Should I switch to Ezlo?

I would like clarification and help in choosing what to do.
I started years ago with VeraLite then switched to VeraPlus and after a hardware failure replaced with VeraEdge that, performing the Restore from one controller to another without ever losing scenes and Devices.
Everything works well with VeraAllert that alerts me by speaking on the phone without the useless tone of the phone, and VeraConcierge that allows me to literally talk to my GoogleHomes … I would say wonderful.

With the advent of Ezlo (a system that is too young and with good promises) but the impossibility of not restoring my devices, I have considered other brands with excellent reputation and experience suited to my real home automation needs.
Among those that I have tried and have satisfied me are:
Home Assistant:
an immense comunity, infinite features and established expansion possibilities, numerous interfaces but all a bit complicated
OpenHabian:
very stable, many Plugins and many interfaces.

Well, I would like to trust the Ezlo team but, if I have not misunderstood:

  • still works with an old unstable mobile interface
  • European Controllers are not yet distributed
  • the web interface is still in the Alpha version
  • has few Plugins
  • and, which would make me change, it does not allow the immigration of Devices from Vera system to Ezlo

Please correct me if I’m wrong, I’d like to trust Ezlo.
Thank you

the way one should choose Home Automation is by
1)Identify their own need
2)Identify the company they want to set off on a journey with

Lets be clear, Home Automation is NOT a product, its a PROCESS!
One’s needs for home automation will increase, evolve. Not only do you need someone to deliver all these new requirements but you have to “manage” all this as well. I have seen many people creating a Frankenstein of a system with computers to run their home automation, because they have to.

-So define what you need
See which home automation company can provide that
-Then analyze which home automation company will be able to support you in your “process” of home automation
-Understand company’s vision to make sure they will be aligned with what you want in the future.

Not easy task currently and happy to answer any questions you may have.

All true and I agree with you but you have given an answer to questions that I have not asked!
Basically, everything works with Vera and I am fine, I have a safe and smart home, modifying my needs over time but, when I had a problem, I replaced the controller and restored it; Now I find myself with over 35 physical devices, 60 virtual and 80 Scenes so the question seems legitimate to me!
Given that Ezlo is a new system, I understand that the interface has to be redone, I understand that we have to wait for the Plugins, I also understand that I will have to redo all the scenes … I understand and I want to believe but, precisely because I want to trust those who have supported me in these years that I would like to understand the developments of Ezlo!
So my question is:
Will it be possible at least to immigrate from Vera to Ezlo?
Otherwise, with all due respect, my intention is: to guarantee a stable future for Home security with a reliable brand.

Yes!
Guys have done a Proof of Concept and it seems to work
Migrating Devices
Migrating Scenes
are two different tasks
We have successfully done the Migration of Devices in our Proof of Concept.
We believe we can do the Migration of Scenes as well.
In our roadmap we want to offer this capability by the year end (subject to change).

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Then you will do a great job … :wink:
I hope to see something concrete and a European Controller soon.

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I am told Atom Hubs will launch in Europe via Amazon by or on July.

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I see this topic started in May I would love to hear from Nettuno if you switched and how it went. My Own experience switching from Vera Lite (that died) is not so good having to rebuild and finding EZLO to be very “incomplete” at the moment. I know melih said it’s a process, but I would have prefered something a bit more complete rather than an Alpha version (IMO) I am finding too many devices not working properly and no valid answers except “we are looking into it”

Before choosing, I consulted the web and various forums report former VERA users disappointed by Ezlo’s expectations.
VERA was / is practical, reliable and simple, new controllers would have been enough and, decapitating those who made the mobile interface and creating a new one … and, VERA would have taught many, instead now, there are only rare bug updates fix and an Ezlo Community reduced to a few survivors.
Clearly platforms like HomeAssistant and OpenHab have moved on and thanks to their experience and reliability, they have welcomed many of these disappointed users (just read their forums).
HomeAssistant a bit difficult as an approach but it really does “everything” with weekly updates
OpenHab much simpler, more complete and always weekly updates, with the Community it is truly available.
What about EZLO … …no one knows, maybe, in a few years, I will evaluate the evolution

Just trying to understand what you mean:
Is it because Firmware lacks features
or
Because some devices don’t work with it?

(trying to understand exactly so that we can help address it).

Honestly, both! It looks like every turn I make with my new EZLO is showing problems from including some “newer Smart” devices, to the interface not being able to delete some “Ghost” devices that just showed up. I’m by no means a “power” user, but I’ve have home automation (and the Vera product) for years. Yes there were issues, but at least you had some ability to find, troubleshoot and get them working. EZLO, seems like many features just aren’t there yet and honestly, going from a working system, I’m not sure I want to wait a year to get the devices I had to work on EZLO.

I have posted in forums hoping for some insight, and mostly what I see is the same frustration coming back at me. I get it you are doing your best, but you had a great product in Vera and should have waited just a little longer to do EZLO right.

