I've started following your YT videos cos I'm getting my new bto home in 3 years time... Excited and kinda overwhelmed with the amount of information on how to build a smart home, like not sure where to start as a newbie hahas. Can't wait for part 2! Gonna do loads of research and planning on what to buy before I get my house and plan for my smart home renovation! So many things to consider!
One of the best HDB smart home tour till date. Love the content, comparisons and the low downs, as it can really help in deciding platform to adopt. Would you be trying out other platforms, like Apple HomeKit or Home Assistant in the future?
Finally!! Great update to your first smart home video. Thanks for sharing the improvements and changes you've made. I'm really curious to learn more about your shift to smartthings and how you've integrated the different products (esp the non-native ones). Hopefully you can do a video on that as well.. looking forward to part 2!!
Thanks for taking the time on top of your work to produce this video! Informative but not LuoShuo at all! Tapped the LIKE button 5 times for the algo! Well done Alex and keep it up! Looking forward to your net video on Reno aspects!
Hi Alex, just chanced upon your video today. No questions from me but just wanna thank you and affirm your efforts in filming videos with practical advice and feasible tips. Much appreciated and I'm learning so much from you. And I've subscribed. 😃🙆♂️
Hi Alex, awesome setup and great tips. Can't wait for the part 2 video. Just wondering how you setup the Aqara curtains with Google Home integration? I got a few Aqara smart switch + Aqara M1S hub (Aqara US server) and works fine on google home. I can only see curtains in "other" server, but Google Home devices only seem to recognise device via US, Europe and Korea/Russia. Also curious on if you able to integrate google home and voice control for the ceiling fan and light? If so, how did you manage to set it up? Light + fan unit from Taobao usually come with wall switch for the light which can be compatible with Aqara smart switches, but the fan is usually controlled via remote. Thanks in advance for any advice :D
in google home, there are aqara europe, aqara for korea/russia and aqara smarthome. They correspond with which region setting you are using in the aqara home app. So for eg. if you are using the 'other' region, you have to use 'aqara smarthome' in google home. The ceiling fan remote part is using an IR/RF blaster, so for eg. google home switch on the aqara switch, then play a scene you set in broadlink that controls the remote
Possible but somehow you still need other solution to either control power or network input. Using switchbot is just more straight forward plus it can do press and hold as well to hard reset if your pc got hang
Hi @alexteo , thanks for a great video. I did not hear you mentioned about the ceiling fan, but I assume that it would be smart (or smartly controlled) as well. Just curious if you could share more about it. Thank you!!
Hi Alex , Do you have the total price you paid for smart lights ,smart switches and smart strips. Also is the monthly utility bill for your house going up since the smart switches are in a way 24/7 turn on to connect to wifi ? also what happen to your ecovac robot vaccum cleaner didnt last ? :) . For the wireless router you should use Asus XT8 it's much better than netgear orbi . Currently using it for wifi 6 connectivity MADS also featured it .Give it a shot.
can go to each individual product link to add up the cost haha. I don't have a before and after utility cost since i have that implemented since day 1. I can tell you my average monthly consumption is 450kWh, but comparing this way is not very useful since there are so many different contributing factors such as number of family members and whether wfh or on a/c overnight. my robot vacuum has been consistently changing ever since as I am doing testing and reviewing on each of them and will probably be for a long time. For mesh routers, you gotta compare products in the same range, you tested Asus XT8 vs Netgear RBK852? XT8 is about 200 bucks cheaper than RBK852 so it will be a very gd purchase if its better. For me, I am most likely going to skip wifi 6 and aim for 6e straight since linksys and netgear already have 6e models
yup for the most of it and google home to look at my nest doorbell, only going to specific device apps if i want to update their firmware or some special functions
on product level I can't comment since I never use before,. As for the platform they provide, from what I can see, ganen is using tuya smart life, home-a-genius is using home assistant. Home assistant is definitely better
Oh my tian.. I'm not even interested in smart homes but I finished watching the entire video hahaha Really looking forward to part 2 which I think interests me more!
Hey Alex. Great video and your guidance to things and when to look out for what. Can I check with you, now that your Tuya smart socket link you recommended is not selling anymore, do you have any other recommendations?
Recommendation depends on what platform you are using. If you are looking for tuya ones then you can get those from local companies like near or mowe which i covered in my tuya video
Hi Alex, thanks for all the videos you have created. I came to your to your channel recently as I pondering whether I will make my home a bit smarter while it is undergoing renovation. Very useful videos in Singapore context. Keep it up! I saw that you are using the Aqara M2 hub. I came across that M2 hub does not work with Google Assistant for their China version devices. I am also wondering whether their latest H1 Pro switches will have any issues with their M2 hub. Wondering you can advise on this. Thanks very much!
i will say it depends on lifestyle and habits because they can essentially help you to save electricity if you are a forgetful person. My house average monthly consumption is 450 kWH
Wow Alex aka EB!! Hope you and Bubble are doing fine! You just inspired me as well. And you put all those things in the description which is help us a lot to looking for certain devices. Anyway I have been subscribing your channel since you create king of kings content! And all of these smart home videos are just amaze me as hell. Appreciate for your video!
@@exilevic ohhh i think we used to raid together right? haha its been a long time the game has even close down already, i have moved back to ffxiv anyway
@@AlexTeo yes that's right EB haha. I heard from kras also you guys back to FF. OY also play mir4 currently. Do you plan to create another game content ? Might be in another channel ? I would like to subsribe asap. Hahaha
Hi Alex, Assuming the light switches are already smart switches, how would you set up for such a use case: - When leaving home, conveniently press a "master" smart switch to turn off all the lights in the house.
Hi Alex, I've been following your content for a while now and love your insights and the thought process behind your decisions. Can you talk about the security aspect of your smart home setup? How do you ensure it's not vulnerable to cyber attacks. Would be greatly appreciated ❤❤
hmm that's a whole video by itself. Generally you want to secure your network, then for me I go with reputable brands for cloud services and for sensitive devices like camera. You just have to trust the security infra for those companies
**Added product links in the video description! If you like to see more of my dog, follow him on Instagram 'Duffythemauxie' - instagram.com/duffythemauxie
Hi Alex. Love your videos, they are extremely helpful! I have a question though, do you know if it's still possible to integrate aqara smart switches with the smart things hub? Thanks!
Great video! Just wondering for the smart light switches do you need to have the light switches be wired up with neutral wiring? Or it works fine without neutral as well (understand that power consumption may be slightly higher as a result)?
Hey great video! You mention something about a solution that fixes the problem of someone turning off the switch manually and then power is of and you cannot regain smart control. Can you elaborate how to fix that? I plan on using on/off smart switches + Ikea hub and Ikea bulbs to get the dimmable function.
