Setting up Homeassistant on RasPi4, should I use existing SmartThings or buy Conbee?

[Messier1994]

Hi!

I’ve acquired some plugs, sensors, google home-stuff since I’ve moved to a house. I am going to need to get a lot of stuff talking with each other when I am setting up a new plant house that must be heated and plants watered automatically. The equipment I have is many Aqara temps, Mi Flora’s, Deltaco Plugs, some Philip Hue lamps, a M2 Hub, a Philips Hue Bridge, Google Home/Mesh network and a SmartThings hub.

Hence I am looking at buying a Raspberry Pi and setting up HomeAssistent on it.

I have a few questions, some that probably is obvious for someone using the gear but that I haven’t been able to find answers on:

1. Should I buy a Conbee II or use my existing SmartThings hub to communicate with Zigbee gear?

2. Can something be connected to like both my Aquara M2 Hub/Philips Bridge and to HomeAssistent?

3. I have some Bluetooth gear that will be central in important configuration for my plant house, like Mi Floras (or is it Mi Plant?). Anyway — can the RasPi connect to Bluetooth gear, or do I need some other conbee similar stick that can connect to Bluetooth, or is it better to have one of those gadgets that connects BT to WiFi?

4. I would like to have my RasPi also function as a NAS. Is it somewhat easy and reliable to install that equipment and have many functions? Like Decker instead of directly go for the Hass standard directly?

I am tremendously great full for any thoughts, advice, tips and tricks you might have! Thanks!

[Burningstone]

@Messier1994

Should I buy a Conbee II or use my existing SmartThings hub to communicate with Zigbee gear?

Get a ConBee, then you can ditch the Hue and the Xiaomi hub and can connect all devices to one zigbee stick.

@Messier1994

I have some Bluetooth gear that will be central in important configuration for my plant house, like Mi Floras (or is it Mi Plant?). Anyway — can the RasPi connect to Bluetooth gear, or do I need some other conbee similar stick that can connect to Bluetooth, or is it better to have one of those gadgets that connects BT to WiFi?

The Pi speaks bluetooth but may be better to have a separate Pi that reports to HA through MQTT.

@Messier1994

I would like to have my RasPi also function as a NAS. Is it somewhat easy and reliable

Don’t do that, the Pi with an SD card is definitely not appropriate for a fast and reliable NAS!

[Messier1994]

Thanks Burningstone!

I was thinking about getting a SSD and use that instead of a SD. Is it workable then?

[Burningstone]

It will work but I would definitely not recommend it as a NAS and Home Assistant on the same machine.