Connect Devices to a Smart Home Hub
When you have a smart home, you likely have a lot of connected devices, from Wi-Fi controlled light bulbs to video doorbell cameras. Each device requires its own app for setup and operation, but a smart hub streamlines that process so you can control all of your connected gadgets from one central location. Smart home hubs also help you to automate and set up routines that run at scheduled times or when triggered by your voice or a button press.
The term smart home hub is a bit of an overstatement, because most hubs only do one thing: act as the heart of your connected devices. The hub connects to your home Wi-Fi network and then sends signals to all of the other connected devices, controlling them with your smartphone or tablet app. Hubs often use different communication protocols like Z-Wave and Zigbee, and some even incorporate mesh networking technology that allows your devices to communicate directly with each other rather than through your home Wi-Fi.
Most smart home hubs are accessed via a mobile app, although some options can be used as a touchscreen or speaker for controlling your connected devices with voice commands. When choosing a smart home hub, look for compatibility with as many devices as possible and an easy-to-use app. You’ll also want to consider whether or not you need a built-in voice assistant, as some smart hubs are now being integrated into voice-controlled speakers like Amazon Echo.
How to Connect Devices to a Smart Home Hub
Before beginning the SmartThings hub setup, make sure that your device is powered off and disconnected from Ethernet connection. The LED on the SmartThings hub will be cycling red and green during this setup process. Once the SmartThings hub has finished connecting to your WiFi network, tap Connect on the app. Enter your WiFi password and wait a few minutes for the SmartThings hub to finish connecting to your network. Once the hub LED is solid green, you can begin adding devices to your smart home.
SmartThings supports the addition of third-party devices using either a QR code scan or by manually onboarding devices into your SmartThings account on your Android or iOS smartphone. You can also enable the Matter Easy Pair feature if you have Galaxy phones, which automatically detects any Matter device broadcasting a BLE beacon and prompts you to onboard the product with just a few taps.
Smart home hubs are great for streamlining the way you operate your connected devices, but they’re not without issues. Because they control all of your connected gadgets, if the hub goes down, so does your entire smart home system. Depending on the type of smart home you have, that could be a dealbreaker. If you’re looking for a simple solution that offers compatibility with the most devices, consider a basic hub from Samsung or SmartThings. Then, if you want to add more bells and whistles, consider a premium option like the Echo Plus or Google Nest Hub Elite.
