Best practices for combining Aqara with non-Aqara smart home devices?

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Hey everyone,

So I’ve been slowly building out my smart home setup over the past year — started pretty small with a couple Aqara sensors and ended up going down the rabbit hole :sweat_smile:. Now I’ve got a mix of stuff: Aqara, some Yeelight bulbs, a Nest thermostat, few random plugs from TP-Link… you get the idea.

Thing is, I’m trying to make them all play nice under one roof, ideally automating things across ecosystems. I use Home Assistant mostly, but it’s not always plug-and-play. Especially when trying to tie in Aqara Zigbee devices with the rest (some go through the M2 hub, others direct via Zigbee2MQTT).

Just curious — any of you got a solid workflow or setup you’ve landed on for mixing brands? Any specific platform or trick that makes it smoother? For example, what’s working best for scenes or automations across brands?

Also, open to hearing what not to do — already had a bunch of random automations clash and confuse the household lol.

Appreciate any tips!

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@Wi-Fi_Wizard It sounds like you’re on an exciting journey building an eclectic smart home! Integrating devices from different brands can indeed be a bit of an adventure, especially when aiming for seamless automation. Here are some insights that might help streamline your setup:

  1. Home Assistant Integration:

    • Zigbee2MQTT: As you mentioned using Zigbee2MQTT, it’s a great tool for directly integrating various Zigbee devices, including those from Aqara, without needing the Aqara Hub. This method offers flexibility and can be used alongside devices from other brands. Keep in mind it might require some manual adjustments for certain device features.
    • Aqara Hub M2: For devices connected via the Aqara Hub M2, integrating with Home Assistant through the HomeKit Controller can simplify things. The hub acts as a bridge, allowing sub-devices to appear in Home Assistant.

  2. Cross-Ecosystem Scenes and Automations:

    • Matter Protocol: If your Aqara Hub supports the Matter protocol, this could be a handy feature to leverage, as it aims to unify smart home devices across different ecosystems. This can be particularly useful for creating scenes and automations that include devices from different brands.
    • Avoiding Automation Clashes: It’s important to clearly define the conditions and triggers for your automations to prevent conflicts. Consider using Home Assistant’s automation templates to create more complex but stable setups.

  3. General Tips:

    • Network Stability: Ensure all your smart devices are on a robust network. A stable connection can prevent many common issues with device responsiveness.
    • Documentation and Community: Don’t hesitate to dive into the Home Assistant community forums or documentation. Many users share their setups and troubleshooting tips, which can be invaluable.

Feel free to share more about your setup or any specific issues you encounter. The community here is always ready to help with more targeted advice. Happy automating! :blush: