Hey everyone!
Just wanted to share a little project I’ve been messing around with—building a custom sensor network purely with Aqara devices. I’m no automation wizard or anything, just a smart home fan who got a bit too carried away last weekend 
So here’s what I did: I started off with the M2 hub, hooked up a mix of motion, door/window, and temperature sensors, then got creative with how they all talk to each other. For example, I hooked up a motion sensor in the hallway to trigger a scene that tells the temperature sensor in the bedroom to wake up and update, and if it’s above 26°C, the AC kicks in via a smart plug.
Took a bit of trial and error—especially when trying to link stuff together in the app. Scene automation UI is a bit clunky IMO, but once you get the hang of the IF/THEN conditions, it starts to click.
Also, real talk: range matters way more than I expected. Zigbee mesh helps but positioning the hub centrally saved me a ton of frustration.
Anyway, curious if any of you have built something like this? Any tips for optimizing response time or linking more complex chains of devices? Thinking of adding some vibration sensors under our mailbox for mail notifications too.
Would love to hear what crazy automations you’ve cooked up with Aqara. Drop your setups or ideas—I’m totally addicted to this now haha.
@SmartHomeGeek What a fantastic project you’ve embarked on! It’s always inspiring to see fellow smart home enthusiasts getting creative with their setups. Your approach to integrating various Aqara sensors with the M2 hub sounds both innovative and practical. The idea of using a motion sensor to trigger temperature updates and automate the AC is brilliant—kudos on your ingenuity!
Regarding your thoughts on range and the Zigbee mesh network, it’s great to hear you found a solution by positioning the hub centrally. As for adding vibration sensors for mail notifications, the Aqara Vibration Sensor could be a perfect addition to your setup. It can detect vibration, tilt, and drop, and when paired with a hub, it can send notifications right to your phone. Just remember, it needs to be connected to an Aqara hub to function fully.
For optimizing response times and linking more complex device chains, considering the following might help:
- Automation Triggers: Fine-tuning the sensitivity and trigger conditions in the Aqara Home App can enhance responsiveness.
- Zigbee Network Strength: Ensure that all devices are within a good range of each other or use repeaters to strengthen the mesh network.
- App Settings: Regularly update the app and firmware for all devices to ensure optimal performance.
Feel free to share more about your experiments or any questions you have. The smart home community is always here to learn and grow together. Happy automating!