I like how creative and phased your video are. Thanks for the video, so much useful ideas. One question tho. If we dont use mesh, how far the cons are? Is it going to be less responsive or ? Love from MY
Great video for people who want simple and easy smart home. Btw Alex, the Broadlink IR for the Aircon, is it just turning it on and off? Are you able to change temperature on the aircon unit? And how does it work? Each temperature having a unique IR code? I'm planning to get a IR/RF to control my fan and aircon too, but I'm concern of the temperature value sync issue with the actual remote.
i not using broadlink for aircon, only switchbot and aqara. I'm quite surprised with the IR on aqara works very well. I am using mitsubishi, no need to learn any buttons its all preset, literally plug and play. Able to set fan speed, temp and modes as well
@@AlexTeo Thanks! I'm waiting for my Zigbee coordinator to arrive and link up my ecosystem (Switches & LEDs), then will try out the IR/RF part. Btw, take a look at GLEDOPTO LED strips. Also Haozee Zigbee remote switches in Aliexpress, the design not bad, very tactile the button press.
Great video! Do they come with smart water heater switch? It's troublesome to on/off water heater switch since its wiring on the common toilet. Thinking of using the smart switch as a 2 way switch for the water heater . Thank you ☺️
Hi Alex, are you able to give insights/guides on how to connect motion sensors to lights? Ie, upon entry light will be switched on and switched off aft x minutes. Thank you!
actually this is pretty straight forward, just buy a compatible motion sensor, follow the instruction manual and you should get it up within a few minutes
Hi Alex, Thanks for sharing! may I know which smart home switch control are recommend for new house with neutral or without neutral connection? I would like to build my own smart home for my house and which app recommended for newbie ! would appreciate your advise,thank you.
if you are iphone user then i recommend aqara switches control via Apple Homekit if you are android user then get tuya switches via smart life app and Google home for voice trigger
Great video! 💯 May I ask, for the smart plug, must it be connect only to 2.4 ghz wifi or can connect to 5 ghz wifi as well? And it will follow what wifi connection your phone is connected to right?
Hi Alex, great content! By the way, what other reliable & reasonable priced wireless switch brands can we consider? (apart from aqara). Which app do you use to connect all your wireless switches, what app(s) are versatile long term and ease of use? Also, what are your thoughts of Aircon with smart wifi VS without which then needs to connect with a hub - will the latter be possible and able to wirelessly connect and control well? Appreciate your content by the way!
i am using the smartThings platform, so it makes more sense to use the smartThings buttons which I covered in this video, ikea buttons can work as well. for aircon, I mentioned under the home appliance > IR blaster part, it's via IR so line of sight with the hub. So you just control that to control the aircon. Not too sure what you meant by 'wirelessly connect'
Not bad at all! Actually quite impressive that you can integrate non-natively supported device into another eco-system. Just curious, how much you spend for all the items shown in the video?
I am redoing my entire place which I am going to move into! 😂 can you advise what should I tell the electrician and also if Tuya smart switches are to go? Do I need a hub?
Hi Alex, I am trying to find the link to your automated laundry rack but is unable to find it after combing a couple of your videos. Can you resend the link?
Hi Alex Thanks for sharing all the videos. I am planning to do these (not sure if they make sense). 1. Switchbot hub mini - to control IR home appliances. 2. Aqara hub to control the switches 3. Connect both to Google home assistant, which I am familiar with. I am looking for black light switches. Didn’t see any with aqara. Do you know of any other hub & switches that are compatible with goggle assistant? Do the set up (1-3) make sense? Thanks in advance
1. broadlink is also a common popular choice if you are connecting to google/alexa directly 2. if you decide to use aqara switches then go with their aqara m2 hub 3. both can connect to google home Ya i think aqara has only white color. The setup is alright but just to share with you that there are a lot of limitation on google home to manage your smart home
Hi Alex, I was watching the part on motion sensors. Let’s say if I have broadlink smart switches for the toilet, do I need to use a broadlink motion sensor or anything other brand like smarthing? Hmm how do I configure the motion sensor to switch on the toilet lights?
@@axelchong4919 you have to pick a smart home solution that is able to integrate with your choice of devices else each brand can only work within their own brand
For the mesh setup, do you recommend using Cat6 cable or Cat5e is good enough? My concern is that Cat5e max speed is 1Gbps, and may be the bottleneck when ISP speed becomes higher than that. What's your thoughts on that ?
Thank you for the amazing content Alex! I have been following your channel since quite a while ago as I am also in the midst of doing renovations for my new place. I am trying to set up my own smart home and is considering using the smart things hub based on what I have just seen. Just a quick question, for the Aqara switches (d1 etc.) can I configure the smart things hub (using the IDE) to hook these switches up while using the ikea zigbee repeaters? Also, for the 3gang switches, will there be any integration issues into smart things?
@@AlexTeo thank you for your response :D I brought up the ikea zigbee repeaters because I was afraid the non-neutral switches might have connection range issues as I heard only neutral switches can act as repeaters. I might use m2 hubs instead for a start as most of the sensors etc are coming from aqara then slowly move to Home Assistant on a raspberry pi4
@@evanding605 yup if you go with a hub based platform like hubitat, homey, home assistant then you don't need these other hubs for every brand everywhere
Hi Alex, I did "Alex Teo video" marathon the past 2 days ever since I saw this video. I like how you plan your smart setup, very practical. Can I ask, for those Aqara items you bought from Taobao, they are not the global version right? Also, is there any switches/appliances at home that you regret making it smart? Because I want to make all switches/appliances at my new BTO smart but not sure if it's too much.
wow thanks for the video views. For the aqara products, I have a mixture of china ver and uk version. So far no regrets making anything smart, the question is only how much it is utilized and whether its worth the money, for eg. smart water heater
@@AlexTeo thanks for replying so fast 😂 by using both UK and China version, there is no issue when connecting it to smartthings or Google home? Or does it only affect mihome app? Anyway thanks to your video, I know what robot vacuum to get also 😂 really saved me alot time to do intensive research and comparison. Not sure if I missed it, what washing machine did you get?
@@smallseeya usually I am fast during the first few days of my new video upload haa... it doesn't matter the version because I am using the smartThings hub, similarly for home assistant users no issue. This is only a problem for people using aqara hubs and their app. Currently I am using a beko washing machine with auto detergent dosing, last time this is a very unique capability but right now pretty common already
@@AlexTeo got it! I shall get all from Taobao then 😂 appreciate your selfless sharing and time taken to prepare all the videos. Will be looking forward to more of your video teaching and reviews 😄
@@justintan7370 at least the homepod mini, which is actually a very good speaker by itself. You can already do a lot of automation with just aqara products
Hi Alex firstly I have nothing but appreciation for your videos. But could I request for another video update on mesh networks? Im really having a hard time considering which brands or type or configuration to get. For example, TP link have the deco X90, X60. but then im not sure if I should get the X90 (tri band) with only 2 nodes or x60 (dual band) with 3 nodes. or should I consider getting a cheaper tri band such as x68 with 3 nodes. or should i get other brands? hahaha sorry so many questions but just want to ensure my whole house is covered properly. My plan is to go for wifi 6 tri band, wired backhaul, but have to be realistic as it gets very costly to get the best spects and config. I am living in a 4room unit with plans to make it into a smart home with smart door bells, lights, etc. Thanks again.
