Are device specific hubs still required?

[Freeboro]

I searched and I can't seem to find a direct answer, though I'll admit it's likely out there somewhere.

I'm new here, and as I search for new devices to purchase (in this case plugs) I frequently see in the item description "hub required". Case in point (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FJ5LHSN/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hubitat-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B08FJ5LHSN&linkId=2d661b830243117e441ca526631c1ea4)

So my question is simply, if we're using an HE, are these specific hubs still required as well?

[marktheknife]

Depends what kind of device you’re referring to.

That Sengled plug is a zigbee device. So Hubitat fulfills the need for a hub, which is required for zigbee devices in general.

That Amazon page title lists two other zigbee hubs as examples, namely SmartThings and the Amazon echo with built-in hub (aka echo plus).

[brad5]

@marktheknife

Depends what kind of device you’re referring to.

Exactly! In general (there are some exceptions) if a device is a z-wave device or a zigbee device and it "needs a hub" HE will work just fine. You can find a list of devices that have been tested with HE here... and just because a device is not on the list doesn't mean it won't work.

List of Compatible Devices

If the device is not a zigbee or z-wave device, like a Lutron Caseta switch for instance, it may require a separate hub.

[Ranchitat]

@brad5

You can find a list of devices that have been tested with HE here... and just because a device is not on the list doesn't mean it won't work.

And... just because it's ZigBee does not mean it will work.

It's always best to ask about any specific devices when you're in doubt.

Case in point, those Sengled plugs do work and have a good reputation for reliability with users on the forum.
As opposed to the Sonoff plugs, which also work, but not as well liked by users on the forum.
(And also my own personal unsupported non-scientific observations as well.)

[Freeboro]

Thanks all.

I kind of assumed that may be the case with ZigBee and zwave, but didn't see it explicitly spelled out anywhere.

And the compatible device list is handy, but I know there are devices that inherently work, while others have been made to work through integrations. I don't know if that list is made up of one or both.

[mbishop]

There's the list of officially supported devices, which work with in-box drivers and are supported. Then there's the Community list, which includes things that have community drivers, or things that do work with the in-box drivers but aren't tested but the Hubitat team.

A lot of basic devices follow generic specs and will work just fine, but the Hubitat team can't test every no-name device in the world. I got some contact sensors off Ali Express for a project; they're not officially supported and they pair as "Device," but I manually set them to Generic ZigBee Contact Sensor and they're working just fine.

[sburke781]

@mbishop

Then there's the Community list, which includes things that have community drivers, or things that do work with the in-box drivers but aren't tested but the Hubitat team.

Custom Device Drivers [Wiki]

The purpose of this Wiki post* is to maintain an active list of community based drivers that are currently running on the Hubitat Elevation platform. As you add new devices to your network that are NOT listed in the "List of Compatible Devices" , please add them here to keep the Community up to date. See also, the Community Apps Wiki for a list community based applications. Please note: The list of devices that are known by our staff to work on Hubitat Elevation hub, has a new home. Please vi…

[lcw731]

There are also some devices, like Hue (zigbee devices), that will work paired directly to the hub, but work a bit better, or have more features when paired to the Hue hub, which is connected to the hubitat via the built in hue bridge.