“I can't decide: Go with Z-wave, Zigbee, WeMo or "Smart things"--How to decide? It would be great if a pro in the home automation Biz without affiliation with these players would give us all Pros and Cons of all these competing network systems so we don't end up with wifi controllers for every different light and appliance in the house.”
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I currently have over 50 individual connected devices throughout my home. I have a mix of Philips Hue, Wemo and Smart Things all voice controlled by one of 3 Amazon echos strategically located throughout the house (adding 4 more to get perfect voice control from anywhere in house). Zigbee and Z-wave are simply types of wireless. WeMo and Smart Things are actually product categories produced by a specific manufacturer. Before making any decisions I can say with certainty that you need to first decide what items you want to automate or control and how you want to interface with each of these items. We voice can voice control or toggle on or off any fan or light with a combination of Wemo, Philips Hue and Amazon Echo. The color of light through our house is controlled by scenes set in the Hue app and set to change automatically at certain times of the day or night. We turn off or on and dim individual lights or groups of lights by voice using Hue and Echo. We open or close the gate to our property with voice command using Wemo Maker and Amazon Echo. We control temp in home via voice using Amazon Echo, SmartThings bridge, Honeywell thermostat and SmartTiles client.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I am not anywhere near a pro... I have WeMo, I have Ring, I have a few different cameras, etc. I don't have any separate controllers as I have all functioning easily on my cell phone (and if I want the iPad and computer). I don't have any interference with any of my items now.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I am not a pro, but I chose Wemo light switches and outlets because they have their own app, but can also integrate into the Samsung SmartThings app if I decide to go that route later. What I did was get one outlet and one switch and move them around the house to see whether I liked the functionality in various places, and determine how many to buy. That way if I didn't like it, I wasn't committed to a $300 system like SmartThings, just $100 to start out.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later."The Hub contains ZigBee and Z-Wave radios, and is also compatible with IP-accessible devices" that is a quote off the smart things website. I've personally installed a smart things hub for my parents and can confirm that all of that is true. While you'll still need/want a hub for other devices in the home, such as for Hue bulbs, for the most part the smart things hub just brings everything together very well. Mind you won't need another dedicated zigbee or zwave hub anywhere else. Hope this helps, I'm not a pro yet but I am building a business around this stuff.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I can give you my opinion on the Wemo light switch. It works very well for me. The app can be a little wonky at times, but then again home automation has not really been mainstream yet. As time goes on these switches will perform better. I currently use two for outdoor lighting applications. They work pretty flawlessly so far with very little trouble.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.The biggest issue with all those devices is they don't communicate well with each other. I have tried or have some of them. I would recommend looking into the Philips hue brand. Philips seems to be staying on top of there software more. Out of all the devices I love my Philips hue devices the most. Take a look into those items and see if it works for what you need.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I have no affiliation with best bu, I am only a home user. I can tell you the only two products I have used are the WeMo light switches and the Lifx Bulbs that you can order online. I have both connected to my Amazon Echo. Extremely easy to setup and works flawless. I went with both these products because I did not want to have to purchase a hub that some require to get there products to work.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.wemo
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.The only brand that I used and can vouch for is the Belkin switch that uses WeMo app. You must understand and ascertain the difference between the device/brand and the respective app that uses the device to operate the respective function. I'm not sure if your asking for the operation of the device or the app that operates the device. WeMo per say is an app that operates Belkin branded wireless/WiFi enabled devices. Let's clarify this department first! I uploaded the pictures of both, the Belkin branded light switch and the WeMo application that operates the subject switch.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I'm not a pro, and I agree with you. The manufacturers have run amuck with their proprietary systems too. Can you imagine if your Samsung cell phone couldn't call a Motorola cell phone!? I've started out with a WEMO light switch and already am not impressed with the options to expand. I can turn off and on plug in electrical devices remotely? I could do that with a simple timer. Good luck!
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