Hi Alex, your home advice has been v helpful to me. Thank U. Can I check with you re. GST? Do they (renovation company) charge clients additional 7% GST on top of the final quotation?
Hi Alex, I'm getting my place next year and intend to integrate it with smart home devices. In the meantime, thought I could try out the hub and some basic devices in my own bedroom and study room to familiarize myself and also help me come to a decision for my new home set-up in future. I'm thinking of Smartthings for the hub, and perhaps start with wall switches and smart plugs - all of which i can transfer to my new home in future if I want to. For the wall switch, I'll likely go with Aqara. For the smart switches - do you have any recommendations? I was browsing TP-Link but saw that there is Tapo and Kasa ones. Don't quite understand the difference between the 2. Only need it for basic functions e.g. on/off.
both tapo and kasa should be fine, maybe you can just download the smartThings app, create an account and see what are the supported devices that you kinda limit your options which is not a bad thing too. You can also consider getting the one from ikea as well which I show in my video, but that's a little big if you don't mind the size
Still the same now as per video Platform: SmartThings Hub: smartthings v3 Voice: Google assistant But i will be trying out home assistant running on home assistant yellow next year
Can you include an overview of how many smart switches you have in the house? We were wondering if we should change all the switches to smart ones, but seems like an overkill and very $$$. (Noted that you have smart sockets too!) Do your smart switches require neutral wire/ If not, does it reduce the longevity of your appliances? Thank you. E.g. how many smart switches in your kitchen and for what appliances Sorry to add - do you still recommend waiting for Amazon Echo 8 2nd Gen over smartthings?
i have 10x smart switches, all non neutral wire, all still working fine after 1 year. I don't use any smart socket for kitchen appliance now. I looked at the current supported amazon alexa supported zigbee devices, there are too few of them, so smartThings as the central management is still better. You can always get the echo as a smart display/speaker but not for their zigbee hub
Love the video! Wanted to ask, are you also able to decouple the switches on the Aqara D1 using SmartThings? I know the H1 supports it natively and I can decouple the D1 on Home Assistant. Wanted to know if that's possible on smart things.
I wonder how many apps do you have to install on your phone to manage these devices from different brands. They do not communicate with each another unless you get all your devices from one company. Or you could go the Home Assistant route for full customization.
@@AlexTeo Can you share the custom device handler you are using? Your bedroom curtains are done up very well and inspired me to the the same =) Love your channel, I really find all your tips very useful in my smart home journey.
@@AlexTeo Not sure where my earlier comment went. Anyway, what I posted was: I can use WOL using Home Assistant, or Teamviewer. Although I don't use teamviewer to connect remotely (I use Parcec), the WOL feature is pretty handy (and free). Still need a WOL capable motherboard either way, which shouldn't be an issue nowadays.
Hi Alex. Nice Video. I also installed LED lights at home for my ceiling but recently I was told that LED lights are not good for eyes. I am not sure if it is true as websites has a mixed of both answers. Some say yes, some say no. What do you think?
Hi alex, excited to get my house and planning to do a smart home. If i were to get an aqara wall switch, and smartthings motion sensor and etc. will you recommend me getting and aqara hub or smartthings hub?
if you are using iphone and going to use apple homekit then get the aqara hub, if you are going to use the smartthings platform with google or amazon voice assistant then of course smartthings hub
@@AlexTeo i see!! Im using iphone but was thinking to get google assitant soundbar. As i saw, the Aqara m2 hub global version can support with D1 switches global version and therefore i can use google assitant right?
Hey Alex, do you use a smart water heater switch and what model do you use? I am thinking of just using Aqara HomeKit with my Aqara switches and Aqara digital door lock. But Aqara doesn’t have smart water heater switch
hi alex. could you shed some light on fans. those with 3 led light but you got to toggle with switching it on & off. Can i make it smart with a smart switch?
smart switch simply control power on/off that's all.. so if your fan needs additional controls in order to switch it on then having just smart switch is not enough
I think one thing is to start to explain which smart home eco system are you going with, is it the the Apple homekit or the Google home, or is just plainly controlling through mobile devices without going through smart home ecosystem.
i wanted to show what smart home devices I have first, then explain my choice of solution at the last section. But throughout the whole video, I pretty much talked about smartThings all the way
Hey Alex, I noticed (16:25) in your Video, you covered that you are using Bose 500 Soundbar in your Living Room for your Voice Assistant however in your description, you stated Bose Smart Soundbar 300 instead. I will like to check if you are using the Bose 500 or 300 Smart Soundbar? Do you happened to know if the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 could be integrated to the Smartthings Hub? or whether is it important at all? since most of the Newer Bose Soundbar series are compatible with Google Assistant. I have posed the question to Bose Singapore but they could not provide me a definite answer if the Soundbar 300 could be integrated to Smartthings. Your advise is greatly appreciated for the efforts put into the making of this Video BIG THUMBS UP!!! to another well documented Video. Cheers👍👍
because it seems like bose is not producing soundbar 500 anymore so I linked the 300 instead. But none of their soundbar is supported in smartThings, I will suggest you to go with the sonos arc. Most importantly is it comes with voice assistant. Compatible with smartThings mean that you can have automation that your speaker will say a message like a voice notification. For eg. if RING doorbell pressed, then speaker say 'you have a visitor'
Bro, I took your recommendation and got myself some Aqara H1 switches. I have a question - will it work with ceiling fans with light? The shops I ask have conflicting replies and some don’t dare commit. Do you have any knowledge of this?
Hi Alex, does SmartThings hub come with integrated RF/IR blaster? Can I use it directly to control a non-smart ceiling fan or must I get another blaster like switchbot or broadlink? I hv not bought a ceilin lg fan yet, but the choice for smart fans (other than haiku which is too ex for me) are limited. And I am not even sure if those smart fans can be integrated seamlessly with SmartThings. Hope you can help with ur advice. Thank you!
hi alex. i am going to start reno soon. If i am using all smart bulbs do i still need to have smart sockets for futureproofing? appreciate your advice!
Hi Alex, why not you are using Samsung smartthigs hub as a WiFi mesh since you are using smartthigs base smart home system? Is there a down side with Samsung smartthigs hub mesh router?
Hi alex look forward to your t9 vs s7 vs jetbot robot vacuum. I bought t9 ecovacs but i think i like my steam mop better as i realise i get water marks on tile flooring based on my first try.
Hi Alex, thanks for the selfless sharing. This is great. I am wondering how did you set the aqara wall switch to be decoupled to become a wireless switch you mentioned in your video. This is a great solution to avoid someone accidentally turn off the switch and smart light automation will no longer function. Wondering can it be done in aqara app or mi app to decoupled or has to use smart things hub to reconfigure it like you did. If too much trouble to explain can you direct me to any website that I can learn myself? Appreciate your advice. TIA.
