Using a Smart things button as a ZigBee repeater?

So, I have Cree connected bulbs in my Exterior garage light fixtures (Attached garage) but I've never been able to control them with the HE, I think just because they lose connection (I could never even get WiFi in my driveway until I installed an old WiFi router in my garage in repeater mode)

I recently saw the SmartThings button on Amazon for like $14. I was wondering if I installed that button in my garage, if it would work as a ZigBee repeater, to potentially add enough of a signal to control my exterior smart bulbs.

Anyone ever done anything like this or similar?

No, that won't work. Battery-powered devices don't function as zigbee (or zwave) repeaters.

There are inexpensive zigbee repeaters that would work - like the Ikea Tradfri Control Outlets (they're about $10 a piece).

P.S. Welcome to Hubitat!

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Awesome. Thank you so much!

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Besides the above, it's worth knowing that Cree bulbs are repeaters but are lousy ones at that. Many Zigbee bulbs have been known to be problematic (and I'm not sure I'd trust any 100% except the oddball, Sengled, which just doesn't repeat at all), but Crees have been noted to be particuarly bad. You can find many posts on here and other forums about the same issue. Many people report that they are OK if isolated to their own, bulb-only network, but I still had mine drop off when I tried an additional Hubitat hub dedicated entirely to these bulbs. They are fine on my Hue Bridge, which is what I'd recommend for integrating Zigbee bulbs into Hubitat unless they are either your only Zigbee devices on that network (they aren't; you have the ST button) or they aren't compatible with the Bridge (Sengleds aren't but are fine on Hubitat; the Lightify/Osram ones are not because they are ZHA only while Hue needs ZLL or Zigbee 3.0).

In fewer words, you can find the same information at the end of this document: https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Zigbee_Mesh#Tips_for_designing_your_Zigbee_mesh. It's probably good reading anyway because it also explains repeaters.

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I had a mess of a problem with my zigbee mesh, devices just kept dropping off or just stopped responding. I introduced 4 peanut plugs into the mesh and since then my zigbee mesh has been rock solid. Also xbee’s are also excellent as repeaters.

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I went over to Ikea today and bought a Tradfri Control Outlet, installed it in my garage, re-paired my Cree bulbs and this seems to have fixed my issue.

Thanks again for your help!

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