Cheapest I've seen this kit advertised, good starter kit to get some basic home automation going with some smart bulbs etc…
Inclusions:
1 Mi Smart Hub (The multifunction gateway can change 16,000,000 various colours, built-in colour changing lights and speaker)
1 Mi Window and Door sensor
1 Mi Wireless Switch
1 Mi Temperature Humidity Sensor
'…they exist now only in, my memory.'
I wasn't following closely but yes I remember seeing them for $10. Why did they increase in price over time?
I think the question is why did they become so cheap. I believe there was stiff competition
There's 2 factors contributing to it. You had stores like Gearbest and Lightinthebox who had a loss leading strategy of undercutting their competitors no matter what. Those strategies ended badly for both stores with Gearbest going from 100+ deals a month to a handful of meh expensive deals and Lightinthebox with no deals at all.
Another big factor was that Xiaomi increased their prices. I remember when the Xiaofang camera was popular, Xiaomi started raising their wholesale prices to resellers. Another factor in the case of the smart home products is that Aqara started selling products under their own brand instead of the Mi/Mijia branding.
Another big factor was that Xiaomi increased their prices. I remember when the Xiaofang camera was popular, Xiaomi started raising their wholesale prices to resellers
Ah i remember those cube cameras, they were so cheap and compact.
Was big on their ecosystem too, unfortunately their cameras put a stop to that when my router showed they were uploading/streaming online a lot at times and days i wasn't accessing them. Changing passwords etc didn't stop it, so the security was either poor or someone was allowed to bypass it.
I still use lots of their sensors, but not their cams or hubs.
@particle: The Xiaofang cameras have a lot of custom firmware on Github that allow you to still use them and not worry about the data going to China.
Yep agree good pricing for local stock even if it's just for the sensors.
Is this one only available in Xiaomi China region or do these work in other Xiaomi regions?
My powerpoints only work in 'china' region
I was thinking the same thing, you would think if Australia Post is selling it it would be coded to Australia but would be great to confirm. Also would be good to know if it is, will my old sensors still work?
Really good price. Paid $60 like 4yrs ago and at some point we're selling for double that.
But I wonder if these are still locked to mainland China servers.
Don't think so, I have a Mi lamp and a rice cooker, both are going Singapore server.
Are they connected to a hub? My hub is only discovered when on China.
No, both are on wifi, I bought both products from Mainland China years back, they were connected to the Chinese server at first, I think it was last year that they asked me to connect to another server for better performance.
Mi au official is also selling the product, so I assume these are international version, otherwise sure a lot of people would complain.
Looks like this is using the new Xiaomi Zigbee 3.0 hub so that's a big plus!
explain? hardware looks the same as my existing one from 2 years ago.
Does yours have the plug built in? There's Xiaomi Mi, Mijia and Aqara branded hubs.
Mine has the plug built in. According to the order email from Gearbest back then it is "Original Xiaomi Mi Smart WiFi Remote Control Multi-functional Gateway".
What are the differences or pros/cons between them if you don't mind explaining?
@sav11: The main difference is that the newer ones with Zigbee 3.0 supports a lot more devices. i think yours will support 32 sensors while this would be 128.
Can I hook this up with homebridge?
I cant answer about home bridge, but i've had this working through both HASS and domoticz. It requires a lot of effort, including downloading an old version of mi-home to extract a key.
https://www.domoticz.com/wiki/Xiaomi_Gateway_(Aqara)#Adding_the_Xiaomi_Gateway_to_Domoticz
Yes - I use 2 Xiaomi hubs with HomeBridge and about 20 sensors. You can even integrate with Alexa and Echo "says" when doors open.
Is this multi region? I have a mixture of China and International Xiaomi gear I would like to be able to use different regions.
Can you run with 2 hubs easily, or does it cause problems?
Yes - I have 2 hubs, they are linked for security features, sensors appear integrated across the hubs.
Which 2 hubs do you have? I read on another post that sensors were tied to a single hub at a time so hubs can’t act like extenders
Both mine are Gateway V3. Sensors do connect to a single hub, but when you add additional gateways/hubs to the one account in Mi Home app, all sensors appear as a collective.