Perfect timing Alex as I'm my ecosystem currently for my new place! Just a question regarding smart switches, what is the difference between Aqara D1 and H1 switches? And also I noticed that there's this Green Rice Aqara switch, again what's the difference? Many thanks and awesome job Alex!
@@gnsirk no issue with the device, the biggest issue I have with aqara is the different versions of the product what can or cannot work at different region settings all these
@@AlexTeo i see, are most of them compatible when you set it to singapore? or only works with the china server? would you still recommend the aqara smart switches then?
@@gnsirk yes i strongly recommend aqara products. Eh, you don't set to either Singapore or china. Are you already an aqara app user? The region you should set to is either 'others' or 'europe'
Thanks Alex for another great video. Could u share the brand and where we could get smart LED strip as i wanna do cove light in my new home? Could u also share tips on the things to look for when installing such strip? Does most electrican know how to install them? Thanks
i am using yeelight and govee but there are many other good brands such as philips hue, lifX, nanoleaf and etc. These strips are powered by a socket, you don't need an electrician to do for you
@@AlexTeo thanks Alex. However, i want to install led strip in my False ceiling to get the cove light effect. So should i ask my electrican to install an electrical socket on the ceiling?
@@AlexTeo to fix led lights behind the tv, how do you ensure the length is just nice as its usually sold at pre-defined length ? Do you need to cut the lights if too long ?
@@Wira8 overlapping or missing out a little is fine i am not too particular of having the light evenly spread out. If you want to cut is fine as well, I cut for my study desk light, there is indication on the strip itself where you can cut
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.83[1/2] เปิดแคมป์หลอนต้อนรับ 2 ตัวพ่อแห่งวงการผี!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2uPuHYHgwiI/mqdefault.jpg)
Time flies indeed and your video quality improve alot.. your cozy smart home look even better with a new addition doggo. 🐶
He is a happy dog!
Best content so far for this year. Can’t wait for part 2 on the renovations aspect!
thanks man!
I've started following your YT videos cos I'm getting my new bto home in 3 years time... Excited and kinda overwhelmed with the amount of information on how to build a smart home, like not sure where to start as a newbie hahas. Can't wait for part 2! Gonna do loads of research and planning on what to buy before I get my house and plan for my smart home renovation! So many things to consider!
3 years is a long time! Take your time haha because things are probably going to be very different at that time
One of the best HDB smart home tour till date. Love the content, comparisons and the low downs, as it can really help in deciding platform to adopt. Would you be trying out other platforms, like Apple HomeKit or Home Assistant in the future?
thanks man! apple homekit unlikely because I will never switch back to iphone, home assistant very very possible
Rryi
Finally!! Great update to your first smart home video. Thanks for sharing the improvements and changes you've made.
I'm really curious to learn more about your shift to smartthings and how you've integrated the different products (esp the non-native ones). Hopefully you can do a video on that as well.. looking forward to part 2!!
yeah I am going to do an integration tutorial video after the part 2!
@@AlexTeo Woohoo!! Awesome..
@@AlexTeo When will part2 be made available?
WOW! Alex, so organized and systematic!! one of the Best Smart Home Videos i've seen so far! Keep it up and give us more !!👍👍😊😊👏👏👏
wah thanks for the kind words! 😀
Thanks for taking the time on top of your work to produce this video!
Informative but not LuoShuo at all!
Tapped the LIKE button 5 times for the algo! Well done Alex and keep it up! Looking forward to your net video on Reno aspects!
hahah thanks for the support Isaac! wanted to keep it within 20mins, overshot a little
happy to find a Singapore TH-camr, your house look nice & tidy. thanks for sharing
Hi Alex, just chanced upon your video today. No questions from me but just wanna thank you and affirm your efforts in filming videos with practical advice and feasible tips. Much appreciated and I'm learning so much from you. And I've subscribed. 😃🙆♂️
Thanks for the sub!
Alex your contents are super informative, very down to earth, realistic POV from an end consumer stand point. I benefited from your videos. Thank you.
thanks man, I definitely like to keep my videos this way
Great vid. Looking for part 2 of this series but I can't find it. Appreciate if you could provide the link.
th-cam.com/video/0vK-peZwBcE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xv5Vlxa0VHVG3WqS
This is by far the best smart home tour video ive watched and I've watched anlot
wow thanks man, i'm humbled
You didnt consider tuya or smart life?
@@gavinlim3143 ?? i have tuya products 8:05, shows the list
Super detailed smart home remake! Very helpful for new owner 👍🏻
thanks for the video bro! ask you about the smart switch.. so I just replaced the H1 with my current one? (no neutral for me)
ehh... i don't get the question haa, what is your current one?
Hi Alex, awesome setup and great tips. Can't wait for the part 2 video. Just wondering how you setup the Aqara curtains with Google Home integration? I got a few Aqara smart switch + Aqara M1S hub (Aqara US server) and works fine on google home. I can only see curtains in "other" server, but Google Home devices only seem to recognise device via US, Europe and Korea/Russia.
Also curious on if you able to integrate google home and voice control for the ceiling fan and light? If so, how did you manage to set it up? Light + fan unit from Taobao usually come with wall switch for the light which can be compatible with Aqara smart switches, but the fan is usually controlled via remote. Thanks in advance for any advice :D
in google home, there are aqara europe, aqara for korea/russia and aqara smarthome. They correspond with which region setting you are using in the aqara home app. So for eg. if you are using the 'other' region, you have to use 'aqara smarthome' in google home. The ceiling fan remote part is using an IR/RF blaster, so for eg. google home switch on the aqara switch, then play a scene you set in broadlink that controls the remote
Great video! Thanks! Looking forward to part 2 cos I’m starting my home renovation soon! :D
Wow...Nice home, nice looks, nice everything!
great tour video, for turning on your pc why not just set up WOL (wake on lan)?
Possible but somehow you still need other solution to either control power or network input. Using switchbot is just more straight forward plus it can do press and hold as well to hard reset if your pc got hang
Hi Alex, thanks for great video, I have a question, did you pull neutral wire for any of your smart switches or controllers?
zero neutral
Hi @alexteo , thanks for a great video. I did not hear you mentioned about the ceiling fan, but I assume that it would be smart (or smartly controlled) as well. Just curious if you could share more about it. Thank you!!
mentioned under home appliance 10:10
Hi Alex , Do you have the total price you paid for smart lights ,smart switches and smart strips. Also is the monthly utility bill for your house going up since the smart switches are in a way 24/7 turn on to connect to wifi ? also what happen to your ecovac robot vaccum cleaner didnt last ? :) . For the wireless router you should use Asus XT8 it's much better than netgear orbi . Currently using it for wifi 6 connectivity MADS also featured it .Give it a shot.
can go to each individual product link to add up the cost haha. I don't have a before and after utility cost since i have that implemented since day 1. I can tell you my average monthly consumption is 450kWh, but comparing this way is not very useful since there are so many different contributing factors such as number of family members and whether wfh or on a/c overnight.
