and another region (for global products), then use SmartThings hub to connect to both and create an automation using that. One advantage of this method is that I can still add other products to my automation like Govee, Tuya, Broadlink, etc. Please advice.
It won't work. You can't get Aqara hubs even connected to ST at this point. You often can't use two accounts from different servers to connect to other services anyways. In fact, I don't know of a way to connect Aqara China and Aqara US to the same service like ST, Google.
so if I have a Tuya Zigbee water leak sensor automated to switch on a Tuya Zigbee power outlet connected to a Tuya zigbee hub on Smartlife app : Should that automation work even if I lose my internet but still have WIFI ?
Depends on which products it is, but generally you shouldn't even need WiFi. Zigbee can be done between the hub and the outlet/water leak sensor. It all depends where the automation is housed. If it's housed in the app (because the hub you bought doesn't keep it there for whatever reason), then you're likely not to have it work at all without internet connectivity for the hub. Which would be either WiFi or Internet connectivity in that case.
It's not much of a hub Jose, and it doesn't look like JBL will be updating that to be a Matter Controller. As of yet, no announcements from them. It can control some WiFi devices, but that's it and that's only through the Google Home app. No real sensor options for you.
Switchbot Hub, broadlink RM4Pro, Smartlife zigbee hub and a Smartlife IR/RF hub (doesn't like rolling codes, hence I still have RM4Pro). Was planning HA on one of those PC sticks, but cancer got in the way. I have a question though. I have reptiles and I want to light them using smartplugs.. Do I just put a daily light timer on the plug (advantage: reliability, disadvantage: light period) or use the sunrise/sunset option (advantage: light period change, disadvantage: relies on the 'net)? Questions open to any reptile keepers.. It's the breeding part that is important to me...
Good luck! Don't know anything about raising reptiles myself so don't know what would be best. My only offer to you would be a proper smart bulb that allows you to adjust the color temperature of the light over the time period would be important for sleep patterns.
You speak about the Amazon echo 4th gen speaker is ready for matter. But is their also a amazon display for the moment that is ready for the matter standard en is as good as the 4th gen amazon speaker. Thank you?
The short answer is no. No other device from Amazon will have thread, at least there have been no other announcements. All speakers and displays from 3rd gen on will be Matter compatible though. Just wifi though.
So i just want phillips hue for music sync and 4 or 5 indoor cameras that arent expensive. Maybe a light switch/controller for the phillips hue. So what did i need because this is confusing? Id prefer to use smartthings since it's already on my phone. I want an echo show for the cameras but the cameras i liked arent compatible with smartthings
There are very few cameras compatible with SmartThings, so yeah... Here's what I'd say. Start with Hue, get the Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch (wireless controller) and then get SmartThings and the cameras later. Open the SmartThings app and get an account and pretend you're adding a new device. There you'll be able to filter by camera and see the cameras you can use.
Hi : Do you know a way to do the following: We have a Firsstick and live in Canada the problem is to watch CTV (Canadian chanel) you have to open the app click it's me, move over 4 places press enter, arrow down press enter. Is it possible to use the cube to do this as I haven't been able to create a routine to do this
I think what you need is a button remapper for this one. This is an older video now, but I had one in the video that could help with this sequence. ua-cam.com/video/6nHpIRGCLd8/v-deo.html
Brian, I'm just getting a notification for this upload today. I think you should contact UA-cam and say, What Gives? Now that I think 🤔 about it, I rarely ever see a notification for your uploads. You are Tech with Brett. I don't see any notifications for Brett. Do he even do this anymore 🤔? Maybe y'all blocked me. 🚫
The bigger hubs can talk to other brands. Some of the smaller makers only stay with their own gear. Hubitat, SmartThings, Home Assistant, Alexa, Google, Apple - all those can talk to many brands. You still have to know what works with them though.
Hubs (communication) and controllers (logic and automation) should be distinguished as different things. Failing to do this mispositions several devices as suboptimal while they are in fact very good at what they do.
Tough question to answer quickly, but many motion sensors can be covered a little on the bottom or pointed up a little to avoid the area where a dog goes. Presence sensing can do better too.
