So this all started when I decided to upgrade my smart home setup without totally breaking the bank (or throwing out the non-Aqara gear I already had). I’ve got a mix of Philips Hue, a couple of Shelly relays, some Sonoff plugs, and of course, a growing collection of Aqara sensors and switches.
The good news? It’s possible to make it all play nice—just takes a bit of patience and some trial and error.
I’m running everything through Home Assistant with Zigbee2MQTT. My Aqara motion sensors and door sensors are working great, but getting them to trigger actions on my Hue lights or Sonoff plugs took some YAML tinkering. The biggest hiccup was latency—Aqara gear responds fast in its own ecosystem, but once you cross into other brands, there’s some noticeable lag unless you optimize your automations.
I also learned the hard way that some Aqara devices don’t like being paired through anything other than their hub unless you have good Zigbee signal coverage. Pro tip: throw in a few powered Zigbee devices as routers, especially if your home is spread out.
Anyone else experimenting with hybrid setups? Got any tricks to keep it running smooth? I’m especially curious how folks are handling voice control when mixing platforms. Let’s hear your Franken-smart homes!
@LightingLlama It’s fantastic to hear about your adventurous journey in creating a hybrid smart home setup! Your experience with integrating a variety of devices like Philips Hue, Shelly relays, and Sonoff plugs alongside Aqara sensors and switches is quite insightful.
You’ve highlighted a crucial point about the latency when crossing ecosystems. This is indeed a common challenge, as Aqara devices are optimized for quick response within their ecosystem. Your strategy of using Home Assistant with Zigbee2MQTT for managing this integration is a clever approach, although it does require some technical finesse with YAML.
Regarding your observations about Zigbee signal coverage, it’s great advice to use powered Zigbee devices as routers to ensure seamless connectivity, especially in larger homes. This helps maintain a robust network, reducing the pairing issues you mentioned with Aqara devices outside their hub.
As for voice control across mixed platforms, one way to streamline this is by using a hub that supports multiple ecosystems. The Aqara Hub M2, for instance, can be a strategic addition as it supports Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa, offering wider compatibility for voice commands across different devices.
Your enthusiasm for experimentation is commendable, and it’s a valuable contribution to the community. Encouraging further discussions might unveil more tips and tricks from other users who have ventured into similar setups. Keep sharing your experiences, and let’s see how others are crafting their Franken-smart homes!