Power Plug H2 EU and Camera G3 Hub

[Mike Scott]

I have purchased a Power Plug H2 EU in the hope that it can be used to switch an appliance on and off remotely.
Within 2M of the H2 plug I have a camera G3 hub operating.
It seems that adding the H2 plug to the Aqara Home app can only be done through Matter pairing. I have a G410 Camera hub located almost directly below the location of the H2 plug, but the plug will not ‘Bind’. The plug ‘Binds’ if I do the pairing whilst it is closer to the G410, but the H2 fails to work when moved and plugged into the appliance. I cannot move the appliance.

Is there a way (Zigbee, perhaps) to bind the H2 plug to the G3 camera hub? If so, how?

If not, is another aqara matter hub required?

I do not have any Google Home, Apple whatever systems - only Aqara devices.

[gafich10]

Hello. G3 is also an Aqara gateway. Transition sequence. 1. go to the G3 gateway and disable the option “prohibit device removal”. 2. Remove H2. 3. Reinstall it, when you first launch the installation window, select Zigbee mode. Then everything is standard.

Clarification, perhaps the G3 does not have the “prohibit device removal” function.

[cezary806]

The G3 does have accidental removal protection, under three dots → Privacy and security

[cezary806]

The H2 is a dual protocol device, but you need to select which firmware to use during pairing (either Thread or Zigbee). Default is Thread, but the G3 is not a Matter controller, it only supports Zigbee. Please select Zigbee (instead of the default Thread), as @gafich10 suggested

[gafich10]

Hi, thanks @cezary806 for sharing the information. We need to find my old theme and bring these settings into one channel. This is a very common problem for users now.

[Mike Scott]

AFAIK I am never presented with the option to use Zigbee when adding the H2, so the option to ‘prohibit device removal’ on the G3 seems irrelevant until I have the option to pair via Zigbee.
The pairing process automatically assumes Matter. I do not see a means of using Zigbee, and I have tried multiple times.
I am always forced to scan the Matter QR code, and of course, the G3 is not a Matter hub.
Please bear in mind this is the Power Plug H2 EU we are discussing here

[gafich10]

You scan the Aqara code, the Material does not need to be scanned.

[Mike Scott]

Which aqara code?
There isn’t one on the device. The box has a tiny QR code.
There are no other QR codes (as far as I can see).

[gafich10]

Then you get this window during installation?

[Mike Scott]

Yes, I do

[gafich10]

And then what window appears after clicking?

[Mike Scott]

A scan window immediately appears.

[cezary806]

Yes, because dual protocol devices have to be paired using Matter code, and then you should have an option to select protocol

[Mike Scott]

Nope.
Never presented with that option.
Soon after I scan the Thread/Matter QR code there’s a message about Thread/Matter and then after a minutebir so, the G410 is offered as ‘Top Pick’. No matter what I do (hold, click, drag etc…), I cannot select anything but the G410.
Because, of course, I haven’t been offered an alternative protocol!

[Mike Scott]

Maybe I need to completely reset (factory settings) the H2.
But how do I do this, and how do I know if it’s been effective?

[absent]

Double-click the button and then press and hold for 5s within 3 seconds, the indicator light will flash quickly to indicate successful reset.

To factory reset press the button 10 times continuously until the indicator light starts flashing.

[gafich10]

Typically, this is 10 quick clicks. Try it.

[Mike Scott]

The option to ‘prohibit device removal’ is disabled

[Mike Scott]

I’ll try it tomorrow.

[cezary806]

Btw I only have an Hub M3 (which supports Matter), so it’s possible the setup in your case is a bit different (just like in this case with the W100).

So maybe you’re not able to change the firmware after all… I switch all my devices to Zigbee, but I have an M3 that supports Matter sooo it’s a different situation.

Maybe there’s a bug in the newer version of Aqara app that blocks the ability to switch firmware if you don’t have any Matter hub.

I recall people on this forum just used Aqara app to switch firmware to Zigbee and then added their devices to third party Zigbee ecosystems, so the method we showed you had definitely worked before for other devices.