I have had the hubs for quite a while. I have been reading online though that enabling developer mode might be a challenge now. Used to be a setting in the older Mi Home app and needed for HomeKit integration via HomeBridge.
Can they make the photo any more exposed so there is no frigging detail visible of the product at all. bloody hell.Looks like this Xiaomi died and went to Heaven. Just needs a halo on top
RIP Xiaomi
I'm a Xiaomi fanboy, but i'm giving up on the Xiaomi home system.
The sensors are now considerably more expensive, and they keep updating firmware which disables/enables certain features. Changing settings doesnt work in the mid afternoon, perhaps server capacity related(?).
Move them to home assistant (Hassio)?
Mine still works fine but have had hit and miss over the last four years. Window sensor works like crap for me but door sensors are good.
Temperature and humidity also crap. And now Xiaomi home security camera that works with Google home goes to sleep even though I tell it not to
what's your use case for the door sensor? How does it know whether you are entering or leaving the house? Also what's the occasion for the window sensor even?
I turn my lights on for 60s when the door status changes. That means when I've got groceries I'm not fumbling for the switch
Door and window sensor need to be next to each other. If the alarm is armed and you move one from the other like more than 5cm or so, the alarm goes off.
So you stick one part of the sensor on one door frame, and the other part right next to it on the door itself. That way if someone breaks in, then it will go off. Same principle would apply to windows etc, you just turn the sensors 90 degrees when mounting so you can accommodate different sized / done-up door frames.
door and window sensor is one product, isnt it?
True.
Apologies but it was the motion detection sensor that was useless.
Afaik yes, but maybe he uses the vibration sensor for windows?
@adrianhughes1998: I use the door/window sensors and motion sensors integrated with HomeKit via HomeBridge and no problems for me, all work great.
@Dart: maybe for you, but not for me. used it for 2016/2017 on Android and kept hitting snags.
Something to be wary of for some folks, it's not foolproof, none of the IoT stuff is tbh.
Can someone explain what the hub does? Is it because these sensors don't connect directly to wifi?
no, they run on zigbee, and therefore need to interface through the hub - which connects to wifi.
There are some xiaomi products that run both zigbee and wifi, in which case you dont need the hub.
Philips Hue ecosystem has a hub
Ikea Tradfri ecosystem has a hub
Xiaomi Mi ecosystem has a hub (I just found out there is also an Xioami Aqara Hub also which also works)
They are all zigbee but are not compatible with each other (although can in some instances be repurposed to connect to each other a bit).
None of the smart home products in these ecosystems are Wifi - they are Zigbee. Which is generally "better", but requires a hub.
It's possible to avoid the need for any of those hubs and get e.g. a Conbee II Zigbee Hub that can connect to all of those ecosystem's devices, BUT… the native apps (Hue, Xiamoi Home, Ikea Home), wont be usable and you'll need to use a diff app (e.g. Home Assistant, Google Home Assistant, Alexa, Apple Homekit) as the UI for the devices. For an extensive smart home that's a good move, although you could achieve the same outcome with the separate hubs also (just have to pay for them).
Wifi devices e.g. Mirabel ones at Kmart, or the Bunnings ones, are now as cheap as Zigbee so the main advantage is using a smart home specific network protocol (zigbee) instead of Wifi.
Oh and most Wifi devices are controlled by remote servers in the cloud (unless you overwrite the firmware), whereas zigbee devices are controlled by the local hub so in theory respond MUCH faster and can keep working even if internet is unavailable.
Great explanation but now i'm slightly confused.
How does this work if you have Google devices in your home?
is it Google nest/phone -> Google Home Assistant -> Zigbee Cloud? -> local hub -> Zigbee devices ?
Google (and Alexa, and Apple Homekit) is a cloud based "portal" if you will, that can access these other ecosystems.
