New setup adding zigbee light switch

🎬 Get Started Novice Help
#1

Hi,

Not sure if i am adding this in the correct place but i need some help and cannot find it online.

I have had my hubitat hub for a bout a month and i can access it all ok without any issues but not added anything to it yet until today.

I purchased a zigbee smart switch (moesgo) Tuya and wired it up successfully and it is working fine manually turning the lights on and off.

This light switch came in the box just the light switch nothing else no zigbee hub etc... as i assumed i can pair with the habitat direct?

The problem is when i pair from the hubitat it doesnt pick it up, and there is no button on the light switch at all, just the 3 way press to turn lights on etc..

So my questions are

  1. Should this be able to pair direct with the hubitiat hub? or do i need to buy another zigbee hub first?
  2. If i can connect direct why is it not working? what are the common issues? the light switch is just the otherside of the wall to where the hubitiat is, i assume if can work through walls?
  3. I dont think putting the hubitat closer will do anything and wanted to know before i go that?
  4. Do i need to connect to the smart life app first? or can i use without that?
  5. THe smart life app says it needs same wifi to pair in the instructions before it switches to zigbee, but obviously the zigbee light switch doesnt have any wifi or reset buttons etc..?

Would be really good to get some answers to these questions so i can get hubitiat working with this well.

Much appreciate responses

Many thanks

#2

Welcome to the Hubitat community!

  1. Yes, a Zigbee device can pair direct to Hubitat. No other hubs needed.
  2. Tuya is tricky. Is it really a Zigbee device? They make Wifi stuff too.
    3, Yes, some devices need to be paired fairly close. Especially if you have a challenging environment like thick masonry walls, metal air ducts, mirrors, and similar obstructions between the switch and hub. Having the hub too close to interference like a Wifi router also can make it hard or impossible to pair Zigbee, they both operate at 2.4Ghz. Be sure the hub is a few feet away from your Wifi router, the further away the better.
  3. If you are using the Tuya app, your device is not Zigbee. That app is for Wifi stuff.
  4. Again, if your device says to use Tuya app, that is a sign you may be working with the wrong device.

What model number exactly is this device?

Do you have any other Zigbee devices to try? Have you looked at the known (tested) and supported compatibility list? List of Compatible Devices | Hubitat Documentation

2 Likes
#3

thanks for the prompt response,

  1. This is the product i have installed I bought from Amazon and is

ZigBee Smart Light Switch, Neutral Wire Optional, Tuya Zigbee Hub Required, No Capacitor Needed, Smart Life&Tuya,1/2 Way, Multi-Control, Remote Control Works with Alexa Google Home,3 Gang

it says you can use a smart life app, but i cannot get the app to pair with hubitat hub either?

  1. My hubitat hub is right next to the router in quite a small office, in order to still get internet to the router via an ethernet cable, i have it in the same room, should i move the hubitat to another room and not use the ethernet cabel?, will it still gets the wifi?

  2. Or should i leave the hubitat where it is and get another zigbee hub for the light switch and place that nearer the light switch, will it then talk to the hubitat from that new zigbee hub ok or will the wifi still cause an issue if the hubitiat is to close to the router?

  3. I will try to reposition the hubitat hub nearer to the light switch and see if that fixes the issue

  4. I guess the main problem i have is, i really need the hubitat in the small office with an ethernet cable otherwise it might cause wifi issues?

let me know your thoughts?

Much appreciated

#4

The Smart Life app works nicely to connect to Amazon/Alexa. You can add the Smart life Skill, which will bridge your device via Smart Life, to Alexa. To my knowledge, there is no Tuya Gateway bridge software that allows Tuya to go to Hubitat. There are specific devices that are Tuya based, which community developers have written, or are writing individual drivers for.
In the end, the rule is 'check if the device your interested in is supported by HE before buying' then make the purchase.
I myself am in the throes of getting some Tuya zigbee units into my network and it's been a slog!

Regarding your comment about Wifi and your Hub - The HE Hub doesn't have built in Wifi, It has built in Zigbee and ZWave. It is a huge area of confusion for the commercial marketplace, that since Zigbee and Wifi both use the 2.4gHz band they are the same - but they are not!
As the previous poster commented, be sure to determine 'Is your bulb WIFI or Zigbee?" because that is a critically important piece of information about how to go forward. I myself, use only Zigbee devices in my home automation, my personal preference.

#5

thanks for your comment but it leaves me more confused

  1. ZigBee Smart Light Switch, Neutral Wire Optional, Tuya Zigbee Hub Required (the latter part I presume that i can use Hubitat hub instead of the Tuya zigbee hub which is why i got hubitat.

  2. My previous 5 points are still areas of confusion, i was hoping that hubitat would simply detect and work with the switch, i tried to include a link to amazon but the forum doesn't allow.