I am not a fan of loads of wireless radiation, I also don't care about matter, thread, ipv6, iot, or m-vave presence detection... That said I've gone with Home assistant on an old pc, a zigbee dongle, and a mix off zigbee and x-10 in my setup... While I have not yet integrated x-10 into HA, I am very happy so far!!! I set up port forwarding for free remote access and I didn't invest much money....🤪
If you're feeling a little lost and need a more basic video, check out our How to Build a Smart Home 101 video here: ua-cam.com/video/53PeEdJIPfM/v-deo.html
This should become an annual review with updates on which hubs got better over the year plus what is new or what actually went by the wayside since the last video.
Great idea, thank you!
The only place I have seen coverage that actually clarifies things!
Why thank you! Too kind!
I'll be honest I just bought a house and I've been looking for info on what everything is and how everything works, and by God you're so amazing. I absolutely love how you explain things and your tone and voice and explanations are amazing!
I'm so happy! I hope the other videos in our beginner series will help you too!
Whew! You outdid yourself again, Brian. You had some of the best explanations of hubs, protocols, and devices I've seen. You obviously put a lot of work into it and it shows. You'll get a few comments from fans of this system or that saying you didn't cover their favorites enough, but you managed the time well and somehow got about everything covered. Awhile back it was fashionable in the smart home community to be anti-hub, but they serve an essential function and are actually quite useful if chosen wisely. Thanks again, Brian. Great job!
Oh thank you so much Hugh! You see a lot of what I'm trying to do here and it feels great to be seen! Thanks as always, and I think hubs are here to stay!
It all began with Philips Hue, then IKEA Trådfri, a short session with RPi3+conbee. Then I had Homey Pro and now finally HA in a VM on a NUC. Your video made it all simple. If you only have a few bulbs and switches, then Philips Hue is perfect.
You got er!👍
Very insightful video about Smart Home technology. I was able to watch all of it through, in one sitting. A superb guide for anyone who wants to get into Smart Home.
I plan on using Home Assistant as my go-to hub for the flexibility alone.
I love having the ability to code and fully customize everything to my liking.
Get it built! Enjoy!
Hi Brian ! I'm watching this now ! Wow, only about 1/2 way in and this is GOOD ! .... if YOU are a beginner like me, make sure to watch this video. ✅ Thank you Brian for suggesting it.
Glad it was helpful! It won't get you all the way, but those 3 videos will bring you far hopefully :)
@@AutomateYourLife Hi again Brian, still getting through it. Dinner etc in between etc. Thank you for the help. I'm sure I'll be on your Facebook group with questions. I did order the Aeotec smart home hub on Amazon Canada yesterday, it arrived today. Still in the box. I have no clue how to configure it, but will get to that in the near future. Out of the box and plugged I guess you have to configure it somehow, via a web browser etc etc. I hope it came with instructions. Thanks again for your patience with me.
Best explanation on UA-cam👍
Thanks so much! That's what I strive for!
Wow! So much unfo stuffed into 1 video. I have a feeling I wasted lot of time searching for different videos on these topics. I just had to find this one! Thanks a lot for this :)
You're very welcome! Thanks for this great comment!
Loving the Mass Effect t-shirt 👕. What a great franchise.
😃😃😃
This is a great synopsis. Thank you.
Personally, if it involves "cloud" then it is a no go for me. Using cloud means a few things. Two of them you are going to lose control of your house from time to time as the Internet Connection to the "cloud" based service is going to fail. Cloud services come and go. We have seen that happen many times, even in the "Smart Home" market.
Also, having to use a cloud connection increases the chances of being hacked as well as a dependence on a service provider what may (and many have) force you to update when you really do not want to due to feature loss or connectivity loss.
The Matter standard may help, or it may not, depending on what the device providers choose to do and how they choose to implement the standard (think USB confusion). Over the years, I have learned to be wary of industry standards implementations.
Thanks for watching and it's great you have your preferences sorted!
