How is buying a SmartThings Hub and a Z-wave light switch better than buying a direct wi-fi compatible switch like the Belkin WeMo?
1867509
You can control your wemo devices, as well as things like the zigbee based LED lightbulbs selling in the $15 price range... The SmartThings hub bridges multiple communication standards with one app, and a lot of other features. So it just depends on if you have enough with what you have, or if you want more.
1867510
You have the flexibility to use a lot more devices then just the Belkin Wemo. You can buy light switches from different manufactures as long as they support zwave or zigbee. I recently purchased the smartthings hub and have been adding Linear WD500Z dimmable light switches to the house and they work great. In the near future I'll adding additional devices to the network to control other things around the house, garage door, pool pump, outdoor lights.I have been purchasing the Linear WD500Z for $31.92 on amazon, the savings add up when you are changing all the lights in the house. Go to http://www.z-wave.com/ to see all the different products that you can buy. You have the flexibility to use a lot more devices then just the Belkin Wemo. You can buy light switches from different manufactures as long as they support zwave or zigbee. I recently purchased the smartthings hub and have been adding Linear WD500Z dimmable light switches to the house and they work great. In the near future I'll adding additional devices to the network to control other things around the house, garage door, pool pump, outdoor lights.I have been purchasing the Linear WD500Z for $31.92 on amazon, the savings add up when you are changing all the lights in the... » Read More You have the flexibility to use a lot more devices then just the Belkin Wemo. You can buy light switches from different manufactures as long as they support zwave or zigbee. I recently purchased the smartthings hub and have been adding Linear WD500Z dimmable light switches to the house and they work great. In the near future I'll adding additional devices to the network to control other things around the house, garage door, pool pump, outdoor lights.I have been purchasing the Linear WD500Z for $31.92 on amazon, the savings add up when you are changing all the lights in the house. Go to http://www.z-wave.com/ to see all the different products that you can buy. « Show Less
1867511
If you are buying only one switch, the hub is not needed. However, if you plan on having multiple smart devices, the hub keeps it all in one place. Otherwise, you'd have 5 apps running 5 devices rather than one app running all of your devices. Also, some devices, like my door knob do not have an associated app so you need the hub to operate it remotely.
1867512
ZWave will do much more than simply controlling a light switch. If you just need to control a light or two, them WeMo is the way to go. If you want the potential for total house automation; Thermostats, Lights, Wall Outlets, Appliances, motion sensors, automated drapes/blinds, security/proximity sensors, etc, etc, etc... Then ZWave is the way to go. SmartThings is a good hub to control ZigBee and ZWave devices while offering additional features such as presence detention, automated actions based on triggers, etc.
1867513
ST Hub has the potential for integrate a lot more of devices and controllers, also there are several communities creating and sharing a lot of ideas, cases and examples... search for zwave devices at amazon.
1737473
I also live in MN and have this working with my SmartThings hub. I had mine installed all last winter (2013/2014) and did not have a single issue. I will point out though that I have a mix of additional powered z-wave (and zigbee) devices that are acting as repeaters around the house. The relay alone works great to open and close the door but I also use a 3 axis sensor (SmartThings Multi Sensor) to determine if the door is open or closed and to be alerted.
963271
i am using it without nexia, (using smartthings hub) which i highly recommend, no monthly fees, lots of integrated products, apps.... nexia im not sure...
1486950
Would a WeMo Insight Switch from Belkin solve your issue? I use them to turn lamps on and off remotely with timer via wi-fi when I'm not home.
755687
These sensors work with the Honeywell and 2GIG alarm system. They don't use wifi. I think wink uses zwave or some other mesh network. These use a different technology for security.
340401
Their hub supports zwave so it is compatible with the hardware. However this from their help center site would give me pause "Also, Staples Connect is an open system. Other devices (including Z-Wave, Z-Wave Plus, WiFi, and Lutron ClearConnect) may work with the system but we can't guarantee their full functionality."
2185269
I purchased this item from Smartthings directly and attempted to include this with my Veralite z-wave network. I could never get it to work using the instructions on the Smartthings website. So apparently it is proprietary to their smart things hub. I had to return it to them.
2250067
No. This device works opposite - takes wireless input and makes available the network cable connection. What she needs is a Ethernet hub which splits one connection to 4 connections, for a small hub. They are not expensive. I wouldn't know why she would want to, but with the hub she could add the Belkin device and make a wireless hot spot for the room. I recommend the hub and wired connection.
86616
Yes. I had no issues connecting these to my Smart Things hub. I simply went to the add device screen, and pulled the plastic tab on the back of the sensor, waited a few seconds, and it appeared under <Other Devices> as a Z-Wave Door/Window Sensor.
409102
Hi Tj, this is Ryan from the SmartThings support team. Thanks for your question about the SmartThings Hub. We don't expect that we would ever offer a completely disconnected service. That said, in the next phase of our growth, we expect to offer a Version 2 SmartThings Hub that supports temporary local Internet outages. The reason for this is that there are lots of devices that don't require a hub at all - and those devices need to work together - and that requires the SmartThings Cloud. Thanks again and if you have any other questions, feel free and email us at support@smartthings.com
86618
Yes. I had no issues connecting these to my Smart Things hub. I simply went to the add device screen, and pulled the plastic tab on the back of the sensor, waited a few seconds, and it appeared under &lt;Other Devices&gt; as a Z-Wave Door/Window Sensor.
2261514
Requires a hub or some form of a device to sit in the middle that speaks the zigbee protocol to interface with. I have not seen any information about how well the smart sense gadgets play with other hubs other than their own but technically should work with any zigbee controller since that is a standard protocol. The hub is required to communicate with the sensor and then translate that via some form of software interface to your wifi or in smartthings case up to the cloud and then back down to you.
2284562
I'm about to roll the dice and try this. I have a SmartThings hub. I've already added a couple of Z-Wave GE switches and outlets and they work great. I'm disappointed that GE doesn't have a fan control Z-Wave switch, because I really like the GE outlets and switches that I've put in so far. They were easy to setup and add to my SmartThings Z-Wave network. I HOPE this works and is as easy as they were.
436254
Depends on what you use it with. I use mine with SmartThings, as it is z-wave. SmartThings does not have any monthly fee, so it is free. You can use this with any z-wave compatible devices, in theory. The keypad is free, of course.
1274542
I uses Smartthings. I actually bought this to work with the Smartthings. Works great. Locks and unlocks upon our arrival and departure don't have to do a thing. alerts me when the door is open when I'm not home, I can lock or unlock remotely etc etc etc
1000987
It's not wifiIt's zwave and need a zwave controller like Vera lite It requires installation in a switch box
91402
The Belkin only connects you wirelessly to your home's wireless network. The HDMI port on your TV does not know how to process an Internet signal through HDMI. You would need some intermediate device connected to the Belkin and then to the TV to do what you want. You are better off buying an inexpensive Blu ray player that is Internet Ready and has Smart TV capability to do the job for you. You can find them as low as $50 which is not much more than the Belkin device.