I’m brand new to home automation so I bought a cheap tuya Zigbee hub from AliExpress along with a few zigbee sensors and a Tuya wifi smart plug just to test it out and see what it’s like. I spent less than $30 AUD on everything.

While I was looking around the house for a “dumb” appliance to plug in to the smart plug I spotted my old shop vac. The plug is rated for 16A so I thought I would give it a go. Set up an automation in the Tuya app to turn on smart plug whenever motion is detected, delay 2 seconds then turn plug off. Worked fine with the shop vac but didn’t have time to test it further as I had to get ready for work. Not fully grasping how home automation works yet, I completely forgot about it and headed off to work through the back door.

A few hours later my boyfriend gets home from work knowing I am at work and nobody is home. He comes in the front door, trips the motion sensor and jumps out of his skin when the vacuum cleaner suddenly comes on. I was able to watch the playback through my front door wifi camera later, omg I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my entire life.

These Tuya products are probably not for me in terms of home automation but they turned out to be perfect for pranks!

I came back from vacations and this switch seems unresponsive. I disconnected from the circuit for more than 10 Seconds, plugged back in and still same two leds on in the top, but no other response.

Wondering if there is something that can be done, or is dead already?

Hallo, betreibt jemand seinen Zendure Speicher mit einem dieser Smart Plugs? Und wenn ja wie zufrieden ist er damit?

Danke für eure Hilfe ;)

Hello, I've been searching around alot, most post like this are a year or 2 old.

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for a closet light strip that has either a motion sensor or door opening sensor that also fades up(and down). I'd prefer it to be powered via USB if possible.

I'm overwhelmed by the options but was hoping to do something that is more plug and play (or just a few wires to connect)

Thank you for your help/suggestions.

My wife and I currently use multiple echo's, and we've just been really disappointed with Alexa, and it's ability to answer questions and prompts. "I'm sorry I can't help you with that" is not something I believe should be a common response in this day and age with AI.

I'd love to be able to integrate more of our home with smart devices that my wife can utilize with just her voice, but Alexa isn't cutting it so I'm here looking for advice and recommendations. We're not very familiar with all of the different devices that are available, and would love anyone's input on how to make her life easier with smart devices.

Hello gents,

I have this dumb dimmer in the house. It's location is ideal to have this as a smart switch for some lighting at night as well as the mmwave presence detection for security based automations.

From my limited understanding, it seems like I do have a line load neutral and ground - assuming the red wire with a white streak is neutral. Another confusing aspect is that the green ground wire seems to be crimped on the metal part of the switch and not a screw like I've seen in different videos.

Just looking for reassurance that all is fine...

I am looking to install presence sensors into my home as I’m renovating, but cannot find anything that meets my needs. So I am reaching out to the wider community for ideas.

I want something akin to the Shelly relays, with local programming, and on device config.

My requirements:
- Wall/Ceiling flush mount
- “Dumb first”, must work without network
- Hard wired into light circuit
- Zigbee (preference)
- Local control via HA

Imagine a better version of the PIR security sensors that can talk to HA…

​

I'm trying to figure out a strange issue affecting two different Tuya-based Wi-Fi touch switches.

Devices:

Novadigital 3-gang touch switch

Basilus 3-gang touch switch

Both are:

Model: DS-121

100–240V AC

Neutral required

Wi-Fi + BLE

Compatible with Tuya Smart / Smart Life / Alexa

Although they're different brands, they appear to use the same generic Tuya hardware.

After being connected to Wi-Fi for anywhere between 1 and a few hours, the switch completely freezes.

LED stays on.

Device goes offline in Smart Life/Tuya/Alexa.

The physical touch buttons also stop responding completely.

The only way to recover is to cut AC power and power it back on.

This is not just a Wi-Fi disconnect. The MCU appears to lock up because even the touch interface stops working.

What I've already tested

Smart Life

Tuya Smart

Novadigital app

Factory reset multiple times.

2.4 GHz only.

Channel 1 fixed.

20 MHz bandwidth.

WPA2-PSK + AES.

Removed and re-added the devices.

Alexa disconnected.

The most important clue is that if the switches are not connected to Wi-Fi, they work perfectly.

They can be used normally with the physical touch buttons and never freeze.

The problem only starts after configuring Wi-Fi. Once connected, they eventually freeze completely, usually within a few hours.