What a great Monday! I have discovered your channel! Can you offer the script? Many people need to read to maintain the thread of thought in spoken words, especially second language speakers/listeners that cannot process so much new content delivered so quickly. (I know that the glory of a video is that the user can stop, start wherever, replay, but the written word is still a useful tool. This video is over an hour long and could be broken into chapters. (The video is chapter-friendly!)
The graphics are SO useful.
Thanks :)
The only thing I can offer you is that there are subtitles on the video! That's all I have today. Hit the CC button!
Using home assistant for the first time. I am an electric vehicle technician (so I understand networks and sensors etc mildly well) I have done some very minor coding in the past and used API’s. I am having a wonderful time with home assistant so far but I also feel like I’m swimming in the deep end and gotta be careful 😂
For sure! Take your time. It can overwhelm you with simple things and what seems like simple issues. Good luck though!
Primary Hubs: SmartThings & Hubitat
Secondary Hubs: Ring, Alexa
I have 2 of the SmartThings mesh hubs. These work great but I quickly ran in to their automation limit so I also had to incorporate Hubitat to allow me to have the level of complexity along with the number of automations I wanted for my smart home. It works well for the most part but I'm feeling some anxiety with the transition to Edge drivers.
A few folks have said that to me about hitting limits and using Hubitat to move up. Good stuff :)
Another great video Brian! My main hub is Smartthings V2, with Home Assistant as secondary. I thought eventually I'd move completely to HA but wow, after 18 months, I just haven't gotten as comfortable with HA as I have come to be with Smartthings. Maybe someday I'll make the full switch but it, as you said, it seems like Smartthings is headed in the right direction to remain viable/relevant/modern/etc. It's amazing that this box I bought in 2016, and haven't put any $ into since (monthly or HW upgrade), is still working well. This next month will be a big test for Smartthings to see how many people they keep happy or disturb enough that they'll move to HA or Hubitat. I also have to ask, "What is Samsung's goal with this?" Without charging a subscription (currently), and not making $$ off of the sale of hardware (other than TVs/Fridges/etc.) why do they want to continue to develop? This is probably a small drop in the bucket for a company as big as Samsung I guess. Oh well, I guess I'll stay tuned and see how it all plays out. Thanks for keeping us informed!
That is an amazing story, isn't it. 6+ years!
Samsung's goal is to sell you more products. Appliances, screens, phones, and more, so at some point there will be big reasons to have their software, and their hardware that goes with it. They'll differentiate to bring in more people.
And I AM TOTALLY sure we'll see subscription services come into play Justin. They did a bit with cameras there for a while. :)
Yo link is amazing. Hope they keep ability to integrate. The temp sensor is the only one I found that will work in my garage freezer due to materials and distance. And we use an outdoor sensor at a distance from the front door. Another unique ability.
They do have a few great features!
Even if Home Assistant someday gets sold, you can just indefinitely stay on the last stable release. Some cloud-based integrations would then probably break over time, but you would never lose your local control abilities.
That's true, it's still a risk for people because...that locks their smart home potentially
@@AutomateYourLife No risk, because Home Assistant is under the Apache License: "Grant of Copyright License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare Derivative Works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute the Work and such Derivative Works in Source or Object form." So someone in the community can pick up the latest "free" version and develop it. Which is how MySQL got forked to MariaDB and how OpenOffice got forked to LibreOffice.
@@jonathanInLondonUK Disc crash and backup failure.. And given what's happening at the moment the Apache License has the life expectancy of a lemming with a full bladder in a field of Bouncing Bettys...
When I first started in Home Automation, one of the important things was to make "modes". Home mode, Away mode, Movie mode, Night mode. They were the 4 of the key modes I use to have, even before I moved to Home Assistant. Several numbers of years later, those stay, just with slightly more sophisticated automations.
With that said, my main aim is for things to do what is expected now, rather than experimenting. I want an automation to make sense, but I also want that button/switch on the wall to work as expected every time, even if the hub is controlling everything, even the switch on the wall. Things need to be transparent and not in your face. :)
On the Home Assistant being sold off thing. This is not likely. Nabu Casa is a company of paid employees that develop Home Assistant and have done for some time.
