Xiaomi Smart Home

paulbok

I went with the home security bundle, a couple of extra sensors and one wired double light switch. Like yourself BK, if I'm happy with them I'll get a few more sensors and will change all my light switches with them.

FrankGrimes

paulbok wrote: »

Ordered from Gearbest, (Link on 1st post). Paid extra 9 Euros for 5-7 day delivery. Did have free delivery but that was I think 15-22 days delivery. Going to setup on Home Assistant, kinda giving up on Smartthings.
If these are a success, I'll replace the remaining ST gear I have and flog it.

Giving up on SmartThings in general or just for Xaomi? Have found ST good so far and the community gives encouragement it’ll only improve, but disappointed to see the Xaomi reliability issues seem fairly widespread

paulbok

Smartthings in general. Routines are constantly failing on me, they work for a week or two, then a random light goes on/off when it triggers then it stops working.
I've messed around with HA over the summer and like that I can customise routines the way I want them, I find ST restrictive on what you can do.
More native component integration on HA compared to ST.
I also prefer not to have to depend on the ST hub having a broadband connection to work.
I'm hoping the Xiaomi kits prove more reliable.

Stoner

paulbok wrote:

Ordered from Gearbest, (Link on 1st post). Paid extra 9 Euros for 5-7 day delivery. Did have free delivery but that was I think 15-22 days delivery. Going to setup on Home Assistant, kinda giving up on Smartthings. If these are a success, I'll replace the remaining ST gear I have and flog it.

I've removed smartthings too.

paulbok

Stoner wrote: »

I've removed smartthings too.

What turned you off them?
I was a big fan at the start but the more I added bits that didn't natively work with ST, the less enamoured I became. Then when routines etc kept failing, that was the last straw.

FrankGrimes

paulbok wrote: »

What turned you off them?
I was a big fan at the start but the more I added bits that didn't natively work with ST, the less enamoured I became. Then when routines etc kept failing, that was the last straw.

That’s interesting to hear, I’ve only implemented a few standalone items with ST so far and was planning on using it for my full house solution in our new build but sounds like it may be worth looking at HA.

What are you running HA on? If I have to have an extra machine, I’d like it to be HA hub, NAS/file server, NVR for IP cameras all in one (and have a spare PC that should be powerful enough) is that feasible? I have a zwave USB stick (cant recall which one) is it a case of adding a Zigbee USB stick, installing HA and away you go?

paulbok

Have it on a Pi 3, with an Aeotec z-wave stick. These Xiaomi zigbee devices will be picked up by it's gateway hub. You would need a zigbee stick if not using the Xiaomi kit, but the Smartthings hub is zigbee so you could use that as a dumb hub to pick up devices, but you are then relying on it to have cloud access to work.
Any half decent spec will run HA, the new Hass-io build is a doddle to install (on a Pi anyway). If your spare pc is suitable to run a nas or file server, it'll be grand, you just need to make sure it stays on permanently.

Check out a guy called Ben / Bruh automation on YouTube for good tutorials on HA,

FrankGrimes

paulbok wrote: »

Have it on a Pi 3, with an Aeotec z-wave stick. These Xiaomi zigbee devices will be picked up by it's gateway hub. You would need a zigbee stick if not using the Xiaomi kit, but the Smartthings hub is zigbee so you could use that as a dumb hub to pick up devices, but you are then relying on it to have cloud access to work.
Any half decent spec will run HA, the new Hass-io build is a doddle to install (on a Pi anyway). If your spare pc is suitable to run a nas or file server, it'll be grand, you just need to make sure it stays on permanently.

Check out a guy called Ben / Bruh automation on YouTube for good tutorials on HA,

Thanks for that. Not sure what you mean about needing a zigbee stick if not using the Xaomi kit, is it a case of if using Xaomi then HA works with the Xaomi hub directly? I’d probably get a Zigbee stick anyway as I have a few Hue devices already (and a load of zwave Fibaro modules I’ve prepurchased for ceiling light control and led strips). Like the idea of the Xaomi motion and window and door sensors. Overall though, reliability is key, I want set it and forget it and if HA is more likely to give that, I’d opt for it over ST. Thanks again, will check out that guy on YouTube.

eringobragh

Just ordered this and the wired 2 way switch - been waiting for something I can use to replace the light switch without running a neutral.

matrim

Does the hub work over WiFi or do you need a wired connection (like the hue hub)?

bk

matrim wrote: »

Does the hub work over WiFi or do you need a wired connection (like the hue hub)?