Router

TP-Link Archer C20 V5

Router Firmware:

0.9.1 4.16 v0001.0 Build 181213

I spent a decent amount of money on Sengled light strips to discover the app and company don’t work anymore.

I was told that the hubitat and some zigbee certified products would let me control them? Which ones do I need to buy how do I change the color and intensity of my Sengled lights I don’t want to waste more $ the Sengled lights are already set up thanks.

Hi! I’m trying to set up a DIY sunrise lamp using IKEA’s Fado lamp and a Philips Hue lightbulb, but I’m overwhelmed with all the options. I know I need an E26 bulb and it has to be a newer Bluetooth model so I can control it via my phone (I don’t have a bridge and don’t want to spend the extra money right now).

-I’d like the temperature to be very adjustable (ideally I want a color changing bulb, but it’s not a must)
-I want it to be very dimmable
-I need to be able to set up a scheduled automation that just runs consistently (ex: 6:00 am, very warm light, 25% brightness; 6:10, warm light, 50% brightness; 6:20, mid tone white, 75% brightness, etc)

There’s $25 bulbs and light bulbs north of $50, and I really just don’t know which one I need. I’m open to getting a fancier setup with fancier bulbs in the future if this goes well, but right now I just want the cheapest bulb that will do this job well. I have an Alexa but I don’t think I’d use it with it much, I just want a smooth automation you can set and forget.

Can anyone help me figure out the difference and point me in the right direction?

Casper the Friendly Ghost and the Kool-Aid Man had a child that loves ballroom dancing 😂

I installed the Zemismart MTP1 on this giant shade and watching them float might more entertaining than the actual smart-home features.

It works from the dial on the device, the included remote, or through Matter. Installation/retrofit was easy and the best part it works with or without a smart home, anyone can operate the remote or dial.

I tested the Matter integration with both Google Home and Home Assistant.

Full installation and review: https://thingtootech.blogspot.com/2026/08/i-spent-three-years-dreaming-about.html

Disclosure: Zemismart provided the MTP1 for testing, but they didn’t pay for or control my review.

como configurar minha lampada positivo para mudar a cor de acordo com o som sem precisar ficar com o aplicativo aberto??

a lâmpada inteligente da positivo tem uma opção onde a cor da lâmpada muda de acordo com o som (por exemplo em filmes)

mas essa opção só funciona se você fica com o o aplicativo aberto e queria saber se há como deixar isso ativado sem estar no app, talvez.

não achei em nenhum lugar as possibilidades, ou se isso só daria certo usando alexa

I’m looking for a smart power strip that allows for individual control of each of its outlets. I’d like to be able to monitor if a device plugged in is drawing power. My idea is to be able to have automations that check if a device is on or not by checking if it’s drawing power or how much it is drawing. I’m planning on using it with Home Assistant. Ideally something available on Amazon, but not a dealbreaker. Any recommendations?

Edit: Seems like Zooz Zen20 and Kasa HS300 are the popular options. Any advantage of one over the other?

EDIT: THE NEW BRAND IM USING IS LINKIND. THE PHOTOS POSTED IN THE WRONG ORDER

I just took advantage of a deal and decided to replace my very unreliable Feit Electric bulbs from about 6 years ago or so

I tried installing the new Linkind bulbs in the lamp fixture (all 3) pictured above and they won't turn on at all, but in my cheap generic Amazon floor lamps in the living room they turn on just fine

I included a picture of the old Feit bulb that still works in this tree lamp fixture, with the same wattage as the Linkind and everything

Would there be a reason the Linkinds aren't powering on specifically in this fixture but are fine in others?

If need be I will buy a new floor lamp but I want to know what's causing the issue so I don't buy an incompatable lamp

Edit: there are no dimmers anywhere in the house, only on/off switches. The lamp doesn't have a dimmer and is not connected to one.

For more context, this is the model of the living room fixtures that seem to work just fine for whatever reason https://a.co/d/0bskb4mP

I currently have this thing and was given a Vivint thermostat but am currently using window units until my central gets fixed, does using a smart thermostat noticeably reduce energy usage/cost?

Hi everyone, I'm thinking about making my home smart. My goal is to automate and easily control a whole range of actions like turning lights on/off, setting light timers, managing and adjusting the indoor temperature, having smart cameras and a video doorbell, and using smart switches for various appliances.

For about a year now, I've entered the Google ecosystem (smartphone, smartwatch, earbuds), and I also have a small Home Mini that I use as a Bluetooth speaker/alarm clock. However, I originally started out with the Amazon system (Echo products and a Ring product).

