DIY Gone Right: Integrating Non-Aqara Devices with the M2 Hub

Developer Hub
1

Hey all, just wanted to drop in and share a little weekend win I had that might help some of you trying to mix and match gear across platforms.

I’m what you’d call a smart home tinkerer—not quite a pro, but definitely addicted. I’ve been deep into the Aqara ecosystem for a while now (got the M2 Hub as my main brain), but I had a few non-Aqara Zigbee sensors lying around from older setups. Instead of letting them collect dust, I decided to see if I could bring them into the Aqara fold.

Surprisingly… it worked. With a bit of trial and error.

So here’s the setup: M2 Hub as the base, used Home Assistant (running on a Pi) as the glue. I bridged some old IKEA and Sonoff sensors via Zigbee2MQTT, and then used HomeKit as a sort of common language between them all. Bit clunky at first, but once it clicked, everything just worked.

Now I’ve got motion sensors triggering Aqara scenes, and even a random door sensor from god-knows-where automating lights. The key was keeping everything local and latency low.

Moral of the story: don’t toss your old gear just yet. With some patience and the right integrations, Aqara can play pretty nicely with others—even stuff that wasn’t “meant to.”

Anyone else tried something similar? Curious how far people have pushed integration with the M2.

Let’s nerd out.

2

@SensorSavant Thank you so much for sharing your experience with integrating non-Aqara devices into your smart home setup using the Aqara Hub M2. It’s always exciting to hear about successful DIY projects, especially when they involve mixing different ecosystems in the smart home realm.

Your approach of using Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT to bridge devices is quite innovative. It’s great to know that with some patience and the right tools, it’s possible to get different brands and devices to communicate effectively. This not only saves on costs but also maximizes the utility of existing gadgets, which is definitely a win-win.

Your story highlights the versatility of the Aqara Hub M2, especially when combined with platforms like HomeKit. It’s a testament to the potential of smart home technology to work harmoniously, even when the devices come from various manufacturers.

I’d love to hear more from others in the community who have tried similar integrations. How have you expanded your smart home with the Aqara Hub M2? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them? Let’s keep the conversation going and continue to learn from each other’s experiences.