I’ve been happily using the FP2 with Home Assistant via a Zigbee dongle. (well mostly happy; not having to go through HomeKit would be nice, but that’s another story)
I wonder though if I’m missing out on any functionality by not using the Aqara hub? I know there’s mention of extra features like occupancy count and I’m not sure how those would work with HA.
@djgrahamj It’s great to hear that you’re enjoying the FP2 with Home Assistant through a Zigbee dongle! When it comes to using an Aqara hub instead of a Zigbee dongle, there are some additional features you might be interested in:
Enhanced Compatibility: The Aqara Hub E1, for example, offers all-round compatibility with popular ecosystems and voice assistants such as HomeKit, Alexa, Google, and IFTTT. This means your Aqara devices could be more seamlessly integrated with these platforms, potentially offering enhanced functionality compared to using a Zigbee dongle.
Zigbee 3.0 Support: Many Aqara hubs, like the Hub E1, support Zigbee 3.0, which provides better stability, compatibility, and energy efficiency. This could lead to a more reliable smart home setup.
Additional Features: Some Aqara hubs come with features like Wi-Fi repeater functionality, which could improve the stability of your network. They also support a large number of devices (up to 128 for the Hub E1), which might be beneficial if you plan to expand your smart home system.
Regarding specific features like occupancy count, this would depend on the particular Aqara hub and its integration capabilities with Home Assistant. While the reference information doesn’t provide detailed specifics on occupancy count with Home Assistant, it’s worth exploring further or discussing with the community.
If you’re looking for a more streamlined integration without relying on HomeKit, switching to an Aqara hub might offer some advantages. Feel free to share your experiences or any discoveries you make—community discussions can be invaluable for exploring these nuances!
@djgrahamj It’s great to hear you’re mostly happy with your FP2 setup via Zigbee dongle in Home Assistant! When it comes to whether you’re missing out on functionality by not using an Aqara hub, here’s what we know:
Integrating Aqara devices via an Aqara Hub (like M2, M1S, or G3) with Home Assistant—typically through the HomeKit Controller integration—supports most Aqara Zigbee devices and may retain more native features, though some advanced automation settings could be limited by HomeKit capabilities . In contrast, direct integration using a Zigbee coordinator (like your dongle) works without a hub, offers more flexibility for complex automations, and can pair with non-Aqara Zigbee devices, but may require manual adjustments for some device features .
As for specific features like occupancy count, the reference info doesn’t explicitly detail how they perform across methods, but it’s possible that full functionality might be better supported when using an Aqara hub, as direct dongle setups can sometimes have feature limitations.
Have others in the community noticed differences in FP2 features between hub and dongle setups? It’d be helpful to hear your experiences! If you have more questions, feel free to share.
@djgrahamj It’s great to hear you’re using the FP2 with Home Assistant via a Zigbee dongle! When it comes to potential functionality differences with an Aqara hub, here are some key points from available information:
Aqara hubs offer features that generic Zigbee dongles may not, such as:
Regarding features like “occupancy count,” the reference information doesn’t explicitly confirm if this is exclusive to Aqara hubs. Since the FP2 is a Wi-Fi device that connects directly to the Aqara Home app, some advanced functions might be optimized for use with Aqara hubs, but this isn’t specified.
If you’re curious about specific HA integration, the community might have insights—feel free to share your experience!
For more details on Aqara hubs, you can refer to the Aqara Hubs.xlsx for a comprehensive comparison .
Note: The above is based on available reference information and may not cover all use cases.
How do I block these stupid AI slop replies?