this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2026
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Disappointed with Aqara - Zigbee hub, but no 3rd party? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 7 hours ago by CocaineShrimp@sh.itjust.works to c/homeassistant@lemmy.world
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

Buyer Beware! Aqara hubs use the Zigbee protocol, but lock out 3rd party devices!

A few months ago, I bought an Aqara hub and went deep into their ecosystem. I saw their hub and sensors had good reviews, plus they were using the Zigbee open protocol, so I figured I'd stick with their stuff. I had no reason to try other devices until recently.

I picked up a tilt sensor for my garage door from a 3rd party. I made sure it was also using the Zigbee protocol, so I assumed it would be compatable. Unfortunately, when I tried connecting it to the hub, I was wrong and it wouldn't connect. Turns out, Aqara uses the Zigbee protocol, but locks out 3rd party devices. [source]

If anyone has a workaround to integrate a 3rd party device with an Aqara Hub (IIRC, I have the M3?), I'd love to hear about it. But until then - I'm looking for a refund. I would have never picked up their hub if I had known about their shennanigans; and consequently, I wouldn't have picked up so many of their sensors.

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[–] MrQuallzin@pie.eyeofthestorm.place 4 points 6 hours ago

I've got the Sonoff dongle and it works pretty well. I've got lights from ThirdReality and sensors from Aqara, ThirdReality, and Sonoff. Everything works seamlessly in Home Assistant