My pick as best repeater would be the Samsung plug (2018 version). I have 2 per floor repeating for about 60 end devices without missing a beat. They donāt seem to cause anything but stability and repeat for at least 10 devices each if placed properly. I have my hubs dead center in my house, a Samsung plug 10 feet to the left and another 20 feet to the right; repeat plug spacing upstairs. My house is a rectangle.
I do have a few GE in-wall Zigbee dimmers On each hub, but they donāt repeat as well as the Samsung.
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What is an "unfriendly" or "troubled" device?
If a device is not functioning as intended, why go through the hassle of setting up a second hub, configuring HubConnect, etc. instead of just purchasing a better product?
Price, plus they do function as intended when repeating for other bulbs. Hue bulbs are no better in this regard and need to be on their own Hue bridge to work best. While I havenāt had any problems with my newer Sylvania rgbw bulbs (besides the A19 bulbs that occasionally overheat and die), it is nice having the bulbs on their own hub. Doing this with Hue lights would cost > 4 times as much and doing this with Sengled would cost about 3 times as much (and require more repeaters since they donāt repeat). With around 60 bulbs, it is > $1800 cheaper than Hue bulbs. Well worth the $79 investment I made for a second hub.
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There are a few reasons. Bulbs make terrible repeaters for other things, but they work fine otherwise. Also, lightify's, which I have like a higher channel like 20 when some of my other devices like channel 15 better. Both are fine, but keeping bulbs repeating for other bulbs keeps the zigbee environment happier. Bulbs just don't have the memory capacity to repeat effectively and end up causing routes to change and propagate issues until you finally have a crash. Would I buy them now? Probably not. I'd buy something that will run on my main hub that keeps harmony, but I do like some of the devices on my second hub and will probably continue to buy them. It's unfortunate that there really isn't a strict standard. I also use the second hub to test and troubleshoot things without impacting my main processes. So, not only do I put devices there, but I can test out new automations or apps without affecting the HAF significantly. Also there are devices that use a non standard protocol that are super cheap. I use this hub for that purpose too. If one hub were to crash, I could be up and running fairly quickly because I have the second hub here to bail me out. But, not without a bit of work. I run node red, so my rules will transfer. Also some people run security stuff on a second hub as well to keep it separate from the rest. Just preference really.
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This too. I have all of my bulbs on my main hub, with Alexa and Homebridge integration. My super reliable second hub (has never slowed down or crashed) has all of my end devices, including locks on it, with a second dashboard with just locks, just in case.
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Please keep in mind, all the helpful info you posted, was developed with a much earlier firmware & Zigbee SOC, at least as far as Sylvania/Lightify is concerned. If you look at the FCC filing or Zigbee alliance, you'll see an entirely new Zigbee SOC for the lightify bulbs with the FCC ID of DZO-AETHER, as opposed to the garbage IQHOME earlier FCC ID, which had lots of problems.
I know I'm just 1 guy, but it seems others have corroborated my experience with the latest lightify bulbs. Also the latest bulbs are ZHA, not ZLL as prior.
Hell for 7-8 for an RGBW bulb, it's worth a shot
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Exactly what all of mine are now.
Itās insane compared to Hue and Sengled.
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Too true. I'd rather spend 100 on another hub, instead of a dam lightbulb !
Seriously tho, supporting prices like hue charges, and you get what you deserve, a rip-off, I mean really how essential is a color bulb. I guess if you're wealthy.... Me, I'm not, 2 kids in college, and I'm lucky I have any HA gear at all.
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I wasnāt disagreeing with you. I meant that itās insane not to try the Sylvania for that price when Sengled are $30 and Hue are $50 a bulb. I bought a second hub last December for this very reason.
Edit: I realized that I misread your post, but just in case someone else didnāt get what I was saying...
I have one purpose in mind for a colored bulb. To put over the sink in our kitchen so when I come home from work late at night, or go to work early in the morning (I work all 3 shifts, I'm a railroader), I would use the red so I can see what I'm doing without the light shining in our bedroom and waking my wife up. That being said, I picked up several inovelli RGBW unboxed bulbs on sale for like $9 each around memorial day. I'm figuring on using some in a similar manner in our bedroom (so someone can go to the restroom with out tripping over our black dog or a cat in the dark). The other thing, and its really more whimsical than necessary, is to put them on our outside garage lights, and I could change the color for seasons, holidays, etc. but again the latter is more for fun than necessity. and I would never pay full price for Hue or any other RGBW bulbs, I just don't have that much of a need for them.
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