In this video we're gonna look at using the Echo Show second generation as a
Smart Hub. I'm gonna use this Sengled smart bulb to show you how to connect
devices. Hi my name is Craig. Here I do tech videos. This is part of my weekly
Echo series. Check out the description if you want to learn more about the Echos.
I'll also include a guide on how to set up devices using it as a smart hub.
Please, use those links they definitely help the channel out. This is episode 4
of my 2019 echo video series. If you haven't, check out this playlist if you
want to see 2018 videos. Also, I've changed the name of my device to echo so
hopefully I don't trigger your device at home. The second generation Echo Show can
be used as a Smart Hub. You can also apply this to the Echo Plus 1st
generation and the Echo Plus 2nd generation. This Show and the Echo Pluses
have a ZigBee hub built into them. With the second generation Show and the
second generation Echo Plus you can also use local control in the event that you
lose an internet connection. So what is ZigBee? ZigBee is a low powered low cost
wireless mesh network standard. With ZigBee protocol you can control smart
bulbs, smart switches, smart plugs, sensors and other devices. Some of the devices
that use the ZigBee protocol include Philip Hue bulbs, Samsung Smart things,
Wink Hubs, IKEA bulbs, GE appliances, LG Smartthinq and a lot of others. This
here is the a Sengled bulb. It's a reasonably priced bulb that you could
find on Amazon. I will do another video talking more about this bulb. It uses the
ZigBee protocol. So we're gonna get this set up, walk you through the steps and
see how easy it is. Also, something to note before we get started, the echos
that have a ZigBee hub will only do smart lamps, smart plugs and smart bulbs.
Some of the other ZigBee sensors and things will not work with the built-in
hub. There are two ways to connect device to your echo. The first would be using the
app and the second would be using your voice. I'm gonna walk you through using
the app first. But, no matter what method you use you're gonna have to first power
up your bulb. So let's start with that. Once your bulb is powered up the next
thing you're gonna want to do is open up the app. Go to the smart devices in the
bottom corner, hit the plus sign and then choose add a device. From here you're
gonna pick what kind of device you're adding. You can see there's some popular
brands listed on top. We're going to add a light. If you scroll down you can pick
what kind of light you do want to add. We'll choose one of the Sengled lights.
The next step would be to put your light into pairing mode by powering it off and
then back on. From here you'll press discover devices. At that point it's
gonna look for your device and now it's found the device. So wait the 45 seconds
till it does connect up. A new lights been discovered we'll set up the device.
Let's go ahead and choose a group to add this into. We'll add it to the office
group. Add to the group. First light is setup and ready to use.
We'll hit done. This is now called first light. If we want to go in and change the
name of it we'll go under our lights. Find the first light, select it, go to the
corner, will edit the name of it. We'll call a new light for now. Hit done. This
tells you a little more about the light it's enabled now we can back out of this.
If we use the app here we can adjust the brightness of it. Set it to whatever
level we want. You can also turn the bulb on or off using the app. Now it's
finished. You can leave the app. Let's use our voice. Echo turn new light off.
Okay. Echo, turn new light to 25% . Okay. Echo turn new light to full. Okay. That's it. it's easy
control. Also a note, in here if you don't want to hear okay after everything. You
can go into your account settings and turn on brief mode. I don't use brief
mode because in my house the confirmation is good for the rest of the
family and brief mode affects all your device's globally. But, it will get rid of
that okay. But you see it's that easy to set up a device. Let's look at setting it
up using voice. Now I've reset the bulb so it's no longer connected to the hub.
So it's as if I just pulled it out of the box.
Echo discover new devices. Starting discovery this will take 45 seconds to connect
your lights or plugs just turn them on now, for sensors power them on by
removing the battery strip. For locks and other products, refer to the
manufacturer's instructions to put them in pairing mode. We saw the light flashed
there letting us know that the it's starting to discover it. We just have to
wait now for it to recognize that it did find it. I found first light and you can
control it by saying turn off first light. To rename it tap the name on the
screen. Okay, let's rename it. If you don't have... Let's wait, let's just add it to a
group now. I'm using my screen to try to do this. Let's add it to the office group.
It's got a checkmark next to it so it has been added to that group. Let's back
up now. We could have used the menu on the echo show, but if you're using an
Echo plus you could use your voice to rename it. Echo rename first light.
Okay, what's the new name? Test. You want to rename first light to test right? Yes.
Okay I've renamed first light to test. Echo add test to living room group. I couldn't
find anything named living room. Did you mean living room lights? Yes. Okay, I have
added test to the living room light group. See you can use your voice to add it to a
group. But, now let's just call up the light again. Echo test off. Okay. Echo test
at 50%. Okay. That's how you set it up. Weather you use the app or use your
voice. Let's look at the pros and cons of using the built-in hub. The pros. One you
don't need to buy any additional hubs. Such as the hue hub, smart things, or wink
hub. Two, you have local control in the event that you lose an internet
connection. Three would be all your devices can share the common hub or
if they don't require a hub you can just use Wi-Fi and it's all still controlled
under your show. Now there are some cons in my eyes. The first would be your
devices are tied in to the echo show hub. So that means you're not going to be
able to use homekit or Google assistant to control the devices that the hub is
controlling through the echo. The only other real con that I see and using the
built-in hub versus a manufacturer's hub is you don't necessarily get all the
same features when you're using the echo hub. You can change the color of your
lights at their color changing bulbs. You can dim them, turn them on and all of
that. But in the case of my other lights around here that are philip hue bulbs
and they're using the hue hub, i'm able to use the hue app and i'm also able to
get deeper into some of that functionality and create scenes and sync
it up with music and other options there. I'm not limited to what the echo can do.
So in my case I like having the manufacturers hub instead and that
manufacturers hub also keeps it open so at times I could use my home pod and
Siri. I could play with it with Google assistant. I think some of it comes down
to a personal preference. If you know you're not going to use other devices to
control your lights and sensors and plugs this makes perfect sense. You use
the built-in hub. It does give you that local control in the event of an
internet outage. One less thing to power up and one less thing that needs an
internet connection. Those are my thoughts on using the echo show as a hub.
That's how you set it up it works the same way for using an echo plus. Nice and
easy like most things echo related. What do you think of this? Do you use an echo
device with the built-in hub? Do you prefer manufacturers hub or do you avoid them
all together and stick with Wi-Fi only devices? Let me know in the comment
section. If you like this video, please hit that like button. If you haven't
consider subscribing and click that Bell to be notified at the next video. If
you'd like to help support the channel check out the Amazon link in the
description. If you use it Amazon will kick us back a little.
there's also merchandise store and Patreon account if you'd like to help
support the channel. Thank you for watching this. Have a great day. Bye.
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