Controlling Zigbee devices?

[spiv]

Just for reference, it would seem that the Samsung SmartThings hub is becoming a popular consumer-grade Home Automation hub. For better or worse, Samsung is pushing this and it is more open than the soon-to-be-dead Wink hub from Home Depot or the requires-a-monthly-fee Lowe's Iris hub.

SmartThings is not considered to have a great user interface, and until the new version of the hub was entirely Internet/cloud dependent. I have not tested one yet, so I don't know how well the new version, which claims to support offline operation works.

However, for reference, the Smartthings website has a very extensive list of tested/certified devices that are approved for use with the ST hub - both Z-Wave and Zigbee. For a good look at what commonly available Zigbee devices are in the market, I would recommend looking at their site https://www.smartthings.com/compatible-products and clicking on the "Zigbee" sorting category on the left. Very interesting snapshot of current consumer market.

Smarthings also has a developer program with a documented API, so a plug-in that talks to ST hub is also a reasonable possibility.

[Japple55]

SmartThings is not considered to have a great user interface, and until the new version of the hub was entirely Internet/cloud dependent. I have not tested one yet, so I don't know how well the new version, which claims to support offline operation works.

Having left the SmartThings world for Indigo (and so happy I did) I'm not completely current on their hub improvements. I had V1 and it was SO unreliable, and same with V2. It wasn't the hub hardware, it was their cloud servers. But I can tell you that their claim of offline operation was mostly marketing BS! The hub was capable, yes, but anything that was to run local had to go through a long process getting approved by ST to operate locally. At the time I left, I think a few lights were the only thing that could run locally. I never would have upgraded if they had been more forthcoming about that fact. Wink now has local operation of lights, and I believe they recently added locks to that list too.

I've used SmartThings, Vera, and have a Wink that will likely remain in the shrinkwrap. I would love to have Zigbee capability native, but there is no substitute for complete local operation and rock-solid reliability, and Indigo is that!

Jim

[Different Computers]

Smarthings also has a developer program with a documented API, so a plug-in that talks to ST hub is also a reasonable possibility.

I've got Indigo controlling my old ST hub using the Maker Channel of IFTTT. Unfortunately, getting the Maker channel to tell things to Indigo is filled with problems having to do with digest authentication.

[Japple55]

Unfortunately, getting the Maker channel to tell things to Indigo is filled with problems having to do with digest authentication.

Not to mention the fact that IFTTT can have some really bad delays, at least that has been my experience. I wouldn't want to use it for time-critical stuff.

[spiv]

Not to mention the fact that IFTTT can have some really bad delays, at least that has been my experience. I wouldn't want to use it for time-critical stuff.

One of the reasons I strongly advocate using Indigo!

Anything that relies on Internet/Cloud for automation or critical operation like IFTTT or Amazon Echo/Alexa is a "toy" or "gadget" in my opinion and should only be used for entertainment/amusement of friends and guests.

I just suffered a 3-day outage of an Amazon Alexa/Echo 3rd party skill from a fairly well-known company. The 3rd party clearly identified Amazon as the problem and when I contacted Amazon tech support (after much looking around for a phone number hidden on their website), I was told it would be fixed within 48 hours and I would get an email. Well, it did (eventually) get fixed, but I am still waiting for that courtesy email from Amazon tech support (never arrived).

[Different Computers]

Not to mention the fact that IFTTT can have some really bad delays, at least that has been my experience. I wouldn't want to use it for time-critical stuff.

Agreed. But it's more reliable than letting ST do the controls itself, and I'm not the programmer necessary to figure out the ST API that would let us do direct control. Even that "direct" control is probably up to the ST cloud, then back down to the ST hub 8 feet from my Indigo Mac.

[RedYuriPrime]

With the Amazon Echo Plus having a Zigbee interface, does that change the argument for including a zigbee interface with Indigo?
Amazon have a very strong drive to move into the smart home market by leveraging their voice control, and so a means of expanding the use within indigo of direct voice commands would be very useful, assuming it can be achieved (since it would be controller to controller, with Amazon presumably controlling access to their device)

Any thoughts

[FlyingDiver]

My guess would be no. Any control of the Echo (if Amazon allowed) would be over Wifi. No need for Zigbee to Zigbee communication at all.