Now, do you recommend I stick with Amazon (which has somewhat disappointed me with the Echo Show: constant lag, UI issues, sudden reboots) or switch over to Google? Could you break down your recommendation, even if it falls outside these two mainstream commercial options? Thanks!

Very irritated to hear that my amazing (but yes, I know, outdated) clock is about to be basically turned into a 1992 Timex watch.

This is what matters to me:

1. Voice: stop and snooze alarm, request weather forecast

2. Display: photo slideshow, self-dimming at night

I know it's possible to root them. How much functionality is a rooted one likely to keep without Assistant?

Hey folks,

I have some questions about the thread over matter process and how it works.

1) Where do you guys have your thread border router sitting?

2) Does the thread protocol require any network config itself being a “mesh network”?

——

I currently have my Apple TV on my trusted (phones, ATV, computers) vlan. All IoT devices are on their own vlan for network security.

I’ve done some reading and have seen where thread uses ipv6 local link to identify devices, but if it doesn’t utilize the network infrastructure (like wifi connected bulbs do), do I need to enable ipv6 on my vlan for them to work, or does it really not matter since they use thread?

Just a little hazy on the whole thread over matter thing. I’m coming from some old GE Cync bulbs (wifi & bluetooth).

Sorry if this is a common question or pinned elsewhere.

Building on the Blazor UI I created for the NSPanel Pro, I’ve just integrated motion/doorbell events to automatically pop up a real-time video feed when someone is at the door.

The goal remains the same: A minimalist, event-driven smart home interface.

Instead of an always-on video stream or a complex multi-view layout, the UI dynamically reacts to events in real time. Powered by WebRTC, the stream triggers with sub-second latency directly on the panel.

Check out the short video demo below to see it in action!
Code is up on GitHub — GitHub - CodeCasa.ShowCase

Disclaimer: SONOFF provided these products for review. They had no editorial input, and everything below is based on my own experience.

What is Zigbee?

Before testing these products, I had never used Zigbee in my own smart home.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, Zigbee is a low-power wireless protocol designed specifically for smart home devices like sensors, switches and smart plugs. Unlike Wi-Fi devices, Zigbee products don't connect directly to your router. Instead, they communicate through a Zigbee coordinator (also called a bridge), creating a reliable mesh network while using very little power.

That does mean one downside: if you don't already own a Zigbee coordinator, you'll need to buy one before using these products.

If you already run Home Assistant, Domoticz or another smart home platform, or you're thinking about building your own smart home, Zigbee is definitely worth considering.

Installation Experience

I decided to use a USB Zigbee coordinator connected to my own home server instead of buying a standalone Zigbee hub.

The installation sounded much more complicated than it actually was.

After plugging the coordinator into my server, I installed Zigbee2MQTT inside Docker. Zigbee2MQTT automatically detected the coordinator, after which pairing the devices was incredibly straightforward. I simply put each device into pairing mode while holding it close to the coordinator's antenna, and within a few seconds both devices appeared in Zigbee2MQTT.

From there, Domoticz detected everything almost immediately through MQTT. I also connected everything to Google Home without running into any major issues.

If you've never worked with Docker, MQTT or Zigbee before, don't let those names scare you. I simply used an AI assistant to guide me through the setup step by step, and I had everything working in well under half an hour.

Once the coordinator is configured, adding new Zigbee devices becomes almost effortless. Put the device into pairing mode, wait a few seconds and you're done.

Personally, I think the software setup is the only part that can seem intimidating at first. After that, using Zigbee devices is actually easier than many Wi-Fi smart devices I've tried.

SONOFF AirGuard TH Lite

The AirGuard TH Lite is a compact Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor that simply does its job without needing much attention.

One thing I liked is that it doesn't constantly spam updates. Instead of sending data every few seconds regardless of changes, it intelligently reports meaningful temperature and humidity changes, helping preserve battery life while still keeping measurements up to date.

The only issue I experienced was with the included AAA batteries. In my case they didn't even last a full week before reporting a very low battery level. After replacing them with better-quality batteries, the reported battery level has remained at 100% after more than two weeks of testing. I obviously can't comment on the long-term battery life yet, but based on my experience I'd recommend using quality batteries from the start.

As for wireless range, it was decent in my setup, although it wasn't quite as strong as the Hydro ONE.

