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Is there a universal hub/bridge with motion sensors on the market?

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  • 20-11-2021 8:53pm
    #1
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭


    I want to turn on indoor bulbs in the hallway/stairs via a motion sensor. I know Philips have a hub and motion sensors but I think it only works with Hue bulbs? Is there a universal one that will work with other bulbs, Im currently running all Teckin bulbs and would buy more of them for the stairs if they can be switched on via a motion sensor.



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    #2
    PilotHole
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭PilotHole


    Im no expert , far from it in fact .

    But you should be able to do this with a zigbee hub & some zigbee sensors.

    you might have to use home assistant to get around the different eco systems.



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    #3
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118214385#Comment_118214385

    Thanks very helpful. When you say home assistant is that an app or do you mean Alexa/Google home?

    Id heard of Zigbee before- is that a brand in itself or a technology inside various different brands?



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    #4
    PilotHole
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭PilotHole


    Home assistant is a bit of software that runs on its own machine (raspberry pi in my case) or a virtual machine attached to your network.

    It runs without a monitor and you access it via your browser.

    You can then take all your different eco systems and put them under one umbrella so they can interface with each other via HAss (home assistant).

    Its intimidating enough at the start but its doable.

    Zigbee is its own tech designed for home automation, battery powered devices that have very low power consumption but are responsive.

    I've only played around with the ewelink (sonoff) zigbee hub, temp sensors & zigbee switches . all very easy to set up.



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    #5
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118214385#Comment_118214385

    Thats exactly what I have, but with smart life on the phone instead of home assistant.



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    #6
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118215409#Comment_118215409

    What brand of hub are you using? And are you running motion sensors as well? I have the Smart Life app on the phone which currently runs 8 Teckin smart bulbs. In the app it seem to refer to them as a 'Gateway', Im presuming this is a hub?



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    #7
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118218543#Comment_118218543

    Two zigbee hubs, about €15 each. The wireless ir sensors are only the size of your big toe and cost about €15 each too. Battery lasts about 6 months in them. Just put opne on a shelf in the living room, hall and kitchen. One in the garage too. I have another wireless sensor thats a bit bigger and takes rechargeable AAA batteries that last about 10 months.

    Then you set up rules in smartlife. eg if Hall sensor detects movement between 11pm and 7am then turn on all the lights in the house and set the siren off.

    Or you can set a rule that the sensors all activate when you arent in the house and send a notification to your phone.

    Pair that with a few €20 cameras in the house and when you get a notification from a sensor you can open the cameras on your phone to see if anyone is there when you are away.

    I also have the hall sensor turn on the hall and bathroom lights during the hours of darkness for 5 minutes if you walk out into the hall to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. Also have the central heating on it.

    You can build it up over time. Just buy a new sensor every month or so. I found Aliexpress really cheap for all that stuff.

    Possibilities are endless.



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    #8
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118219505#Comment_118219505

    Thats brilliant Jimmy thanks, you've pretty much described everything I want to do. Also good to hear you can set rules with the motion sensors as the Aliexpress listings I was looking at dont go into that detail.

    Just on Zigbee- I understand it is a protocol that runs all these units- is it correct to say that once the hub has Zigbee on board then it shouldnt matter to be running different brands of bulbs/motion sensors (so long as they are Zigbee enabled themselves)? I had started out with Teckin bulbs but now cant even find them on Amazon and they are selling other brands instead. I presume once what you are using has Zigbee on board then that makes it universal?



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    #9
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118220248#Comment_118220248

    ANything zigbee will connect through the hub. You connect the hub to smartlife through your wifi. I also have some wifi sockets and bulbs that arent zigbee and i just connect them to smartlife through my normal wifi. The smartlife rules still work across them all. Just put smartlife on your phone and tab the little sun icon on the bottom center and you can set up the rules there.



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    #10
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Thanks, that gives me some reassurance that I can mix and match, just wasnt sure up until now. Will pick up the hub and a couple of motion sensors on Aliexpress later tonight



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