I’m having a tough time finding what I need. I’ve ordered some smart power outlets to control my floor lamps. They say they don’t need a hub and work on 2.4GHz. I can control them with my phone, but I really want some small push button switches I can place in convenient spots around the house. Everything I’ve found on Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress so far seems to need a hub.
Does Alexa on my phone count as a hub? And if so, how does my girlfriend control the lights from her phone? Any advice would be much appreciated!
Honestly, ditch Alexa as your main hub. It’s not built for this. You’re not going to find many wireless switches that work with Alexa because WiFi battery-powered devices are terrible. Zigbee and Z-Wave are much better for this kind of thing—they’re more reliable and use less battery. I can suggest a ton of buttons if you switch to something better than Alexa. The only button I can think of that works with Alexa is Flic, and it still might need a hub.
@Jerry
Thanks for the tip. I’ll look into getting a ZigBee setup without voice control (unless there are switches that don’t need a hub, though I haven’t found any yet).
Luchivya said: @Jerry
Thanks for the tip. I’ll look into getting a ZigBee setup without voice control (unless there are switches that don’t need a hub, though I haven’t found any yet).
All Zigbee devices need a hub to work. What you should get is a hub that can handle multiple wireless protocols under one system, so you won’t need extra hubs or apps. And you can still use Alexa for voice commands if you want.
I use Home Assistant as my hub, and it controls both Alexa and Google speakers. It handles everything, so I don’t need to shout at them to do things. I have a mix of Zigbee wireless switches from different brands, and I connect all of them with just one Zigbee coordinator. I’m planning to add Z-Wave devices soon for even more local control and to stay away from cloud-based services.
@Jerry
The WiFi outlets are already on the way, so we’ll control them with our phones for now. I’ll consider ZigBee or maybe TP-Link Tapo down the line.
Ikea has a series called Tradfri that doesn’t need a hub. You can get a button for $10 and bulbs for $10 too. You can even do more than just control lights.
They have a set that includes both a button and a bulb, and you can add more bulbs if you want. You can find them in their official website.
Luchivya said: @Robin
That’s close, but it looks like all their push button switches are paired with a specific bulb.
No, you can re-pair them however you want. Instructions come with it. You can buy buttons and bulbs separately, and there are different types available. It’s all Zigbee-based.
They also have smart power outlets in the same series if you want to control other stuff. The only downside of not using a hub is you’re limited to basic functions like turning things on and off without any smart automations.
@Robin
I just want to turn some floor lamps on and off in different rooms. The problem is that the outlets I’m using run on 2.4GHz and are only compatible with Alexa, Echo, and Google Home—not ZigBee.
@StatChatUSA3
I read that you need to control the channel allocations to prevent ZigBee and Wi-Fi from interfering with each other on the 2.4GHz band. Was that article wrong or just outdated?
Luchivya said: @Robin
I just want to turn some floor lamps on and off in different rooms. The problem is that the outlets I’m using run on 2.4GHz and are only compatible with Alexa, Echo, and Google Home—not ZigBee.
I might not understand exactly what you need, but it sounded like you just wanted a button to turn lights on and off without setting up a hub or using Alexa.
The Ikea product can do that—it’s just a button and a bulb, no need for anything else. You don’t even need your smart outlets for this. It works with any light fixture. They have different light sources too, like bulbs, spotlights, and even ready-to-use fixtures.
If you want to control the lights through a button, phone, or Alexa via the outlet, then yeah, you’d need a hub because that’s more complex.
Luchivya said: @Robin
I just want to turn some floor lamps on and off in different rooms. The problem is that the outlets I’m using run on 2.4GHz and are only compatible with Alexa, Echo, and Google Home—not ZigBee.
There’s an Echo Hub that has Zigbee built-in. It sounds like you don’t want to dive into full-on home automation, so Home Assistant might be overkill for just this one issue.
You could get an Echo Zigbee hub and pair a Zigbee button with it, while still letting Alexa control the WiFi bulb. I assume you’re using an Alexa skill for the bulb?
@Autumn
The Amysen WiFi outlets I bought only work with Alexa, Echo, and Google Home. No mention of Zigbee. I did buy an old Zigbee hub in a bulk deal last year. I’ll see if it can do what I need.
If you search for ‘wireless remote control switches,’ you’ll find several brands like BN-Link, JTD, and Syantek that make wireless outlets you can control directly. No hub required. Most come with multi-button remotes, but some have single buttons. The range is limited, though. These are popular with elderly clients who need something simple and easy to use. Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for, but they work well for many.
We use Wyze plugs. They are easy to install, and you can share access with others. I love the scheduling feature, though I wish there was a widget for quick access on my phone.