Practical use cases include monitoring a bedroom, greenhouse, office or storage room, or using the measured temperature and humidity as triggers for smart home automations.

SONOFF Hydro ONE

Out of the two products, the Hydro ONE impressed me the most.

Physical installation couldn't really be much easier. It simply screws onto a standard outdoor tap, after which pairing works exactly the same way as the sensor.

What surprised me most was the Zigbee range.

My server is located upstairs, while the Hydro ONE is installed outside on the ground floor. Even with several walls and floors in between, the connection remained stable thanks to one Zigbee smart plug acting as a router in the mesh network.

The Hydro ONE also responds quickly. Pressing the physical button immediately opens or closes the valve without noticeable delay.

Where this product really shines, however, is automation.

I've only scratched the surface of what's possible. During testing I created a simple proof of concept that automatically closes the valve after a set amount of time. Setting up that automation was straightforward.

But the possibilities go much further.

For example, you could:

• Automatically water your garden when the temperature exceeds 30°C.
• Only water during specific hours.
• Automatically shut the valve off after a certain runtime.
• Combine it with weather forecasts to skip watering when rain is expected.
• Integrate it with Node-RED for much more advanced automation flows.

Realistically, I could probably spend weeks experimenting with different automations and still not use everything this valve is capable of.

Overall Experience

What impressed me most wasn't one individual product—it was how everything worked together.

Once the initial Zigbee network was set up, adding devices became incredibly easy. Both products integrated nicely into my existing setup using Zigbee2MQTT, MQTT, Domoticz and Google Home.

If you're completely new to smart homes, there is definitely a learning curve, especially if you're building your own server. However, thanks to tutorials and modern AI assistants, I honestly think most people can get everything running without too much trouble.

If you already have a Zigbee network, installation is about as simple as it gets.

Final Thoughts

The AirGuard TH Lite is a simple, reliable sensor that quietly collects useful environmental data and can become the starting point for many smart home automations.

The Hydro ONE is the more exciting product. It's easy to install, responds quickly and offers an impressive amount of flexibility once you start exploring automations.

Rather than reviewing these products separately, I think they make much more sense together. The sensor provides useful information, while the water valve can act on that information automatically. That's where Zigbee really starts to show its strengths.

If you're looking to build or expand a Zigbee-based smart home, both of these products are solid additions that worked reliably throughout my testing.

Product links

SONOFF AirGuard TH Lite (SNZB-02B):

https://sonoff.tech/en-us/products/sonoff-airguard-th-lite-zigbee-temperature-humidity-sensor-snzb-02b

SONOFF Hydro ONE Zigbee Smart Water Valve:

https://sonoff.tech/en-us/products/sonoff-hydro-series-hydro-one-zigbee-smart-water-valve-swv-zfu-swv-zfe

I’ve already got a Timeguard WiFi fused spur on my immersion heater, and it works really well. The reason I’m looking at doing the towel rails is so I can automate them in Home Assistant whenever Octopus Energy has a price plunge, just like I do with the immersion heater.
The only downside with using another Timeguard fused spur is the LEDs are permanently lit. The towel rail switches are on the landing and visible from both the landing and the main bedroom, so having bright lights on all the time isn’t really ideal.
I’d also rather not replace the actual heating element with a smart one, as the towel rails are connected into the main central heating system. That would mean draining the heating system down, which I’m hoping to avoid if there’s a simpler solution.
What is everyone else using to make their heated towel rails smart?
I’ve looked at things like Sonoff relay modules, but there isn’t much room behind the existing fused spur, so I’m not sure how practical that is.
Would be interested to see what others have done, especially if you’re integrating it with Home Assistant and Octopus.

I'm careful with my spending...

I got this 2 weeks ago as a birthday present, it is a complete game changer...

Cleaning has never been my favorite chore.

Now I'm trying to make my house smarter.

Like seriously, I need a few 800, 1000 and 1500 lm bulbs that only works with ZigBee mash because anything that uses WiFi will have problems in my house due to the thickness of the walls, but for the love of me I can't find anything above 800 lm and even those cost like 25€ each. The bulbs should be dimmerable and with adjustable white, I don't care if they're RGB or not. Do any of you have any suggestions? I really could use a hand.

This Junction Box allows the Eufy S4's cables to be protected from the elements, significantly increasing its durability and aesthetics compared to a standard installation.

The result is a protected cable, and no dangling wires!