my robot vacuum has been consistently changing ever since as I am doing testing and reviewing on each of them and will probably be for a long time. For mesh routers, you gotta compare products in the same range, you tested Asus XT8 vs Netgear RBK852? XT8 is about 200 bucks cheaper than RBK852 so it will be a very gd purchase if its better. For me, I am most likely going to skip wifi 6 and aim for 6e straight since linksys and netgear already have 6e models
Hi Alex. It's great video. Are you controlling all these devices(different brand) by only one app(smart thing) ?
yup for the most of it and google home to look at my nest doorbell, only going to specific device apps if i want to update their firmware or some special functions
Super informative video Alex! I'm hoping to get your thoughts on integrators such as Ganen and Home-a-Genius... yay or nay?
on product level I can't comment since I never use before,. As for the platform they provide, from what I can see, ganen is using tuya smart life, home-a-genius is using home assistant. Home assistant is definitely better
Oh my tian.. I'm not even interested in smart homes but I finished watching the entire video hahaha
Really looking forward to part 2 which I think interests me more!
hahah thanks for watching!
Hey Alex. Great video and your guidance to things and when to look out for what. Can I check with you, now that your Tuya smart socket link you recommended is not selling anymore, do you have any other recommendations?
Recommendation depends on what platform you are using. If you are looking for tuya ones then you can get those from local companies like near or mowe which i covered in my tuya video
Hi Alex, this is awesome. Really appreciate your efforts. Love from India. Looking forward to more videos. 😊
Thanks for the support!
Hi Alex, thanks for all the videos you have created. I came to your to your channel recently as I pondering whether I will make my home a bit smarter while it is undergoing renovation. Very useful videos in Singapore context. Keep it up!
I saw that you are using the Aqara M2 hub. I came across that M2 hub does not work with Google Assistant for their China version devices. I am also wondering whether their latest H1 Pro switches will have any issues with their M2 hub. Wondering you can advise on this. Thanks very much!
Hi there thanks for the support. Just buy from the links that i put under the video description definitely ok
with these many smart devices, how is the utility bill since they will constantly be drawing power in the standby state, waiting for the next command?
i will say it depends on lifestyle and habits because they can essentially help you to save electricity if you are a forgetful person. My house average monthly consumption is 450 kWH
Wow Alex aka EB!! Hope you and Bubble are doing fine! You just inspired me as well. And you put all those things in the description which is help us a lot to looking for certain devices. Anyway I have been subscribing your channel since you create king of kings content! And all of these smart home videos are just amaze me as hell. Appreciate for your video!
wow! my subscriber even before I really started creating contents lol.
Yeah we are all cool, able to help me recall my memory where we cross path?
@@AlexTeo it's me, Vic. Dreamz guild, King of Kings! Hope you will recognize me lol
@@exilevic ohhh i think we used to raid together right? haha its been a long time the game has even close down already, i have moved back to ffxiv anyway
@@AlexTeo yes that's right EB haha. I heard from kras also you guys back to FF. OY also play mir4 currently. Do you plan to create another game content ? Might be in another channel ? I would like to subsribe asap. Hahaha
Hi Alex,
Assuming the light switches are already smart switches, how would you set up for such a use case:
- When leaving home, conveniently press a "master" smart switch to turn off all the lights in the house.
refer to 6:05, that's the use case you are looking for
Hi Alex, I've been following your content for a while now and love your insights and the thought process behind your decisions. Can you talk about the security aspect of your smart home setup? How do you ensure it's not vulnerable to cyber attacks. Would be greatly appreciated ❤❤
hmm that's a whole video by itself. Generally you want to secure your network, then for me I go with reputable brands for cloud services and for sensitive devices like camera. You just have to trust the security infra for those companies
Great effort there. Understand you decoupled 1 of the switch for your Kasa bulb. I am wondering if will it work on philips hue bulb as well.
yup pretty sure it will
**Added product links in the video description!
If you like to see more of my dog, follow him on Instagram 'Duffythemauxie' - instagram.com/duffythemauxie
what do you think of sterra water filter? is it worth the price?
@@bchpls24 no idea what's that haha
Love da Duffy doggie~
Hi Alex. Love your videos, they are extremely helpful! I have a question though, do you know if it's still possible to integrate aqara smart switches with the smart things hub? Thanks!
now aqara is pushing native integrations, there are a few devices already certified
nice video. saw that you have ceiling fan lights in your living room and bedroom. are u using smart switches for those also?
yeah smart switches
Great video! Just wondering for the smart light switches do you need to have the light switches be wired up with neutral wiring? Or it works fine without neutral as well (understand that power consumption may be slightly higher as a result)?
depends on what smart light switches u getting
super vid! any thoughts on the homey hub?
expensive and lack of coverage
Hey great video! You mention something about a solution that fixes the problem of someone turning off the switch manually and then power is of and you cannot regain smart control. Can you elaborate how to fix that? I plan on using on/off smart switches + Ikea hub and Ikea bulbs to get the dimmable function.
aqara switch has a setting to make the switch into a wireless remote instead
I like how creative and phased your video are. Thanks for the video, so much useful ideas. One question tho. If we dont use mesh, how far the cons are? Is it going to be less responsive or ?
Love from MY
thanks! glad to receive love from MY, regarding your qn its hard to answer because its depending on your setup and what you choose over mesh then
Great video for people who want simple and easy smart home.
Btw Alex, the Broadlink IR for the Aircon, is it just turning it on and off? Are you able to change temperature on the aircon unit? And how does it work? Each temperature having a unique IR code? I'm planning to get a IR/RF to control my fan and aircon too, but I'm concern of the temperature value sync issue with the actual remote.
i not using broadlink for aircon, only switchbot and aqara. I'm quite surprised with the IR on aqara works very well. I am using mitsubishi, no need to learn any buttons its all preset, literally plug and play. Able to set fan speed, temp and modes as well
@@AlexTeo Thanks! I'm waiting for my Zigbee coordinator to arrive and link up my ecosystem (Switches & LEDs), then will try out the IR/RF part.
Btw, take a look at GLEDOPTO LED strips. Also Haozee Zigbee remote switches in Aliexpress, the design not bad, very tactile the button press.
Hi did you pull neutral wires to those smart switches?
You derserve more subs. Such great content. Thank you!
You should consider moes smart switches, they are cheaper than Aqara switches
Wow just happened to chance upon ur video! Nice video haha hope u and Hazel are doing great now!
Haha we are good thanks! Hope the same for u!
Hi Alex,
For the Samsung self cleaning robot vacuum, is it a hassle to keep buying and replacing the dust bag? I think is $20 for 5 bags or something
I don't think it is, depends on how much dust is collected can always check whether the bag is full
Looking forward to see if you can share your list of device handlers!
