HomeSeer Smart Home Systems

Z-NET Now Works with Z-Wave & Zigbee!

Mark Colegrove — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 17:33:51 +0000

Z-NET has been the popular choice for managing Z-Wave networks in large homes, businesses and out buildings. This month, we’ve updated it and paired it with the new Sonoff ZBDongle-E to extend these same capabilities to Zigbee products.

With Z-NET, HomeSeer and Home Assistant users can manage more than 7,000 popular Z-Wave and Zigbee products from around the world including (but not limited to)….

Smart Switches
Smart Plugs
Smart Bulbs
Smart Locks
Smart Sensors or all types
Smart Shades & Blinds
Smart Water Valves
Smart Sirens & Security Devices

How it Works

Z-NET is built with an internal radio to handle Z-Wave communications. A separate (optional) Zigbee USB coordinator is connected to one of the four USB ports to handle Zigbee communications. The unit itself is then added to your home network (via Ethernet or WiFi) for use with your HomeSeer or Home Assistant hub.

In the diagram below, a HomeTroller PRO hub is connected to two Z-NETs, one of which is controlling both Z-Wave and Zigbee products.

Setup

We’ve prepared installation and setup guides for HomeSeer and Home Assistant users (below). Additional help and answers may be found on our support page or community forum.

Requirements

You’ll need a HomeSeer HS4-powered system or Home Assistant, a Z-NET and a Sonoff Zigbee coordinator. Then, depending on your system, you’ll also need to install the appropriate Z-Wave and Zigbee software plugins or add-ons. Be sure to consult the setup guides and respective web resources for additional help.

HomeSeer hub or HS4 software OR Home Assistant
HomeSeer Z-NET
Sonoff ZBDongle-E Zigbee coordinator

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New Zigbee Plugin Supports Thousands of Devices

Mark Colegrove — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 20:33:13 +0000

Overview

Our newest plugin integrates seamlessly with Zigbee2MQTT to add support for more than 3,000 Zigbee devices from hundreds of companies. Zigbee Plus installs with just a couple clicks and works on HomeSeer HS4-powered hubs and software systems.

What is Zigbee?

Zigbee is low power mesh network technology that uses the universally accepted 2.4 GHz communication band. Zigbee chips are widely available and competitively priced, making the technology a popular choice for companies looking to produce inexpensive products for commercial use and for the DIY smart home market.

What is Zigbee2MQTT?

Zigbee2MQTT (Z2M) is an open source project licensed under the free GNU General Public License 3. This project is very active and is well maintained with new devices being added to it continuously. Our plugin integrates tightly with Z2M ensuring automatic compatibility with new devices as soon as they are added to the project.

Z2M Front End App

When you install the plugin, the full Z2M app will also install. This gives you direct access to all Zigbee device information and settings.

Z2M Network Map

A built-in map feature generates a graphical view of you entire Zigbee network.

Supported Devices

As mentioned above, more than 3,000 devices are supported by Z2M and any of those may be added to your HomeSeer system. The example below shows an Aqara wireless mini switch with all of it’s features exposed.

Plugin Setup

Installation is quick and easy using our online setup guide. You’ll need the following:

HomeTroller Pi, Plus or PRO hub or HS4 software system
Zigbee adapter (like this Sonoff ZBDongle Plus)
Zigbee Plus plugin (install from HS4 web UI)

Help & Discussion

Have questions? Contact us directly of post a question to our community of users on our forum!

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The Ultimate Video Doorbell for your HomeSeer System

Mark Colegrove — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 17:31:36 +0000

In a sea of cloud-managed subscription based cameras, the new Reolink Video Doorbell stands alone as a locally-managed option. Add one to your HomeSeer system and you’ll be able to monitor & record video and trigger events (automations) when motion is sensed or when the doorbell is pressed!

How it Works

The camera supports these two technologies that allow for local integration with HomeSeer:

RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) provides access to the video stream for live views and recordings. HomeSeer automatically saves recordings locally for 7 days and can also upload them to our MyHS cloud service (if desired) for remote storage.

ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) Events tell HomeSeer when motion is detected or when the doorbell button is pressed. These commands can then be used as triggers or conditions when creating HomeSeer events (automations).

Setup

Setup requires the following steps in the following order. More details may be found in our Reolink Video Doorbell guide.

