As you both know ,the apps “Xiaomi Mi Home” (app store, @Phuturist: you were the original dev. I believe) and “Mi Homey” (CLI only), allow for an integration of the Xiaomi/Aqara gateways to Homey. Once gateways are added, all child devices connected to the Xiaomi/Aqara gateway can be easily integrated in Homey, regardless of the communication protocol used (mostly Zigbee, Wifi or Bluetooth). Both apps have the same functionality.
The advantages are multiple. Those that matter most for me are:
- Reliability: The zigbee network is handled by the Xiaomi/Aqara gateway. Resulting in a very stable network, almost without any limitation of quantity of child devices connected. Adding multiple Xiaomi/Aqara gateways in the same building will result in a very reliable network coverage.
- Multiple locations: Another nice one, is the fact that the Xiaomi/Aqara gateways don’t have to be installed in the same location. So all of the sudden I can manage more than one location using only one (slightly more expensive) Homey. One will only need a cheap Xiaomi/Aqara gateway, connected to the internet. The Zigbee devices in the back of my garden are connected to the Xiaomi/Aqara gateway in the garden shed. The Xiaomi/Aqara gateway in the garden shed is connected to my neighbour’s Wi-Fi network. And, Voila: everything alway accessible. WiFi range is much better than Zigbee, WiFi networks are omnipresent.
- Redundancy: when, for whatever reason, Homey is down, you will still have access by using the Xiaomi Mi Home app.
My gut feeling however is that none of these two apps are really developped (any more). I would prefer not to invest my time in using these apps, only to discover after a few months that the dev has lost interest all together.
My Question @TedTolboom :
What needs to happen for you to integrate the same functionality in your “Smart Home” app?
The reason for me asking is simply because you app(s) is/are, in general: well maintained, well constructed and sturdy or to sum up in one word: Brilliant.
