The Bluetooth range conundrum Bluetooth low energy (BLE) smart home devices can make outfitting your smart home easier but they have a range problem. BLE is low power, so a small battery can power many wireless devices. Your bluetooth motion detectors, door or window sensors, water leak detectors, temperature probes, air quality monitors, physical buttons or dimmers, and many other convenient devices will not need frequent battery changes. Sensors put the “smart” into smart home. Truly automated actions require events or triggers to initiate them. The plethora of BLE sensors provides a rich set of building blocks to choose amongst. But BLE has a big problem - a relatively short bluetooth range when used indoors. There’s a lot of “it depends” waffling, even from the chip manufacturers themselves. It is common to only get good communication within 5 to 15 feet depending on physical layout and building materials. When using personal devices such as BLE headphones or earbuds, the range is not a problem. Most of your BLE devices communicate with your smartphone directly. The smart home poses a big problem - sensors need to work as a system, not just near your smartphone. Apple HomeKit hidden BLE repeaters Apple HomeKit has a workaround that has existed since 2017. With a HomeKit Hub in your smart home setup, the hub can act as a BLE range extender or repeater. Any HomeKit BLE certified devices close to the HomeKit Hub will communicate …
Bluetooth Mesh
HomeKit hub is Apple’s HomePod Mini secret
Apple HomeKit basics Apple’s HomeKit hub smart home system, using the Apple Home app, is one of several popular solutions for controlling and automating devices in our home. HomeKit has several key advantages. Apple promotes the protection of our privacy and security for HomeKit devices. One of the other benefits is the ability to start small and grow incrementally. We can purchase a single HomeKit certified smart plug, smart bulb, or other accessory and have a working system. The software to install, setup, and use the device is built into every iPhone and iPad. The Apple Home app is straightforward to use and covers all the basics. Hub or hubless? This setup doesn’t require a special hub device or bridge to operate, so it is often called a “hubless” automation system and not having to buy that $50, $100, or even $500 hub is a strong selling point. But this is misleading! Many of the capabilities of HomeKit to truly automate and not just control the devices in your home require a hub device. The hub is a separate computer that must be turned on 24 x 7 x 365. The hub runs scheduling and automation software where the magic happens. If you want a light to turn on or off at a certain time, have a motion sensor turn on the lights when you walk up to your front door, or do any other combination of tasks automatically will require a hub. A hub also provides secure remote access from outside your home. Want to manually turn on the heat or adjust …
DIY HomeKit Bluetooth Mesh (Make HomeKit ‘Go the Distance’)
Apple HomeKit Devices Use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Where's the HomeKit Bluetooth mesh?Manufacturers have started shipping a lot more smart home products that support Apple HomeKit.This is great news for early adopters and anyone contemplating using HomeKit. None of them (yet) have peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh for longer range. HomeKit supports devices that connect using either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth wireless. If you buy other devices you will need to use a separate hub or bridge. Wi-Fi is the most versatile as it provides a much bigger range of operation and more capability. Your Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices use very little power and can be battery operated. Bluetooth Devices Are Popular Bluetooth is used for smart locks, door and windows sensors, temperature and humidity sensors. Use in other devices is possible but limited by its shorter operating range. Your devices must be within 30 to 100 feet of your iPhone or iPad. Therefore, this isn't a good solution for more than a single room. Bluetooth technology is evolving and a new capability called Bluetooth mesh will extend the range by allowing all Bluetooth devices to connect to each other and forward transmissions between them. HomeKit Bluetooth Repeater (Hub) Apple has quietly created a great solution to the Bluetooth range problem. Newer models of the Apple TV streaming media box and current iPads have the ability to act as Bluetooth signal repeaters to extend …