Add the camera to your home network
Enable RTSP and ONVIF in the camera settings
Add the camera to your HomeSeer system
Install the HomeSeer ONVIF plugin and add the camera to that.

After this, the camera’s live view will be accessible on the HS4 Cameras page and a HomeSeer device (below) will be created with a list of supported ONVIF Events features.

Automations

Users can create a variety of automations using ONVIF Event triggers or conditions. Here are just a few examples…

Record video (up to 60 seconds) when the doorbell is pressed.
Record video when people are detected.
Light or brighten the entrance area when people are detected
Send emails or SMS messages when people are detected
Play audio files or speak text to HomeSeer HSTouch devices or speaker clients when motion is detected, people are detected or the doorbell is pressed.

Note also that recordings may be initiated manually by pressing the record button on the HS4 camera live view pages.

Requirements

Reolink Video Doorbell
HomeSeer hub or HS4 software system running v4.2.18.7 or later
HomeSeer ONVIF Events Software Plugin

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HomeSeer Partners with Home Assistant

Mark Colegrove — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:19:24 +0000

HomeSeer is pleased to announce that we have joined the Works with Home Assistant partnership program! The program is designed to facilitate better integration and interoperability between brands and we are committed to ensuring that our Z-Wave smart products are up to date and ready to use with Home Assistant.

All HomeSeer products are Z-Wave Plus certified. Our WX300 smart dimmer/switches offer convenient RGB LEDs that may be programmed with automations to glow or blink different colors when things happen in your home. These switches also support multi-tap actions for triggering automations and scenes.

HomeSeer offers an AC powered Z-Wave multi-sensor that also includes an RGB LED for status updates. Additional Z-Wave products include a motion sensor, leak sensor, door/window sensor, floodlight sensor, network and USB Z-Wave interfaces and a motorized water valve.

Our Z-Wave devices work locally and integrate seamlessly with the Z-Wave integration in Home Assistant (Z-Wave interface required). As all connectivity is happening locally, status updates and control of your devices happen instantly in Home Assistant.

To learn more about HomeSeer products, navigate to our main products page.

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HS4 Conditional Actions Streamline Event Creation and Management

Mark Colegrove — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 19:38:05 +0000

The HS4 event engine in v4.2.18 will include a new feature called conditional actions which will allow conditions to be applied directly to actions instead of only to triggers. The benefit of this new approach is that it will no longer be necessary to create multiple events for automations that use common triggers. This makes it far easier to create and manage events moving forward. To better understand this change, let’s take a look some use case examples

Note: Existing event features remain intact. Users will be able to apply conditions to triggers, to actions or to both within the same event.

Example #1

In this example, HomeSeer will either turn on a light or issue alerts when motion is sensed in the bathroom… based on the time of day and expectation that someone will or will not normally be at home. This functionality would normally require 2 separate events in previous versions of HS4.

Example #2

In this example, HomeSeer will control a floodlight or garage door when the breezeway light is tapped 3 times or 5 times. This functionality would normally require 4 separate events in previous versions of HS4. Naturally, additional multi-tap conditions may also be added to this event.

Example #3

This last example is similar to the one above. HomeSeer will speak, text and turn all lights on when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected at home. This functionality would normally require 2 separate events in previous versions of HS4. However, the smoke/CO sensor supports 10 additional notification values so this event could be considerably larger!

HS4 v4.2.18 Available Now!

Already using HS4? Update to the latest release from the setup area of HS4.
Not using HS4? Click the link below to download and install 4.2.18 today.

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Plugin Alert | PSDK v1.4.3 Changes May Require Code Adjustments

Mark Colegrove — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 17:36:09 +0000

We’ve made a change in PSDK v1.4.3 that is designed to improve data integrity and data sharing between HS4 and HS4 plugins. However, this change has an unintended consequence. It may cause some plugins to break based on how they are using the JUI framework. Please review the changes below to determine if you are affected and update your plugins if you are before February 7th, 2023.

Improving the Platform

We don’t want to cause users problems that are out of their control, but we also don’t want to stop the evolution of the platform because of the way a plugin is using the PSDK. We would like to keep improving the platform and providing plugins with new and interesting ways to add on to the platform. We appreciate your understanding and continued dedication to building smarter homes.

