Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router Range Extender SmartThings Hub Functionality Whole-Home WiFi Coverage - Zigbee, Z-Wave, Cloud to Cloud Protocols - White (Single)

September 07, 2019

Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router Range Extender SmartThings Hub Functionality Whole-Home WiFi Coverage - Zigbee, Z-Wave, Cloud to Cloud Protocols - White (Single)

Samsung SmartThings Wifi Mesh Router Range Extender SmartThings Hub Functionality Whole-Home WiFi Coverage - Zigbee, Z-Wave, Cloud to Cloud Protocols - White (Single)

I purchased this for a new home I recently moved in.  I bought hue bulbs a couple days ago to go along with my Amazon Echo. After I had installed bulbs, I realized that I needed a separate hub to automate my smart home stuffs together. Long story short, after doing some research, I realized this is a perfect product for my smart home, some of them are using wifi technology and some of them are based on zigbee.  This is not just a router, it has SmartThings Hub inside as well. You can connect tons of devices, such as lights, sensors, cameras, and more to automate your home based on if-then triggers.
Setup was extremely easy too. I just had to download the SmartThings app then connect the Ethernet cable and power cable to one of SmartThings Wifi devices since all the devices are the identical. Then, I could see the popup for setup in SmartThings app when the LED is blinking green and red. All ready to setup. Tap add button on popup and couples of minutes later your Wifi system is ready to go.  I tried a router with a repeater before but still had dead spots, but this mesh system, no more dead spots and fast speed in room to room.
This router seems not for a power user who likes to change network settings, does not support vpn, dmz, twin up or others, but this support tons of smart home devices and automations as smart home feature, thus if you want a mesh wifi system with easy setup and smart home then this is an absolute choice.  

SmartThings mesh wifi is a true excellent solution if you have a multi-level dwelling and Wi-Fi coverage issues. I have a 4000 square foot home in Chicago northern suburbs and I am also smartThings user and have about 30 smart home sensors and gadgets on my home network. I have used many types of router devices in my home to improve wifi coverage. Apple Airport, Netgear Nighthawk X8, multiple router types, extenders, booster etc. SmartThings Wifi was the PERFECT choice for me.

Since I have been using SmartThings Hub and sensors for three years, I was very interested in new SmartThings products - Wifi and new sensor. I bought SmartThings wifi 3pack first and reviewed carefully all materials and websites. Based upon my research that I've done, SmartThings wifi uses AI based mesh wifi. It adapts to home Wi-Fi in real time and deliver upgraded Wi-Fi performance every day. I realized that SmartThings wifi uses Plume's Adaptive Wi-Fi technology and Plume is a company for Wi-Fi mesh specialty that they provided solution to Comcast and Samsung and received investment from them too. Its technology is very interesting!!!. They said that SmartThings wifi learns Wi-Fi needs and optimizes bands and channels for the best Wifi performance. It is AMAZING mesh technology with traffic balancing, as well as management radio resources. I believe it is a groundbreaking Wi-Fi technology!!!

Setting up SmartThings Wifi was so simple and clear, SmartThings app automatically detected smartthings wifi and I just did click. For advanced Wifi settings. I downloaded Plume app and it showed how many Wi-Fi devices were connected on each router and band & channel I've been using. Graphic looked like solar systems and it was very interesting app. As time goes on, the channel and band changed. It seems SmartThings wifi takes advantage of uncongested Wi-Fi frequencies based on AI algorithm. I will post details again.

I'd recommend this for people struggling with weak Wi-Fi signal, people who want to get the fast internet and people who use smart home devices like sensors, thermostat and Arlo camera. I bought three pack but a single SmartThings wifi is great as a router with a modem rather than using the gateway the internet provider rents.

I live in a single-story house approximately 2,100 feet in size. I was using an Apple Airport Extreme as a router/base station and an Apple Airport Express as an extender. Both were functional but few of my devices would successfully connect in the 5GHz band, and 2.4GHz was definitely congested. As a result, streaming audio and video was susceptible to interference from our microwave, among other issues.

Maybe some of the problems could have been solved with further site analysis, and manual channel selection. Maybe not. While I was reluctant to spend money on replacing otherwise-good equipment, I was attracted to the advertised capabilities of the Samsung/Plume system to optimize band usage and speed, so I decided to give it a try.

For an old networking dog like me, the highly automated nature of the SmartThings WiFi installation -- as well as the fact that a smart phone is absolutely required for setup (as noted in fine print on the box -- was slightly jarring. But, for normal people it will be a delight, and is likely very much like what Apple would have done if they were still making networking equipment. Creating a functioning wireless network and adding the two extenders was an absolute breeze.

