Connected switches

[lmilcent]

Hello everyone!

I’m taking the liberty of creating a new topic about connected switches, as the ones I’ve consulted are quite old.

I’m looking for switches:

• Recessed to replace those in my home (some are surface-mounted)
• Independent of the cloud, local operation
• Affordable, around €20 per unit (Céliane by Netatmo and Legrand seem great, but you need to be rich!)

Has anyone here already used these models? What do you think (ease of use, command response time, etc.)?

Or maybe you have other models to recommend?

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Notes:

• Often (not always), an additional neutral is required for the switch’s power supply
• Despite the photos, all switches have a single-button version
• Firmware flashing is usually necessary to remove cloud dependency (Tuya in particular)

1. Moes Switch

Protocols: Wifi and RF433
Additional Neutral: Yes
Firmware Flash Required: Yes (Tuya)
Price: €13 on Aliexpress

1. bis: Adapter for switch

Protocol: Wifi
Additional Neutral: Yes
Firmware Flash Required: Yes (Tuya)
Price: €18 on Amazon

2. Zemimart Wifi Switches

Protocols: Wifi and RF433
Additional Neutral: Yes
Firmware Flash Required: Yes (Tuya)
Price: €18 on Aliexpress

2. bis: Zemimart Zigbee Switch

Protocol: Zigbee
Additional Neutral: No
Firmware Flash Required: Possible (Tuya)
Price: €21 on Aliexpress

3. Tuya TGETH Switch

Protocol: Wifi
Additional Neutral: Yes
Firmware Flash Required: Yes (Tuya)
Price: €14 on Aliexpress

4. Aqara Single Fire Switch (Xiaomi)

Protocol: ZigBee and HomeKit
Additional Neutral: No
Firmware Flash Required: No
Price: €22 on Aliexpress

Note: Surface-mounted installation adapters (empty boxes to fix) are also sold for €3 per unit or €4 for two.

[lmilcent]

After further research, I conclude that it is (or seems to be) simpler to directly use switches compatible with Zigbee2mqtt.
This project is about to be fully integrated into Gladys 4 and simplifies many things, as the use of official gateways is no longer necessary.

The project page lists all known compatibilities:

Zigbee2MQTT

Finally, some sellers on Aliexpress also indicate when the product is compatible with Zigbee2MQTT, which makes the search easier!

[Reno]

It does indeed seem interesting.
I’m getting back into developing the module. Also, when you have one, we can look at its integration if it’s not natively functional.
You’ll also need to check if the range is suitable for your needs as these modules are embedded…
After that, it will also be possible to duplicate the Zigbee2mqtt dongles in the house.

[lmilcent]

@Reno

You will also need to check if the range is suitable for your needs as these modules are embedded…
After that, it will also be possible to duplicate the Zigbee2mqtt dongles in the house.

I also look a lot at the Home Assistant resources to check if a home automation component is supported somewhere, and this is a general issue that has been raised: the range.

Someone will inevitably need to use other BLE or Zigbee relay sensors to send everything back to Gladys afterwards. Let’s see if in my 75m² apartment I will have this problem!

First step, convince my wife for the first investments (Raspi 4 for the built-in Bluetooth, the zzh! key for Zigbee2MQTT compatibility and a few switches)

[lmilcent]

Small update:

• the zigbee2mqtt service is functional in its test version and should soon be integrated into Gladys
• for 100% local operation, zigbee switches are to be preferred (without the official gateways of course)
• zigbee « smart switches » are also a good affordable alternative (between €8 and €15 on aliexpress). These are connected boxes to be placed behind a standard switch.

[lmilcent]

Update: Experience with Zigbee Switches

Unlike what I indicated during my research, no flashing of the switches is required on the devices I tested and which are officially supported by the Zigbee2Mqtt project.

Where to Buy the Equipment?

