Aqara Door and Window Sensor, REQUIRES AQARA HUB, Zigbee Connection, Wireless Mini Contact Sensor for Alarm System and Smart Home Automation, Compatible with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Works With IFTTT

The setup is standard. So, before I start, let me state that I am a non-believer. I wanted to share my standard smart home approach with those who are similar to me. When I set out to make my house smart, I look for items that meet two criteria: 1. br>br> affordably pricedbr>br>br>br>b I know how to work around their proprietary systemsbr>br>Affordable is self-explanatory. The second item is self-explanatory, but it is required so that I am not locked into a contract with a company that may or may not go out of business. Also, as a tinfoil hat wearer, I like having devices that don't call home to the mother ship whenever they want. br>br>I started with wifi-enabled devices and then moved on to reading about z-wave. zigbee and wave are two different types of wireless technology. Because of its greater range, I gravitated toward zigbee. My zigbee device is in the basement closet, and I refuse to purchase a standard hub. Because I'm only a few weeks into this project and already have a Raspberry PI 4 running OpenHAB, a custom approach seemed logical. After conducting extensive research, I chose a ConBee II USB dongle Zigbee gateway and installed zigbe2mqtt on my Raspberry Pi. The device was immediately recognized by my PI/zigbee2mqtt after opening it up and pressing long on the button to pair it. It took some trial and error to get it to work with OpenHab after that, but the important thing to remember is that it communicates with zigbee2mqtt right out of the box. I've since ordered 7 more for the rest of my house's windows and doors, as part of a piecemeal security system. I plan to expand to motion and temperature sensors now that I know Aqara will pair without issue with my setup (and without their proprietary hub). br>br>Anyway, I wanted to share this because I have a non-profit organization that I'd like to support. The setup is standard. Perhaps this will make things a little easier for another DIY'erbr>br>** Update 07/20/2021 *
I've since switched from OpenHAB to Home Assistant and couldn't be happier. br>br> I now have 15 (!) of these little guys that work seamlessly with zigbee2mqtt and HA. ) of these guys have installed around my house on all doors and windows and none of them are registering less than 90% battery after 2010 months of use! If you're building your own security system from scratch, it's well worth the money!.

Trey Bradford

| Apr 05, 2021

HomeAssistant and a GoControl CECOMINOD016164 Z-Wave are both running. Adapter for Wave and ZigBee (ASIN: B01GJ826F8) is a product code that can be found on the Amazon website. In HomeAssistant, the installation is simple, the setup is quick, and the response is almost instantaneous. Overall, this is an excellent product. br>br>NOTE: Keep in mind that if you're installing the magnet portion on a ferrous metal part (iron, steel, etc. ), the range required for toggling the state is much shorter (like down to 1/4"), so plan accordingly.

Jaime O'Brien

| Apr 07, 2021

These devices were simple to set up and functioned perfectly in my Smartthings environment. I'm used to configuring custom device handlers, and the ones for this are well written. I love the size; I'm using them as window sensors, and they're barely noticeable. In comparison to these, every other sensor I've seen or tried is massive. I have not had a single false reading since using the magnet, which is quite strong. br>br>Now for the potential issue. The manufacturer expressly states that you must use their hub and that it is incompatible with any other hub - This is a tip you should think about before making a purchase. br>br>Xioami / Aqara devices use a partial implementation of the Zigbee protocol, and things will work fine as long as you don't have any other Zigbee devices in your network that can act as a repeater; I don't think these work brilliantly. br>br>You must decide whether or not you will be able to limit Zigbee devices in your smart home to battery-only devices (battery-only devices cannot act as repeaters). I've started using Z- in addition to Wi-Fi I don't have any Wi-Fi devices, so this isn't an issue for me. I don't use any smart light bulbs or other Zigbee devices (instead, I replaced all of my switches), but given how quickly technology evolves, it's difficult to say whether this will remain true in the long run. br>br>Skip these if you already have or plan to have Zigbee devices. If you don't have any and don't plan to get any, these window sensors are inexpensive, powerful, and arguably the best-looking on the market. They're definitely worth looking into.

Atticus Barnett

| Sep 01, 2021

The "new" Smartthings App will not allow you to add this device to Smartthings. If you're new to Smarthings or don't know how to manually add a device via the IDE, you should skip this. br>I was attracted to this device because of its small size and low cost. br>br>However, if you're feeling brave and want to give it a shot:
1. "Aqara Door and Window Sensor manual add smartthings"br>2. Google "Aqara Door and Window Sensor manual add smartthings" Ignore any references to the Smartthings App; it isn't functional.
3. Look for a neighborhood. things that are clever Look for the Manual Steps in the post on com.
4. Stick to the directions in the manual.

Paloma Stevens

| Oct 05, 2021

This is a small item. I took a picture of it next to a quarter and posted it on my Facebook page. br>br>I collaborated with Smartthings. It was a little difficult to pair, but after a few tries, I was able to do so. It's a xiaomi brand sensor, so I had to install device handler in ide. It's quite effective. It appears to be a little slow in reporting, but that may improve with time. br>br>I put it on a gate. If it dies in the rain, I don't hold it against the product. We'll see what happens because it's under an overhang.

Jaime Baker

| Apr 05, 2021

It's easy to connect to Home Assistant, which is why I chose ZigBee over Z Wave. br>br>It works, but the clearance required to register is so small that I had to modify it to fit my doorframe. When I open the front door to the house, it turns on the garage lights, and when I leave the garage and close that door, it turns them off. br>br>It had a very small tolerance, and I'm not sure if my metal door contributed to that. See the photos to see what I had to do to get it to register, including mounting it on the frame and adjusting the distance between the door and the frame. br>br>Perfect for a window or cabinet, but my doors were too far apart to function properly.

Sara Chase

| Dec 30, 2021