PSDK Changes

In the methods OnSettingPageSave, OnSettingChange, OnDeviceConfigChange, AbstractActionType.OnConfigItemUpdate, and AbstractTriggerType.OnConfigItemUpdate certain properties of AbstractViews were not filled completely and could be used in unexpected ways to achieve the same desired results as using the dedicated properties for those same values. Properties like Name would be filled with the Id, for example. These properties have been fixed and should now contain all of the correct information; so the Name property will actually contain the Name of the view. If a plugin was using these properties for a use it was not originally intended for, the changes in PSDK v1.4.3 will cause them to stop working. A complete list of changes in PSDK v1.4.3 can be found in the pull request on GitHub prior to release and in the API Reference after release. For more information about this change in particular, please read this GitHub issue thread, and if you have any questions feel free to add to the issue.

Timeline

On February 7th, 2023, we will be moving forward with these changes and releasing HS4 v4.2.17.0 and PSDK v1.4.3. Please be sure to test your plugins with HS4 beta release 4.2.16.7 before then, and update them if necessary to ensure everything continues to work as expected. Let’s all continue to create awesome smart homes together.

Helpful Resources

Image from xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1316/

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Matter and HomeSeer | Q & A

Mark Colegrove — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:20:22 +0000

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard a bit about Matter and are wondering how it may affect your existing (or future) smart home. You have questions! In this article, we’ll answer a few of the most common ones.

What is Matter?

In simple terms, Matter is a newly developed protocol that seeks to become the universal ‘language’ that all new smart devices will speak. If widely adopted, Matter will become the standard that provides interoperability between smart devices and ecosystems that implement it.

Will Matter Work With My Existing Devices?

That depends. If a device was designed to be Matter-compatible from the start, or upgrade-able to support Matter with a firmware update, then yes; otherwise, no. At the time of this writing, our educated guess is that most existing devices will probably never work directly with Matter.

Can I Mix Matter and Non-Matter Devices?

Yes, provided that you have a smart home hub that supports Matter and non-Matter devices.

Will HomeSeer Support Matter?

Yes, we will be adding Matter support to our HomeTroller hubs and HS4 software and plan to implement this in 2023. This will allow us to work with the latest Matter devices as well as with all existing non-Matter smart home devices.

Should I Wait And Only Buy Matter Devices?

We don’t think so! There are thousands of really cool and useful smart home devices already on the market. It will take some time for similar Matter-compatible devices to be created. If you already have a smart home hub that will be upgraded to support matter (like any of our HomeTrollers), then you have the best of both worlds. Buy what you want, when you want it. The thousands of non-Matter devices currently available will continue to work for many years to come.

How Will I Know When Matter is Added to HomeSeer?

We’ll be putting the word out in a number of ways. Subscribe to our community forum, add your email to our newsletter list or check this blog for future updates!

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New Z-Wave Software Plugin | Improving the HS4 Experience

Mark Colegrove — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 17:37:06 +0000

HomeSeer was the first smart hub company to support Z-Wave back in 2003 and our strong commitment to this very important technology continues today. The newest release includes many updated features and a more seamless UI experience for HS4 platform users. Version 4.0 Beta is now available and may be installed from the HS4 plugin updater.

Introducing the Stepper

A new stepper function has been added to streamline and better organize the workflow for the following features:

Add Device
Remove Device
Add Interface
Device Diagnostics
Update Firmware
Advanced Functions
Manage Associations

Improved Lock Management

It’s now easier than ever to manage user codes for Z-Wave door locks. Add as many codes as your lock will allow and then change them at any time with a simple edit operation!

Easy Device Association Management

Adding and removing device associations has never been easier! Select the device you wish to add or remove an association to/from, choose the association group, then select the device to be associated to. The built-in stepper seamlessly guides you through the process.

Centralized Device Diagnostics

Previously, device diagnostics could only be accessed from within individual device screens. With the new plugin, device diagnostics are now initiated from the Z-Wave plugin menu. This change simplifies the process of performing diagnostics on several devices in succession.

Improved Settings Management

With the new plugin, Z-Wave parameters (settings) can now be programmed as a group in a single operation! This can greatly decrease the number of steps and clicks required when setting multiple parameters on a particular device.

New Device Information Report

The older ‘node info’ report has been completely overhauled to provide a much cleaner and more useful view of advanced device information. Floor and Room filters have also been added to make it faster and easier to locate devices. The report may be exported to a .csv file for use in any spreadsheet program.