  3. can i use powerline adaptors from the router to the hubitat? if i can then i can put the hubitat in a different room to the router, but still need confirmation if the MoesGo Zigbee smart switch powered by Tuya is compatible with Hubitiat?

thanks

#6

Are you putting the switch in pairing mode when you try to add it to Hubitat?
Often this is done by pressing and holding down one of the switches for 5..10 seconds, but it may be different for your device. Is the Zigbee pairing procedure described in the leaflet that usually comes with these devices? (You may need a magnifying glass to read it)

Until you manage to pair the switch successfully to HE, it is not possible to know whether this device is compatible with Hubitat or not. There are probably 20 or even more different switches all using the Moes white label which are produced by different manufacturers and their behaviour is different.

3 Likes
#7

  1. If it's ZigBee it should pair. BUT ZigBee is a protocol without policing, meaning lots of different companies implement it in different ways. So even if your device talks to Hubitat that does not mean Hubitat will be able to control it.

  2. Lack of mesh is most common. Add good repeaters. (flashed Sonoff Dongles)

  3. Moving closer should help identify mesh issues.

  4. ZigBee devices can only work with one mesh at a time. So no smart life.

  5. Generic instructions for all Smart Life devices. Not relevant for Hubitat compatible ZigBee devices.

4 Likes
#8

That still doesn't answer if there is a model number (or part number) listed on the box or preferably the switch, so we know what you actually have. Could you check the package and switch and see if it lists a name and model so we can be sure they sent you the correct thing? There are often very similar looking devices that are completely different.

Not good. They can interfere with each other. Move the hub a couple feet (or a meter) away from the router.

3 Likes
#9

thanks for info, sorry been rough so not been able to respond, a quick update from my side, i moved the Hubitat out of the office and a few feet from the smart switch and it still cannot see the smart switch.

Here are the details of the smart switch.

MoesGo (Powered by Tuya)
Zigbee Smart Switch (For N+L/L)
The model number is ZTS-EUB
Wireless type: Zigbee 3.0
Support system: Android / IOS

Obviously there is nothing on the smart switch to press to pair, so i am just trying to pair from the Hubitat GUI but cannot see it.

I also have a Gosund plug that says it is Zigbee but that also isnt picked up by Hubitat?

Appreciate any help as currently I still cant use Hubitat to connect to anything

many thanks

#10

That's a very good switch (based on the review I found on YouTube). When switching the lights on/off from HE, the switch will stay silent, with no relays clicking sound!

To pair it to HE (or any other Zigbee coordinator) you need to press and hold any of the two switches for 5 or more seconds until the LEDs start to blink.

EDIT: you will need this community driver installed first.
. The custom driver provides a control for the switch power-on behavior and for the LEDs state.

On the Gosund smart plug - all I find on the net are WiFi models only... But if it says Zigbee, try again pairing it by holding the on/off button down for 5 or more seconds, until the plug LED start to blink.

1 Like
#11

Thanks for your comment it is really useful, and the good news is it has now found the Moesgo Zigbee 3 gang light switch. But i cannot do anything with it, i have played about trying to add device as i just want to be able to turn it off and on from my phone or put a simple timmer on it, but cannot seem to get it to do anything.

I have since seen your edit about community driver, will this help with the above, and what do i do, do i copy and past the code somewhere? I have tried to look online for tutorials but cannot see anything on community driver idiots guide.

Anyway i look forward to your response as it will be really useful to be able to control the light switch remotely.

many thanks

1 Like
#12

https://docs2.hubitat.com/user-interface/developer/drivers-code

#13

thanks so much for your help, its all working now and is really cool. It seems best controlled via the HE app under light/switches.

I have no idea what benefits creating a dashboard will do? as i guess i can just turn it on and off from the light/switch area right?

If i want to add rules for the lights, like come on and go off at certain times, is that also done from the device area?

And will it still work even when broadband is turned off as it is zigbee once the rules are set?

Many thanks

#14

I've managed to get some rules working, this is so cool, thanks for everyones help :blush:

1 Like
#15

Yes! Though the hub does need to reach out occasionally to synchronize time from an NTP server. Time can also be updated manually from a browser if needed.

#16

That was quick! Many people start with Basic Rules and then graduate to things like the Room Lighting app and eventually Rule Machine for the really complex rules.

There are also many applications written and supported by members of the community (as opposed to the ones that come built in, so to speak). Once you get comfortable with the hub and how it works, check out a community-supported app called Hubitat Package Manager. It's sort of one-stop shopping for community-supported apps and devices.

In the mean time, take a look at these links, especially the one about building out your zigbee network. Doing it right from the start saves a lot of headache later.

https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Zigbee_Mesh

https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Z-Wave_Mesh

#17

thank you this is really really useful, the next thing i wanted to to was to get sensors and smart bulbs to try some rules around that, are there any particular makes that have best compatibility value for money that works well with the HE? thanks

#18

welcome to the rabbit hole ...

Download the Hubitat app