So you:
So in most instances it goes:
Phone/Smart Speaker -> Google Home Assistant (cloud) -> Ikea (cloud) -> Ikea Local Hub -> Talks to the Ikea devices over Zigbee
Phone/Smart Speaker -> Google Home Assistant (cloud) -> Xiaomi (cloud) -> Xiaomi Local Hub -> Talks to the Xiaomi devices over Zigbee
Phone/Smart Speaker -> Google Home Assistant (cloud) -> Philips Hue (cloud) -> Philips Hue Local Hub -> Talks to the Xiaomi devices over Zigbee
If you are using the Hue/Ikea/Xioami apps, and are connected to your home network/wifi, then usually they can talk to the local hubs directly rather than going out to the clouds for their platforms. Google will always go via cloud afaik
(Edit: I've never substituted the word "internet" with the word "cloud" so much in my life - interesting)
@isthisreallife22: Thank you for that. That made it very much clearer for me and now i understand how this all it works.
@isthisreallife22: Just a lurker here but you've helped me understand that a lot better too. Excellent description - thank you very much
thanks for the explanation
is it possible to use the xiaomi hub and sensor to control grid connect downlights that are available at bunnings?
No
Grid Connect is wifi and uses its own app and cloud
@Astronaut Joe: Most grid connect is wifi so has no need for a hub.
There are a few grid connect devices (i think maybe the thermometers and door sensors maybe?) that do require a local hub, and I dont think they use either wifi OR zigbee - I think they might use bluetooth from the devices to their hub? All very proprietary regardless, and certainly do hubs that can replicate it? The hub itself connects to the grid connect app via wifi
Love this 'can keep working even if internet is unavailable'
Don't have broadband Internet at home so I only need to occasionally connect hub to 4g hotspot for software update etc?
Thanks..I guess I should start a new forum topic.
But, what's the best way to increase speed?.I have a bunch of yeelight bulbs and they're great, just slow to respond.
Meanwhile, I bought a cheap switch and I was amazed at how quickly it responded compared to Xiaomi.
I'm happy enough using Google Home (or the Xiamo home app) to control my bulbs/roborock. But I do wonder if perhaps I should invest more time in a local setup?
Only saw the pic and thought since when did xiaomi move into selling crockery.
Alexa compatible?
Sensors - yes. I have them announce ("say") when doors open.
Not that it matters, but…
https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-china-comac-military/exc…
TL;DR: Trump administration has added Xiaomi to its blacklist.
oUr nAtIoNaL sEcURiTy Is aT rIsK!!!
Sent from Redmi K20pro
You think privacy and national security is a joke?
Nope, but Trump is.
Ha, funny how people were going nuts over internet censorship not too long ago, now everyone's supporting it. This was just public friendly precedent.
Anyway, to all the neg voters, just go ahead and ahead Xiaomi mic's all over your place. Maybe one day all of our government employees, politicians etc will be using Xiaomi. :)
aint that guy going to jail soon?
Very likely to be with you or the likes
@Jamesx: Why is it that when I advocate for private/security or the Biden's corruption that I'm automatically deemed a lunatic Trump supporter?
Trump was added to security risk list by former US generals and majority of the elected politicians.
Trump banned from every social network except tiktok. Opps
I bet he was really upset when he was banned by Instagram.
Meanwhile, Parler was banned from Amazon servers - allegedly for its role in co-ordinating the Washington riots.
Latest news reports riots organised over Twitter and Facebook. Waiting to see them get deplatformed.
@Almost Banned: Anyone with an alternative agenda will be de-platformed. It's citizen supported censorship. In the US those internet savvy were all anti internet censorship, and now they're all for it. The precedent has been set.
For what it's worth, I'm not pro-Trump and I don't like the idea or parlor or any of that crap.
@Almost Banned: When companies with huge market shares in areas expression and free speech have so much control over what we get to see and hear and choose to use that to block views there is a risk to free speech. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have a right to set standards and expel unwanted people, but other platforms then need an opportunity to exist.
For OS software blocking apps this is more problematic as it prevents alternatives to those social media organisations from appearing. It would be bizarre is this morphs into a movement that breaks down Apple's walled garden by forcing them to allow sideloading apps to protect free speech.