Also, if you want to dig just a little bit, you can get full remote access to Home Assistant without Nabu Casa subscription. It's not basic sure, but it is also not totally rocket science. Sort of in between :). I guess Home Assistant is more in the realms of the integrator systems, but with more openness. Think C-bus or Control 4 but keeping control of the system and being able to write your own automations without calling a service guy in.
Oh I'm interested to watch the whole home assistant thing! I mean even if they're sold, like SmartThings was, they'll continue in some format!
Oh and thanks for sharing that too Brendan!
Thanks for the breadth of research and wealth of knowledge you shared here. While much of what was said is way above my expertise I am getting a better concept of the technology. I want to find a smart lock that I can also manage with an app. Can you either do a video on these or recommend a few? I do not have a security system but need to be able to unlock my door for others while I am away from home. Thanks.
Glad you learned lots! And for a smart lock, I've really enjoyed this one as of late: ua-cam.com/video/V4SLX0l10Kc/v-deo.html
Hi Brian, great video!
I have been using a SmartThings hub (along with a Lutron secondary) for a few years now. I am moving into my new house and leaving both hubs behind. Which means I am starting fresh. I was quite happy with my setup.
Question I have is, should I go with the Aeotec Hub or wait for the new SmartThings Station (that, I believe, is not out yet…)
Thanks for all your help!
Hey there, it sounds like you've had a lot of good experiences with what you had and I would stick with that. The smart thing station has been released but only in a couple of countries. I actually released my first video on our second channel today on that hub.
The SmartThings station is missing a Z-Wave radio so if you want to use that technology at all then it's not the hub for you.
My recommendation in general today is that people still buy the Aeotec!
Good video on the basics of the hubs being gateway's to devices in addition to providing the rules for home automation events. What I found lacking is that you really need to address is the fragmentation of hubs to services. This is well known in the Alexa, Apple, and Google ecosystems. Many of the hardware vendors never venture away from these three leaving products like Hubitat, SmartThings, and HA to fend for themselves with user developed integrations. I did find many of the drivers that platforms such as Hubitat and HA offer better integration that what is available on the big 3 and are more flexible in their rules engines and other automation apps.
Good points! Thanks for sharing!
The hub space ship made the force be with Brian 🙌
😃👍🤣
All the hubs are belong to Brian.
Great video!
ahahahhaha oh thanks man!
ah mah gah we r old...it turned 21 >
WOW! Great video. Just got 4 Tuya 4 gang switches and a hub. After watching this video I'm starting to worry about integration with my Phillips hue lights attached to my Echo 4 hub.
Oh hey Raymond! Why would you worry about Hue with your Echo 4th Gen? It'll work just fine, you just might miss a few features here and there :)
Already have issues with some of the tech not working with the Echo hub (Lutron and hue switches) that need their own special hub (hue) and now the Tuya switches that I am using to replace the hue/Lutron switches need their own special hub. So much for stream lining everything together under the Echo 4 hub. Wife is getting frustrated with my smart tech getting more complex with the integrations, but the rabbit hole is deep and needs to be explored 😁
Ahahahahaha sorry Raymond! You gotta do the exploring!
@@AutomateYourLifeI'm like Indiana Jones in the temple of doom. Each automation is a new trap to try and get around. :)
Lot's of hard, but great work, Brian!
Thanks Big Bear! Hope you're well!
Great overview (so far) Brian!
FYI, you prob know this, but modes in Home Assistant are called Input Boolean "Helpers"
Thanks sir! Yeah, I'm trying to use more general concepts for folks in this series. Modes is mostly what we used within the big facilities, so I decided that would work. I dunno!🤣
@@AutomateYourLife sounds better than helpers!
@@makeitworktech Yeah helpers is a weird term...to be honest ;)
Hey Brian!
Big fan! I've been watching videos on smart home hubs ad nauseam and still can't get a direct answer... Perhaps you could direct me to the right video?
