I'm just getting started with Hubitat and I hit a road block. I've been using Homekit, Homebrige, and Alexa Echo to control my devices. Instead of using IFTTT for custom actions, I thought I'd try Hubitat. I like that it's local; it's supposed to work faster than the cloud, be more secure, and will work when my ISP is down.
First, do I have the concept right? I use Homekit/Siri and Echo/Alexa for voice control. I use Homebridge so that my various smart devices can communicate with Homekit. I'm trying Hubitat to create custom scenarios (if this happens, and that is happening, then do this).
How do I get Hubitat and Homebridge communicating? Is there a step-by-step guide? I can't find one.
Hubitat will work when your internet is down, but keep in mind anything that uses Alexa won’t (including Hubitat’s integration).
Also, the Homebridge integration is meant to bring your Hubitat devices into the Apple home app. It does that very well. But if you want a full two-way integration between other devices that are in the home app but not paired to Hubitat, it’ll take some working around to manage that (and may or may not work out well depending on the devices and your expectations).
Edit: @bcopeland mostly beat me to it . I don’t think Siri or Apple Home app automations can do much without internet, but I’m actually not sure about that either.
Thanks for the swift responses. I'm not that concerned about everything being controlled by voice. I'd like to set up some routines that are a little unusual. For example. I have a sunroom that I'm growing vegetables in. Because it's very foggy here in the summer I'd like to add supplemental lights. I want to create a routine that says something like "if lux is less than X, turn on the lights", "if lux is more than X, turn off the light" "If temperature is greater than X OR if light is greater than X then turn on plug (fan)."
I tried toensto7's plug in, I was able to install it in Homebridge and Hubitat but I had no idea how to get it to work.
Hubitat can handle that kind of logic easily enough (for devices that are directly paired).
Did you see the thread @bcopeland linked to? The OP has a link to @tonesto7’s GitHub, where there’s an extensive readme file for the Homebridge integration he created.
I’m using Hubitat and Homebridge to HomeKit. Works well. I can use Siri on my phone, Apple Watch, or HomePod mini to control stuff I have exposed to Homebridge.
Siri requires the internet, however HomeKit automations all run locally, assuming you have a HomeKit “Hub”-capable, always-on-device, like an AppleTV or HomePod or even an iPad.
The HomePod Mini is the hot item right now. It is currently the least expensive Apple iDevice and works great as an HK hub. As a bonus I think Apple has said the mini will also be able to play their new lossless audio format in a future update. You will need an iPhone or iPad to set it up though - found out the hard way after assuming my Macbook Pro would be sufficient.. nope.
I do not have a HomePod, but it was my understanding that the newer models can handle Siri w/o internet for converting speech to text, and using that text for common functions, like home automation controls. It does this now on the modern iPhone. Test it out yourselves -- just turn on airplane mode, and turn off wifi on the iPhone, the ask Siri to perform some operation that is purely local, like a Siri shortcut. To test with HomeKit, you need to block the device on your router, from accessing the internet. For the iPhone, which is not a HomeKit hub, you need internet for HomeKit, but for the HomePods, which are the hubs, it was my understanding that it should work.
My Konnected-Hubitat setup works well and has been expanded from crude beginnings to its current stable, useful, and functional current state. With community help.
Reading postings gives me ideas to try out. The most recent idea I explored was to add voice control and integrate Apple stuff using a HomePod Mini. Reading and re-reading some of the posts here I configured an underused Pi 4 into a HomeBridge. Added the required apps to my Hubitat. From what I could see on the Pi 4 on logging into HomeBridge, it was working and all of my devices are visible and correctly represented in HomeBridge So, off the Apple Store to pick my first HomePod Mini.
On the second attempt I got the Home app to discover my contact sensors and lights using both my iPhone and iPad 8th Gen. That started my disappointment. The Home app is nothing special, I prefer my dashboards using the Hubitat app or Safari on the iPad. The Home app has a least once shown an incorrect state for a contact sensor. Then I discovered the battery drain from the Home app. I can’t leave the Home app open in the background without draining batteries. On the iPad the battery drain continues even with app set to not use the iPad as a Hub. WTF Apple?