List item
No UI (local)
Smart devices (that should be easier to ad) not working
APP doesn’t have any troubleshooting features to speak of
Scenes are a mess to add and configure
and unfortunately so many more

I can live with one or two “incomplete” or “non functioning” items because being in tech as long as I have been, I understand that when things come into “real world” stuff comes out that may have been overlooked or thought of as not essential, but honestly at almost every turn there are MAJOR issues.

I don’t know if maybe my unit is bad, the firmware is bad or just this new format bad. Here is a list of my issues that I have been on forums with and through technical support And I’ve only had the unit about 2 weeks.

List item
Can’t add Smart devices
Ghost devices showing up
Can’t delete ghost devices
difficult to make a simple scene

I’m sure I will find more but those are pretty substantial I only added 10 devices but had over 20 in interface. So forgive me for the rant, but it’s frustrating especially when you know the company behind it had such a good product, I guess the expectations were a bit high

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Thank you for the feedback.
Lets try to address these one by one

  1. Can’t add Smart devices:
    can you please let me know exactly which devices you are trying to add and what exact problem you are facing.
    2)Ghost devices showing: Can you pls share a screenshot of these and are these old devices?
    3)Difficult to make a simple scene: Can you pls write down here what simple scene you are trying to create so that I can perhaps show how to create it (which platform are you using IoS/Android/Web?)

Smart Devices that will not add, stay in “Pending” status

Honeywell UltraPro Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Switch, In-Wall White & Almond Paddles | Built-In Repeater Range Extender | ZWave Hub Required -

UltraPro White Z-Wave Plus Smart Light Switch, in-Wall Paddles | Built-in Repeater Range Extender | ZWave Hub Required-Alexa and Google Assistant Comp
UltraPro

Ghost Devices

Has been resolved by Tech support with Firmware update

Scene needed

Just a simple turn on at what time and turn of after XX hours or certain time

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That’s because the Vera UI7 web GUI has most of the settings and information accessible about your devices that you can use to troubleshoot and fix things. Ezlo web GUI has 95% of these settings missing currently.

Just one example how do I tell if a particular device paired to an Ezlo Plus was paired using S2 Security mode? This is how I tell in the Vera UI7 web GUI.

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Let’s take the most fundamental feature of an automation system: To press a “Home” button and have lights, garage doors, and mood music turn on. And to press a “Night” button and have doors lock, lights turn off, and TVs turn off.

At this time NONE of these things are possible. Not only that, tech support tells me that they are unable to say it that will EVER work (they certainly wouldn’t give me an estimate). And that was a conversation I had with them over two months ago!!!

I’m not sure how you can say with a straight face that this product is anything less than an alpha-stage product. beta implies that the features are there but a little buggy. You have massive swaths of basic, fundamental, necessary features completely absent.

There are products I still can’t add without the add feature ending before it’s ever added. Then when an unworking phantom device appears because of that failed add, there is no way to delet it without calling tech support.

Still no sign of a consistently reliable GUI and I don’t thing that more than 10% of the devices I’ve added function correctly.

I’d be a bit more engaged if tech support didn’t give me responses like, “we have no idea when the Modes feature will ever be working.

3 Likes

These are Scenes that are represented in the dashboard.
you can create a scene called Home and you can turn on/off anything you want…That scene will be seen in the dashboard…and you can even create a “Siri” shortcut for it…


As you can see I have few Buttons on my dashboard, I can call them whatever I want…I can click on them and whatever I have programmed it to do, it will do.
I can also create a “Siri Shortcut” right from scene. I use Siri extensively to run these scenes.

As to your devices: Please provide a full list of devices so that we can get our integration team on it asap.

The window sensors that only notify me when the burglar has CLOSED the window (no notice when it’s opened). Sure, they gave me the fix: write a scene that notifies me when the sensor changes state. Great. But, oh ya, wegre going to be limiting the number of scenes you can have to 30 unless you pay for it.

not sure I understand what you are saying.
Do you have a sensor that doesn’t work and doesn’t trigger? If so please give me exact model number so that we can get it tested asap.
Number of scenes are not limited but only physically limited. Whatever your hub can handle will be run. (each scene takes memory and whatever memory your hub has will determine how many scenes you can run. For example Ezlo Plus has a lot of memory and you can put A LOT of scenes…).

Also there is no "Pay more " to enable more scene in Ezlo as far as I know.

here is the scene you need: (You can create it using a MeshBot!)
I created a use case where:

Trigger
14 minutes After sunset…
Action
You turn on a device (smart switch g6).
Then you turn off the same device 5 hours 8 minutes and 11 seconds later.

Hey @peterg88

https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Interchangeable-Repeater-Extender-Required/dp/B07B3LY1SJ

Can you give me the exact amazon link for the devices.? I can not find them with the names you gave here. I found one but I am not sure if this is the ones you are talking about.

Yes looks like the ones