The Mi home and Aqara gateways - what is what?

-
There are various versions of the Mi and Aqara gateway, but what is the difference?
To begin, all the hubs are made by Lumi, but are released with different brand names, but the difference is not just the brand name.

The gateways

The very first version features a night ligt, has a speaker, nut no internet radio.
DGNWG01LM - Mijia - first version - Discontinued in 2016
The gateway DGNWG01LM has the letters Mi written on it

Second version 2016-now, in webshops often refered to as the "upgraded version". The number indicates its region (02 through 05), with each region their corresponding plugs.
The 02 model is only meant for China, but supports the most devices.
DGNWG02LM - Mijia - second version - China
DGNWG03LM - Mijia - second version - Taiwan
DGNWG04LM - Mijia - second version - Hong Kong
DGNWG05LM - Mijia - second version - Europe
The second version looks very similar, but has the Mijia logo written on it. 


The third model (2020) is a whole new Mijia version and has many differences. It supports Apple Homekit, and has a bunch on certifications: certified Zigbee 3.0, certified Bluetooth (5 and mesh) and certified Wifi (2.4 GHz 2 x 2 MIMO). It does not have a speaker or night light, and has a separate USB power supply.
ZNDMWG03LM
The third version looks very different and has other features than the first and second version
Aqara has a model, released in 2016, with almost the same features as the V2 model, but has also Apple Homekit support. The device is not a successor of any of the other Mijia hubs, but is launched as a product under a different brand by a separate company with their own team for development and support. It has their own Aqara app, but due to GDPR issues the app is no longer available in Europe for download. The hub does work with the Mi home app.
ZHWG11LM - Aqara version - Standard Apple Homekit support
Looks similar like the first and second Mijia version, but has Aqara written on it

Other gateway types

There are more hubs like the two versions of smart ac companion, these meant to control you air conditioner by IR and/or by mains. The round version is from Mijia (KTBL02LM) and there is a square Aqara version (KTBL01LM  and KTBL11LM for an advanced version). The KTBL02LM and the KTBL01LM are the same only in a different housing, the KTBL11LM (advanced) version has some extra security additions, like temperature protection, overcurrent protection and can cut the power to the socket.
Mijia KTBL02LM
Aqara KTBL01LM

Camera gateways
There are also IP cameras which can function as a gateway. There is the Aqara Smart 1080p IP camera (ZNSXJ11LM) and the newer Aqara Smart camera G2 (ZNSXJ12LM). Both cameras can communicate with Zigbee devices.
ZNSXJ11LM

ZNSXJ12LM


Which model is right for you? 

It depends, if you have some special requirements like infrared or want to have a camera then check go for the specific gateways. If you just want a hub, or are not sure if you want all the extra features, you can save some money and go for the normal hub. If you want a speaker and night light, you can go for the Mijia DGNWG models, or if you want Homekit too then go for the Aqara ZHWG11LM version. Keep in mind that you might need a socket converter if you can't find the one for your country (see my remarks about that below). If you do not need the speaker and night light, then go for the 03 model: ZNDMWG03LM it also features Bluetooth 5 and mesh, Zigbee 3.0, has better Wifi connection and supports Homekit.

Which country should I use? 

The DGNWG02LM is by far the unit that is sold the most and used throughout the world, but it has a few downsides: It uses a Chinese style plug, and it only works well if you set it to the Chinese mainland server. If you connect it for example to the Europe server and go to the "add device" page in the Mi home app you will see far less supported devices. This is because a lot of devices are designed for the Chinese market only and lack certain certifications that may be required for your country (like CE). The downside of using the Chinese servers is that the connection can be a bit unstable and even unpredictable. It happens from time to time that the hub and all its connected devices are not available in the Mi home app or that you cannot use the app because you are suddenly logged out, so from time to time the notifications or automations will not work because they are not controlled on the hub but on the (Chinese) cloud. If you do not use the cloud and just connect your hub to another system like Home Assistant or use Homekit then it doesn't really matter, you can even block the Chinese server through a firewall.
The Mi ecosystem keeps growing and so is its market. More and more Mi devices are getting available in different countries outside of Asia. Soon you can buy Mi branded devices or sub-brands at your local electronics shop. But be aware that your local bought vacuum robot will not work set to the Chinese servers, so you will not be able to control it with your Chinese Mijia gateway. Sooner or later you will have to choose.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The new v3 Xiaomi Smart Home Hub

-
Image
Product code : ZNDMWG03LM Specifications: ZigBee (2.0 and 3.0), 2.4GHz Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) MiMo 2 x 2 Bluetooth (5.0 and Mesh) Compatible with Apple Homekit Max range: 200 meters (Line-of-Sight) Up to 32 devices Power Supply 5V/1A Dimensions 90x25mm Temperature Range -5℃-50℃ Humidity – 0%-95%RH, non-condensing Xiaomi came out with a new smart gateway hub for their smart home ecosystem. The hub lets you connect all kinds of sensors, switches, lights and other devices from Xiaomi to their app so that can control them. This is the third dedicated smart gateway so it is interesting to compare it to the predecessor: DGNWG02LM. Certifications This time Mijia (Lumi) jumped through a lot of hoops to get certifications which can be found on their packaging: Certified Wifi , Bluetooth , Zigbee Aliance , and "works with homekit". Bluetooth with mesh The hub acts as a Bluetooth hub and a Bluetooth mesh hub. This is a step up in comparison with the Cleargrass Blue
Read more

Yeelight RGBW LED Bulb (2nd gen)

-
Image
Product code : YLDP06YL Specifications E27 (EU-version), E26 (US version) RGB + W Voltage: 110V-240V AC 50/60 Hz Power: 10W Current: 0.09A Wifi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz Color temperature 1700-6500K angle: 160 degrees Life expectancy: 25000 hours size: 124 * 60mm The Yeelight smart RGB light is a wifi enabled led bulb which you can control with the Yeelight or Mi home app. You can set the bulb color or warm white tone. You can also define (or use preset) scenes. There are also "flows" where you can set a sequence of colors which it will alternate. You can also set a timer or schedules for when to turn on or off. There is also an option "music flow" where the lights will react to sound controlled by your phone. In the menu there is also an option LAN-mode, this option enables the possibility to control the light with third party software like Home Assistant. The Yeelight app or the Mi home plugin is very intuitive. By sliding left or right you can set the co
Read more

Adding a Tradfri repeater to Philips HUE

-
Image
Product code : 104.004.08 Ikea has now their own smart home products and they have wide range of products. One of their products is the Trådfri signal repeater. It is a USB power supply with an USB module clicked into it that works as a Zigbee repeater. You can use it to extend your Trådfri connectivity, but you can actually use it for all Zigbee signals. The only thing that you have to do is connect it to your Zigbee network and the repeater will do its work and extends your range or signal. For me this might be interesting to extend my Philips HUE signal to the bedroom. I switch my HUE light with the normal light switches, but also with the app (or voice command). When I switch off all the ligths using the light switch I will limit my Zigbee network because the lights don't have any power and no longer function as a repeater. This can sometimes lead to slow responses for the lights in the bedroom because they will have trouble connecting to the HUE hub. Another cause might
Read more