Installation

If upgrading from a previous version, please be sure to carefully follow the Updating Z-Wave Plugin doc as you go through the following steps.

Backup your system (don’t skip this step)
Disable and Uninstall the Z-Wave Core and (if installed) the Z-Wave UI plugins
Install and enable the Z-Wave 4.0 plugin

Note that this installation is not reversible as Z-Wave 4.0 does not use the same architecture as the previous plugin.

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Z-Wave vs Zigbee vs WiFi | Which Is Best For Your Home?

Mark Colegrove — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 16:04:00 +0000

Which Technology Is Best?

Z-Wave, Zigbee and WiFi are the leading wireless smart home technologies but they are not compatible with each other. While it’s possible to build a smart home system based entirely on just one of these, a better and more flexible approach is pick the products that best suit your needs and then link them together with a multi-tech hub (like a HomeTroller). In this article, we’ll take a look at the similarities and differences of each technology so you can make the most informed choices.

Z-Wave

This technology was developed in the early 2000s by the Danish company Zensys. It’s a low power mesh network technology that operates on the 800-900 MHz band. Line of sight range is often specified in excess of 100′ but walls, floors, ceilings, appliances and furniture will tend to reduce that significantly. Even so, line powered Z-Wave smart products function as repeaters and that generally overcomes any individual device range issues.

Products

Z-Wave is used in a wide range of smart home devices. It’s low power consumption allows it to be used in a variety of battery-powered devices too. Here are some of the more popular product categories:

Light Switches
Bulbs
Plug-in Switches
Thermostats
Sensors
Remote Controls
Door Locks
Garage Door Controllers
Water Valves

Hub Compatibility

Z-Wave is supported in the widest range of the most popular multi-tech hubs including HomeSeer, SmartThings, Hubitat, Vera and more. It’s also supported by a number of smart home software programs including HomeSeer, Indigo and programs that use OpenZWave. Note that Z-Wave is not supported (directly) by Amazon or Google smart speakers. However, smart speakers can control Z-Wave devices with the addition of a multi-tech hub.

Interoperability

Since the inception of Z-Wave, all products have undergone an interoperability certification procedure. The goal of this process has been to ensure product compatibility throughout the entire Z-Wave ecosystem and it’s been largely very successful. Widespread interoperability played a very significant role in helping Z-Wave achieve the highest rate of industry adoption. At this writing, there are more than 3,000 Z-Wave certified products worldwide.

That said, it’s worth noting that in the early years, the certification process wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t enforced consistently from product to product. While those problems have largely been ironed out, the biggest challenge going forward lies with the hub makers. As the technology itself continues to evolve, it’s essential for hub makers to keep pace by adding the latest features.

Availability

Z-Wave products communicate over region-specific frequencies that are regulated by governments. In the US, products use 908 MHz. In Europe, it’s 868 MHz. There are around a dozen different frequencies used throughout the world. There are some companies that manufacture Z-Wave products for all or most of these regions. However, many manufacturers limit their inventories to the US and/or Europe.

Recommended For...

If you’re in the US or Canada and you want to keep things simple, Z-Wave offers the widest selection of choices for virtually every product category. Brands include HomeSeer, GE, Honeywell, Leviton, GoControl, Fibaro, Aeotec and many others.

If you’re outside of the US, your choices will be a bit more limited. Look for brands like Aeotec, Fibaro, Qubino and others.

You will need a Z-Wave compatible hub or software program to monitor and control these devices but there are plenty of options available.

Zigbee

This technology was developed and standardized by the Zigbee Alliance in 2003. Like Z-Wave, it is also a low power ‘mesh network’ technology. However, most devices operate on the much higher 2.4 GHz band. As with Z-Wave, line of sight range is often specified in excess of 100′ but walls, floors, ceilings, appliances and furniture will tend to reduce that significantly. Even so, line powered Zigbee smart products function as repeaters and that generally overcomes any hub to product range issues.

Products

Zigbee has flourished in the commercial automation space but has been slower to ramp in the consumer smart home market. As with Z-Wave, its low power consumption allows it to be used in a variety of battery-powered devices too. Here are some of the more popular applications:

Bulbs (Lots of them!)
Sensors
Plug-in Switches
Remote Controls
Door Locks

Hub Compatibility

Zigbee is supported by a wide range of the most popular multi-tech hubs including HomeSeer, SmartThings, Wink, Hubitat, Vera and more. It’s also supported by a number of smart home software programs including HomeSeer and a number of open source programs. Amazon’s Echo Plus is the only smart speaker to support Zigbee devices directly. Other smart speakers can control Zigbee devices with the addition of a multi-tech hub.

