Hi,
More than a year ago I started a little OpenHAB project trying to switch a light bulb when the sun sets using a raspberry pi, Aeon Z-Wave Stick and a Fibaro Z-Wave Switch. I got it all working, the only thing left to do was to fit the module in/behind the wall switch. It’s a real pain trying to fit and this got me thinking, aren’t there wall switches with the Z-Wave modules already built-in?
Apparently, Niko has just such these wall switches and as Niko is widely available here (Belgium) I’m really interested in these. It’s not Z-Wave, so I would need to buy a new controller and new switch but for now I only have the Zwave usb stick and 1 Fibaro switch, so the loss is limited. I also plan to connect more and more switches in the future, so it might be smarter to go with the Niko solution.
Of course. I’m in the US so can’t point you to any sales listings but I bet if you search Amazon or whatever your online retailer of choice for “zwave switch” I’m sure you will find a bunch of options.
According to the API documentation available from Niko, the API is the same (see the documentation here). So in theory it should work. I am a bit cautious though.
One thing is that I have implemented the discovery of the controller in a specific way. The newer way is to use DNS-SD. It may be possible to add that to the binding, however, without it it should still be possible to manually add the bridge thing for the hub to openHAB and set the IP address manually.
Also note that the released version of the binding uses an older authentication mechanism. I am very close to submitting an enhanced binding that uses the authentication with the hobby API, also used in the smart hub.
I don’t have a smart hub for testing, so while It may work, I cannot guarantee it. I can also not test adjustments to the binding to make it work myself.
If you decide on trying it, let me know, and we can see if we can get it working.
thanks a lot for the answer. I’m very in doubt about getting this Niko HUB. On one hand, I’m really convinced going the ‘smart-domotica’ way in my house and Niko is the defacto standard for electric equipment here. So if I go that way, I’m pretty sure I can get all the switches and accessories I need, but on the other hand, spending 150 euro for the hub and 45 euro for a switch to test, it’s a steep ask. W
I’ll have a look what the Niko App could do for me, and maybe I’ll jump…
@Dinobe
The Niko Wireless Hub will be integrated with Niko Home Control in the future. Niko already confirmed that to me. If you want to make the investment, that’s up to you. The hub also has a P1 port that can communicate with the new smart meters from Fluvius. (slimme meter).
If you just want to be able to change your wall switches, I would take a look at the tasmota firmware. It can be easily integrated with Openhab or Home Asisstant. It supports a lot of wifi wall switches, so no need for zwave or zigbee.
If you want a new switch to integrate in your wall:
If you want to keep your existing switches, maybe you can take a look at shelly.
These might fit behind your existing wiring and can make your current switches “smart”.
Thanks a lot for the update!
I’ll think about it and what I will do in the future. At the moment I’m facing some big expenses (new central heating, new patio) and at the moment it is not a top priority.
