As a famous advertiser would say: "who does home automation at 50 and does not have his ZigBee gateway has missed his set". And even more when you use the Apple solution for which it is not so easy to find compatible hardware at a decent price. Fortunately, Zemismart thought of you with his ZigBee gateway compatible with Apple HomeKit and Tuya / Smart Life.
Available in promo from 45 €, the gateway Earthsmart ZMHK-01 is intended to be versatile and easy to use. Follow us to verify the accuracy of these statements.
Earthsmart ZMHK-01: ZigBee Tuya compatible HomeKit!
Unboxing
For once, surely to please Apple users, the brand has put a little glitter on its packaging. Here is a box, a real one, with a visual of the product and a big " Works with Apple HomeKit ". And on one side there are the basic specs. Frankly, for those who know Zemismart, it is as if our dear President became a Dad. Unthinkable such a riot of colors and information.
You will find the ZigBee module as well as various accessories:
- Un 45cm RJ30 cable (and yes ... it's not much) and a micro-USB cable. No AC adapter provided by cons. Go on 5V 1A.
- Un fixing kit with a support, 3 screws and 3 wall plugs. For a product of 85 grams, that will not be enough?
La passerelle Earthsmart ZMHK-01 is a puck of 9 cm in diameter by 2,1 cm thick for about 85 grams made of UV resistant ABS plastic. Its size and shape make it blend in with any decoration and interior. Rather well seen.
Le ZigBee hub is surrounded by a colored halo giving you the status on the hub connection:
- Green, in pairing mode
- Red, connected to the network
The Zemi hubsmart ZMHK-01 is very easy to use because it only has a button to reset, but not only ... There is also a RJ45 port and micro-USB For alimentation. You will therefore connect your Hub to your box or a Mesh (Amazon iero Pro 6 in our case) via the Ethernet cable.
Let's take a look at its technical characteristics.
Information
For those who do not know ZigBee, it's extra, it's exquisite, but here is a remedial course on home automation protocols. In essence, remember that the ZigBee is a wireless communication protocol on the 2,4 GHz band in Europe, consuming little energy and allowing to create a mesh network dedicated to home automation. That is to say that each device connected in ZigBee will serve as a receiver and transmitter of the network, which basically has a short range. And it works in isolation in the event of an Internet failure, for example.
- Mark : Earthsmart
- Model : ZMHK-01
- Dimensions : 90x90x21 mm for 85 grams
- Power supply : input: 100 - 240 V, output: 5V, 1A
- Log in : RJ45. The Wi-Fi wireless connection is non-existent, unlike the brand's information.
- Protocol : ZigBee 3.0
- Number of connectable devices : max 100.
- Operating temperature range : -5 - 50 ° C
- Operating humidity range : 0 - 95% RH
- OS of Smartphones : Android 5.0 and iOS 12.0 mini
- Supported application : Apple HomeKit and Tuya / Smart Life
In principle, the main interest of this Hub will be to be multi protocol, i.e. Android via Smart Life and HomeKit via Apple. Its RJ45 operation announces a stable gateway and in principle fairly easy to use. We will see that right away.
Earthsmart ZMHK-01: installation and use of the ZigBee HomeKit gateway
As announced in the preamble (which means "who walks in front", even if words do not work, but sometimes make us walk), the main interest of this gateway is its dual functioning HomeKit / Android.
Through Apple HomeKit
HomeKit is the home automation application of the Apple brand. And like everything about this brand, the ecosystem is designed to be both simple and expensive. HomeKit-compatible products do exist, but they are usually quite expensive. Why ? Because it is necessary to insert a apple certification. This explains why there are far fewer Apple HomeKit compatible products than for any other system… It also explains the prices sometimes out of all logic for a basic connected product. In short, business above all.
But this hub will allow you to come and connect any compatible ZigBee product to it. And no need to buy a HomeKit device because only the Hub will need to integrate the Apple chip. Enough to avoid selling a kidney or two to buy a HomeKit ZigBee socket ...
For Apple enthusiasts, the procedure is very simple. There are two possibilities, provided you have at least iOS 12 and have connected the Hub to the mains and RJ45 to your Box or Mesh:
- Go through the " Add or Scan Accessory ". In this case, you will have to scan the Qr-Code under the box. Let it go and voila, the hub is available and ready to be used.
- Go through the function " Add or Scene ". In this case, you will enter the 8-digit code under the gateway.
Then, to install a new device, all you have to do is'' press the reset button (short press) so that the Zemi footbridgesmart ZMHK-01 goes green. It has entered pairing mode. On your iPhone, the HomeKit interface will launch in the form of a Pop-up and the device to install (which you will also have put in pairing mode) will appear. When installation is complete, press the button on the hub again to return it to normal operation.
The devices that you will associate with it must be Tuya / Smart Life compatible. In this case, you are sure they will work. If not, it will be haphazard luck. But that's same issue with all third-party hubs, let's be clear.
Via Tuya / Smart Life
You can also install it via the Tuya applications or Smart Life. To do this, it is simplicity. Connect your Hub to the mains and to your Box or Mesh system in RJ45 and enter the application. At the top right, press the "+" and you will see the gateway appear in Pop-Up. Click on it and let it be. It will not be necessary to change the name because the Hub is not controllable by voice. And There you go. It is done.
And to associate ZigBee devices with it, same operation as the other Hubs:
- Press "Add Subdevice" after putting the device to be added in pairing mode (for the test you have installed the sensor NEO NAS-TH02B).
- Let the hub search for your new gear and once done, rename it to use by voice.
- If you have already activated the Tuya Skill or Smart Life under Amazon Alexa, it will be automatically detected.
- For Google assistant, you must have previously activated the Tuya Add-on / Smart Life and you will see your device reassemble.
With HomeKit like Tuya / Smart Life, when your Hub is connected to the Internet, it lights up in red with pulsations to the rhythm of data exchanges. But be careful, contrary to what is noted on the specifications (in some parts at least) the Zemi hubsmart ZMHK-01 cannot connect to Wi-Fi. RJ45 connection is mandatory!
This is surely a confusion given that it will therefore be possible to make scenes or routines including both types of protocols, but not to connect the gateway via Wi-Fi. If you are looking for a ZigBee Wi- Wireless Fi, we refer you to the Earthsmart mini-hub which, on the other hand, is not HomeKit compatible. It is the same for the Teekar.
When it is in pairing mode (physical or via the application) it turns green. It will turn red once the installation is complete. You can associate up to 100 ZigBee connected objects!