Here's the question: I hate the lag between voice command/routine and operation (especially with lights). Will a hub help this? Is it speeding things up because it's bringing everything local? I certainly don't have to many items placing a load on my router or GH.
I have a simple setup:
Everything wifi!
Several Google Home speakers and displays
Google DNS (configured)
Lights - yeelight, xiaomi, wiz
Several ac outlets (switcher)
Water heater switch (switcher)
Xiaomi fan
Everything is connected to the Google home app and generally triggered by routines (often voice commands).
Sadly, the lag is generated by Google Assistant. The command often goes out to Google servers to be deciphered and then to come back with the proper command for your home.
There are a few ways to mitigate it, but it's not likely anything to do with network speed.
Some hubs help to keep the communication local between devices, but it's unlikely to help with a lot of different commands.
There are some commands that will be recognized by newer speakers from Google and then processed locally. So if you say the same thing regularly, it'll help
You're awesome! And you're answer just what I was looking for! Thanx!
Thank you for a great and very informative video!
I have two units of Homey Pro in my house. The first one arrived in 2016. I got addicted to it, creating flows and discovering new ideas via the Homey Community. It also has an NFC scanner. In 2019 I got myself another Homey Pro and since 2 months this one has Advanced flows capability. See 1:00:45 in the video for a preview of Advanced flows.
Hey Ron! Why did you end up with two of them?😃
@@AutomateYourLife Hi Brian! Since the first Homey didn't have enough memory and CPU power to accomodate all the apps, devices and (poorly thought out) flows, I decided to get reinforcement by ordering a second Homey. They work together in great harmony 🙂
Thank you so much for this video! I’m really passionate about automations and I’ve been building mine for years. I have a question. I use Philips hue bulbs and sensors and other devices on Smartlife App without a hub. I integrate them all using Alexa. Since hue does not offer door sensors, I bought a couple to use with Smartlife app to trigger some routines, but it takes a while to trigger. The communication is slow. The question is: what door sensors can I use with the hue hub to trigger the routines on Alexa? Thank you very much!
I'd actually just use the Echo 4th Gen as a zigbee hub and find a couple Zigbee Contact sensors there. That'll make it quick and and easy and you can use Alexa Routines. You may even be able to pair an existing Tuya Zigbee Contact sensor directly with the Echo 4th Gen (or Studio, or Echo Show 10...those have Zigbee hubs too)
Do check each Zigbee contact sensor for a review that shows it works with the hub in Echo speakers though k? I have been testing a few but can't give you one that works 100% right now. I've been giving too many away.
Hi great video,I'm wanting too start a smart home. But I'm really only interested in using it for security,which road would you advise to go down. I'm not massively tech savvy but can get my head round different things eventually,like I said I'm only wanting too go down the security items,what would you advise, thanks in advance. 🤔👍
I think that depends if you want monitored or self-monitored. I like the DIY approach and personally use SmartThings to monitor my home when I leave. Hubitat is good for that but has no camera integration, so that's a thought there.
If you want monitored smart home and you're in the US, you can look at Abode or even use something like Guard Plus with Amazon Echo speakers. So there are a few options there. :)
Great video! Thanks for the info! Did you happen to see the video on Athom Homey with their new Homey Pro? It will support Matter and Thread! By the way: Athom does offer a subscription service for their non pro variant, but they are always promising the purchase of a Homey Pro will always be sufficient....without subscription
Yeah that was a great presentation and it's good to see the new Honey Pro getting these improvements!
Good information, Brian.
Thanks Vin! Good to see you!
Hey There,
I am currently in the process of starting a smart home, and ill be truthful, for the most part I did start off with just adding new gadgets to the wi-fi network, but now realize that things are
starting to slow down, so now that I know that I need a hub besides my Echo, what would you recommend?
I think it depends on your level, but I can tell you that I use an Echo 4th Generation, a SmartThings Hub, a Hubitat Hub, and an Aqara Hub all very successfully in my home.
Hi Brian , another Great job mate!Any suggests how to make an Aircon to stop when I leave the room?
Absolutely!