Wifi

THE ALM

Been looking at a few of these items as well and just wondering before taking the plunge if the light switches require a neutral if replacing existing switches?

Thanks

jmBuildExt

THE ALM wrote: »

Been looking at a few of these items as well and just wondering before taking the plunge if the light switches require a neutral if replacing existing switches?

Thanks

2 types: wireless and wired. Wireless is battery operated so no.
And according to this post
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=103515689&postcount=21
wired version doesnt either.

THE ALM

jmBuildExt wrote: »

2 types: wireless and wired. Wireless is battery operated so no.
And according to this post
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=103515689&postcount=21
wired version doesnt either.

That what I was thinking as I don't see a neutral being mentioned and it would be the wired version I would be more interested in. Will probably take a chance on them and trial them out, if I could replace a couple of switches with these and integrate with HA then I could look to add to it.

Also mentioned in another post but I am keeping an eye out to see how the Echo Plus performs when it is launched, with the built in zigbee hub it could be a great way of controlling these without having to get a separate hub.

ShRT

Just got an update to the yeelight app - big improvement in UI and much more responsive in terms of the lights responding to controls. I reckon they must be sending the commands over the local Lan now instead. Certainly the music mode is very responsive

the heathen

ShRT wrote:

Just got an update to the yeelight app - big improvement in UI and much more responsive in terms of the lights responding to controls. I reckon they must be sending the commands over the local Lan now instead. Certainly the music mode is very responsive

Do you use this with a Yeelight lamp or a bulb?

I've a bulb but I control it with the MiHome app.

beanian

THE ALM wrote: »

That what I was thinking as I don't see a neutral being mentioned and it would be the wired version I would be more interested in. Will probably take a chance on them and trial them out, if I could replace a couple of switches with these and integrate with HA then I could look to add to it.

Yes, No neutral is required for the wired version.

paulbok

Received half my order today and got hit with a €28 vat and customs bill as well as a DHL admin charge for clearing it. Gonna be 50 so for the remaining kit to arrive.

Anyone know if I select the free shipping (2-3 weeks) on Gearbest, does it avoid these charges. Esp pissed at the 14.50 from dhl

bk

Eckk that sucks

Looks like I'll order future sensors for it one by one to stay under the customs charge.

paulbok

bk wrote: »

Eckk that sucks

Looks like I'll order future sensors for it one by one to stay under the customs charge.

Yeah, that's the way to go, anything under €22 Inc shipping and insurance is exempt.
Anything over that, I'll take the longer free shipping and avoid DHL altogether.

tipperary

Managed to source some switches and keep them under the 22 limit. Where's the best ace to buy the hub though? Struggling a little to find one

beanian

paulbok wrote: »

Received half my order today and got hit with a €28 vat and customs bill as well as a DHL admin charge for clearing it. Gonna be 50 so for the remaining kit to arrive.

Anyone know if I select the free shipping (2-3 weeks) on Gearbest, does it avoid these charges. Esp pissed at the 14.50 from dhl

All my order have been over the customs limit and i've never got done. Always picked the cheapest shipping option though

matrim

Does the gateway come with an Irish / UK plug or do you need an adapter?

jmBuildExt

matrim wrote: »

Does the gateway come with an Irish / UK plug or do you need an adapter?

It comes with an adaptor, but in my case the adaptor was a yank one, I had a chinese-uk one knocking about in work (got mine in gearbest)

paulbok

beanian wrote: »

All my order have been over the customs limit and i've never got done. Always picked the cheapest shipping option though

Will try that next time on any order I can't keep under €22.

Still waiting on my hub in the other half of the order, no sign of it shipping yet so can do jack with the other bits until then

iba

Hi, just came across this thread and just wanted to say I have loads of this Xiaomi gear. In addition to items mentioned I have the smoke alarm, gas detector, the cube, weighing scales, mi band and more and I love the lot of them.
Simone asked earlier about is an adapter needed for the hub. Yes it is, the hub has Chinese/Australian pins. I do not recommend using any of the Chinese adapters that come with it, go out and buy the one that conforms with UK bbsb standards (hope you know what I mean). I found good quality ones in Dealz pound shop in the street between Liffey street and Henry Street, can't think of the name.

iba

As someone else mentioned, buy below the customs limit. Buy your items a couple of days apart in case they get bundled together. I use gearbest, geekbuying, banggood, AliExpress and www.geecr.com I shop around, which ever is the cheapest.
I remembered I also have yi IP cam which I've also integrated with the hub and looking at getting the new Yee outdoor cam. Will also look at getting the Xiaomi AI available on one of the above sites now at 67 euro. Also I like the Xiaomi alarm clock. For those who worry about the gateway protruding you can always get the mi gangway and cut off the plug and put on our type.
I haven't got any of the Aqara wall switches but I'm very interested in getting them now after reading some of you guys have them. Can you recommend which ones to get.
So many Xiaomi, Mi, Yi, Yee, Mijia stuff I do get confused.

bk

iba wrote: »

So many Xiaomi, Mi, Yi, Yee, Mijia stuff I do get confused.