Interoperability

The biggest challenge for industry-wide adoption of Zigbee in the early years was its failure to enforce any interoperability standard. This lead to a very fractured ecosystem of incompatible devices. The issue was eventually addressed with the implementation of the Zigbee Pro standard back in 2007 but it was still an ‘opt in’ choice for manufacturers. Since then, there has been a slow but steady increase of interoperable Zigbee devices. The latest Zigbee 3.0 products exhibit very good interoperability.

Availability

Since Zigbee operates on the universally-accepted 2.4 GHz band, the same chip may be used in products distributed around the world. This greatly reduces the manufacturing logistics required to create Zigbee products for the world market. For the most part, Zigbee devices have come from Europe & Asia. US manufacturers have been slow to add Zigbee products to their smart home catalogs.

Recommended For...

Zigbee devices tend to be less expensive than their Z-Wave counterparts and that alone has made them a popular choice. A number of hub makers have also released their own brand of Zigbee powered sensors including SmartThings, Wink, IRIS and IKEA.

You will need a Zigbee compatible hub or software program to monitor and control these devices but there are plenty of options available. Amazon’s Echo Plus is the only smart speaker with a built-in Zigbee radio.

WiFi

WiFi is a 2.4 GHz network communication standard that’s been adapted to work with smart home devices. Unlike Z-Wave and Zigbee, it is not a mesh network technology so smart devices don’t repeat signals and each device must be within direct range of the router to work. It makes sense to invest in a high quality router or router mesh system for the best performance.

Note that WiFi is also a power hungry technology. Battery operated devices, particularly small ones, have a much lower battery life than comparable Z-Wave or Zigbee devices.

Products

WiFi works with a wide range of smart home devices. Popular products include…

Light Switches
Bulbs
Thermostats
Plug-in Switches
AV Controllers
Irrigation Controllers
Sensors
Door Locks
Garage Door Controllers

Hub Compatibility

WiFi is the only technology that’s supported by all three smart speaker platforms from Amazon, Google and Apple. As such, it does not require a multi-tech hub unless for simple voice control. However, adding a multi-tech hub will provide more flexible and powerful automation features.

WiFi product integrations are supported by virtually all multi-tech hubs including HomeSeer, SmartThings, Wink, Hubitat, Vera and more. It’s also supported by a number of smart home software programs including HomeSeer, Indigo and a number of open source programs.

Interoperability

The landscape of WiFi smart home devices is comprised of multiple ecosystems. One company, Tuya, powers thousands of products on their IoT platform. However, the bulk of the remainder are made up of company-specific integrations. Each of these is based on a different integration API and for the most part, they do not work together. Many companies do provide their own integrations with Amazon or Google smart speakers and HomeKit compatible ones will also work with Apple smart speakers and products.

Availability

WiFi operates on the universally-accepted 2.4 GHz band and works through your home’s router. Products are widely available.

Recommended For...

If you’re looking to tip-toe into the smart home world, WiFi is the simplest and least expensive way to do it. It’s the only technology that does not require a hub. Just install the device, download the app and off you go! Bear in mind that automations will be limited to simple scheduled on/off operations. Voice control can be added easily with the addition of a smart speaker and more advanced automation can be accomplished with the addition of a multi-tech hub or software program.

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Choosing a Smart Home Hub? | Why Cloud vs Local Matters

Mark Colegrove — Sun, 24 May 2020 05:18:00 +0000

Does This Really Matter?

In principle, smart home hubs are all the same. They integrate multiple technologies and provide app control and automation of your smart devices. The difference lies not in what they do but in how they do it, and this difference plays a key role in determining performance, reliability, cost, convenience and longevity. With that in mind, lets take a look at the pros and cons of cloud-managed and locally-managed smart home hubs.

Locally-Managed Smart Hubs

Locally-managed systems came first, largely because that was the only way to do it in the early days (pre-Internet, pre-IoT). Some early hubs were tricked-out security panels (HAI, Elk); others were proprietary dealer-installed controllers (Crestron, Control4); some were computer-based DIY systems (HomeSeer, Indigo, mControl). In all cases, the hub was the focal point for the system and it managed all commands and automations.

