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 Smart Home, Let's discuss

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mothman
post Nov 21 2025, 02:08 AM

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Hi, i am newbie in this smart home system.. I have done some readings about it and i am leaning towards Zigbee protocol where Sonoff brand would be my choice. My house does not come with neutral wire at the switches and all the switches are good quality and quite expansive mechanical switches which I changed just last year - MK Honeywell. So I don't intend to change the switches as the price of smart switches is still on the high side.
Based on my readings, I can still use the mechanical switches with smart relays (neutral wires - ZBMINIR2) at the lighting wiring and not at the back of the switches, together with a proper Zigbee Bridge:
Would like to seek help on the following questions:
1. Would like to seek your advise on this setup.
2. If no 1. is doable, any Contractor/ Consultant in KL that can help to install this setup for the whole house?

This post has been edited by mothman: Nov 21 2025, 02:11 AM
qwerty223
post Nov 22 2025, 12:07 PM

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1. If you dont have neutral you worry about your good switches does not exist since choice is limited to zbmini series anyways. all these zbmini series are meant to be stuck behind the normal switch. But from my experience, it is pita for most cases as either malaysian spec box are much smaller or these devices just not small enough as advertise.

2. No, just diy. First one probably takes you 40min to 1 hour. but there after should be able to do each in 10 mins. I do recommend investing proper wiring tools like stripper and crimper. Sonoff app is one of the best already.
alucard89
post Nov 22 2025, 01:22 PM

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QUOTE(mothman @ Nov 21 2025, 02:08 AM)
Hi, i am newbie in this smart home system.. I have done some readings about it and i am leaning towards Zigbee protocol where Sonoff brand would be my choice. My house does not come with neutral wire at the switches and all the switches are good quality and quite expansive mechanical switches which I changed just last year - MK Honeywell. So I don't intend to change the switches as the price of smart switches is still on the high side.
Based on my readings, I can still use the mechanical switches with smart relays (neutral wires - ZBMINIR2) at the lighting wiring and not at the back of the switches, together with a proper Zigbee Bridge:
Would like to seek help on the following questions:
1. Would like to seek your advise on this setup.
2. If no 1.  is doable, any Contractor/ Consultant in KL that can help to install this setup for the whole house?
*
Well, there’s tuya zigbee relays (1-4 gang) available that don’t require neutral. Since you’re keeping the switches I’d recommend printing switch spacers since you probably don’t have space to fit behind them especially for multigang switches with all those extra cables behind it.

user posted image

Additionally you can install custom firmware to enable more features

https://github.com/romasku/tuya-zigbee-switch

https://github.com/romasku/tuya-zigbee-swit...es/supported.md

Another thing to consider is converting existing switches to retractive (like your doorbell switch) since the switch position doesn’t matter anymore and might annoy your spouse.



It’s pretty easy to install as long as you’ve turned off the breakers before doing anything

richtrons
post Yesterday, 10:22 AM

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QUOTE(lucaswjk @ Nov 11 2025, 11:52 PM)
i believe the no neutral no capacitor working concepts, it still use capacitor internally as mini battery.

also in one of the moes switch, it listed this switch cannot be use on DC fans and no one comment on light flicker issue yet
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Thanks for the reply. I am only planning to get some simple zigbee smart switch which i can use to control some light switch and put timer.

Aqara seems very premium and higher priced which only works with aqara hub.

I am looking at some others those no neutral & no capacitor switches. there are alot brand in Shopee.

Smartrul and Mogi, I assume are these cheaper "lower" quality ones?

how about brand like eva, eardatek or moes?

This post has been edited by richtrons: Yesterday, 10:32 AM
Kasawari 2
post Yesterday, 10:28 AM

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QUOTE(babyk @ Apr 18 2015, 09:47 AM)
Because I can always remote access to my house to control when I am not at home

It is not troublesome, if you feel troublesome, your setup is totally wrong
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Later too smart other people can remote control your house to enter or leave. Hackers are everywhere and will try to hack over the web.
lucaswjk
post Yesterday, 10:19 PM

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From: The other side...
QUOTE(eagle7 @ Nov 20 2025, 11:13 PM)
I’d like to share a remediation method that has consistently helped me fix Wi-Fi–operated IoT devices showing the following symptoms:

Symptoms:
1. You cannot control the device from the smart app, even after rebooting, resetting, or replacing the battery.
2. The smart app can discover the device within range, but it refuses to pair with your account.

Fix / Remediation Steps:
1. Set up a simple temporary Wi-Fi access point with a basic SSID and password (for example, SSID: “1”, password: “11111111”).
2. Try pairing the problematic IoT device with your smart app account via this temporary Wi-Fi network. Usually, it connects within one or two attempts.
3. Once paired, reset the device again and attempt to pair it back to your main Wi-Fi network. It should now connect within one or two tries.
4. After everything works, remove the temporary Wi-Fi access point.

Although the exact cause is unclear, router logs indicate the device is refusing the handshake with the main Wi-Fi router.

These steps have successfully revived four of my own “faulty” IoT devices over the last two years (three battery-operated and one AC-powered).
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same problem with my wifi only switch. mostly because the switch too far from the AP.

i solved this with tasmota rules.
check network connectivity every 5 minutes, if no connection, reboot.
no more issue in this 3 years...
the only problem, i cannot change password. haha
lucaswjk
post Yesterday, 10:22 PM

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From: The other side...
QUOTE(richtrons @ Nov 24 2025, 10:22 AM)
Thanks for the reply. I am only planning to get some simple zigbee smart switch which i can use to  control some light switch and put timer.

Aqara seems very premium and higher priced which only works with aqara hub.

I am looking at some others those no neutral & no capacitor switches. there are alot brand in Shopee.

Smartrul and Mogi,  I assume are these cheaper "lower" quality ones?

how about brand like eva, eardatek or moes?
*
i unable to help u with the brand... i use sonoff only and it is flashed.

maybe other able to comment on this.

 

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