# \[APP\] Aqara & Xiaomi Smart Home - Simplify your life with a smarter home

**URL:** <https://community.homey.app/t/app-aqara-xiaomi-smart-home-simplify-your-life-with-a-smarter-home/156>\
**Category:** Apps\
**Tags:** app, zigbee\
**Created:** [August 22, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-aqara-xiaomi-smart-home-simplify-your-life-with-a-smarter-home/156 "2018-08-22T20:18:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1488

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**Author:** ![mabe](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/mabe/32/9492_2.png) [@mabe](https://community.homey.app/u/mabe)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 11:25am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/app-aqara-xiaomi-smart-home-simplify-your-life-with-a-smarter-home/156/1488 "2020-02-08T11:25:35Z")

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Hello @robertklep,  
thank you for your insight:

> [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/0/1/01da37237ea6bd87b0e2107f1c365dc98c77a8bd.jpeg "Robert Klep")](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep) [robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)  
> Homey has a hardware limit of about 20 _directly connected_ devices. Sadly, you can’t force devices to connect through a router instead of with Homey directly, so the only way to fix your mesh is to remove a number of end devices (battery powered) from Homey, replace them with additional routers, and add the end devices back again _from the location you intent to use them_ (so _not_ close to Homey). That way, you have a bigger chance of the device connecting through a router (in my experience some devices, mostly Xiaomi Aqara, seems to have a preference to “stick” with the router that they got initially paired with, even if that router isn’t the most obvious choice w.r.t. distance).

Thanks also to @Gilly_Wings, @Satoer and @MarcoGr.

I have found a way how to connect new Aqara devices via another router device (even in close proximity to Homey). Robert’s comment gave me the idea that worked. I have used an aluminium foil as a shield between the newly added device and Homey while the new added device being close and unshielded to the router device.

Well, it looks a bit weird when arranging the “dumb” foil in order to add a “smart” device, but it works 🙂.

So thanks again and I hope this helps others in return.  
Cheers,  
Martin

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