Hi, I have some lights which can be turn off /on by 4 different switches (not smart), i would like to make them smart by using sonoff minir4 for example.
My question is, do I need 4 minir4s or would one be enough? Assume switch 1,2,3,4 if I make switch 2 smart and i turn on using switch 4, will the sonoff detect the status i.e. on? In my head the answer is yes but if anyone can confirn it would help 
I was following so
Cheers all
It depends on how each is wired; but be aware it will not be an easy task that way.
Look into a SwitchBot type switch and you will only need one; this will not give you any feedback directly whether the lights are on or not but it will allow you to easily toggle them.
Its impossible to answer you question. You have 4 switches that are controlling one or more lights?
Like on staircase?
I have a series of lights in the corridor which can be turned on/off from 4 placea
I have some lights that are contorlled by 3 or 4 switches and ran into this question. You really only need to replace one of the 3-way switches and leave the other 3 and 4 way switches as is. You’ll be able to the light via HA with this one switch.
One caveat is that if there is a dimmer. You will need to replace the dimmer with a smart dimmer or accept that if the smart switch receives power that flows through the dimmer, the smart switch may not have enough power to be controlled and may be offline when the dumb dimmer is all the way down.
I’m using a Kasa switch for this purpose.
No, you are wrong.
To make this switches smart you have to make one switch master switch and all other slave switches.
You will have to call electrician.
Master switch is the one that can physically control all the lights. It has live neutral and light wire connected. The others has just a live and neutral connected for power.
In home assistant you can make automation how this all will work.
I have a similar situation, but with 3 switches on staircase.
I disagree. Can you explain exactly why all switches have to be smart? Each switch location will not have a live wire. There will only be one switch with a live wire that comes from the breaker box and provides power to the circuit that flows through all the switches and turns on the light.
I don’t as I done it. It might depend on your electrical setup but I done exactly what I suggested him to do. Call electrician and tell him what you wanna do. Don’t play with it.
One switch must be master switch, as this works like this.
All other switches can be slave switches. I don’t know what do you want to suggest. I’m not suggesting anyone to play with electricity, as he can burn down his house or apartment.
This, I agree with. Call or consult with an electrician. You do this yourself at your own risk, it may even void your insurance or be illegal to DIY where you live. I was just answering the question. You don’t need to replace all the switches. Just one of the three way switches. It will be difficult to replace all the switches as you usually need a neutral wire in the box to power the switch or use smart switches that are designed with this in mind.
Oh you need to replace all the switches. I mean if you want the real deal replace them all. Don’t go for a cheap solution that will tomorrow byte you in your ass. If you do it do it properly.
Again. I disagree. You still have not explained exactly why you need to replace all the switches with smart switches. I don’t accept the explaination “as this works like this”
At a base level the switch is just a relay that is either controlled by you toggle the switch manually or via the smart features. To the other switches, there is no difference in functionality from the smart switch. In a 3-way, power either flows through one terminal or the other, same a normal switch.
Why? Did you done it? I sincerely doubt you don it. Don’t drive people in situations that can endanger their life of life of their family.
I dont see any reason why you have so much disagrees.
You can’t even tell me why you think using just one smart is dangerous. Not waisting my time anymore. @tmb123, take from this what you will and do your own research.
Oh I’m sorry to wasting your preasure time. I didn’t know. I was just trying to save life of this guy from your suggestion.
Feel free to waste your time somewhere else.
A two way switch works very different for regular switches. Only one act as live wire input and its not connected to the light, the other one receive the live wire from the first switch and its connected to the light. I dont know how 3 or 4 way switches works but i think the same.
I have a lot of those in my house and are the only switches i havent make smart because if you change one you have to change every switch and the wire.
Only replace one and you will have power line but no connection to lights. Replace the other and it won work because there will be powered only when 1sr switch is on. But when someone turns off first switch it will turn off the light but your smart switch will be offline…
So i agree call an electrician an replace all switches. Make one master and the others just on off via automation the master switch
Dont put in risk your family
The term “4-way” has a couple of different configurations. There is also a chance where we are talking about different things. On top of that, there is also a layer of dimmer switch or on-off switch complexity.
So, to have a meaningful discussion, sounds like we will first need to look at the same wiring diagram of the specific (and existing) 4-way setup, so that we will then be able to figure out how to make it smart.
So, @tmb123 , would you like to start with a quick wiring sketch of what your setup looks like today, and what you are trying to achieve?
And with that, the other users would then be able to figure out how to help.
And I hope this brings the thread back on track.
In similar way, I have 4 switches which are controlled by 1 Shelly 1, so it should probably be possible with a Sonoff mini. In my case a Sonoff mini would not have worked, because the wiring (there is 230v (EU) on the Shelly, which is fatal for a Sonoff mini)
You give to little information for your setup. It’s like telling I’m having a car with four doors - can I make it faster? 
In general replacing dumb switches with “smart” switches is possible but the complexity can greatly vary 
Not long ago I deployed a 4-way wall switch but without any relay 
esphome based and controls detached lights/switches 
I have ~11 individual light circtuits with 3, 4, and 5 way swiches set-up working just fine by just one of the 3 ways switches with a smart switch where a neutral is in the box. No one seems to be able to explain why all switches have to be smart. Manufacturers may recommend using all smart switches to sell you more switches, but I don’t see any point becuase the smart switch output will be exactly the same as regular switch on the circuit. It must be to meet regulatory requirements. It is just switched by a relay instead of a manual switch.
This is just what I do, if you don’t consider it safe then don’t do it.
My wiring looks like this:
Let’s generalize the problem and call it X way switch (X for US folks and X-1 for EU folks).
In most basic setups, the live goes into one switch and the rest follows the line and at the end, we reach to lamp.
In some cases, live goes to last switch and last switch is also goes to lamp.
Depending on type, there are different smart relays.
Some relays allow external switches to carry live, some expect them to be without electricity (dry contact).
I have two stairs in my home, and i have both setups.
So you might need to change only one of those but you need to understand the setup.