And you sound like an expert on it! :eek:

Welcome

iba

bk wrote: »

And you sound like an expert on it! :eek:

Welcome

Lol, far from it.

Also have a mi router. Xiaomi temperature and humidity thing. And I think I have an extra Mi Gateway.

Also into mi lights and have the mi light version 6 hub and loads of led strips.

beanian

iba wrote: »

I haven't got any of the Aqara wall switches but I'm very interested in getting them now after reading some of you guys have them. Can you recommend which ones to get.

Go for the aqara wall switches (wired https://www.gearbest.com/alarm-systems/pp_610096.html).
I have a mix of the wired and wireless (when using hue bulbs) and they work great. They also fit irish backboxes perfectly. See my post a few pages back with pictures and more links etc.

nhur

beanian wrote: »

Go for the aqara wall switches (wired https://www.gearbest.com/alarm-systems/pp_610096.html).
I have a mix of the wired and wireless (when using hue bulbs) and they work great. They also fit irish backboxes perfectly. See my post a few pages back with pictures and more links etc.

there appear to be two types.. live/neutral ... and live only .. presume normal light switch is live/neutral?

(or is that when there are two switches in different parts of the room for one light... e.g. upstairs/downstairs switches for the hall light?)

iba

beanian wrote: »

Go for the aqara wall switches (wired https://www.gearbest.com/alarm-systems/pp_610096.html).
I have a mix of the wired and wireless (when using hue bulbs) and they work great. They also fit irish backboxes perfectly. See my post a few pages back with pictures and more links etc.

Hi Beanian,
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately that link brought me to a dead page.
I read that you use Home Assistant, I tried installing it last night but failed - failed to config error, or something like that. If I can't install the s/w I wonder how good the program actually is.
I have used Domoticz before, which in your opinion is better?
Thanks

beanian

nhur wrote: »

there appear to be two types.. live/neutral ... and live only .. presume normal light switch is live/neutral?

(or is that when there are two switches in different parts of the room for one light... e.g. upstairs/downstairs switches for the hall light?)

These do not require a neutral (at least the ones I have anyway), you can control 2 loads , one from each toggle.

beanian

iba wrote: »

Hi Beanian,
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately that link brought me to a dead page.
I read that you use Home Assistant, I tried installing it last night but failed - failed to config error, or something like that. If I can't install the s/w I wonder how good the program actually is.
I have used Domoticz before, which in your opinion is better?
Thanks

never used Domoticz. I'm running home assistant in a docker container and it is was very easy to setup. There is a hass thread on here you might find some help with the issue you had

matrim

iba wrote: »

Hi Beanian,
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately that link brought me to a dead page.
I read that you use Home Assistant, I tried installing it last night but failed - failed to config error, or something like that. If I can't install the s/w I wonder how good the program actually is.
I have used Domoticz before, which in your opinion is better?
Thanks

If you have a raspberry pi then using the hassio image is the easiest way to get up and running with Home Assistant

tipperary

nhur wrote: »

there appear to be two types.. live/neutral ... and live only .. presume normal light switch is live/neutral?

(or is that when there are two switches in different parts of the room for one light... e.g. upstairs/downstairs switches for the hall light?)

From what I understand, the 'zero line' versions are a little cheaper but require a neutral, which most Irish houses won't have. The 'fire line' versions are live only, which suits Irish homes.

matrim

Just ordered the kit with the hub, 2 door sensors and the button. What's the usual shipping time from gearbest (for free shipping)?

iba

Xiaomi Spain open but I cant see the prices:

https://xiaomi-mi.es/

I'm tempted to get this:

https://www.gearbest.com/ip-cameras/pp_978606.html

or the 1080p is on sale atm at:

https://www.gearbest.com/ip-cameras/pp_615275.html

I'd also love this for blinds in teh kitchen:

https://www.gearbest.com/access-control/pp_626697.html

Is this the switch that is recommended:

https://www.gearbest.com/alarm-systems/pp_610096.html

Thought of two more Xiaomi things I have, the plant thing which tests the water and minerals in the soil of the plant and the MI wifi-extender.

iba

matrim wrote: »

Just ordered the kit with the hub, 2 door sensors and the button. What's the usual shipping time from gearbest (for free shipping)?

hate to be teh bearer of bad news, but you might get hit with customs on that - I think its better to buy the pieces seperatly.

