[linuxfreakParticipant 2023-01-09 at 23:24 Post count: 6]

#34287

I have an original HomeServer 4 with IP KNX interface and cables going to every wall where you would expect an old fashioned light switch. However, the house is not smart.

Is there anyway to have Gira Homeserver talk to zigbee devices? I would like to use Philips Hue lights + Hue motion sensors, smart thermostats, Ikea wireless remotes + curtain motors etc.
Some of the things I want (like motion sensors, door locks etc.) Gira only sells wired and at a ridiculous price.

Has anyone managed to add zigbee to HomeServer4 ? Or is my only hope to migrate (re-build) the entire Gira system on something smarter like HomeAssistant where I can add zigbee? The system is quite big / complicated, 28 rooms with several hundred lightbulbs, socket outlets, garden lighting, mechanic ventilation. alarm system etc. all hooked up to it).

Alternatively I could try and see if I can get HomeAssistant to talk to Gira HomeServer and make it smarter but that would leave me with 2 home automation servers.

Thanks!

[m00Participant 2023-01-10 at 14:08 Post count: 41]

#34324

Unfortunately you can’t just plugin in a Zigbee-USB Controller into the HS to control ZigBee directly, but you can certainly use a Hue Bridge with the Homeserver, there are some well working Logic blocks. This only works well for controlling lamps, but not Hue sensors (motion sensors/switches).
I would recommend looking at other KNX developers, as Gira is one of the most expensive manufacturers with low to mid functionality. A very well received manufacturer is MDT, they offer incredible functionality with a much lower price tag.
Since KNX is a standard, you can use any of the hundreds of manufacturers and mix and match as you like.

Door locks (Nuki), fingerprint sensors (ekey) etc. can also be integrated into the Gira Homeserver/KNX.

You could indeed use both – Homeserver and Home Assistant, but that would create more points of failure. Home Assistant works with KNX (through a KNX/IP Router or Interface) but i didn’t test that irl so far.

I’m not sure if “the house is not smart” means that there are no KNX sensors so far and everything is controlled via regular switches or if its just not programmed smartly but if you already have all the actuators and switches, i wouldn’t recommend downgrading to a wireless (either ZigBee or WiFi/Shelly) system. One broken 433/866mhz transmitter in your neighborhood thats acting as a jammer and you can’t switch your lights off anymore… Wireless should always just be the fallback solution to a proper bus system.

[linuxfreakParticipant 2023-01-12 at 22:59 Post count: 6]

#34394

Thanks for your reply!

It’s an original HS4 that is connected to KNX bus using a “Gira 2167 00 IP-Router” with connection to a video surveillance server. I guess HomeAssistant will be able to talk to the IP-Router as well.

What I meant that the house is not smart is that *every* room is equipped with loads KNX wall switches everywhere, a ton of switch aktors and dimaktors etc. but you need to push a button everywhere to get lights on/off. No motion detection sensors, no smart lighting switching nada. The KNX bus is wired throughout the house except for probably the places where you would like to install motion detectors, a relay to switch heating of the whirlpool on/off, a way to control the heating system and in summer the water cooling system, the driveway heating etc. So everything is in the house, it’s just not smart.

All the (wired) buttons will still be there, should the wireless detectors (motion/temp/humidity) fail.

Hence my thinking to install Home Assistant with a zigbee stick to connect wireless devices and have HA interact with the Gira HomeServer4 to switch on/off stuff.

Alternatively I could consider to ditch the HS4 and migrate to HomeAssistant but that would mean re-doing all of the configuration not an easy task on a big house unless there would be a way to pull the config from the gira and recreate it easily in another solution. I will look into the other server you mentioned.

Having 2 different home servers talking to the IP-Router/KNX bus at the same time will for sure lead to confusing problems.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by linuxfreak.

[ur63Participant 2023-01-13 at 09:01 Post count: 70]

#34398

To stay within one eco-system, KNX RF devices are not an alternative?
Do not know, if there are RF variants of the devices you envision, though.

[linuxfreakParticipant 2023-01-13 at 19:44 Post count: 6]

#34407

Maybe, I didn’t figure out what I need to attach wireless KNX devices, the gira website mentions the G1 server but I have an HomeServer. I did see that for example one wired motion sensor is already EUR 100\piece, a Philips Hue is 40 and that also measures temperature + daylight.

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