Great video! Do they come with smart water heater switch? It's troublesome to on/off water heater switch since its wiring on the common toilet. Thinking of using the smart switch as a 2 way switch for the water heater . Thank you ☺️
you can use a switchbot with a nfc tag or button trigger, very simple. Better engage a certified electrician if you are going to wire a switch
Thank you so much for your quick response and tips , truly appreciated 😊🙏🏼
Hi Alex, are you able to give insights/guides on how to connect motion sensors to lights? Ie, upon entry light will be switched on and switched off aft x minutes. Thank you!
actually this is pretty straight forward, just buy a compatible motion sensor, follow the instruction manual and you should get it up within a few minutes
Hi Alex, Thanks for sharing! may I know which smart home switch control are recommend for new house with neutral or without neutral connection?
I would like to build my own smart home for my house and which app recommended for newbie ! would appreciate your advise,thank you.
if you are iphone user then i recommend aqara switches control via Apple Homekit
if you are android user then get tuya switches via smart life app and Google home for voice trigger
Great video! 💯 May I ask, for the smart plug, must it be connect only to 2.4 ghz wifi or can connect to 5 ghz wifi as well? And it will follow what wifi connection your phone is connected to right?
2.4ghz only. It will have it's own IP address communicating to your router, nothing to do with your phone
@@AlexTeo Nice! Thank you so much!!
Hi Alex, great content! By the way, what other reliable & reasonable priced wireless switch brands can we consider? (apart from aqara). Which app do you use to connect all your wireless switches, what app(s) are versatile long term and ease of use? Also, what are your thoughts of Aircon with smart wifi VS without which then needs to connect with a hub - will the latter be possible and able to wirelessly connect and control well? Appreciate your content by the way!
i am using the smartThings platform, so it makes more sense to use the smartThings buttons which I covered in this video, ikea buttons can work as well.
for aircon, I mentioned under the home appliance > IR blaster part, it's via IR so line of sight with the hub. So you just control that to control the aircon. Not too sure what you meant by 'wirelessly connect'
HI Alex, great video!!!! I have a question regarding the aqara roller driver, did you pair it with the xiaomi gateway v3 or with an aqara hub?
aqara hub
@@AlexTeo Thank you
Not bad at all! Actually quite impressive that you can integrate non-natively supported device into another eco-system. Just curious, how much you spend for all the items shown in the video?
Didn't keep track, some devices are sent over free from the companies. I have linked all of them in the video description
I am redoing my entire place which I am going to move into! 😂 can you advise what should I tell the electrician and also if Tuya smart switches are to go? Do I need a hub?
i will suggest to first evaluate what smart home platforms do you want to be on
Hi Alex, I am trying to find the link to your automated laundry rack but is unable to find it after combing a couple of your videos. Can you resend the link?
Hi Alex
Thanks for sharing all the videos. I am planning to do these (not sure if they make sense).
1. Switchbot hub mini - to control IR home appliances.
2. Aqara hub to control the switches
3. Connect both to Google home assistant, which I am familiar with.
I am looking for black light switches. Didn’t see any with aqara. Do you know of any other hub & switches that are compatible with goggle assistant? Do the set up (1-3) make sense?
Thanks in advance
1. broadlink is also a common popular choice if you are connecting to google/alexa directly
2. if you decide to use aqara switches then go with their aqara m2 hub
3. both can connect to google home
Ya i think aqara has only white color. The setup is alright but just to share with you that there are a lot of limitation on google home to manage your smart home
Hi Alex,
I was watching the part on motion sensors. Let’s say if I have broadlink smart switches for the toilet, do I need to use a broadlink motion sensor or anything other brand like smarthing? Hmm how do I configure the motion sensor to switch on the toilet lights?
@@axelchong4919 you have to pick a smart home solution that is able to integrate with your choice of devices else each brand can only work within their own brand
For the mesh setup, do you recommend using Cat6 cable or Cat5e is good enough? My concern is that Cat5e max speed is 1Gbps, and may be the bottleneck when ISP speed becomes higher than that. What's your thoughts on that ?
go with minimum cat6, even electrician laying and patching for the data points are already using cat6
Thank you for the amazing content Alex! I have been following your channel since quite a while ago as I am also in the midst of doing renovations for my new place.
I am trying to set up my own smart home and is considering using the smart things hub based on what I have just seen. Just a quick question, for the Aqara switches (d1 etc.) can I configure the smart things hub (using the IDE) to hook these switches up while using the ikea zigbee repeaters? Also, for the 3gang switches, will there be any integration issues into smart things?
I don't have 3gang switches so can't test it but I read some concerns with those. Don't understand your question on the ikea repeaters.
@@AlexTeo thank you for your response :D I brought up the ikea zigbee repeaters because I was afraid the non-neutral switches might have connection range issues as I heard only neutral switches can act as repeaters. I might use m2 hubs instead for a start as most of the sensors etc are coming from aqara then slowly move to Home Assistant on a raspberry pi4
@@AlexTeo I iiii
Great video! Very informative 👍🏻 can I ask do i need still the aqara hub if I have the SmartThings hub? Or just the SmartThings hub will do?
thanks! no you don't need the aqara hub, the reason why I am using it is just for the IR functions and also the E1 smart blind is too new
@@AlexTeo Hi Alex you mean with the smart things hub you can actually link aqara wall switches without the need of the aqara hub?
@@evanding605 yup if you go with a hub based platform like hubitat, homey, home assistant then you don't need these other hubs for every brand everywhere
Hi Alex, what happens in the event of a router or isp outage? Can one still switch on/off smart light, smart bulbs?
if the automation is via wifi cloud then you won't be able to on/off them via app, but you will still be able to do it physically if they are wired
Hi Alex, massive thanks for another super insightful video again. I'm wondering if by any chance you have any recommended contacts for an Electrician?
yeah you can DM me on IG
Hi Alex, I did "Alex Teo video" marathon the past 2 days ever since I saw this video. I like how you plan your smart setup, very practical. Can I ask, for those Aqara items you bought from Taobao, they are not the global version right? Also, is there any switches/appliances at home that you regret making it smart? Because I want to make all switches/appliances at my new BTO smart but not sure if it's too much.
wow thanks for the video views. For the aqara products, I have a mixture of china ver and uk version. So far no regrets making anything smart, the question is only how much it is utilized and whether its worth the money, for eg. smart water heater
@@AlexTeo thanks for replying so fast 😂 by using both UK and China version, there is no issue when connecting it to smartthings or Google home? Or does it only affect mihome app?
Anyway thanks to your video, I know what robot vacuum to get also 😂 really saved me alot time to do intensive research and comparison. Not sure if I missed it, what washing machine did you get?
@@smallseeya usually I am fast during the first few days of my new video upload haa... it doesn't matter the version because I am using the smartThings hub, similarly for home assistant users no issue. This is only a problem for people using aqara hubs and their app. Currently I am using a beko washing machine with auto detergent dosing, last time this is a very unique capability but right now pretty common already
@@AlexTeo got it! I shall get all from Taobao then 😂 appreciate your selfless sharing and time taken to prepare all the videos. Will be looking forward to more of your video teaching and reviews 😄
Hi Alex, thanks for the home tour! May I know where you got your living room sofa?
taobao ftw, detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=604365358760&spm=a1z09.2.0.0.67002e8dQQw8Cg&_u=m2ai2jg16384
Waiting for the robot comparison! So much info in a 20min video. Need some time to absorb 😆
Yeah you can watch a few times, that will be nice! 🤣
Love your video, however what do you recommend for apple users?