Some smart plugs will work with that Air Conditioner, but it's easiest to use an IR Blaster. A SwitchBot Hub Mini could blast that IR on/off, and you could use their contact sensor to indicate you're leaving the room by pressing it and opening the door. They have an "exit" feature that way.
Or you could just do an IR Blaster and a motion sensor that when it stops seeing motion during the day would turn off the AC after 10 minutes. :)
Okay. I've used a smart plug but,cz there is a but...this plug only cuts the power...like you unplug the AC unit straight from the power supply and I don't know if is "alright" for the Aircon.My question is ,by using your method, it's like I'm using the remote control,right?By using THIS IR BLASTER+MOTION SENSOR can I set a timer..for egg...after XXX mins.to switch off the Aircon?by the way,I do apologize for my bad English!cheers mate!
@@ovidiu0505, as a SwitchBot Hub 2 user - I originally used the Hub Mini before the upgrade - the IR function is basically the hub saying ‘hey, I’m your remote.’ as it just emulates the IR signals after learning them for the first time.
I don’t personally use an Air Con due to living in the UK, which is normally cold and wet, but providing the device is reasonably modern I would assume that just cutting the mains power with a smart plug wouldn’t be an issue.
Hope that helps
@@ABC589 hi there !
I thought using a switchbot motion sensor +hub 2 ,could automate my Aircon and making an automation.When it doesn't sees movement ,to trigger the Aircon...
By the way, thanks for help mate! Cheers!
That’s correct@@ovidiu0505 . However, depending on how you want use it I would recommend including extra conditions. For example, turn on the AC when motion is detected **between** 𝑥 and 𝑥 time **providing** the temperature is higher than 𝑥° on the Hub 2. Obviously, adapt as needed for your situation.
Hope that extra information helps
I have the Homey Pro. There is an optional 2 dollar a month backup subscription. Other then that, there is nothing. The subscription plan only affects the cheaper Homey Bridge (cloud based)
😃👍
good job buddy.love your work
Thank you! Cheers!
How would you configure a "mode" in a household that uses both Philips Hue hubs and also a Home Assistant server? What "configuration item" would you use to create a "Mode" in?
I currently have a Home Assistant based smart home in the US in which I primarily use Zigbee with a few Wifi, Bluetooth, and Z-Wave devices sprinkled in. I'm applying to doctoral programs throughout the EU and am trying to determine what I can actually bring with me. Obviously anything that plugs into a wall outlet is only possible to bring if I use an adapter or converter. I know this sort of thing isn't a common circumstance, but would you consider making a video specifically on international compatibility of smart home tech?
That's a pretty niche topic for me to tackle on the channel with a whole video! But...if you saw the frequency chart in this video then as long as they're the same frequency from N.A. to EU., then you'll be okay! If they don't, you're taking a bit of a risk and the hubs you buy in the EU will use those frequencies.
So it just comes down to that for the most part! Some products won't work cause of drivers too on an EU hub
@@AutomateYourLife How can I tell if a Zigbee device is using 915 MHz or 2.4 GHz?
Hello, I think it would be useful to have a tutorial explaining how we could write an nfc to execute a command (to turn on a light bulb) and what programs we need for that, I think there are enough people who would be interested in this topic!
Thanks !
Sounds like a good plan!
I can not wait !
Mind blow! Super helpful video. Way to go Brian!
Thank you! Glad it's a hit for you!
thank you for all this information
Thank you for watching!
Question: I currently have no “official” hub, but have about 50 Smart devices connected to WiFi. If I buy a hub, like a Homey Pro…. Will all of those devices still connect to my WiFi, and also connect via WiFi to the hub? I feel like that’s how it would work
That is generally how it works, yes! Most Wifi products aren't built with a hub in mind though, so they can be less available to add to the hubs
Do you think they will eventually create a device that intrigants a hub with a matter controller? Why or why not?
Many of the existing hubs are now Matter Controllers, so this is happening now! :)
very helpful! Thank you
Thank you!
I have a philips hue system with 2 bridges and multiple lights how can I connect both hue bridges to my smartthings? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I think sadly, you can't. This has been a longstanding problem with Hue.