Not saying it's likely, and the democrats with complete control of the agenda (house senate President) are unlikely to want to stop the censorship of ideas they don't like. Buy wider things have happened.
Why the downvotes? I wasn't stating an opinion either way, just posting something interesting related to the product that had only happened that morning.
Can this work with Xiaomi Mi Bluetooth Digital Hygrometer Thermometer?
Can I use HomeKit with this starter pack?
I believe for Homekit support you will need Xiaomi's Aqara hub with HomeKit support. I have one, it works with HomeKit but it's Chain Mainland Server locked if I use Aqara app on my Android phone.
Ive never really looked into Xiami's smart stuff. Didnt realise Aqara hub was different to this hub. Interesting.
Geez this just opened up a whole new can of worms https://lmgtfy.app/?q=Xiaomi+Mijia+hub+vs+Aqara+Gateway
The Mi Hub does provide HomeKit support, however it does depend on exactly which devices have received HomeKit certification.
It seems to be a moving feast at the momentfor what has and has not revived certification for each hub/ gateway.
Good price on these great little gadgets.
I guess the window sensor won't alarm if thieves just brake the window and jump in? ;)
What's the use case for a kit like this? What can it do? And does it link in with Alexa/Google/etc?
Good price if you're happy with the Xiaomi ecosystem. Just think about whether you actually want the hub.
I recently decided to use ZIGBEE2MQTT instead - for now a CC2531 stick does the trick. Nicely integrates all the components from different vendors, Xiaomi Sensors, Philips and IKEA LED bulbs.
Independent from Chinese servers, works very well with Homeassistant.
Same here, but starting to try the sonoff zigbee bridge as a replacement to the CC2531,,, early days, but so far so good.
a bit confusing here….
is this the one with the old version hub or the new version hub?
The description here (and in xiaomi AU? https://www.mi-store.com.au/xiaomi-mi-smart-home-kit-4-in-1-…) said it has LED light, but the picture nad new version which does not have LED light at all but with Zigbee 3.0.. https://www.mi.com/buy/detail?product_id=11383&cfrom=search
Bought from AusPost shop today. I’ll check for you tomorrow. 99% sure it’s the new version with zigbee 3. Great write up on it here: https://gadget-freakz.com/best-xiaomi-mijia-smart-multi-mode…
I bought one a year or so ago and still needs to be in China region, to work. The timeones in the app are therefore China timezones. Can you let us know if you can now select Australia region? Thanks!!
Confirm it’s the new one with zigbee 3 no led light ring.
Sorry headstrap not setting up soon, but will confirm when I do.
Thank you!
No stock
From what I read the V3 hub does not include a light ring - but the OP description says the hub can display colours - so must not be the newer V3 ?
I just bought the last one from Robina on the Gold Coast, but the lady checked computer and most stores are showing 1 each.
Will open when I get home. If it includes Bluetooth I can use with the 4 temp sensors that just arrived from China today.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/595234
UPDATE:
Gateway box inside says Bluetooth Mesh Hub / ZigBee 3.0 Hub.
Model: ZNDMWG02LM
Has a micro USB cable for power - no light ring.
My 3 year old gateway has a 3 pin power plug with light ring.
Not sure where I will put this, but micro USB means I can power it off one of my PoE switches using a PoE micro USB splitter I already have.
Does it work with Australia region? I've got the older one which must be in China Region, often signs out by itself, and noticeable lag to respond. Thanks
Haven't powered it up yet sorry
Just got mine (V3)and realised how useless this is to me (I thought devices listed in the Mi home app would work with this hub not require separate hubs)
So far the return process to Australia Post is a nightmare. Zero access to support throughout the chat, zero access to support from the number provided with the order email (13 7678), drove to a Post office they told me to ring the 131318 number finally got through to someone who gave me case no. and they will let me know if I can return it "in a few days".
For those that may need it direct number for online shop is 1800331794 (Auspost Phitalic)
As an aside, are this lot run by Serco now? Same " our staff deserve to be treated with respect or we will terminate your call" robovoice as Centrelink
That does seem like a good price considering how much the sensors are by them selves now. Gone are the days of the $10 sensors