UPDATES:
Well, very soon after I posted my disappointed, 1-star review about the Samsung Connect Hub, Samsung releases a bunch of OS and App updates and announcements with this product and their Smartthings Hub and Apps. Those upgrade provide the integration between the two platforms that seemed to be previously missing. Since my frustration was about this lack of integration, this really changes things. I think my rating is now probably 4.5 for the product. Given the attractive price point for this product, a 5-star rating might also be appropriate. I had problems editing my March 18 review, so I deleted it and am posting this replacement.
Since this now an integrated platform, it is hard to know where to start…
BACKGROUND
I currently have a house with a 4 hub mesh network from another manufacturer and a Smartthings home automation system with well over 100 devices. I purchased this hub for a second transitional place.
WIRELESS ROUTER
I chose this specific product because I needed a wireless router. The AC1300 was much less expensive than Samsung’s fastest router. However, if you know Wifi technology, you know the wireless speeds of the AC1300 are still 3 times faster than the very fast 100mbs Internet service most commonly available. So, unless you are moving huge video files between your desktop and your own media server (and don’t have a hardwire connection) this wireless speed is still much faster than you need. That is, unless you have Gigabit Internet service (lucky you.)
WIFI MESH NETWORK
I have not yet tried setting up multiple wireless routers to experience how well the Samsung mesh network handles roving devices. That would be the real test. I have 4 Eero hubs in another location and that Wifi mesh no longer handles handoff of Apple devices very well and I have to turn off and turn on Wifi on my iPad as I move around the house. That is a real pain in the neck given how expensive that competing product is. It might be worth a try to use Samsung’s hubs as a whole house mesh network, which is where I might get eventually with this installation.
SMARTTHINGS HUB
This Wifi router has a built in Smartthings hub which is a $99 value. If you are thinking about home automation, you may want to investigate the Smartthings platform. As mentioned, with the March 2018 updates to the Smarththings and Connect platform and Apps, you can manage your Samsung Connect home automation system using the Smartthings App. The Smartthings App is a very robust and attractive home automation platform and is supported by one of the world’s largest consumer products companies. Samsung is in the process of merging the 2 Apps and has starting calling the Smartthings App “Smartthings Classic.” FYI, I have not tried using the Smartthings Classic web interface to control devices with custom device definitions etc. on this Samsung Connect Hub but I am assuming that works the same.
THAT OTHER MESH NETWORK
A home automation system such as the Smartthings platform uses a Z-Wave and/or Zigbee mesh network to connect smart devices such as light switches. I am hoping that multiple Samsung Connect hubs will extend that mesh network as well as extending the Wifi mesh network. As you may know, one of the challenges with a home automation system is simply coverage for the signal.
FUTURE PROOFING:
Samsung is really taking on a lot with the integration of their Wifi wireless and their home automation, i.e. Smartthings, platforms. Given their announcements about combining the 2 platforms, it seems there may be a lot of future proofing in this product. This Wifi router seems to be a great product to introduce yourself to home automation as well if you don’t already have a home automation system.
INTEGRATED WIFI AND HOME AUTOMATION?
The only caveat I have about an integrated system is that I have been burned in the past with another manufacturer. I did not like their Wifi and I was not all that impressed with their home automation. The benefit of having a separate home automation system and a separate Wifi system is that you have the flexibility of changing one without having to change the other.
PRICE
I went online to buy a Wifi router and also needed to buy a Smartthings hub. I was pleasantly surprised to find this combined product. Their recent upgrades to an integrated platform really changes things. It is the big step forward that I hoped it would be. If they continue to have this attractive, discounted, price on the AC1300, you may want to buy 2 or 3.
[Previous 1-Star Review]
[Recent platform and App upgrades make this review obsolete]
This is a bad product. This hub is NOT SMARTTHINGS COMPATIBLE and the product advertising and product description is false. I wish I would have read the reviews in the general press before I bought it because everything I was assuming it would do, it does not do. It does not work very well as a mesh hub or as a smart controller. I was assuming the integrated design was a step forward. However it is a very bizarre step backward. Personally, I don’t get it…
[snip]
As mentioned, that previous review became obsolete with this spring’s upgrades to the Samsung Connect App and the Samsung Smarthings App and the operating system of both hubs.
| Manufacturer | Samsung |
|---|---|
| Part Number | ET-WV520K |
| Item Weight | 7.4 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.72 x 4.72 x 1.16 inches |
| Item model number | ET-WV520K |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | White |
| Style | Connect Home 3-pack |
| Finish | Matt |
| Voltage | 100 Volts |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Included Components | LAN cable (Cat 6. 1.5m) |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Lithium Polymer |
| Warranty Description | Manufacturer’s warranty can be requested from customer service. |