Have a chat with Hue and see what they recommend.
Hey I see you said you can't access HA outside of your home w/o Nabu Casa- That would be incorrect, you can. Nabu Casa is the easiest way however.
Oh! How are you doing it?
@@AutomateYourLife I am lazy and use Nabu Casa, would like to say because I am supporting the HA community but that would be BS, I just like easy😂 I did go the "free way" when I first started lots of how to's mostlychris and everything smarthome come to mind if you want watch UA-cam or you could just go onto Reddit, lots of info there also. Just a warning ⚠️ like anything DIY it is more involved than just paying Nabu Casa who does the heavy lifting but it is totally doable if you choose that route.
I was going to comment that.. you just need to do a port forwarding from your router to your local HA IP... there are several tutorials online on how to setup this.. but yes, Nabu Casa is the easiest way, but you have to pay the price ;)
Thanks guys! Always hard to catch everything in these videos, so appreciate the help
@@AutomateYourLife You should be able to just use a VPN, I imagine. VPN into your home network remotely and connect to the server like you normally do.
I consider Homey Pro, but it cost a lot more than e.g. Samsung smartthings (which you mention A LOT -are you sponsored by Samsung??!) also they are oos atm. In your video you say that you will probably end up with a subscription with Homey...but I guess that does not apply for the Homey pro...right? Or will they push on subscriptions for pro in future?
I'm not sponsored by Samsung. It's just what I use the most
I'm doing research to design a smart home for my new house. I'm interested in Aqara products due to the quality and features. One limitation is that some products are only available on the China server. Will it work if I have 2 different accounts on 2 servers connected to China and another region (for global products), then use SmartThings hub to connect to both and create an automation using that. One advantage of this method is that I can still add other products to my automation like Govee, Tuya, Broadlink, etc. Please advice.
It won't work. You can't get Aqara hubs even connected to ST at this point. You often can't use two accounts from different servers to connect to other services anyways. In fact, I don't know of a way to connect Aqara China and Aqara US to the same service like ST, Google.
@@AutomateYourLife Thanks for the reply. If I connect the Aqara devices directly to ST instead of the Aqara Hub, will I lose any major features?
Thanks!
Oh wow Hugh! Thank you sir!
Hooray For Science!!!
Huzzah for science!
so if I have a Tuya Zigbee water leak sensor automated to switch on a Tuya Zigbee power outlet connected to a Tuya zigbee hub on Smartlife app : Should that automation work even if I lose my internet but still have WIFI ?
Depends on which products it is, but generally you shouldn't even need WiFi. Zigbee can be done between the hub and the outlet/water leak sensor. It all depends where the automation is housed. If it's housed in the app (because the hub you bought doesn't keep it there for whatever reason), then you're likely not to have it work at all without internet connectivity for the hub. Which would be either WiFi or Internet connectivity in that case.
can I hook my nest door bell to my nest hub? if so will I be able to hear and see on my hub. I have a google door bell and hub?
Yep
love the shirt
Oh thanks! I love it too!
I have a question. For example I have a jbl speaker the link 10 which has google assistant. Can I use that as my hub or do I need something else
It's not much of a hub Jose, and it doesn't look like JBL will be updating that to be a Matter Controller. As of yet, no announcements from them. It can control some WiFi devices, but that's it and that's only through the Google Home app. No real sensor options for you.
Switchbot Hub, broadlink RM4Pro, Smartlife zigbee hub and a Smartlife IR/RF hub (doesn't like rolling codes, hence I still have RM4Pro). Was planning HA on one of those PC sticks, but cancer got in the way.
I have a question though. I have reptiles and I want to light them using smartplugs.. Do I just put a daily light timer on the plug (advantage: reliability, disadvantage: light period) or use the sunrise/sunset option (advantage: light period change, disadvantage: relies on the 'net)? Questions open to any reptile keepers.. It's the breeding part that is important to me...
Good luck! Don't know anything about raising reptiles myself so don't know what would be best.
My only offer to you would be a proper smart bulb that allows you to adjust the color temperature of the light over the time period would be important for sleep patterns.