• Leboncoin: You need to be patient and careful, but it is possible to find good deals.
  You need to log in regularly (or create alerts) and wait a long time for a model to be interesting in terms of price. Do not hesitate to compare the prices of used items with those of new ones on Aliexpress, many sellers overcharge.
• Aliexpress: I buy almost all my Zigbee home automation sensors and actuators there. As long as the seller is well rated, there is no risk.
  Most of the items sold arrive in 10 days from China, but there are sellers who ship from Belgium or Spain and the delay is even shorter (1 week) for a few euros more (€14 instead of €12 for a wireless switch for example).
• French Store: Never tried, the prices are too high compared to the same model sold on Aliexpress (€30 on Amazon against €12 on Aliexpress).

Smart Switch

1. Xiaomi Aqara

I have the QBKG04LM model, at €17 on Aliexpress. It is quite elegant, but I find many disadvantages:

1. You can clearly hear a small « click » when you turn off or on (electrical relay)
2. There is a small delay between the Zigbee command and the actual lighting
3. If you play with turning on and off in a loop by pressing very quickly on the switch, you can immediately see that the switch struggles. The light will be on once every two clicks.
4. Warning if you want to flush it, you need a square hole in the wall and not round as is the norm in France. It is also possible to buy a box (or 3D print it) to place it on the wall, in « protruding » position.

2. TuYa (and redistributors)

[Edit - March 23, 2021]
I just tested another model of switch that can be placed instead of French switches: the TS0011 model at €20 on Aliexpress (1 gang No neutral).
Other brands redistribute it like AVATTO for €15 on Aliexpress.

It is very quiet, always very responsive (via Zigbee or manually) and a very small diode lights up in red (barely visible in daylight and at night) when the light is on. I prefer it for the moment, as there is no audible « click » like the Xiaomi when it is turned on remotely or by pressing the button.
I RECOMMEND!

Connected Module for Standard Switch

So far I have only tested one, the QS-ZIGBEE-D02-TRIAC-LN model, at €18 on Aliexpress.
You need to be careful with this model, only « push » type switches are compatible, those on which when you press the button returns to its original position.

It is quite small to fit behind a flush-mounted switch, responsive and the dimmer works on my LED lamp (basic IKEA 5W, not connected).

The only place where it does not work well for me is my living room which has a luminaire with 6 LED bulbs of the « old school » type. Despite the presence of 6 bulbs and the addition of a Legrand resistor, nothing works, everything flickers when I turn it on.
I read on the product page that a minimum consumption is required for the module to work correctly in « no neutral » mode. This is a possible explanation, I will rather use a connected switch in my living room!

[lmilcent]

Update : LEGRAND Switch

• Context : In my living room, I have a light fixture with 6 bulbs. In winter it’s too bright despite the low consumption of the LEDs (3W to 4W each). I also regularly get flashing or flickering in the evening, which is quite annoying

So I decided to invest in switches from the highly renowned brand LEGRAND. For those who don’t know, it’s one of the largest French manufacturers of electrical equipment.

They created a range « Céliane with Netatmo » part of which uses Zigbee :

Legrand 067771 control via MQTT | Zigbee2MQTT

I therefore created a search on Leboncoin to include all the models referenced by Zigbee2MQTT : https://www.leboncoin.fr/recherche

Price

I managed to buy it for €38 on Leboncoin, with the active compensator included. It’s a small component to plug as close as possible to the bulb.
Otherwise new, I could quickly find it between €63 and €66 on the official site — maybe you better understand the Leboncoin option?

(It comes in several colors. Mine is white).

Features

• On / Off
• Night light On / Off (only On, only Off, or both)
• Dimmer when pressing and holding up or down
• Controllable via Zigbee, of course

Gladys preview :

Zigbee2MQTT preview :

Feedback

I’ve only had it for a few days but the verdict is already excellent.

• No more flashing or flickering
• I can adjust the brightness
• Installation is easy, no neutral wire required, and it fits into the wall without forcing
• It is recognized very quickly by Zigbee2MQTT and Gladys