As for shipping, if it ships before Saturday (11/11 China singles day) it will probably take two or three weeks - if it ships after Saturday, god only knows how long it will take.

Kintarō Hattori

iba wrote: »

Xiaomi Spain open but I cant see the prices:

https://xiaomi-mi.es/

I'm tempted to get this:

https://www.gearbest.com/ip-cameras/pp_978606.html

Hmnn, that doesn't work with Google Home does it? I'm thinking that's a no.

wexfordman2

tipperary wrote: »

From what I understand, the 'zero line' versions are a little cheaper but require a neutral, which most Irish houses won't have. The 'fire line' versions are live only, which suits Irish homes.

I seem tonrecall the non neutral are mostly dimmmers though, you can't get a on off one without needing a neutral ?

iba

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hmnn, that doesn't work with Google Home does it? I'm thinking that's a no.

Sorry I dont know.

bk

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hmnn, that doesn't work with Google Home does it? I'm thinking that's a no.

No, not directly, doesn't work with Echo either. They are more of their own Chinese thing.

I think you could probably get it working indirectly using Home Assistant, but I haven't tried yet.

Kintarō Hattori

bk wrote: »

No, not directly, doesn't work with Echo either. They are more of their own Chinese thing.

I think you could probably get it working indirectly using Home Assistant, but I haven't tried yet.

That's a shame but I'm not totally surprised. Are you aware of any IP cameras that do integrate with Goggle Home?

bk

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

That's a shame but I'm not totally surprised. Are you aware of any IP cameras that do integrate with Goggle Home?

Logitech Circle do, you can ask the Google Home to show you the cameras feed on your TV via chromecast:

http://support.logitech.com/en_us/article/How-do-I-control-my-Circle-Camera-with-Google-Assistant

This only launched two weeks ago and I suspect it is just the start, that it will eventually expand to more cameras, more commands and eventually Google will have an Echo Show competitor that you can output the video too as well.

It is early days in terms of IP camera voice control.

thebackbar

sorry folks being a bit lazy here i haven't read all the thread, but which gateway should i buy ? There seems to be three versions ?

I have bought a number of these guys https://www.gearbest.com/access-control/pp_626702.html

I want to put them in the rooms of my house to monitor temperature and humidity.

Will I struggle with connecting the devices across multiple floors in our house ?

bk

€60 * worth of Xiaomi Smart home gear arrived this morning via slow post from An Post, no customs

But no guarantees on that, I'll buy future gear in separate orders under €22 in future.

BTW Haven't set it up yet. But the sensors look amazingly small. I'm well impressed. If it all works well, I can easily imagine buying lots more of these sensors. They are so cheap and inconspicuous.

* BTW Thanks to Canary (via Amazon refund) for financing this

AstraMonti

Hi guys, apologies if I am on the wrong thread. I have already some Mi Lights, and I want to get some Yeelights as well. Is there a single app that I can use, or I have to use multiple? I have this controller.

Can I use another controller maybe to have them all together and possibly combine them with google home?

the heathen

AstraMonti wrote: »

Hi guys, apologies if I am on the wrong thread. I have already some Mi Lights, and I want to get some Yeelights as well. Is there a single app that I can use, or I have to use multiple? I have this controller.

Can I use another controller maybe to have them all together and possibly combine them with google home?

Pretty sure there isn't a single app.

MiLights don't support Google Home unfortunately. I've asked them about the possibility of integration and they say that it's unlikely but that there will be Alexa support.

The Yeelights can be controlled either by the Yeelight app or the MiHome* app

*no relation to MiLights!

AstraMonti

the heathen wrote: »

Pretty sure there isn't a single app.

MiLights don't support Google Home unfortunately. I've asked them about the possibility of integration and they say that it's unlikely but that there will be Alexa support.

The Yeelights can be controlled either by the Yeelight app or the MiHome* app

*no relation to MiLights!

Thank you! Xiaomi are driving me mad with all their different protocols. I think I am going with something else for the new stuff.