Sadly this option isnt available for iPhone 😢
You speak about the Amazon echo 4th gen speaker is ready for matter. But is their also a amazon display for the moment that is ready for the matter standard en is as good as the 4th gen amazon speaker. Thank you?
The short answer is no. No other device from Amazon will have thread, at least there have been no other announcements.
All speakers and displays from 3rd gen on will be Matter compatible though. Just wifi though.
@@AutomateYourLife thank you for the feedback
So i just want phillips hue for music sync and 4 or 5 indoor cameras that arent expensive. Maybe a light switch/controller for the phillips hue. So what did i need because this is confusing? Id prefer to use smartthings since it's already on my phone. I want an echo show for the cameras but the cameras i liked arent compatible with smartthings
There are very few cameras compatible with SmartThings, so yeah...
Here's what I'd say. Start with Hue, get the Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch (wireless controller) and then get SmartThings and the cameras later. Open the SmartThings app and get an account and pretend you're adding a new device. There you'll be able to filter by camera and see the cameras you can use.
@@AutomateYourLife thank you 😊. I appreciate your help & response
Hi : Do you know a way to do the following: We have a Firsstick and live in Canada the problem is to watch CTV (Canadian chanel) you have to open the app click it's me, move over 4 places press enter, arrow down press enter. Is it possible to use the cube to do this as I haven't been able to create a routine to do this
I think what you need is a button remapper for this one. This is an older video now, but I had one in the video that could help with this sequence. ua-cam.com/video/6nHpIRGCLd8/v-deo.html
I missed one bridge the one from the Netherlands, the Homey made by Athom.
It's in there!
Brian,
I'm just getting a notification for this upload today. I think you should contact UA-cam and say, What Gives? Now that I think 🤔 about it, I rarely ever see a notification for your uploads. You are Tech with Brett. I don't see any notifications for Brett. Do he even do this anymore 🤔? Maybe y'all blocked me. 🚫
It's just how UA-cam goes some times :)
They take time to send notices out based on what you're watching and not watching!
The biggest question is does different brand can talk to eachother or specific hub only talk to their own brand devices ？？？
The bigger hubs can talk to other brands. Some of the smaller makers only stay with their own gear. Hubitat, SmartThings, Home Assistant, Alexa, Google, Apple - all those can talk to many brands. You still have to know what works with them though.
@@AutomateYourLife i got alots aqara devices and hubs don't know if they can control others brand or not lol
@@PP-js1qx no they can't. But they can go into some other system
@@PP-js1qx and watch our Smartthings video this weekend and I'll show you how some can go into there
Hubs (communication) and controllers (logic and automation) should be distinguished as different things. Failing to do this mispositions several devices as suboptimal while they are in fact very good at what they do.
You make a great point! Thanks for sharing your expertise! And thanks for watching!
CAN A COMPUTER BE A SMART HOME HUB? I AM JUST STARTING
Sure, but only with Home Assistant today. And that’s a tougher system to setup
What if you made a mode why no one’s home but you have a dog?
Tough question to answer quickly, but many motion sensors can be covered a little on the bottom or pointed up a little to avoid the area where a dog goes.
Presence sensing can do better too.
Hi, how set up smart home.
This is a great start up guide: ua-cam.com/video/53PeEdJIPfM/v-deo.html
Bedankt
Oh, thank you!
I am not a fan of loads of wireless radiation, I also don't care about matter, thread, ipv6, iot, or m-vave presence detection... That said I've gone with Home assistant on an old pc, a zigbee dongle, and a mix off zigbee and x-10 in my setup... While I have not yet integrated x-10 into HA, I am very happy so far!!! I set up port forwarding for free remote access and I didn't invest much money....🤪
good
Thanks!
First?
Granted!
hubs convert everything to wifi, therefor it should be wifi in the first place...
Ahahahhaa
Brian, please don't do it! Please stay on the Smartthings Side. Please?
I dunno! They gotta really figure out the reliability side now. It's been too long.
This channel is clearly underrated, you deserve more popularity. 🫡
Thanks for that!