SUPER new to HA but have been tinkering with IoT devices for years.
Some time ago I purchased two hubitat hubs (one old school LAN, the other LAN + Wifi)… try as I might I couldn’t get my head around their system…so I came over to HA when I discovered it. I’ve started to tinker and use HA and really like it but I have a problem of [distance] + [lack of devices on Zigbee (or Matter/ Thread)] + [108 y/o Walls made of plaster, concrete, & a literal steel mesh in the center] - Joy!
At the moment I am trying to create a stable connection with a single motion detection sensor that is at the furthest point from where I have my HA Green and the cute new HA TP2 (is that right!?) Antenna thing (the falic looking thing that just came out that is supposed to have the light at the top like Washington’s Monument here in DC - but brighter and bolder! )
I was hoping I could plug in the wifi hubitat thing (although connected via LAN) add an ‘add-on’ and wham bam - I’m no longer a HA rookie… but alas, a big glarring eeeeehhhhhhh - NO
When I searched for documentation it seems like it should be SO easy… just download the HA Device Bridge [from WHERE exactly… it doesn’t seem to exist] and then… yeah, I’m lost!
So, respectfully - help - – please, help… please anybody… help – go ahead, sing the song, but help?
I am predominantly a Hubitat person and I believe the only way you could incorporate the Hubitat hub is to set it up on a completely different Zigbee channel and pair the sensor to HE. Then, use HA’s Hubitat integration to bring in that sensor into HA. The wifi capabilities of the HE don’t help you since you said that you are plugging it into your LAN.
What some people have done that moved from Hubitat and already had a working Zigbee network is just use HA’s Hubitat integration to bring all of their Zigbee devices and then they didn’t need to purchase the HA TP2 that you already bought.
Ultimately, the Hubitat hub cannot be a part of the same Zigbee network that your HA is using.
Sorry, a zigbee mesh doesn’t work like that. Plugging in another coordinator like the Hubitat will create a separate mesh, assuming you can actually get it integrated in the first place.
What you need are more router devices spaced evenly between your phallic ZBT-2 and the motion sensor, which is an end device.
Have a read through the first couple of threads in this section. Once you’re done and have a basic understanding of zigbee, then read this.
Ok, so I scanned all that and what I’m picking up is… maybe Zigbee isn’t right for me if I don’t want to spend oooooodles of $$$ on new bulbs, switches etc (for our purposes… routers) [and especially because I just purchased a bunch of Matter enabled bulbs so I can phase out my original Tunya controlled wifi 2.4gHz bulbs [I know something I just said is wrong… but I don’t know what, and I probably can’t worry about it].
Anyway… given I already have a number of (ahem) Google devices (Displays, Nest Speakers, etc) which seem to help in the creation of a fairly decent Matter/Thread mesh-network (plus the less phalic ZBT-1 - more communion waffer esk actually) plus the 35+ matter bulbs I recently purchased I guess I should just spend a little money and invest in some sensors which are Matter/Thread compatible instead - yes?
LOL… touché - although to be honest my time v easy standard is likely MUCH lower than yours. And it was more of an Aaaaahaaa moment after purchasing and already installing a light switch which gave me a clear path to the sensor.
The addition of these smart plugs will only enhance the network and now I’m not so hesitant to purchase and use zigbee end devices.
I’m still not clear on the zigbee v. Zwave thing… but I just (re)found the cookbook… and have been working through the glossary of terms - I’m hoping some info is in there.
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