Thanks! Definitely Apple homekit especially if you already have apple watch, apple tv, homepod mini is a no brainer
@@AlexTeo Currently I've only have an Iphone so I'm on the fence too. Don't think i'll ever switch to andriod or get an apple tv i think
@@justintan7370 at least the homepod mini, which is actually a very good speaker by itself. You can already do a lot of automation with just aqara products
Hi Alex firstly I have nothing but appreciation for your videos. But could I request for another video update on mesh networks? Im really having a hard time considering which brands or type or configuration to get.
For example, TP link have the deco X90, X60. but then im not sure if I should get the X90 (tri band) with only 2 nodes or x60 (dual band) with 3 nodes. or should I consider getting a cheaper tri band such as x68 with 3 nodes. or should i get other brands? hahaha sorry so many questions but just want to ensure my whole house is covered properly. My plan is to go for wifi 6 tri band, wired backhaul, but have to be realistic as it gets very costly to get the best spects and config.
I am living in a 4room unit with plans to make it into a smart home with smart door bells, lights, etc. Thanks again.
ok I have plans to do a video on that :)
@@AlexTeo That's awesome! Thank you!!
Hi Alex, your home advice has been v helpful to me. Thank U. Can I check with you re. GST? Do they (renovation company) charge clients additional 7% GST on top of the final quotation?
usually the bigger companies will charge you, smaller companies will say they 'waived' off so that their price are more competitive
Great video! Just wondering, do you have any Zigbee downlight recommendations?
not really, i will prefer to go with smart switch or smart bulb
Hi Alex, I'm getting my place next year and intend to integrate it with smart home devices. In the meantime, thought I could try out the hub and some basic devices in my own bedroom and study room to familiarize myself and also help me come to a decision for my new home set-up in future. I'm thinking of Smartthings for the hub, and perhaps start with wall switches and smart plugs - all of which i can transfer to my new home in future if I want to. For the wall switch, I'll likely go with Aqara. For the smart switches - do you have any recommendations? I was browsing TP-Link but saw that there is Tapo and Kasa ones. Don't quite understand the difference between the 2. Only need it for basic functions e.g. on/off.
both tapo and kasa should be fine, maybe you can just download the smartThings app, create an account and see what are the supported devices that you kinda limit your options which is not a bad thing too. You can also consider getting the one from ikea as well which I show in my video, but that's a little big if you don't mind the size
hi Alex, care to share what is the final system that you are using today? is it still the same as the video as you showing now?
Still the same now as per video
Platform: SmartThings
Hub: smartthings v3
Voice: Google assistant
But i will be trying out home assistant running on home assistant yellow next year
Good and informative video, want to ask you, how is the Govee Lyra floor lamp? is it worth it?
yup i think it is
Great video!!! Digesting the amount of useful information 🤯🤯🤯
😁😁😁
Can you include an overview of how many smart switches you have in the house? We were wondering if we should change all the switches to smart ones, but seems like an overkill and very $$$. (Noted that you have smart sockets too!) Do your smart switches require neutral wire/ If not, does it reduce the longevity of your appliances? Thank you.
E.g. how many smart switches in your kitchen and for what appliances
Sorry to add - do you still recommend waiting for Amazon Echo 8 2nd Gen over smartthings?
i have 10x smart switches, all non neutral wire, all still working fine after 1 year. I don't use any smart socket for kitchen appliance now. I looked at the current supported amazon alexa supported zigbee devices, there are too few of them, so smartThings as the central management is still better. You can always get the echo as a smart display/speaker but not for their zigbee hub
@@AlexTeo Thanks Alex. One more question: may I know why you chose not to pull the neutral wire even though you were starting from resale?
@@patriciachoy5607 I bought 1 non neutral to test, it works so I just keep it that way
Love the video! Wanted to ask, are you also able to decouple the switches on the Aqara D1 using SmartThings? I know the H1 supports it natively and I can decouple the D1 on Home Assistant. Wanted to know if that's possible on smart things.
the D1 i have are all single gang, for those china gen 1 switches no issues for me though. Actually I like the D1 least because of the sound
Hi Alex, what is your air conditioning brand? What are your ceiling fans brand?
Mitsubishi, fanco
What do you think of Tuya Smart Sockets? Is it worth the effort and money for a new BTO?
tuya products are relatively cheap, can just buy 1 and see whether you like it
I wonder how many apps do you have to install on your phone to manage these devices from different brands. They do not communicate with each another unless you get all your devices from one company. Or you could go the Home Assistant route for full customization.
I am using the smartThings solution for central control, you can check out my other video on 7 central smart home solutions 2021
Which forwarder did you use to ship from US to SG? I remember seeing somewhere in the video and now I cant find it..
i use ezship
Hi Alex, great video!
Can I ask whether you connect your aqara curtains to aqara hub or smartthings hub?
smartThings hub
@@AlexTeo Can you share the custom device handler you are using?
Your bedroom curtains are done up very well and inspired me to the the same =)
Love your channel, I really find all your tips very useful in my smart home journey.
@@aowjiesheng9109 stay tuned for my next video!
@@AlexTeo Looking forward to it!
Hi Alex, looking to set up my new house with the smart gadgets, what would you recommend? Looking for fan, light, curtain, air-con, ….
First you need to decide what platform you want to be on.. your choices will be limited by that
@@AlexTeo which platform can support apple and android phone?
@@blbl3165 all can except apple homekit
@@AlexTeo what would you recommend?
Just wondering why don't you setup a WakeOnLAN setup instead of the finger presser on your pc? Just wondering, planning to setup WOL on mine.
You still need a way to trigger WOL, how you intend to do it?
@@AlexTeo Not sure where my earlier comment went. Anyway, what I posted was:
I can use WOL using Home Assistant, or Teamviewer. Although I don't use teamviewer to connect remotely (I use Parcec), the WOL feature is pretty handy (and free). Still need a WOL capable motherboard either way, which shouldn't be an issue nowadays.
Hi Alex. Nice Video. I also installed LED lights at home for my ceiling but recently I was told that LED lights are not good for eyes. I am not sure if it is true as websites has a mixed of both answers. Some say yes, some say no. What do you think?
eh no idea didn't look into this before haa
Hi Alex. Need your opinion on a smart wall socket I found but I have not been able to post it here. :(
Hi alex, excited to get my house and planning to do a smart home. If i were to get an aqara wall switch, and smartthings motion sensor and etc. will you recommend me getting and aqara hub or smartthings hub?
if you are using iphone and going to use apple homekit then get the aqara hub, if you are going to use the smartthings platform with google or amazon voice assistant then of course smartthings hub
@@AlexTeo i see!! Im using iphone but was thinking to get google assitant soundbar. As i saw, the Aqara m2 hub global version can support with D1 switches global version and therefore i can use google assitant right?