For anything more complicated, you download the Plume software in addition to Samsung's own. Via Plume, I reconfigured the wireless network to use my preferred range of private IP addresses (not necessary for anyone doing a first-time install), and then I had to go configure a lot of client devices to match my new network name. (Though I don't have the last word in a connected home, there's an AV receiver and four Blu-Ray players that support streaming, two Apple TVs, an Amazon Fire TV. three Chromecast Audios, a wireless printer, a Synology NAS, Hue light bulbs, an IP phone adapter, two Haiku fans, and whatever else I've forgotten to mention at the moment. I also sometimes stream to TVs using either Miracast or AirPlay, which of course had added to the network congestion.)

The software of course has facilities for creating guest networks and other functionality. (There's a constellation-like map of your network, too, though I didn't find that very useful.) It also shows you all connected devices and can show you how much bandwidth they're using, and you can selectively cut off any of them. (For some reason, during the first couple of days I had the network up, I wasn't getting any indications of bandwidth used, but that feature started working on the third day.)

As others have likely mentioned, each SmartThings WiFi unit is identical, with an "in" port for connecting to a DSL or cable modem, and an "out" port for adding wired devices. Additional "out" ports, as the Apple Airport Extreme had featured, might have been nice, but I solved that roblem easily by adding a $15 D-Link switch.

Anyhow, here's the bottom line. I expected an improvement, but perhaps not much of one. But I'm happy to say that since the installation of the SmartThings WiFi system, there is good connectivity throughout my house, and that every device that's capable of doing so (which means everything except my fans) is connected using the 5GHz band. No more congestion, and no more microwave interference.

And, just about the full bandwidth of my 115 Mbps cable connection is available anywhere in the house, to all of my devices. (Before, they were lucky to get less than half that speed.)

So far I'm impressed with this set up. I previously had a nighthawk router from Netgear which was good in the basement and first floor but when I got up to the second floor of my house the dead spots were apparent. With this mesh system I don't have the dead spots in the house. They aren't "blazing" speeds but at least I can function and use my laptop in my bedroom. Closer to the main hub I get speeds over what I pay for which is great and that's via WiFi not hardwired. Been looking for a solid solution for wifi in the whole house since I work from home and didn't want to have different network names like a WiFi extender does. This has solved that, so far. I continously use the smart things app and the plume app to monitor the speeds. Set up was straight forward with the app. Plug, find the hub, name it and move to the next one. For some reason I can't get the smart things app to connect to my nest thermostat but that's fine with me, not a big deal.

Simply Amazing!! Perfect for strong, consistent wifi strength/speeds and flawless IoT execution of my 107 connected devices. Thank God I found this. I would hughly highly reccomend.


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Feature Product

  • All-in-One Solution: The only mesh router and smart-home hub in-one, allowing you to connect and control 100+ compatible smart cameras, lights, speakers, doorbells, and more with the SmartThings app
  • Extendable Coverage: Enjoy seamless Wi-Fi coverage for up to 1,500 sq. feet with a single Wi-Fi router, and up to 4,500 sq. feet with a pack of 3. Add up to 32 routers if additional coverage is needed
  • Adaptive Home Wi-Fi: Powered by Plume, SmartThings Wi-Fi learns your environment and optimizes performance for a powerful, reliable home Wi-Fi experience
  • Seamless Channel Hopping: Adaptive routing technology automatically chooses the clearest channel & fastest path to avoid congestions
  • One App Controls it All: See what's connected, prioritize devices, create network access for guests, set up parental controls, set schedules, and more all from your smartphone
  • Easy Setup: Download the SmartThings app, and follow the instructions to get your new home network running in minutes
  • Compatible with previous versions of SmartThings Sensors and Outlets

Description

Enjoy ultimate connectivity and smartness at your home with a powerful mesh Wi-Fi router that is also a SmartThings Hub.

The SmartThings Wi-Fi uses Plume’s Adaptive Home Wi-Fi technology to learn how you use your Wi-Fi and optimizes your network to fill every inch of your home with the strongest possible signal. It also operates as a SmartThings Hub connecting lights, cameras, locks, thermostats, sensors, and more. Automate your smart home, and control it from anywhere with the SmartThings app, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa.



Start with one SmartThings Wifi to cover homes up to 1,500 sq. feet in size and then simply add up to 32 hubs to expand your coverage. In contrast to traditional routers, the SmartThings Wifi’s mesh network can use combination of different channels and band for each data hop, taking your Wi-Fi through the fastest route and eliminating interference, congestion, and buffering.



SmartThings Wifi is simple to install and easy to use. Personalize who gets on your Wi-Fi network, for how long, and what they can do. Measure the speed of your network, create schedules for when devices can access the internet, and much more. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about updating firmware-SmartThings Wifi will update automatically.



Includes: DC Adapter(s), LAN cable(s), and QSG Leaflet



*Product not supported outside U.S.


*Not compatible with Samsung Connect Home models ET-WV520KWEGUS, ET-WV520BWEGUS, and ET-WV530BWEGUS.