I will give the Home app another chance to redeem itself. I need to play with it some to see what more I can do with it. Other than being able to to use a voice command to turn on/off lights, HomeKit, HomePod, and the Home app are the biggest Apple disappointments since the Newton. Only saving grace is that the HomePod speaker sounds better than the one in the Mac Mini or my display. Except that a simple Bluetooth speaker would work as good or better.
My question to the community. Is there any reason to use the HomePod & HomeKit products other than because they’re there? In tech speak, what is the use case? As I read more community threads I see many happy HomeKit users. I’ll continue to play, but I am seriously not impressed.
As for the HomePod Mini being a hot item, I'm surprised.
A good amount of people have iPhones and iPads and maybe even AppleTVs so prefer the Apple ecosystem. Homebridge provides the ability for a larger variety of devices at lower cost to play in that space.
I don't use it personally other than having a HomePod Mini for testing but some of my clients do. I agree it is very clunky relative to other solutions but this is probably by design. I guess Apple wants to keep things as "simple" as possible for the users.
When you have multiple rooms and 50+ devices the home kit interface gives a great overview of the whole house and then you can dive into individual devices as well.
Also it loads much faster for me than trying to use any other non-native to iOS dashboard.
Voice commands form my Apple Watch are a plus as well.
Once I figured out the interface it is super easy to move devices around, change rooms, etc…
I use HomeKit on my iPhone/iPad as my primary “dashboard” for Hubitat. It is just very simple and easy to use. I also have direct HomeKit integration from my Lutron Caseta, Philips Hue, and Ecobee devices. And, these are all direct, local, cloud-free integrations. I also use AppleTV streaming media boxes on all of our televisions. I do not use HomePod speakers at all, just a bunch of Amazon Echo devices throughout the house. I use HomeBridge to bring in Hubitat devices that do not have native HomeKit support, as well as for Ring Doorbell integration.
Thanks to erktrek, jtp10181, and ogiewon for relies...
My setup is deep in that I have all current sensors, apps, etc doing what I want how I want. It is still shallow in having few controlled devices. I'm starting to convert built-in lighting to controlled LED fixtures. Maybe as I expand the device count I'll come to appreciate what Apple brings to the table. Integrating it was fairly easy. I ought to document the process for others.
Konnected has most of my sensors and I am still really amazed at how well the Hubitat does everything. I sold one neighbor on Konnected-Hubitat as well, converting from legacy wired.
Still using a C-5 and eyeing the sales on C-7. Maybe there is a C-9 in the pipeline?
The only reason I have included HK/HB in my system is there are a few unique devices I choose to use that only connect to HK. If it weren’t for those (Level Lock, Chamberlain Garage door opener and iPhone presence) I wouldn’t go to the trouble, albeit small, to setup the integration. Integrations are usually some of the weakest points in a “best of breed” system. This one works rather good though.
one of the only devices that can act as a Thread border router too.. so hopefully well placed going forward (I'm an optimist about Thread/ Matter).
I personally like HomeKit and the UI and it serves the typical HA entrant user well. I haven't noticed a battery consumption issue. Any non synched devices are usually indicative of a communication problem with the hub.
The one big gotcha with HomeKit is that it's a bit of a one way participant, you can't easily get the status events out of Homekit to trigger automations elsewhere.
With on/off devices / events you can link them as an automation within HomeKit to control a virtual device that originated in another controller eg HomeKit which then relays event triggers in say HE and works fine, it's just messy.
However with analog values like temperatures, humidty, speed, brightness etc. or a textual value you can't do this and so if you need this feedback it's best to avoid such sensors that are only integrated directly within HomeKit.
Some of the 3rd party automation apps like eve do help a bit here by allowing testing numeric values as 'above' or 'below' to generate a trigger.
Thanks for the feedback. There is more to HomeKit and HomePod than I was aware of and I'm getting hooked on voice commands. So the HomePod and the HomeBridge Pi 4 will stay as part of my home network.
There is nothing like walking around from the back yard while carrying stuff, and telling my watch Hey Sir open the garage door. "On it..... garage door is opening"
. I don’t think Siri or Apple Home app automations can do much without internet, but I’m actually not sure about that either.
