Home Automation Help - Zigbee / SmartThings

MKBHD on 10/05/2023 - 13:52
Last edited 10/05/2023 - 13:53

I am new to HA and trying to get into Zigbee - still learning how it all ties together.

I don't have a Zigbee hub yet and don't want to get SmartThings hub because it is cloud based. Looking at Conbee (expensive) or Sonoff (cheap on AliExpress)

I want to know if Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Zigbee sensor can be attached to Sonoff or Conbee for local use or if they have to be used exclusively with SmartThings hub? Really struggling to find an answer to this. Are all Zigbee sensors compatible with any Zigbee hubs and vice versa to mix and match or are they brand specific / have to research before buying? I guess that's what Matter / Thread is trying to solve but just getting a bit confused.

https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/samsung-smartthings-multipurp…

My friend is willing to sell me these sensors for cheap but I don't want them if I can't use them with a different Zigbee hub for local control and not connected to SmartThings Hub all the time which will be a separate purchase.

Electrical & Electronics Home Automation

Comments

  • Sunny84 on 10/05/2023 - 14:00
    +1

    Yes they can, I have connected these sensors to my zigbee coordinator via zigbee2mqtt in past.

  • JimmyF on 10/05/2023 - 14:01
    +4

    Get the Sonoff or the https://smartguys.com.au/home-assistant-skyconnect.html to add zigbee. Either are fine.

    I want to know if Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Zigbee sensor can be attached to Sonoff or Conbee for local use or if they have to be used exclusively with SmartThings hub?

    Yes they can, put them in pairing mode and join them to your zigbee network using one of the above dongles.

    • MKBHD on 10/05/2023 - 14:41

      Thanks, the thread support in the future looks promising with Skyconnect.

  • myfeetarehappy on 10/05/2023 - 14:18
    +1

    I have HA running on a Raspberry Pi 3B with the Sonoff Zigbee dongle and using the ZHA option.

    Have had no issues connecting Zigbee sensors, lights etc. from multiple brands including IKEA, Hue, Mijia and no-name sensors all through the Sonoff dongle.

  • Hargain Bunter on 10/05/2023 - 14:28
    +2

    I have the Samsung Multi-Sensors and have used them with the Samsung Hub, Conbee II and Sonoff ZBDongle-P.

    The Samsung Hub was stable, but sensors were slow to respond due to the cloud integration you mentioned.

    I then moved to the Conbee with ZHA, it was fast to respond, but unstable, devices would often fall off the network and have to be re-paired.

    I then moved to Sonoff with ZHA and it has been stable and fast. However, it seems the Samsung sensors prefer to be connected to another Zigbee Router (a powered device like a Zigbee light bulb) rather than directly to the Sonoff Coordinator. When I decommissioned 4 of my Samsung Zigbee lights that were used as Routers my network had issues, but when I brought 2 of them back, network was stable again.

    So in summary, I would recommend the Sonoff, but with the Samsung sensors you will also need other Routers like Zigbee lights or smart plugs.

    • MKBHD on 10/05/2023 - 14:41

      Nicee.. Do you use the Samsung SmartThings Hub for anything anymore?

      My friend has 3 SmartThings Hub and 5 sensors wanting to offload for $100 and I am wondering if I should get it.

      • Hargain Bunter on 10/05/2023 - 14:44

        No I don’t. I might set it up again if I can use it as a Thread Border Router with Home Assistant when I get some Thread devices.

        • MKBHD on 10/05/2023 - 14:47

          Have they confirmed these old SmartThings hubs will be getting Thread (with/without Matter) support in the future? May be good to get them just for Thread connectivity.

          • Hargain Bunter on 10/05/2023 - 14:57

            @MKBHD: According to this article The SmartThings Hub v3 and Dongle v3 already has Thread with Matter enabled.

            The Hub v2 has Matter, but not Thread.

            On the Matter front, sadly SmartThings do not expose their Zigbee devices as Matter devices, they can only control other Matter devices. So you couldn’t use the Home Assistant Matter integration to connect with the hub, would still have to use the crappy SmartThings integration.

            So it depends on what version of hubs your friend is selling.

            • MKBHD on 12/05/2023 - 10:55

              @Hargain Bunter: I am thinking of getting Skyconnect which has ZigBee and matter/thread with 1 hub but I saw comments in past posts which said it's not good 'yet' to have thread/matter on the same hub as ZigBee due to reliability issues. Very interesting and confusing on how to proceed haha

              • Hargain Bunter on 05/06/2023 - 22:56

                @MKBHD: Sorry for the late response, if you got a SkyConnect you could just enable Zigbee and not enable Thread until you needed it, or the platform is more mature.

    • randombrick on 10/05/2023 - 17:29
      +1

      On thing to keep in mind is that a lot of Zigbee end devices tend to be sticky to the first coordinator or router they connect to. Resetting them doesn't always get them to connect to another router/coordinator. I have had this issue with some sonoff and TuYa sensors.

      • Hargain Bunter on 11/05/2023 - 22:03

        Oh interesting, thanks. Were you able to unstick them? When would they were stuck, would they not connect to another coordinator/router at all, or would work intermittently?

  • toecutter69 on 10/05/2023 - 18:10

    SkyConnect as another option?

    • MKBHD on 12/05/2023 - 10:53

      $75 is a bit steep but I don't see any other choice

      • aarick on 16/05/2023 - 09:26

        If in no rush, get it from here https://www.seeedstudio.com/Home-Assistant-SkyConnect-p-5479…

        • MKBHD on 16/05/2023 - 13:01

          Mate thank you so much, definitely getting one. Is that USD?

          • aarick on 20/05/2023 - 20:24

            @MKBHD: Yes USD, but still works out cheaper. ~AUD$60

            • MKBHD on 20/05/2023 - 20:44

              @aarick: Probably better with Amazon $75 as you can claim warranty very easily. Have ordered a Sonoff from AliExpress for $30 now, the hub is useless for me right this moment as I have to wait for other ZigBee sensors anyway. Sp far I have installed HomeAssistant and have been playing around on it, picks up almost all my existing WiFi devices like bulbs, plugs, tv, washing machine, cameras which is so good.

  • lgacb08 on 11/05/2023 - 06:30

    If you go with the smartthings motion sensor, make sure you count in the cost of cr2 battery too or think about another way to power them because those things chew through batteries like no tomorrow and cr2 ain't cheap.

    • MKBHD on 11/05/2023 - 07:29

      What door/window sensors do you recommend? ZigBee or otherwise

      • lgacb08 on 11/05/2023 - 22:23
        +1

        the aqara range is quite ok for the price but you need to buy a couple as a back up because you'll always get one or two out of the batch behave strangely. If your local bigw still have stock you might get lucky with the cygnett range for about $15 a pop. Otherwise aliexpress, lot of them look quite similar to the cygnett one so they might as well come from the same factory I'd say.

        The smartthings door sensor isn't bad in terms of energy consumption, it uses 2450 which is still pricey but nothing compared to the motion sensor one, that beast chew through a cr2 every month or two and in the end i had to solder rechargable 18650 into it to make it economically viable.

        The cygnett uses 2450 I believe, battery consumption is ok, cheapest of the bunch is aqara and ikea which uses 2320 I believe, the aqara one last ages if it works, I have one motion sensor in high traffic area and it still show plenty of juice after 2 years. It just a matter of having enough backup device.

        • MKBHD on 12/05/2023 - 10:52

          Good point about the battery costs, thank you. Will order 4 pack of aqara sensors from AliExpress and go from there.

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