I was up and running with the system in literally 5 mins. The setup process is so easy with the SmartThings app. I recently moved into a new apartment and the mesh system with plume has dramatically improved my connectivity in all areas. Not only is streaming much better, I am able to better control and monitor my Smart Home devices remotely through the SmartThings App. This is useful as I have multiple brands of Smart Home devices and I really like the functionality that the SmartThings app give me with the built in Hub.

Plume is also amazing. I really appreciate the parental controls and customizable logins for my guests (great for when we do air bnb).

I am impressed and will buy a set for my parent’s home too. Keep it up Samsung.

AWESOME PRODUCT. I just set up this today. it was very impressive. I have a decent size home and have areas were the Wi-Fi coverage is lacking. I first tried to setup a repeater before. The thing was a bear to setup. Installing smartthings Wi-Fi was so simple and each device is a breeze via smartthings app. It took about 7 min according to smartthings app's guide. Smartthings Wi-Fi has solved my dead spots problems in the back yard and bedroom. The whole house now has strong Wi-Fi signal and the smartthings app is simply designed for Wi-Fi and easy to use. Wi-Fi coverage is good. Also, product design is so great and package is outstanding too. Actually I love purple color. I'm completely satisfied with it so far.

Having used WiFi range extenders and repeaters with very limited success, I've been watching with anticipation about the Mesh WiFi products. These Samsung SmartThings work 100% as advertised and were crazy easy to set up. Out of the box, it took me less than 15 minutes to have them fully operational. I have a 100Mbps WiFi router in my living room (my house is a single-level 3000 Sq. Ft.) and the rooms at the opposite end of the house could barely get 10Mbps. After set up of the SmartThings, I now have 100Mbps in all rooms of my house - I am ecstatic!! Get these - you won't be sorry!!

I had originally tried a Google's Wifi system but found it to be bit finicky.
It requires a persistent connection to Google system and that scared me.
I continued looking around for an advanced home wifi networking option including original Samsung models and I think I found a better one.

SmartThings Wifi uses an innovative approach.
Immideately after setting up the 3 router devices, I can see what they called "AI-based" network optimization kicks in. It is actually visible on the Plume app that it countinues to change the mesh topology until the entire wifi network gets settle down and optimized. So cool!
I now have full speed internet access in every corner of my house, but I love the fact that it will continue to monitor network health and keep up the best possible performance over time.
I love being able to check on health and performance of my mesh network and I love being able to see which routers are connected to which routers and which devices are connected to which routers in real time.
I was even able to rearrange the some routers into different locations without having to do anything other than just powering down and plug in the power at different locations.
And, again, I was able to see how it adapts to the different environment and forms the best possible network from there.
I haven't tried out yet the SmartThings hub features and many additional wifi features in Plume Wifi app, but it looked quite exciting at first sight.

Background: I have a fiber optic line at home that was previously running through Google Wifi routers and a SmartThings standalone v2 hub. Most of my devices are wifi (Leviton and Lifx), with a few GE z-wave switches and an August Smart Lock (z-wave plus). 2 Alexa dots for voice control.

Pros: Setup x2
The SmartThings Connect felt more straightforward to setup and connect vs the Google Wifi. Each node was recognized on the first time and I was able to position them throughout the 2 story house for maximum coverage and access to the smart devices on opposite ends of the house. You do have to download the Plume app to maximize the information and setup process, but that's not necessary to get the ball rolling though.

Setup is honestly the hardest part with all the different individual pieces I've done. I tried different ways to make it all work together and so far this has been the most straightforward and all encompassing. Tweaking all of the settings and schedules will happen in time, but being able to get it running in one evening was critical.

Pros: Apps.
The ability to access all the devices and the majority of their settings was important to allow my wife to have a simplified solution. I had no issue integrating all of the other items with the exception of the August lock.

Neutral: August Lock compatibility
So this isn't related to the hub as much as the app. The newer app doesn't support the August lock which I didn't realize beforehand. I had to go back and install it in the classic app. I am hoping for additional support for the August lock.

Cons: Migration
This probably won't apply to everyone but going from a v2 hub to a the integrated router/hub solution had it's issues. I had to run ST Classic app, ST app, and troubleshoot the devices. Once I figured out the process on one, it was a lot easier for the other ones. I had two hubs on the app at one time and could only delete the old hub off of the browser version of ST (not through the hubs).

Overall: I think it's a great hub. The setup was a lot (a lot a lot) easier than Google Wifi and even the ST v2 hub (surprisingly). Overall functionality compared to Google wifi seems similar, as well as peak speeds. I'll fine-tune the settings soon to see if I can improve. The key to this was ease of use and reducing the amount of control items i have to deal with as my previous setup failed intermittently. I haven't seen that with the Samsung router/hub in the past week at all. Happy smart home user here!

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