Belkin WeMo and Ubiquiti mFi Home Automation Platforms Review
by Ganesh T S on April 27, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Home Automation
- Belkin
- Ubiquiti Networks
- IoT
mFi Controller Setup, Usage and Open APIs
The mFi product family has multiple members. All of them are capable of stand-alone operation. However, in order to present a unified interface to all the members in a particular network and also to implement the rules and scenes where one member can alter the state of another, we have a mFi controller instance running on a PC or supported embedded platform.
In order to configure the device, a PC or a mobile device is made to connect to its Wi-Fi SSID (a unique one for each device that appears when it has not been set up to connect to another SSID).
The details of the network to which it will connect to is configured, after which it can get an address via DHCP. Each device runs a web server and can be accessed for further configuration by logging into it with the default username / password combination - ubnt / ubnt.
The setup process of the InWall Light Switch and Dimmer as well as the InWall Outlet is similar to the one described in our initial mPower review. The gallery below shows how the InWall Light Switch and Dimmer was configured. By default, the device comes up in the switch mode (suitable for lights and also other devices - up to 120V @ 15 A). Altering the unit to the dimmer mode reduces the maximum load rating (to 120V @ 5A). We can also see how altering the dimming slider affects the power consumption of the lights.
The latest firmware allows many standalone operation options such as scheduling, vacation mode, port mirroring (keeping states of the outlets in sync) and automatic power shutoff (with minimums for voltage and maximums for voltage and current).
The adoption of the controller is a feature we didn't discuss in our earlier review. The mFi controller software is available for many platforms. Even the Raspberry Pi can be used. In our setup, we chose to install the software on Ubuntu.
We already have the QNAP TS-853Pro in long term testing and decided to install Ubuntu in a VM using the Virtualization Station package. Following the steps given in the Ubiquiti forums, we were able to get our mFi controller up and running in a VM on the QNAP NAS.
The controller can be used to set up rules and scenes as well as control the member devices, as shown in the gallery below.
The prevalence of smartphones and tablets have made mobile apps an indispensable part of any automation ecosystem (in both residential and business settings). Only recently has there been renewed interest in this area from Ubiquiti Networks. The officially-sanctioned Android app is still in beta, but delivers basic functionality for the mPower and InWall devices. The mPort devices are not supported yet.
However, the controller also has a mobile interface accessible at: https://<IP>:6443/mobile for comprehensive access to the system. A shortcut to the URL on the home screen of the mobile device can act as a very good substitute for a mobile app.
The interface allows control, viewing of instantaneous power consumption, rules and scenes.
All mFi devices run a Linux kernel. SSH access is available. HTTP APIs are well documented. Note that the availability of WebSockets allows for event-driven reactions and avoids the overhead caused by polling when trying to integrate mFi devices into other automation systems. Password protection provides security. As long as one's Wi-Fi network is secure, there is no security risk - mFi doesn't need any ports to be made open to the Internet. The security aspect is easily understood even by novice users.
That brings us to the only downside (in addition to the requirement of a standalone PC or embedded platform capable of running the mFi controller) - there is no way to access the controller and/or devices from an external network. This is easily solved by port forwarding. For a more secure solution, a VPN is preferable.
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metayoshi - Monday, April 27, 2015 - link
Wow. I'm surprised you guys are actually reviewing these products.I have one of those WeMo Switches myself (not the light switch and not the Insight, just the plain switch that has a power outlet). It's actually very convenient for me as I wanted a way to turn on and off my bedroom light without needing to walk in the dark, so I just found one of these at Best Buy, and I've been happy with it ever since. I originally thought I wouldn't use the remote features, but I actually have when, for example, both my girlfriend and I are out late, and we need to turn on the light for the cats.
However, I also agree that the Android app is sometimes inconsistent. Upon opening the app, sometimes my phone takes a while to connect to it, or it just doesn't find the WeMo switch at all. One thing I know is that the switch that I got is 2.4 GHz WiFi only, and my phone connects to my WiFi on the 5 GHz band, so I think it sometimes gets confused and doesn't connect right away. A close and re-opening of the app usually fixes that problem. Also, firmware updates are kind of annoying since the WeMo device has to power cycle itself, and it always reboots into a power off state, so doing a firmware update in the middle of the night when the light is still on is inconvenient.
Other than those annoyances though, I'm very happy with it. I can turn off the lights without fearing I might trip on something on my way to the bed or on my way to the light switch, and I can turn on the lights for the cats when I'm not home and it's getting dark. I don't think the products are for everybody, but I like my simple use case of it. I don't see myself getting anything fancier than the simple power outlet at the moment, but what I have was a worthwhile investment for me.
Byte - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
I've been using a Belkin switch for about 2 years now and it needs to be repaired every quarter or so from bugs and updates can make it forget pairing. I use it to turn on the AC at work half an hour before I get in as it takes that long to cool the place down and really helps. But other than that fringe scenario, i really don't see much use in these switches.olafgarten - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
Ubiquiti Products are really good, I use to use ruckus access points, but decided to give the unifi stuff a try, they outperformed the ruckus ones while still costing a fifth of the price.SunLord - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
I'd personally would love it if you guys reviews a wink based system given it's large product selection from multiple vendorsbznotins - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
I've been using the 3-plug mPower for a couple of years now (bought it back when AT did the first review) and it works great. Will have to investigate the light switches!zodiacfml - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
I still don't know what these things try to solve. They seem added complexity for little benefit.I'd rather have a review of LED lighting.
I'm still thinking....but nothing came, but could be an opportunity for the first great idea though.
toyotabedzrock - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
If they used a different type of relay they could eliminate the power drain.toyotabedzrock - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
You should look at firmware updates, how hard will they be for end users?ganeshts - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
That is a good point. I will add it to the comparison table in future reviews.Usually, the mobile apps handle the firmware updates after prompting the user - it is mostly a seamless operation (at least as far as the two product lines discussed here are concerned). The web UI for the Ubiquiti devices also allow the upgrade - that aspect is not a dumbed down procedure like what Belkin has done - but it should be familiar to anyone who has upgraded their router or NAS firmware.
Azurael - Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - link
Yum. Belkin network hardware. Sure to need rebooting several times a week and randomly refuse to talk to the device you're using at any given moment. Then, a 6 months later when massive security holes are uncovered in it, they'll refuse to update the firmware on the grounds of obsolescence. And it'll probably be full of holes in the first place (I love the way you can't actually disable WPS on most of the Belkin routers I've encountered. They often have a toggle in the management interface, but it does NOTHING!)Theire router hardware is okay when it's running something like OpenWRT or DD-WRT but I can't say I'd go out of my way to give money to them.