What Aqara hub should I use in my current scenario which is shown as follows:
I have fiber optic service with a walk-out, finished basement’s connection (my house only has one Ethernet connection) going to an eero Pro 7 router serving as the gateway. I have an eero Pro 7 node about 20’ from the gateway router and another eero Pro 7 upstairs on my main living level.
My W200 Thermostat is near the gateway router and the M3 Hub is located by my downstairs mesh node. Also, on the outside lower level are two G5 Pro cameras with built-in hubs. A G100 camera is in the downstairs workshop and another one is upstairs in my garage. Cameras are WiFi and the sensors are either Zigbee or Matter.
Upstairs also has a G410 Doorbell with built-in hub and another W200 Thermostat with hub.
I have numerous P2 Door & Window Sensors, T1 Water Leak Detection sensors and lightbulbs.
Future purchases will be Apple’s 4k TV, HomePod and HomePod Mini’s.
I currently have everything going to the downstairs M3 hub.
Is this a good idea or should I split some to the other hubs?
Each hub will create its own Zigbee network. The network is extended by some devices connected to the same hub. So generally, to keep things simple (and automations able to be run by 1 hub), you can just keep using the M3 as your main hub for all your devices until you hit the device limit.
The “hub” part in camera hubs is meant to make it easier to setup your first smart home setup Most people just look for a reliable home camera (to check on their children, pets, or as a security system) and then they want to upgrade their smart home with presence sensors or smart lights, and they don’t need to buy any additional hub, because they already have one (and the price of a hub for 1 additional smart device may discourage people).
Additionally, when you hit the device limit, you have other hubs you can use It may sound stupid, but if you plan on hitting said limit, you may think of separating close/similar devices to some hubs.
I would separate the P2 contacts from the T1 leak sensors when planning this. Aqara documents the P2 as Matter over Thread and the T1 leak sensor as Zigbee. So having everything managed through the M3 does not mean every sensor uses the same radio network.
With your only Ethernet point downstairs, I would first check the upstairs T1 sensors in their actual positions rather than redistribute everything by floor. If they report reliably, there is little reason to disturb them. If a particular upstairs group drops offline, check its distance from the hub, battery and nearby metal surfaces before considering an existing compatible upstairs hub. Those are also the offline causes listed in Aqara’s T1 FAQ.
Are you seeing any missed reports now, and are the affected devices P2s or T1s? That distinction would help decide whether to investigate Thread connectivity or a Zigbee link before you re-pair anything.
Most people just look for a reliable home camera (to check on their children, pets, or as a security system) and then they want to upgrade their smart home with presence sensors or smart lights, and they don’t need to buy any additional hub, because they already have one (and the price of a hub for 1 additional smart device may discourage people).