Hey Alex, do you use a smart water heater switch and what model do you use? I am thinking of just using Aqara HomeKit with my Aqara switches and Aqara digital door lock. But Aqara doesn’t have smart water heater switch
I am using a smart gas heater, you can just use a switchbot for the gas heater switch automate using siri shortcuts, quick n easy
@@AlexTeo thanks Alex!
hi alex. could you shed some light on fans. those with 3 led light but you got to toggle with switching it on & off. Can i make it smart with a smart switch?
smart switch simply control power on/off that's all.. so if your fan needs additional controls in order to switch it on then having just smart switch is not enough
I think one thing is to start to explain which smart home eco system are you going with, is it the the Apple homekit or the Google home, or is just plainly controlling through mobile devices without going through smart home ecosystem.
i wanted to show what smart home devices I have first, then explain my choice of solution at the last section. But throughout the whole video, I pretty much talked about smartThings all the way
Hey Alex, I noticed (16:25) in your Video, you covered that you are using Bose 500 Soundbar in your Living Room for your Voice Assistant however in your description, you stated Bose Smart Soundbar 300 instead.
I will like to check if you are using the Bose 500 or 300 Smart Soundbar? Do you happened to know if the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 could be integrated to the Smartthings Hub? or whether is it important at all? since most of the Newer Bose Soundbar series are compatible with Google Assistant. I have posed the question to Bose Singapore but they could not provide me a definite answer if the Soundbar 300 could be integrated to Smartthings.
Your advise is greatly appreciated for the efforts put into the making of this Video BIG THUMBS UP!!! to another well documented Video. Cheers👍👍
because it seems like bose is not producing soundbar 500 anymore so I linked the 300 instead. But none of their soundbar is supported in smartThings, I will suggest you to go with the sonos arc. Most importantly is it comes with voice assistant. Compatible with smartThings mean that you can have automation that your speaker will say a message like a voice notification. For eg. if RING doorbell pressed, then speaker say 'you have a visitor'
@@AlexTeo Wow.. thanks for the thinking cap :)
Bro, I took your recommendation and got myself some Aqara H1 switches. I have a question - will it work with ceiling fans with light? The shops I ask have conflicting replies and some don’t dare commit. Do you have any knowledge of this?
Generally it will work as the voltage/ampere requirement is within the specs of the H1 switch.. get the neutral one if you want to play safe
Hi Alex, does SmartThings hub come with integrated RF/IR blaster? Can I use it directly to control a non-smart ceiling fan or must I get another blaster like switchbot or broadlink?
I hv not bought a ceilin lg fan yet, but the choice for smart fans (other than haiku which is too ex for me) are limited. And I am not even sure if those smart fans can be integrated seamlessly with SmartThings. Hope you can help with ur advice. Thank you!
ST hub doesn't have integrated IR, have to use other solutions. All the tuya ones can, for eg, eco-airx.com/
hi alex. i am going to start reno soon. If i am using all smart bulbs do i still need to have smart sockets for futureproofing? appreciate your advice!
no need to futureproof anything, just buy when you need one
@@AlexTeo how abt futureproofing with neutral wiring?
@@stu4rt86 ya that's ok can do that
hello Alex, want to check with you if your smart home switches and power points required you pull neutral wires for all your electrical points?
none, i use all non neutral switches
@@AlexTeo thank you Alex, currently planning for my home reno and this video really helps! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Great video content 👍👍👍
May I ask whether you can provide the guide to integrate Aqara light switch to smart things ?
yup next video, stay tuned!
@@AlexTeo looking forward !!!
Hi Alex, why not you are using Samsung smartthigs hub as a WiFi mesh since you are using smartthigs base smart home system? Is there a down side with Samsung smartthigs hub mesh router?
because they are not experienced in doing networking products, can't really find a lot of good reviews for that as well
Hi Alex , mind to share how do you automate your air-cond?what devices do you use or its your air-cond have built in smart devices?thanks
I use an IR blaster solution for aircon covered under the home appliance section
@@AlexTeo thanks Alex , will check it out
Hi alex look forward to your t9 vs s7 vs jetbot robot vacuum. I bought t9 ecovacs but i think i like my steam mop better as i realise i get water marks on tile flooring based on my first try.
if you can do it manually yourself then steam mop is the best mopping imo haha
Hi Alex, thanks for the selfless sharing. This is great. I am wondering how did you set the aqara wall switch to be decoupled to become a wireless switch you mentioned in your video. This is a great solution to avoid someone accidentally turn off the switch and smart light automation will no longer function. Wondering can it be done in aqara app or mi app to decoupled or has to use smart things hub to reconfigure it like you did. If too much trouble to explain can you direct me to any website that I can learn myself? Appreciate your advice. TIA.
It can be done easily on the aqara app, but i think you cant set on individual gang
Alright. Great to hear that. Thanks Alex!
Hi Alex, why do you need Google home when you are mainly using smart things platform?
For voice control only
Perfect timing Alex as I'm my ecosystem currently for my new place! Just a question regarding smart switches, what is the difference between Aqara D1 and H1 switches? And also I noticed that there's this Green Rice Aqara switch, again what's the difference? Many thanks and awesome job Alex!
to me it's just design difference and also the sound, H1 is their latest. hm... no idea what's green rice lol
hi, just to add on to the subject of aqara switches. any issues so far with use? eg. server problems or just with the switch physically? thanks! (:
@@gnsirk no issue with the device, the biggest issue I have with aqara is the different versions of the product what can or cannot work at different region settings all these
@@AlexTeo i see, are most of them compatible when you set it to singapore? or only works with the china server? would you still recommend the aqara smart switches then?
@@gnsirk yes i strongly recommend aqara products. Eh, you don't set to either Singapore or china. Are you already an aqara app user? The region you should set to is either 'others' or 'europe'
Thanks Alex for another great video. Could u share the brand and where we could get smart LED strip as i wanna do cove light in my new home? Could u also share tips on the things to look for when installing such strip? Does most electrican know how to install them? Thanks
i am using yeelight and govee but there are many other good brands such as philips hue, lifX, nanoleaf and etc. These strips are powered by a socket, you don't need an electrician to do for you
@@AlexTeo thanks Alex. However, i want to install led strip in my False ceiling to get the cove light effect. So should i ask my electrican to install an electrical socket on the ceiling?
@@arcaninx3333 yup I will do that, then you can use a wireless switch to control the led strip
@@AlexTeo to fix led lights behind the tv, how do you ensure the length is just nice as its usually sold at pre-defined length ? Do you need to cut the lights if too long ?
@@Wira8 overlapping or missing out a little is fine i am not too particular of having the light evenly spread out. If you want to cut is fine as well, I cut for my study desk light, there is indication on the strip itself where you can cut