Anatomy of Locally-Managed Automation

The diagram below illustrates the steps required to execute a typical locally-managed automation. In this case, the hub is programmed to turn on a light when a sensor detects motion.

Motion is sensed and broadcasted to the hub.
Automation rules execute on the hub.
Hub sends the ON command to the light.

PROS

Reliability – The failure points for a locally-managed system are limited to the equipment and software. Internet connectivity is only required for remote access.
Performance – Automation rules are processed on the hub itself. This helps to keep latency (delays) to a minimum.
Dedicated Automation – Locally-managed hubs process automation rules for one system only. Load sharing is not required. Again, this speaks to performance.
Local Access – Web and touchscreen access are available on the home’s local network. Internet connectivity is not required for local access.
Privacy – Sensitive data (schedules, automation rules) are stored locally on the hub.
Update Management – Update your hub if and when you want, on your schedule, on your terms.
Future Proofing – Locally managed hubs don’t rely on a web service, nor do they rely on the company health of the manufacturer. Barring outright equipment failure, a locally managed hub should last a very long time.

CONS

Cost – It does cost a bit more to construct a locally-managed hub. Onboard processors (CPUs) and RAM have to be sized for managing complex automations and large smart home systems. That said, you can still get a locally-managed system (like our HomeTroller Pi) for close to $100.
Setup – Locally-managed systems are usually configured using desktop computers. App-based setup is less prevalent (at the moment) but this is changing.

HomeSeer Locally Managed Hubs

Pi
Advanced Hub
reg $129.95

Plus
Premium Hub
reg $429.95

PRO
Ultimate Hub
reg $1,199.95

Cloud-Managed Smart Hubs

Cloud-managed hubs first hit the market in 2012 and over the next few years, their numbers grew rapidly. Brands included SmartThings, Revolv, Wink, Lowes (IRIS), Staples (Home Connect) and many lesser known brands. Many began life as crowd-funded projects. Today, the field has whittled down to just a few.

Anatomy of Cloud-Managed Automation

The diagram below illustrates the steps required to execute a typical cloud-managed automation. In this case, the cloud service is programmed to turn on a light when a sensor detects motion.

Motion is sensed and broadcasted to the hub.
Hub uploads that data to the cloud service for processing.
Automation rules execute on the cloud service.
Hub downloads command from cloud service.
Hub sends the ON command to the light.

PROS

Cost – Cloud-managed hubs are fairly cheap to build as they don’t require a lot of memory or processing power.
Setup – These are mobile app-centric systems that do not require a desktop computer for setup or programming.

CONS

Reliability – The failure points for a cloud-managed system include the local equipment & software. the cloud service equipment & software, and the Internet servers & software. Any outage will delay or prevent automations from running.
Performance – All automation rules are processed by the cloud service. Even under the best of conditions, some degree of latency is unavoidable.
Non-Dedicated Automation – Cloud service systems must handle hundreds or thousands of hub requests simultaneously. This will tend to increase latency, especially during peak usage periods.
Local Access – If the Internet is down, the app won’t function. If the app is down, no local control is available.
Privacy – Your sensitive data (schedules, automation rules) are stored in the cloud.
Update Management – Your hub company will deploy updates on their schedule; not yours. Local access and automations will not work during the update process.
Future Proofing – Cloud manged hubs are completely reliant on a cloud service to remain functional. If the service is shut down for any reason, the hub will be stop working. To date, these cloud-manage hubs have been rendered inoperable by service shutdowns or have switched to a paid subscription model:
- Revolv (shut down 2016)
- Staples Connect (shut down 2017)
- Lowes IRIS (shut down 2019)
- Wink (switched to paid subscription 2020)

Cloud-Managed Hubs

Still Available

SmartThings

No Longer Available

Revolve, Staples Home Connect & Lowes IRIS have all shut down.

In Conclusion...

If performance and reliability are at the top of your list and you have the budget for it, you’ll want to get a locally-managed hub. Naturally, we’d prefer that you get one of ours! Other options include Vera and Hubitat.

If you’re on a tight budget or don’t have a home computer, a cloud-managed hub might be a better choice for you. These are generally less expensive and can be installed and programmed with just a smart phone or tablet.

The post Choosing a Smart Home Hub? | Why Cloud vs Local Matters appeared first on HomeSeer Smart Home Systems.